Colossians 1:15-28

I. Jesus is at the center of it all.

1. Jesus is God
2. Jesus is the agent of creation, v. 16
3. Jesus is the reason for which everything exists.
4. Jesus is before, v. 17-18
5. Jesus is fully God, v. 19-20
6. Jesus is reconciliation, v. 20

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

-2 Corinthians 5:18-20


II. We need to understand people from God’s view.

1. Man is by nature, not choice, separated from God.
2. Separation from God manifests itself in how people think and what people do, v. 21
3. Reconciliation changes who you are.

* holy- ‘haggis’ means “most holy thing, a saint.”
* blameless- without fault
* above reproach- unaccused

4. Continuing is a consequence of salvation.


III. The minister bears a sobering responsibility.

1. Being a minister is not about privilege but responsibility
2. Ministers have a responsibility to suffer
3. Ministers have received something from God
4. Jesus is the object and your maturity is the goal