Christ Our Center - Part 1

I. By the Arrival of the Word of the Truth of the Gospel - Colossians 1:1-14
A. The nature of this Word
1. It is absolute (truth) and revelational (gospel) - Col. 1:5b
2. It generates and supplies faith and love - Col. 1:4-6, 8
3. It is superior to any private work - Col. 1:1-2, 7
B. The operation of this Word
1. It ushers in the living organism of Christ - Col. 1:1-3, 8
2. It links us with a universal network - Col. 1:5b-6; 1 Thess. 2:13
3. It fills us with the full-knowledge of His will - Col. 1:9-10
4. It empowers us by bringing in His glory - Col. 1:11
5. It qualifies us to enjoy Christ as our portion - Col. 1:12; Deut. 8:7-10
6. It sets us as a kingdom before the Father's love - Col. 1:13
7. It reveals the depth of redemption ("buy back") - Col. 1:14
II. By Being the Center of All Creation - Colossians 1:12-17
A. The prototype nature of Christ to creation - Col. 1:15
1. Image and dominion - Col. 1:12-15; Gen. 1:26-28
B. The One who makes God visible and knowable - Col. 1:15a; John 1:18
C. The Firstborn of all creation - Col. 1:15b
D. The Sphere of all creation - Col. 1:16a "in Him"
1. All things in the universe have a relationship with Christ
2. Christ is the unifying factor of the universe
E. The Agent of creation ("through Him") - Col. 1:16b; John 1:3
F. The Goal of creation ("unto Him") - Col. 1:16c
G. The preexistence of Christ before creation - Col. 1:17a "He is before all things"
H. The present power of Christ with creation - Col. 1:17b
III. By Having the First Place in All Things - Colossians 1:18-29
A. The first place as the Head of His Body - Col. 1:18
B. The first place because all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him - Col. 1:18b-19
1. He is to "become" the first place in all things - Col. 1:18
C. The first place in the Father's love - Col. 1:13
D. The first place in the Father's plan for the universe - Col. 1:16
E. The first place in the Father's good pleasure - Col. 1:19
F. The first place in creation - Col. 1:16
1. All things created in the sphere of Christ's preeminence
2. All things stand created through Him as God's means
3. All things stand created with Christ as the goal
G. The first place in eternity past - Col. 1:17a
H. The first place in the present existence of the universe - Col. 1:17b
I. The first place in God's administration through the church - Col. 1:18a
1. Christ, as the resurrected Head and Source gives existence to the church
- Col. 1:18
J. The first place as our source - the Begining/Source /Origin - Col. 1:18
K. The first place in the process of reconciling the universe - Col. 1:20
L. Becoming first place to those who belonged to another - Col. 1:21-23 (Eph. 2:12; 4:18)
M. The first place in relation to our sufferings, i.e., we participate in His death for the producing of His Body - Col. 1:24; 2 Cor. 4:1-12
N. The first place in God's administration to produce the church - Col. 1:25-26
O. The first place in all our fellowship with one another - Col. 1:27-29