Christ Our Center - Part 2

I. In Our Understanding
A. By the arrival of the Word of the truth of the gospel - Col. 1:1-14
1. The nature of this Word
a) It is absolute (truth) and revelational (gospel) - Col. 1:5b
b) It generates and supplies faith and love - Col. 1:4-6, 8
c) It is superior to any private work - Col. 1:1-2, 7
d) It is a full revelation of God's desire - Col. 1:25-26
e) It has Christ as the focus - Col. 3:16
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
C. The Word and the full-knowledge of His will - Col. 1:9
1. Enabling us to walk worthy of the Lord - Col. 1:10
2. Empowering us by bringing in His glory - Col. 1:11
3. Qualifying us to enjoy Christ as our portion - Col. 1:12; Deut. 8:7-10
4. Setting us as a kingdom before the Father's love - Col. 1:13
5. Revealing to us the depth of redemption ("buy back") - Col. 1:14
II. In the Universe
A. The Beginning of the Creation of God - Col. 1:18; Rev. 3:14
1. Christ is God's thought in creation
B. The prototype nature of Christ to creation - Col. 1:15
1. Image and dominion - Col. 1:12-15; Gen. 1:26-28
C. The One who makes God visible and knowable - Col. 1:15a; John 1:18
D. The Firstborn of all creation - Col. 1:15b
E. The Firstborn out of the dead - Col. 1:18
F. 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
G. The Agent of creation ("through Him") - Col. 1:16b; John 1:3
H. The Goal of creation ("unto Him") - Col. 1:16c
I. The preexistence of Christ before creation - Col. 1:17a ("He is before all things")
J. The present power of Christ with creation - Col. 1:17b; Heb. 1:3
K. The Heir of all things in the universe - Heb. 1:1-2
L. The purpose in creation - Eph. 3:9-11
M. His masterpiece created in Christ Jesus - Eph. 2:10
N. The creation of the new man in Christ - Eph. 2:15
III. In Having First Place in All Things
A. 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
B. The first place as the Head of His Body - 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
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 Beginning/Source/Origin - Col. 1:18
K. The first place in the process of reconciling the universe - Col. 1:20
IV. In Our Experience
A. In our spirit-union - Col. 1:27
B. As the focus of our experiences - Col. 1:28
C. In the way He handled our alienation - Col. 1:21-22
D. In our participation in His sufferings for the producing of His Body - Col. 1:24;
2 Cor. 4:1-12
E. In our being part of God's administration - Col. 1:25-26