Christ Over All

Written By Justin Welford

Today, we are going to begin a series like I've not done - a comprehensive walk through a book of the Bible - Colossians

Written to the church of Colossae, likely in the spring of 57 AD

Written by Paul during his first imprisonment in Rome (House arrest, Acts 28:16,30)

Acts 28:16 (NKJV)

16 Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

Acts 28:30–31 (NKJV)

30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

Here were the main struggles for the Colossian church:


  • The Roman Empire

    • It was a HUGE 

      • From England to India (4,200 miles)

        • The US is only like 2,800 miles wide from coast to coast

    • It lasted for 1500 years

      • We, as a country, this coming July will be (HOW MANY?) 246 years old!


  • Syncretism

    • It was a melting pot of culture

    • Religions were taking little pieces of things they liked from each other and implementing it into their belief system

    • COEXIST

    • Colossae had a reputation for being a place that was in love with mysticism, new age beliefs, and cultism


You may or may not recognize this, but the culture of a local church is ALWAYS under attack (Can't stay here!, we'll talk about this next week!)

  • They were a church who was struggling to keep the main thing the main thing

Paul is reminding them of the MAIN thing: CHRIST

Let's Jump in,

  • Chapter 1:1-8

  • We open up the letter with the usual Pauline greeting 

    • He is greeting the church, mentioning those who are with him or helping him write the letter, establishing his relationship as a pastor and teacher:

Colossians 1:1–8 (NKJV)

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.


In verse 3, he tells them that he "always" prays for them.

He goes on in verse number 9 and tells them exactly how he prays:

Colossians 1:9–11 (NKJV)

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

In that prayer, there is a shift that happens in verse number 12

Colossians 1:12 (NKJV)

12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

He seamlessly pivots into a Thesis of Jesus 

Colossians 1:13–18 (NKJV)

13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.


He makes some declarations here about Jesus - 

  • The recurring theme is: CHRIST OVER ALL

    • What would happen if I went through my week with a "Christ over all" attitude?

      • This is the point of the Gospel 

        • It puts Jesus at the center of:

          • Every decision

          • Every conversation

          • Every desire

          • Every pursuit

Paul is urging us here - put Jesus at the center of our lives!

Colossians 1:19–20 (NKJV)

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.


In Him, by Him

That looks surprisingly a lot like what Jesus said in John 15:

John 15:5 (NKJV)

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

"In him, by him" is different that "By Him, For me"

  • We must make sure our theology puts Christ over all and not Christ over all for me.

Let's keep going:

Colossians 1:21–23 (NKJV)

21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

THIS IS HUGE THEOLOGICALLY

The idea, that I can

  • Say a prayer at one point

  • Join a church role

  • Shake the pastor's hand

    • AND ENJOY SALVATION BEYOND ANY MORE OBLIGATION IS NOT BIBLICAL

He is speaking to those who Jesus 

"has reconciled - to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight"

he goes on to QUALIFY that condition:

23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard


SALVATION is not a one-time, check the box event

SALVATION is CONTINUING IN THE FAITH

  • It doesn't mean you are perfect

  • It doesn't mean you don't have struggles

  • It doesn't mean that you always get everything right


It means that you keep going - Eternal life is a journey that begins now!

That's why we act the way we do around here 

  • Next steps

  • Micro-churches

  • Sunday celebrations

  • Missions

  • Teams

We have a "no one left behind" kind of attitude

That was Paul's desire - that is why He prayed for the church constantly - if we go back and look at the way he prayed, it was obvious that He viewed discipleship as an ongoing process:

Colossians 1:9–11 (NKJV)

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;


If you look at this prayer, it is a model of a disciple in the making:

  • Hearing truth v.9

  • Understanding truth v.9

  • Living out truth v.10

  • Seeing fruit of that truth in their lives v.10

  • Increasing in truth v.10

  • Maturing in that truth v.11

This is a process that keeps happening again and again!


Justin Welford
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