In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of aligning our lives with our spiritual position in Christ. He explains that although we are placed inside of Christ when we get saved, our condition may not always match up to our position. The preacher encourages the congregation not to let worldly concerns and attitudes hinder their relationship with God. He concludes by highlighting the unity and growth of the body of Christ, emphasizing the need for personal and immediate union with Jesus as the secret to a thriving and harmonious church.

Colossians chapter 1 and verse starting, let's just start with verse 9, it's we just have to cut in somewhere and we want to get down to 20 and our key verse pivot verse is going to be 18. Colossians chapter 1 starting in verse 9. For this cause we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you might walk worthy of the Lord and to all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according to His glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light who had delivered us from the power of darkness and had translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son in whom we have redemption through His blood even the forgiveness of sins who is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of every creature for by Him were all things created that are in heaven that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by Him and for Him and He is before all things and by Him all things consist and our pivot verse and He is the head of the body the church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence that in all things he might have the preeminence for it please the father that in him should all fullness dwell and having made peace to the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven and we'll just stop there a lot of stuff there let's pray now father we thank you for the love of God we thank you for the presence of our God with us and father we don't always sense your presence or feel your presence but we know that you're present and we don't always experience the power of your presence because we are not always one accord or we're out of sorts with you or with somebody else or with ourself but I pray this morning that the Spirit of God would would bring upon us a consciousness of your presence and that you would open up our eyes to see you you would open up our understanding to understand you and when we leave here today father I pray that we would have known that God has spoken to us Lord you use weak people you use fallible men flawed you use the weak things of this world and so we come before you and humble ourself before you that we're we're unworthy I'm unworthy but we thank you for the blood of Jesus Christ which makes us worthy in Christ you give us a position and so now we come as your children praising you and worshipping you and honoring you and thanking you that you love us you care for us that you continue to nurse us along and we thank you for what you're going to do now in Jesus name amen maybe seated we have been studying doctrine and I'm gonna try not to go use up too much time because I've got quite a bit to share but we've been studying doctrine different doctrines and there were ten major doctrinal areas that we mentioned way back in the beginning and the one area we haven't touched on and some of these areas we do a little bit on it was ecclesiology which is the study of the church in ecclesiology in studying the church you can't study the church without studying the head of the church who is Christ and anytime we get away from the head of the church we get into trouble we have problems and how this sermon come about it's just God just put it like that because my week was just one of these wild woolly weeks and I like to start the first day of the week if I can getting ready for the next Sunday but by the time Thursday rolled around I saw this is really looking interesting because every day there's something coming up and I'm just giving myself not getting excited okay this has come up and help this and help in that area and and I thought okay I have a message that I was going to preach last week that I didn't that I prepared and I'll just do it today and so when I went to find it Friday finally got a little time Friday before my Friday got blown to pieces and I couldn't find it I looked all over my office I went into the living room back in there and looked all over come back I went through everything three or four times and I couldn't find it and I finally began to think well Lord maybe you are trying to say something different he had spoke to me about something earlier in the week and so I finally Saturday morning one more wild effort couldn't find it okay Lord I surrender it I will I will pursue the thing you showed me earlier in the week and as soon as I surrendered that I found it but I didn't go back I said okay I think you want us to do this and as I got into it yesterday I began to see something that is simple I was telling one of the men here it was simple but it's so important in relation to the church that if we miss it we get into a lot of trouble and so what I'm going to talk to you about our key verse was Colossians 118 I'm going to talk to you about the preeminence of Christ who's the head of the church Christ is and here's how I got off into this I was reading some stuff from a theologian and I want to read you this statement because he jolted me it just jolted me when I realized how simple but yet how powerful and how true it is and I'm going to read you this statement you may not agree with it but it's got a lot of important truth to it there may be some things to discuss there are a lot of details but listen here's what he said government of the church by the ministry of the word does not mean government by the ministers of the word as head Christ exercises a lordship over the church which does not set him at such a distance that some kind of subordinate lordship can arise on the contrary as head he is never without the members that constitute his body rule in the church belongs to the head you got that rule in the church belongs to the head himself where therefore Christ is given his place there the church which is his body may be said to obtain the kingdom and we know the kingdom of God Romans 1417 said it's righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit this is to be the kingdom of the church is righteousness and peace and joy and other things are there but when Christ is preeminent in the church there's going to be some things there and then he said for Christ which is nothing in separation from his members now our wheels turning are we having thoughts come in how often do we think that elders are supposed to run the church some places think deacons are supposed to run the church I've been to some churches where the women think they are supposed to run the church and I've seen guys that had a lot of money that thought they were supposed to run the church and and of course I've seen a lot of preachers that thought they are supposed to run the church but who is supposed to run the church Christ he's the head of the church that doesn't negate or set aside our different giftings that we do and if you look at the positions that come up to have more leadership or prominent positions like deacons or elders or pastors or whatever you take them to what Christ said and you're getting put into the level of being a servant and a slave years ago I read a book about the church in China and the communists had come into this commune where Christians had gathered together to try to survive and they worked together and the communists come in there because this community was a real testimony to their theory of communism it was working Christianity was working in communism wasn't working and they could see communism right there and Christ was the reason and so they wanted to find the pastor and and so they said oh there he goes and they look over there and here he goes he's going along there pushing a wheelbarrow his job in the commune to work together was to go around and sweep up all the dung from the donkeys and the horses and the cows that would go around whatever that was his job and that was the way they operated whoever had the higher positions spiritually so to say got the lowest job in the whole camp now who's the head of the church Christ now I'll tell you what got me off onto this too from a scripture and it was third John 1 9 and we know about this John John was praising Gaius and telling all the things nice things about him and then he hits one other fell in the church I wrote into the church but dr. Fez who loveth a doctor fees who loveth to have the preeminence among them receiveth is not wherefore if I come I will remember his deeds which he doeth pratting against us with malicious words and not content therewith neither doth he himself receive the brethren and forbid it them that would and cast it them out of the church dr. fees didn't go along with this idea of Christ being the preeminent one in the church he thought he should be the preeminent one in the church I did a little I looked up his name it meant nourished nourished by Joe Joby and there are two national gods if I understand it my last year my senior year in in Bible college I really about blew my average because we had to take a course on philosophy and everything inside of me resisted that and rebelled against it and I didn't get a good grade I didn't want to go into that stuff with my mind but you had to to graduate and it really hurt my average I just barely passed it because I just didn't like it I didn't like studying it but the national god for the Romans was Jupiter and for the Greeks was Zeus this guy's basic name they should change his name if he was a Christian again because that meant to be strengthened or nourished by by this national god but preeminence means to be first very simple and he desired the preeminence he loved to have the preeminence and we go back to Isaiah 1412 we know where the root of this came from when somebody else said I will I will I will I will I'm gonna be like God let me share something with you I thought that was really interesting I went over I wondered what did Dr. J Vernon McGee say about diatrophies would you believe in his commentary he took two whole pages to talk about this guy I thought that's amazing in this whole study of the Bible with five volumes you've seen his volumes two pages to cover this guy and let me just give you a little rundown of his evaluation of him I think you'll be amused and he said contrast him with Gaius but he was a delighted brother but here is diatrophies he's a dictator he opposed John he's not hospitable he's going to get his way he puts on airs he's pretentious he's vainglorious he stretches a peacock he's puffed up he comes in a blaze of self-glory he tries to control the pastor he self opinionated self-sufficient self-exalting self admiration nice guy in the self-will self-satisfied self-confident he could do it all he could teach he could preach he could run everything and he thinks he can and he's going to try if he can who would not bow whoever would not bow down to him this I added in myself he would not want them around if they wouldn't bow down to him and he wants to run the church and dr. McGee said or it's a little click in there they want to run the church he said if what quote I have watched such people wreck church after church and he said I've met mrs. diatrophies many times he probably met her and he and he said and John when he got there said he would deal with him his doctor fees didn't think anybody would oppose him and he said he reminded us that John was a son of thunder and quote he said if you want to wreck a church just have a man like this or a little group like this and you will wreck the church do you want the preeminence in the church I don't I don't you don't know how many times I would like to get out of the way and go and run and would have if God wouldn't tear me to pieces and it's to come up into this type of position you should only do that if God is doing it it's a scary place to be and I have ran my first church I ran who's to have it Jesus I went into a church you know I traveled around for a few years doing some revival ministry I went into a church out in Arizona and usually when this evangelist revivalist would be invited in and I would go in ahead of time be there a few days or a week or whatever and sort of look the place over save him a lot of trouble and so I went into this one church and they they had a building that was seat belt like this about 400 people and it was half empty or half full whichever of nature you are pessimists it'd be half empty but anyway they had a battle going there the pastor wanted them this is typical stuff that goes on wanted them to move the church out into the suburbs where all the people had went because this was downtown Phoenix in that area and and a lot of people moved away it was not a nice place to be I remember you you parked outside the church you locked the car you ran inside for 30 seconds you come back out and unlocked your car it wasn't safe but the old-timers some of them they wanted to stay there they'd been there who knows 40 50 years or whatever and so they had this battle and they were needing revival and so it goes on and I was thinking about this this week couldn't that have been solved if they would let Christ be preeminent and all they would do is lay down their way and their wishes and come in prayer and fasting and seek the Lord and what he wanted this is the way the church is to operate with Christ being preeminent let me go over some things with you Colossians I want to say this about Colossians Colossians was coming out of a problem with false teachers who had gained a foothold in the church and they were wanting to get the preeminence if you go back to Colossians chapter 2 and verse 8 beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit I was going to share with you a couple of the main philosophies that there's trying to get in there but you don't want to know about it neither one of them were good but two basic philosophies were trying to control this area and he said beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit trying to get this into the church after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ Christ in the church is to be preeminent and this was not according to the Lord Jesus Christ for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you're complete in him which is the head of all principality and power not only is he the head of the church he's head of the whole shebang he's God in the flesh nothing happens that he doesn't isn't aware of and he's the Lord but in the church he is to not only be the Lord but he is to be preeminently the Lord of everything that goes on and when we make decisions that has not been based on prayer and seeking the will of God guess who becomes preeminent we do now I don't know if it's going to get a little rough this morning or not but it was an interesting day yesterday as God began to show me these things and over in my corner praying and weeping as God is showing me my failure in years Oh Lord I see I see I see so many things now what I want to do questions is directing our attention to the head it's really focusing on Christ as the head of it of the body and the body is to be secondary Christ is to be the theme and he's a sinner if I were to I was going to get a overhead and put it up here and draw you some things one thing I draw a wheel and we'd have a big wheel with the hubs and with a hub in the center and the spokes going out now how good does a will work without a hub it doesn't work that's the same way the church is without Christ being the hub it doesn't work if he is not preeminent oh we don't need this hub in the middle of this thing all your spokes fall out you will collapse you can't hook it to anything ok now Ephesians on the other hand is about the body with a head and that's very important let me I'm gonna take you back over to Ephesians and basically I'm gonna try to stay with Colossians but I'm gonna go back to Ephesians every now and then because Ephesians talks about Christ being the head also please Ephesians 4 the whole chapter 4 is really good all the way down to 16 in this area but I want to just right now pick up one verse 15 but speaking the truth and love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ coming back up to 11 he gives some gifted people to the church and there to perfect the Saints and 12 for the work of the ministry if you've ever stopped if you ever stop and think about all the things that we do that the church does that's not even mentioned in the Bible that has no biblical basis it might shock you all the things that are done that and especially today we're really getting Wow matter of fact we're just going back into Satan's realm but he comes down in 15 saying all these things that we're to grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ so Ephesians is about the body with a head and of course 16 goes into from whence the whole body coming from the head if I had my thing I could draw a body with a head but 16 from whence the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that whichever joint supply it according to the effectual working in the measure of every part make it the increase of the body and to the edifying of itself in love now we're going to say some things about the body and the head in connection let me go back over to one one and pick up again on something Ephesians 1 if you're there with me and there's other verses to 17 coming on down just good that the God of our Lord Jesus the father of glory may given to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes you understand and all these things but look at where was it 22 I want to go and had put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church you mean the building committee I was just talking to the pastor back earlier this year he's got problems if you can ever imagine that he's got problems he's got problems with the guy that he got in to be over the educational department he's got problems with the building committee and he's got probably and you know what he said my this guy I got in here I read and I remember when he was pushing to get a man I don't know if you should be pushing so hard on this thing and now he said this guy will not work with me he does his own thing and he said not only that they're redoing their whole church the whole building committee is doing whatever they want they redid his office and you know it's nice to have your desk there's no lights around anywhere they never asked him if you'd like to have a light you know I have to get you an extension cord and maybe run one over and he said didn't even ask me and who's running the show well this little group over here is running this area and this group here is running this area and he's trying to do his and and I've been thinking who's to be running the church Christ now 119 of Colossians said that he is to be preeminent he is to be preeminent and there's a two little words all things all things and also I would see this in other places everything in all things he is to be preeminent I think that we have sometimes got so used to running our without Christ being preeminent that we can just do fine without him are we really doing fine I want to do something I did a little a little thing for myself I just went back through well if we go through the book of Acts was he preeminent and I picked on back up to the Gospels in Luke in Luke 24 49 Christ gave instruction Terry ye in the city of Jerusalem and John 21 22 he told Peter to follow me he's given instruction you come on over to Acts chapter 1 and 4 he commanded them they commanded them to wait and if you go through the book of Acts it was really interesting I just went through there just watching well was Christ preeminent and he was they were checking with him they were listening to the Holy Spirit they were meeting together you can tell he was he was there there's several evidences of the preeminence of Christ and I went down through there and only went down to like chapter 16 then I quit but like they chose men they chose the men for this and they prayed until the Spirit of God gave them direction and the Holy Ghost said to do this and they're trying to go over into Galatia and the Holy Spirit will not let them the Holy Spirit is operating with the preeminence of Christ and they had to go over to Macedonia okay the Lord was preeminent in the early church and by the way what happened when Ananias and Sapphira come along they didn't just buck the church they were bucking God they were lying to the Holy Spirit they were lying to God they were trying to get the preeminence and look pretty good and that's what it is to make yourself look good and of course they got burnt and buried I want to share with you several things now what it means for Christ to be preeminent and as I kept going I had about six I even picked up a couple more this morning and so by the time I'm done I've got 11 I got 12 and they all start with P but let me tell you you can do this and pick another letter and you can look at the scripture in and you can begin to see how the preeminence of Christ will produce areas having to do with a certain letter well I'm gonna just take the letter P when Christ is preeminent from Colossians chapter 1 in verse 20 and having made peace through the blood of his cross is the first place when Christ becomes your Savior he becomes preeminent in your life and that's because of the blood of Christ and he is preeminent and not only that but if Christ is preeminent in the church there's going to be peace in the church he's not gonna let a bunch of stuff go on if he's preeminent but there's something about his working he's so delicate he'd just back off we're gonna fight okay you guys can just fight but if he is preeminent and what I mean by him being preeminent is that he is Lord and he's running the show it's going to be peaceful so if it's not peaceful who's running the show diatrophies by the way yeah diatrophies it's characteristic of the world the flesh and the devil and Satan is actually it's God running our life for Satan he loves diatrophies and he loves misdiatrophies you've never experienced anything until you've been chewed out by a misdiatrophies and I've had it happen your eyes get big whoa boy poor husband of this woman my that's really quite an experience something like climbing down in a volcano a lot of fun when you get out there's peace but let me tell you something else there's some really neat things that come along with the preeminence of Christ there is provision when Christ is along and he is preeminent look in the book of the Gospels they're going along and they have God himself walking along in the body with them and the disciples are looking around at this crowd and say hey there's this bunch but he is preeminent he's in charge what problem what do you got oh we got a few fish when Christ is preeminent there will be provision and if he lets something go tight if he likes things get tight for us like he does sometimes with the children of Israel in the wilderness it's so that he can come back and show us that he is sufficient to provide so if he is preeminent how many churches have killed themselves because they've run out of money we run to the bank would you give us some money please Christ is not preeminent and we got to keep our program going oh we won't look good I'll lose my job we gotta we gotta look prestigious in the community if he is preeminent he will provide if Christ is preeminent you'll never come up short unless he's got a reason for it and by the way here's something neat Philippians 419 you know how we like to quote that verse my God but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus that word supply is the same word it is the same word it means full it's it's complete and by the way I don't know if I tell you Colossians 210 and ye are complete in him that's the same word when he is preeminent we are complete we're full we have the head but you take the head off your body and you're gonna get missing you're gonna be missing communication systems gone heart doesn't work right lungs don't begin to work right your arms won't work right your feet won't work right what's wrong well the body's been severed from the head spiritually speaking if Christ is not preeminent in the church it's spiritual suicide you take our head Christ often said we're operate without you like a chicken with their head cut off that's the way we operate here's something else listen to this when Christ is preeminent and by the way this carries over into our life these things if he's preeminent in the church will have these evidences also have these things in our life here's another one there's purpose Colossians 210 and you're complete in him which is the head of all principality and power when Christ is preeminent then we operate under his purpose he's the director he's the head he's in charge and so what happens as long as the body is connected to the head it has purpose but you take the head off the body the body doesn't have any purpose anymore it's dead and spiritually speaking this is what happens when we do not let Christ be preeminent in our fellowship and is to be the most gentle flowing life I've only experienced that probably in such a powerful way once in my life in Christ is showing me and we lost it at 18 months it was a incredible experience when Christ is preeminent in the devil then come in to try to blow it up and he did but purpose purpose here's something else and by the way when the disciples they were given we went over the discipleship methods of Christ go teach make disciples this is what that was the purpose and we're going to come back to this how this ties together in a minute but prayer and of course we know prayer if crisis preeminent will pray because prayers nothing more than fellowship with our head how many times have we tried to operate in our personal life or our church life without prayer but look in the book of Acts it looked like everything they were doing was coming out of prayer why is because Christ was preeminent they were checking with the head it's like Miro said one time he had so much to do that day he had to spend three hours in prayer what is he doing he was checking with the with his head and that's so prayer Colossians 4 to why you're there in Colossians what's he say and this I say I say to that their hearts might whoops I got to go over by focus or not focused right for to continue in prayer and watching the same with Thanksgiving once we stop continuing prayer as a church we are disconnected from the head praying is just staying connected with the head he's in charge he's to be working and we're to be working with him and Ephesians 618 you go over there how often do you pray well I think you ought to pray three or four times a day the scripture says always in everything in prayer Philippians and everything in prayer first church we went in it was nothing I mean they scrounged around and got three families together and we come in there and God began to bless and to begin to grow we had people coming and after a couple years I noticed something that we were getting people in but there wasn't hardly anybody that liked to come out and pray I said Lord this is not right there's something wrong would you send me some people to pray and people began to come hey when's prayer meeting that Wednesday night but also at that point we began to have some opposition same old thing warfare so if you're going to be connected with your head the Lord Jesus Christ he's going to be preeminent it's just like I was talking with a pastor who God is working in his area people are getting saved in the community and and they're reaching out to drug addicts and it's just amazing what's going on it's a touch of revival and and he said and I said you got any problems oh my I have been having some opposition I said whoa great praise the Lord I was worried for a little bit there that and and then he told me a couple deacons you know what I'm gonna do with these we don't we don't have the finances to handle these problems people you know and he worked with him and brought him along and then another one got out of sorts and he brought him along and both these men confess their wrongness but it was Christ who was working and if we're not careful we can work against Christ oh if you want to get into trouble whoa I give myself unto prayer David said and Jesus said my house shall be called house of fun and games basketball volleyball you we got a skating rink we got it all when do you pray oh well we have an opening prayer Wednesday nights and a closing prayer what more do you need we got youth groups we got it all when do you pray what's that is Christ preeminent here's something else now this one's neat and I shouldn't get so I've got to keep going I'm getting hung up too long on these and I may even have more than 12 by the time I'm done I did see some more but listen here there's a neat one when Christ is preeminent there is pleasure there is pleasure there's joy you said where'd you get that I don't know where did I get that Colossians 119 for it pleased the Father that in him should all the fullness of dwell and 18 is said in all things that he might have the preeminent since I began to look on that I said Lord there is there is great pleasure in your presence and when you were preeminent in my heart and in the church it's a real pleasant thing like when the oil ran down it was just a pleasing thing because it was a testimony of the saturating presence of the Holy Spirit Colossians 119 it pleased the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell go back over to verse 10 that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing when he is preeminent we want to please him if we are out of sorts we want to please ourself that it that you might walk worthy of the Lord into all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according to his glorious power into all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness and I want to say this about about this David said that will show me the path of life and in thy presence is fullness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore what more of a blessing could you have than to have Jesus himself present in your fellowship it's a very pleasant thing to experience even in the book of Acts in chapter 5 it was very pleasing to the community around but they wouldn't even join the Christians because they were afraid they knew that they were not right with God but it was a pleasant thing to have them around and the fragrance and the presence and the preeminence of Christ drew people not to the church come to my church come to my we got the best band in town no they were drawn to Christ if they don't get to Jesus they won't make it anywhere that's profitable the church is to be a drawing power to not itself its buildings we got the biggest buildings in the world we can hose 500,000 people is Christ preeminent yes well great but if he's not preeminent who's getting the glory you are it's very pleasant let me say a couple things on this I'll move to the next one the preeminence of Christ means the presence of Christ which means pleasure which means joy and it goes on from there the joy of the Lord is straight straight it's a very strong thing you here's another thing you live to please the Lord you live for his preeminence and he will please you with his presence it's a very pleasing thing it's very it goes together here's another one when Christ is preeminent there will be priority of order what do we do we go here we go there do we need to turn the heat down so getting toasty for everybody okay I see more than five fall asleep we'll turn it back down okay priority look at 118 questions 118 what I'm saying is that a church doesn't have to be fancy it doesn't have to be big it doesn't have to have a lot of money but it does have to have the preeminent of Christ he will cover the presence of Christ will cover our deficiencies and and and also when crisis is there there will be some control over our idiosyncrasies and our weird ways that we have we'll begin to sort of get out of sorts and one look from the Lord oh I better not act like that Christ is present would it make a difference in your home if Jesus moved in well where is he isn't he there you boys and girls would you have a little bit better attitude towards your chores if Christ manifested his presence he's sitting over in the lazy boy and mom come out and said surely would you take the garbage and go out and and surely was she looked over Jesus oh yes mommy would he make a difference if he was present bodily in the church he said well yeah would why would it make a difference it shouldn't priority Colossians 118 Colossians 118 that in all things he might have the preeminence how many battles do we have within our hearts and within our homes and within our churches because he is not preeminent and our priorities are focused not on what he wants but on what I want I'm gonna get my way you should we go back and read that list again from J Bernie McGee on diatrophies that was a really ugly listen they have two pages of that kind of stuff I sort of narrowed it down it gave you the condensed version priority priority if Christ is preeminent your priorities will be right and mine will be right and the churches would be right if he is preeminent we don't dare make decisions unless we have the peace of God ruling in our hearts and be in the and Matthew 633 seeking first the kingdom of God in his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you and we can go on into other scriptures and by the way if Christ is preeminent there's a thing mentioned in Colossians 4 and verse 5 it says redeeming the time if he is preeminent in our heart and in our home in our church we will use our time wisely won't be wasting it here's another thing 7 let me go back over there's that I wasn't numbering them the first one if he is preeminent there will be there be peace provision 3 purpose for prayer 5 pleasure 6 priority 7 purity and we we can see that one really pretty easy that if Christ is present you're not going to have the dirty jokes being said you're not going to have in modest dress you're not going to have bad attitudes there's going to be purity of mind and in our body questions 122 in the body of his flesh through death to present you wholly and unblameable and unapprovable in his sight if this is what he's going to do with us in the presence and he wants us wholly right now and he wants us unblameable right now and and and unapprovable right now the preeminent of Christ should produce purity in the church which is an interesting thing that there's so much I'm impurity coming up in churches it just shows you the crisis being pushed out and families all over are trying to find churches I talked to a man up in Chicago this week a Jewish man who loves Jesus and he must have a real spirit of discernment he says I'm so creeped I try to I go into churches I'm looking for church I just can't find one the Spirit of God is his greed with everything I'm running into here and there he's going to come down here and visit may he find Christ if he comes what a shock if somebody would travel halfway across the country and not find Christ present purity do you know how to have victory in your moral life I've had a lot of struggle men have lots of struggle in this women have struggle walk in the flood it walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh Galatians just laid it out 516 so we need to be focused on walking in the Spirit when Christ is preeminent the church will be a spiritual church it will be walking in the Spirit and it will not be fulfilling the lust of the flesh you get over into the lust of the flesh let's go back and read about dr. fees again then out our fighting in our bickering and all these things do not come out of walking in this in the Spirit they come out of walking in the flesh let me give you number eight and I'm on my last page doesn't mean much does it I can make a page really stretch two hours later he said that was a long page but how about this when Christ is preeminent in the church there will be power power while sure there be power Colossians 1 strengthened with all might according to his glorious power and to all patience and there's another pee I picked up if Christ is preeminent will be patient with one another won't we that one's free no extra charge they just be patient and and 13 who delivered us from the power of darkness when Christ is preeminent Satan doesn't dare show up but if he's not preeminent it's like say come on in devil and he's waiting right outside the door right outside the door of your heart can you afford to not have Christ preeminent no we can't we've got so many sad stories and so many poor experiences and things that we've all gone through because we moved away from the prince of Christ the preeminent to Christ was the prominent thing in the early church why isn't it prominent today because self hasn't been crucified we've got to have our way we go back to our list of doctor fees self-importance here's something about power of Christ and I would I won't say much because there's all kinds of things he he's waiting he's making the early church wait because he knew that they couldn't tear off and go evangelize without the filling of the Holy Spirit the baptism of the Holy Ghost had to come upon them and when he did he would be preeminent in their life and and so the preeminence of Christ means no fear first Timothy 1 7 God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and sound mind you're the second Timothy 1 7 the prince of Christ will be evidenced by by power love and a sound mind the sound mind is a disciplined mind self-control and here's number nine the presence of Christ would be experienced by the preeminence of Christ what more can you expect Matthew 28 20 he Tom you go but wait a minute lo I am with you always the preeminence of Christ means the presence of Christ that's really deep theological stuff in it it is so beautiful and simple the presence of Christ is there when he's preeminent I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Hebrews 13 5 let me throw in another and here's another free pee when Christ is preeminent there's preservation he preserves you he keeps you I was back over there looking at Dr. Feast and slipped over there to Jude and Jude 24 and Wow said Lord that is so encouraging if I let you be pregnant in my life you said in your word now to him that's able to keep you from falling if Christ is present would you all the time if you go to stumble whatever he's got you he's right there but if he's not free in your life you get close to a cliff or something whatever and you're on your own decide I don't need you today Lord I can do it you will fall but when he is there he will preserve you from all evil read Psalms 23 the presence of the Lord Psalm fear no evil oh it's just beautiful that was free no extra charge that was number nine now in concluding which doesn't mean much because I got four more points after this but that's where I wrote down my concluding point and so in conclusion I'll give you these other three I have here listen to this when your spiritual position of being in Christ when you get saved you're placed inside of Christ God sees you inside of Christ you're you're secure by the blood of the Lamb Jesus holds you John 10 27 28 you have a position in Christ but our position in Christ our life is not always matching up to our position our condition may be that we're walking in the flesh we got a bad attitude because I couldn't get my way I didn't get a raise I didn't get this job I didn't get I didn't get the biggest piece of the pie or whatever your problem is when Christ is preeminent in your life your spiritual position and your spiritual condition will be the same when your spiritual position becomes your spiritual condition you're experiencing the preeminence of Christ are you following that you see our position in Christ never changes when you're there in the blood of Christ covers you you're a child of God kept by the power of God but this is one then as parents some of you young people most of you young people going to get married you're going to have kids someday you're going to know what this is me when when maybe a child wants to dress some way or do something and you know maybe they want they've watched somebody spike their hair up and so maybe one day they come out of the bathroom and their hair is all spiked up now this will never happen to any of us but you're on your way to church your face you go to church and you can't do that you're gonna make me look bad now the parent won't say that but that's what they're thinking aren't they now you never do that but the preeminence of Christ will take care of our condition we wouldn't do that because we're in the bathroom hey I wonder what I look like to spike up my hair and you got it all you got to see me spike my hair up my kids it's a roaring it's a roar come out all wet I don't do that much but will we do it if Christ is present what do you think Lord nope you look pretty stupid okay Lord well that's better you are reflecting me you will honor me you'll glorify me let's go but wouldn't you feel bad you do something all on your own and you've been walking with the Lord and all of a sudden you go out with your hair all spiked up but where's Jesus anyway he doesn't want to be seen with you you embarrass him when Christ is preeminent our condition should be always in relation to our condition our position I mean you got it okay now here's the last three when Christ is preeminent and this is really these last three they're good they're my favorite ones when Christ is preeminent there is going to be praise there's going to be praise none of this working up some phony praise having to sing 90,000 verses of some course over and over again so you get yourself remember mesmerized into some kind of a stupor you know praise the Lord until your eyes are sticking out no it's a reality that comes from the presence of Christ the preeminence of Christ into the body of Christ and they are reflecting praise Colossians 219 I'm gonna take you back over just for speed but Colossians 219 let no man begow you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels intruding into those things 18 which he had not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind and not holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together increased it with the increase of God you say how did you get praise out of that you won't believe it until I share it with you but Ephesians 4 basically says the same thing in 16 from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint suppliant according to the effectual working in the measure of every part making the increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love with God is doing with Christ is doing he's building a body for himself to inhabit he inhabits is he inhabits what the praises of his people somewhere in the Psalms memory now let me take you over to a passage of scripture in first Peter and we're getting close the runways in sight but first Peter 2 and look at verse 5 he also is lively stones are built up a spiritual house remember God is building a spiritual house in the church and he's to be the number one thing the center of all focus in this spiritual house is Christ and so first Peter 2 5 you also are as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood what's it supposed to be doing to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ what's he talking about look over at verse 9 but ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people there's another P it's free when Christ is preeminent you'll be a peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of him who had called you out of darkness into his marvelous light before you are saved you're outside of the house you're out in the world when you come in you're in the house you're there in the presence of Christ he is preeminent and what do you do you praise him did you get down on your face sometime this week and just praise God and worship God and cry in his presence and thank him for saving your soul did you spend some time just worshiping him there's all your time on yourself is he preeminent is he really preeminent in your heart is he really preeminent in this church amazing thing our country we got the country that we did because we came before this holy God and we established the Constitution in our country based on God and now that we're moving away from him it's no wonder it's falling apart but it's not falling apart because the politicians it's falling apart because of the professing church that no longer desires the preeminence and the presence of Christ in his fellowship and thus it doesn't give spiritual praise it gives phony praise and here's something else while you're there here's number 11 I had not counting the extra ones I threw in look at verse 6 when Christ is preeminent and this is probably my favorite one when Christ is preeminent he is going to be precious he is going to be precious where'd you get that first Peter 2 verse 6 wherefore also it is contained in the scripture behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone by the way two times in scripture it talks about Christ being the head of the corner he's elect he is precious he that believeth on him shall not be confounded there's a side benefit if you're focusing on the preciousness of Christ here he is preeminent in the church and he is precious if his presence is precious and his preeminence is precious we should do anything and everything we can to preserve it because Satan is a roaring lion is going about seeking whom he may devour and who he may destroy he is precious oh isn't that sweet 7 unto you therefore which believe his presence he is precious one of the marks of a true believer is Christ is precious to him Christ is precious unto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same as made the head of the corner is precious who is preeminent in your life who is preeminent in your home this last one is an ugly one if Christ number 12 is not preeminent in the church you'll have problems last P and we're right back to where we began with old mr. dr. fees can we afford to not have him preeminent in our heart our home and our church no no we can't I want to close up I know we've been going a long time you boys and girls have been very brave and we're gonna sing a song some songs in a minute you've been very good quite appreciate that going back to Ephesians chapter 4 I want to share something with you from a commentator on Ephesians he's talking about these verses in Ephesians 4 13 14 15 16 till we all come in the unity of the faith and he says I do not forget that the bright idea of verse 13 cannot be fully realized till the Pilgrim Church steps into the world of glory in other words he's saying this is theoretically the way we're supposed to be but there's going to be some snags along the way we have some differences of interpreting doctrine we have some differences of how we should do this or that and so it's not going to be fully recognized until we step into the world of glory there only most assuredly will be actually attained the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ bright magnificent blessed hope yet the context here bears mainly not upon eternity but upon time the preeminence of Christ has to do with time and with God time doesn't exist that's our stuff you go the speed of light and time stops to go listen to Robbie Zacharias he's talking about this stuff but the preeminent to Christ has to do with time he's the same yesterday today and forever he's just got is now he went on to say the context here bears mainly not upon eternity but upon time deals mainly with appeared when errors and dangers are still around us and when the body is still in process of up building its reference then is to an adult and adultness rather relative than absolute it animates us with the thought of a manhood in Christ attainable now with the preeminence of Christ we will mature in his presence we will become into full Christians what he said it animates us with the thought of a manhood in Christ attainable now while yet from another aspect it is only a step to the full and immortal manhood of heaven just one blink and we're out of this world we're into the fullness of Christ in his presence and we won't forget him lastly here is everywhere we find all that is said of ministry and of saints and of body and of corporate life ruled and glorified by what is said of Jesus Christ verses 15 and 16 take us all together to him these verses 15 and 16 take us to Christ but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ when we go and we have lunch Christ is present when you sit at the table when you fellow fellowship Christ is the head of the table everything we do should take us to Christ and should come from Christ and let me go on he says the remarkable imagery of verse 16 does this in a very peculiar in a way peculiar to itself for it puts before us the body the body of Christ in its multiplicity and articulation yet it suggests the thought that each limb lives by a contact with the head my arm doesn't live with its contact with the other arm but with its contact with the head that's what he said it suggests the thought that each limb lives by a contact by a contact with the head immediate and personal my arm operates by the head top it off same thing with this leg there was a day when I couldn't do that I was paralyzed at polio waist down something happened disease but God healed me is there disease that's stopped one part of the body from functioning the way it should the rest of the body grabs it and tries to help it but it gets its operation from the head this arm gets a message from the head hey the other arm is hurt get over there and help it if we do not function as a body under the preeminence of Christ we function separate from the head and we function in the flesh and we will have the fruit of the flesh that's what he's saying the material figure burst as it were and gives way and leaves us the view of an organism such as the limb does not live ultimately by its contact with other limbs have a full of life but having its own joint or supply its own individual point of contact with the head when the body is connected with the head it all works good so it grows and it thrives and it works and he the Lord Jesus Christ is also the secret of growth and energy for all its fellow limbs therefore because of him as the inmost secret there is cohesion continuity and harmony in the whole organism after all the supreme request requisite for life and labor is personal and immediate union with the head we've been going a long time he says it's a wonderful picture and this is a picture of the church believers a body indeed it's a lie and everywhere there's stuff to be done in work we work together like a machine just like ants almost like a who's telling them ants to do this and that God is telling those ants to do this and that it's amazing amazing thing I'll close up this steady growth of adult intelligence and purpose everywhere there is the pulse of love as the whole organism the body of Christ feels the vibrant warmth of the head this great God of love we can't conjure up love but the love of Christ controls us and constrains us it comes from him and he reaches out you separate me from my head and I love you until you do something I don't like everywhere there is the pulse of love as the whole organism feels this vital warmth of the eternal love and the secret of the whole is the blessed head into whom the limbs grow with ever deepening contact and from whom they draw all his fullness for all their need we have everything we need in Christ. Let's bow our heads. Jesus talked to the Lord for a moment before we sing some songs. To know, to do, the head's commands. For this the body lives and grows. All speed of feet and skill of hands is for him spent and from him flows. You just take a few moments and sit there and worship your Lord and thank him that he's your head.