Christ in All Things

 

Colossians 1:15-20

The Supremacy of the Son of God

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him

and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

 

When are we with God?

 

Or rather, where do we need to be in order to be with God?

 

Many Christians, have shied away from maintaining that God is in nature, in plants and animals.

 

Some suggest this reluctance is due to our Hebrew faith forefather’s accurate belief in the one God, Yahweh but the inaccurate need to separate Him from the elements/creation.

Yahweh was infinitely more powerful than the gods of the surrounding peoples, such as the Canaanites.

Some of the Israelites neighbours connected their gods to natural places.

For the Hebrew people, Yahweh was different;

He was and is creator of those natural places yet in important ways separate from creation and so holy that even today Jews do not say the word God.

But with the astounding incarnation of God in Christ, the early Christians intuited this all had changed. Christ was in some sense in creation, no one understood this more deeply than Paul. In his letter to the Colossians he quoted;

Christ is the image of the invisible God,
The first-born of all creation;
For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—
All things have been created through him and for him.  He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

The word of God says that the risen Christ is the source and sustainer of all things.  This means that the

rivers,

mountains,

fish and

wild animals all have their beginning in Christ and live in him. 

The church needs to proclaim this message. 

 

It needs to surprise us, to shock us, to respond respectfully to all of creation.

For if the world is the body of Christ, it is in some sense holy.

 

Reverence toward nature and Christ in all things.

 

How different would things be from what we  know?

 

We know that air, water, soil are polluted. 

We read and see on TV stories about the destruction of forests, grass lands and rivers,

to such an extent that plants and animals and fish are becoming extinct.

Many of us spend our lives in areas that were once home to many more of God’s creatures.

Here, around me, we are facing problems with

• polluted waterways,

• Road expansion,

• Housing developments,

• Deforestation, and

• Health problems related to environmental issues!

 

We know all to well that something is wrong.

Can faith be of practical use in this crisis?

I think it can!

 

The belief that God in Christ is holding the world together teaches us several things.

 

There is no competition between the love of God and the love of creation.

Our love is for God, creation is his & as part of him we also love creation!

Do not let our vanity dream up unbridgeable distances between our species and those with more fur and more legs or compound eyes.

We are all given life by the creator Yahweh 

Central to Christ’s ministry is teaching on the love of Yahweh.

That God loves all.

That God forgives.

That God in Christ suffered to bring all back together, reconciled in one spirit.

So that as Christ is in creation, then creation itself

(the eagles, otters, whales, and ourselves)

are connected to a spirit of reconciliation.

Creation is amazing, which helps us to appreciate how amazing is the God who created it.

The truths that the love of God the creator and redeemer can lead us to are no less amazing.

Christ is present in his hiddenness in all things his love and our love for him in return inspire us to care for creation because his spirit is within it in ways far beyond our understanding.

 

Things are not what they seem.

Things are much more than they seem.

They are more connected, more whole, and more holy.

For it is Christ who lives mysteriously all around us, hidden yet present.

We need only eyes to see and hearts to feel. 

 

Can God use Grumpy?

• Definitions

A bad-tempered person

• Synonyms

Irritable, cross, bad-tempered, grumbling, crabbed, edgy, surly, petulant, ill-tempered, cantankerous, tetchy, ratty, testy, grouchy, querulous, peevish, huffy, crotchety, sullen, sulky.

 

I want to delve into a modern misconception of faith & let’s get to the base of this:

 

I’m not a “chirpy” person, I don’t constantly wear a “jokeress grin” and run around throwing petals out to greet strangers, does this mean I’m “grumpy” as many would presume and does this mean I am not walking in Yahweh’s will?

 

• I don’t prefer the company of others and

• have no tolerance for fools or

• those who speak before thinking or

• those who play games or

• those who strive to outdo brothers in Christ!

Does this slot me into the “grumpy” bracket? Many would like to think so!

 

In the body of Christ many are called to be sheep, Jesus himself used this illustration to explain his leadership as our Good Shepherd but I choose to see  myself as a Sheepdog, let me explain.

 

While working as an adult tutor helping those in long term unemployment one of the topics we would discuss would be behavioural brackets of man:

• Passive

• Aggressive &

• Assertive

(There is a lot more detail to this subject but for now this is as in-depth as we need to go.)

 

PASSIVE BEHAVIOUR

This involves failing to express our wants, needs or feelings or communicating them in an indirect or apologetic way.

When we fail to communicate our concerns or wishes, or express them in a hesitant, joking or self-depreciating way, other people will not know how we feel or will misinterpret our actions. As passive responders we allow others to 'walk over us' (the doormat syndrome). We allow our rights to be violated in the belief that we have fewer rights, or more responsibilities than others, and that we have less personal worth than they do.

 

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

Hostile words or actions that communicate disrespect towards others constitutes aggressive behaviour.

It involves standing up for one's rights and expressing one's thoughts, feelings and beliefs in a way which is usually inappropriate and always violates the rights of the other person.

Superiority is maintained by putting others down.

 

ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOR

Characteristics of assertive behaviour include expressing your feelings, needs, ideas, and rights in ways that don’t violate the rights of others. Assertive behaviour is usually honest, direct, expressive, spontaneous, and self-enhancing. Assertive persons make their own choices, are confident, and feel good about themselves while being assertive and afterward. They usually achieve their goals; when they don’t, they still feel good about themselves because they know they have been straightforward. Acting assertively reinforces their good feelings about themselves, improves self-confidence, and creates free, honest, and open relationships with others.

 

If this pattern is applied spiritually the

 

• Passive become the Sheep

 

(The only power that we should submit fully to is Yahweh & never the world)

 

• Aggressive become Wolves & the

 

• Assertive become Sheepdogs

 

The world would expect Christians to be of a passive nature & most of the time we are, we silently stand by as corruption creeps into our government, our schools & our churches. We allow false gods and false teachings to be freely promoted and would never dare to speak out against these outrages in fear of offence to someone else. Our churches have become full of leaders who want to build numbers and not strength.

I am not going to be the happily bleating sheep, who will tread the path that others make, accepting the stench that infuriates Yahweh to be acceptable for todays church. 

 

Luke 3:11

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same..

 

Unacceptable is the Aggressive/Wolves that wait in darkness to take the sheep, to prey on the unprotected & lost. How do you know a wolf, how can you be prepared for the attack from within,

Read the sign, know their scent.

A wolf will be causing problems in the church and amongst the believers.

An assertive believer should be building up the church, not tearing it down and causing divisions as the wolf from within will.

Perhaps he is a smooth talker (devious, cunning) and believes that his smooth talk will gain him follows and feed his own belly (pride). He is not looking to edify anyone but himself he is selfish and cunning. Look at these teachings and warning from Paul to several of the churches in his day; they are relevant in today’s churches also.

 

Matthew 7:15

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

 

Then we come to the Assertive/Sheepdog, yeah from time to time the sheepdog will nip at the heels of the sheep, he’ll bark & growl, chase with aggression but all done for the good of the herd, the sheepdog knows his masters will and recognises his voice but carries out this ministry on his own, yes the sheepdog is in the flock, working for the flock but never really part of the flock, he’ll risk his life to keep predators at bay and always in submission to Yahweh. 

 

 

Sheepdogs are mentioned in the Bible. Job 30:1 and they are “the sword” Paul mentions in

Romans 13:4, the protective and justice-seeking arm, which Paul describes as;

“a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”

Sheepdogs perform an important societal function, one that is ordained by God.

 

So yes God can use grumpy, standoffish people, (like me) God can use those who society would easily reject just look at the list of men & women who Yahweh called to lead and direct his people. All He needs is for that grumpy or happy, that hurting or loving, that peaceful or anxious person to submit to His will!