message be blessed Hebrews chapter
1 starting in verse 1 we'll read the first 8 verses God who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in times past under the fathers by the
prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom
he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the
worlds who being the brightness of his glory and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his
power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the majesty on high, being made so much better
than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent
name than they. For unto which of the angels
said he at any time, thou art my son, this day have I begotten
thee, and again I will be to him a father, he shall be to
me a son. And again, when he bringeth in
the first begotten into the world, he saith, let all the angels
of God worship him. And of the angels, he saith,
who maketh his angels' spirits and his ministers a flame of
fire? But under the sun, he saith, thy throne, O God, is forever
and ever. The scepter of righteousness
is the scepter of thy kingdom. We'll end our reading there. On page one. Oh, worship the king. Glorious above, and gratefully
sing His power and His love, Our shield and defender, the
Ancient of Days. Pavilioned in splendor and girded
with praise. O tell of His might, O sing of
His grace, Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space, His
chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, And dark is his path on
the wings of the storm. By bountiful care what tongue
can warn, It streams from the hills, it
descends to the plain, and sweetly distills in the dew and Frail children of dust, and feeble,
less frail, In thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail. Thy mercies, how tender, how
firm to the end, Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. What a fellowship, what a joy
divine, leaning on the everlasting arms. What a blessedness, what
a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure
from all alarms. Leaning, leaning, leaning on
the everlasting arms Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim
way Leaning on the everlasting arms Oh, how bright the path
grows from day to day on the everlasting arms, leaning, leaning,
safe and secure from all alarms, leaning, Leaning, leaning on
the everlasting arms. What have I to dread? What have I to fear? Leaning on the everlasting arms. I have blessed peace with my
Lord so near. on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure
from all alarms. Leaning, leaning, leaning on
the everlasting arms. Turn with me if you would to
the book of Philippians. Philippians chapter four. Tonight's message we're going
to talk about I pray the Lord blesses we talk about Christ's
preeminence. His preeminence in all things.
And how. Now often we need to be reminded. But if we can see again tonight
is his his preeminence. In salvation. He's the Alpha,
the Omega is preeminence in salvation. From. from the covenant with
God the Father, with the Holy Spirit, to his electing, saving
love, to his sacrifice, to his calling, to his bringing us to
glory and redeeming us, mind, soul, and body. If we can see
his preeminence there, my soul has some peace. And then maybe
we can see his preeminence in our day to day. And if I can
see his preeminence, whether I can see it or not, he is preeminent. He is preeminent in our day to
day in this, in this, in this earth. He has charge over his
angels, control both in earth and in heaven. If I can see his,
his preeminence in my day to day, then, then maybe, maybe,
maybe when I'm exhausted, if I can see his preeminence, I
can see that through Christ. Then I'll think to myself, yeah,
our, our work here is never done. Our work here is never done.
the laundry piles up, our work is never done. When I'm exhausted,
then I can see, I can take comfort in the fact, ah, but his work
is done. If I can see his preeminence in our day-to-day, when I see
injustice, what is unfair in this world
that burdens my heart, I say, ah, but he is just. And he's
just forgive sinners by Christ's sacrifice. If I could, if I can
see his preeminence one more time, then my soul will have
some peace. And that's what I hope for us
to see this evening here. And in Philippians, let's look
at the chapter four, the first eight verses. Therefore, my brethren dearly
beloved and longed for my, my, my joy and crown. So stand fast
in the Lord. my dearly beloved. I beseech Yodius, and I beseech
Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I
entreat thee also, true yellow folk, or yoke, excuse me, yoke
fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel
with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers whose names
are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. And
again, I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known
unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing,
but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are pure, Whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report. If there be any virtue
and if there'll be any praise, think on these things, think
on these things. Paul starts this chapter with
the word therefore, therefore. And in this chapter, we're given
seven instructions, seven instructions. And together, they're really
all one instruction. I'm going to give this instruction.
If you'll, if you'll bear with me, I'm going to give this, this
one instruction, if you will, that the seven condensed down
into one, I'm going to give it in two ways. Um, so bear with
me the way I say it first, it'll make better sense the way I say
it second way. These seven instructions are summarized in this put Christ
first, put Christ first, first in our thought, first in our
walk, first in our motive, in all things put Christ first.
And not only first in order of importance, if you will. I have
Christ, I have my family, I have my job, I have my hobbies. Not
just first in order of importance, but rather make sure that Christ
is of greater importance than all those other things all put
together. Preeminent. And we are, we are to strive.
We are to strive to put Christ first in our life. We're to strive
against sin. But if all I hear from that,
if all I hear is with this ear and in my sinful flesh, if that's
all I hear, is that I need to put Christ first in my life.
And that's true. But rather what Paul is saying
here is that Christ is first. He is first. And we're met here
together, not so that we can walk away with a list of things
that we should do. But rather, we meet together
based on the promise that we're two or three to gather. Christ
is in the midst. Christ is in the midst of them.
We gather, we pray to see, we pray that we're given eyes to
see and a heart to believe that Christ is first. I want to see
that with eyes that Christ is first. Not that I need to put
him there or that I possibly could, but rather that he is.
He is first. He is first and of greater importance
than all those other things combined. Look across the page there at
Colossians chapter one in verse 18. And he is the head of the body,
the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things, that among all, He might have the preeminence,
the preeminence, not that Christ might have the prominence, if
you will, and I'm not splitting hairs and getting into a vocabulary
lesson, but that he might have the preeminence, not an important
place, that's prominence, but the preeminence, because it's
all for him. Look again there in Colossians,
up a couple verses in verse 16. For by him were all things created
there 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, by him and for him. He is before
all things, by him all things consist. And again, 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,
why? for it pleased the father that in him should all fullness
dwell. And having made peace through 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, turn over to Ephesians
chapter one. Ephesians chapter one in verse
21, far above all principality and power and might and dominion
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come and have put all things under his
feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
Christ is first. Christ is preeminent. Christ
is, is alpha and omega. And that's true, and this is
what I needed for myself. That's true whether I see that
or not. That's true whether the world sees this or not. I watch the Baseball Hall of
Fame inductions all the time. I follow the balloting and whatnot.
Some of those folks that were involved in the steroid scandal,
not only are they not getting in, they're wiping their name
off the record books as if they never even existed. And you drive across town and
you go to work and we do what we do every day, and it feels
that this creation has done that with our Lord Jesus Christ. Not
only not preeminent, not prominent, but there's not even there. Just
not acknowledged. And worse than not acknowledged,
hated, hated, just wiped off the books. But that's not so. Regardless of what we see, that's
not so. He is preeminent. He does have the place of preeminence.
It's a place given to him by his father. I don't want to. Paul's not saying here and put
Christ first in our lives. Rather, he's saying Christ is
first. And Paul exhorts us to live that daily. And again, my
prayer is that God gives me gives us eyes to. Eyes to see that
and believe, believe Paul starts here. Chapter four with the word
therefore. Because of what he said in the first three chapters,
he's going to give us seven reminders. seven reminders based on what
has been said in the first three chapters. So what's Paul written
so far? If you'll turn back with me into
chapter one here in Philippians, I'll just touch on six verses
through the first three chapters. That is Paul's basis for saying,
therefore, therefore, because Christ is preeminent, therefore,
here's some needful reminders. Chapter one, verse six, Paul
says, being confident of this very thing, that he which began
a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The foundation, a building block
for what Paul's getting ready to say in chapter four is that
salvation is of the Lord. From beginning to end, salvation
is of the Lord. He that begun a good work in
you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus. Still there
in chapter one, look at verse 12. is preeminent in the in the
furtherance of the gospel Paul says but but I would you should
understand brethren that the things which happened unto me
have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel Christ
is preeminent salvation Christ is preeminent in the furtherance
of the gospel look here in chapter 2 in verse 9 Christ is preeminent in name
wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name
which is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee
should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things
under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the father. Christ is preeminent
in name. Chapter three, looking in verse
three, Christ is the preeminent object of our praise for we are
the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit and rejoice
in Christ Jesus and have, have no confidence in the flesh. confidence
in the flesh Christ is the preeminent object of our of our praise down
further in the chapter looking in verse 9 crisis preeminent
as our righteousness and be found in him not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law but that which is through the faith of
Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith preeminent
as our righteousness and finally later on in verse 3 there in
or excuse me in chapter 3 in verse 21 Christ is preeminent
in glory who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is
able even to subdue all things unto himself he's preeminent
because he Paul says, therefore, therefore, because he is preeminent
in salvation and because he is preeminent in the furtherance
of the gospel, because Christ is preeminent in name, because
Christ is preeminent as our righteousness, Christ our righteousness, because
Christ is preeminent, is the preeminent object of our praise,
because Christ is preeminent in glory, because Christ is first,
he is all and in all. Therefore, Paul says, In verse
one, therefore, stand fast in the Lord. Therefore, my brethren
dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown. So stand fast
in the Lord. My dearly, dearly beloved. Stand
fast. Stand fast in Christ's blood
and Christ's word. Christ are our all Christ, the
Alpha, the Omega. Salvation is of the Lord. His
blood. Fully satisfied the demands of
God the Father. Fully. Christ said from the cross
that it is finished. We stand fast right there. There's
no graduating from that. Everything else in our lives,
right? We go on to the next thing. We don't graduate from right
there. We're brought back to that. We're brought back to the
salvation is of the Lord. Christ is preeminent. We stay
right there. Staying fast in the Lord. There's no graduating
beyond Christ's blood. The same message that our that
our children hear in those classes, the same message that our children
hear, is the exact same message that the chief of sinners needs
to hear. It's the same message, you stand
fast in the Lord, his blood. Same message that those kids
will hear in this upcoming Bible school, exact same message that
I need to hear every time we come, is that it's all of Christ. Christ's blood, Christ's work,
Christ's sacrifice. Christ, Christ, Christ. He is
preeminent so that we see nothing else Christ. In every message,
again, we don't graduate. Christ's holy and just sacrifice
on the cross, that's always been the sinner's hope. The same message
that Paul declared is the same message that we hear and need
here today. It's the same message that will
be needed until Christ comes. The same message I pray that
my children hear from this pulpit years from now. There's only
ever been one covenant. There's one covenant. Between
the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, that covenant was made
before the world or time were ever created. That hasn't changed. Christ has the preeminence. It stands, and that will always
stand. Christ is the message for lost sinners, and Christ
is the message to comfort saints. Stand fast in the Lord, Paul
says. Stand fast in the Lord. Flip over to Hebrews with me,
chapter 10. Paul says, stand fast in the
Lord. In chapter 10 and verse 10. By the witch will, we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once. Once. Once for all. Once for all of
his people. And also once for all for all
time. Look down in verse 14, for by one offering, he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified. We stand fast in
the Lord. Stand fast in the Lord, Paul
says. Two, here in verses two and three, I beseech Iodias and
I beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
and I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help these women
which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and
with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of
life. Paul says, stand fast in the Lord. Next he says, be of
the same mind. Be of the same mind and encourage
each other to be of the same mind. Be of the same mind that
Christ is preeminent. He's the preeminent aspect of
our relationship with each other, right? I think of my children. Their preeminent
relationship is the fact that they're brother and sister to
their parents, right? Their preeminent relationship
is who their parents are, their siblings. Our preeminent relationship
with each other is the fact that we're siblings. We're siblings
under Christ. We keep that as our preeminent
relationship. That's how it is with us. Our
preeminent relationship with each other is as brothers and
sisters in Christ, we're to be of the same mind. The same mind
and seeing that, that Christ is our, preeminent in our relationship
with each other, we're to encourage our brethren to, excuse me, to
do the same. We do that when we speak of Christ
to each other. We pray for one another, we worship
together, as we are here tonight. All with the same mind. Be of
the same mind, that Christ be glorified. that Christ is preeminent. We don't let the littlest thing
block our view of that. I was reading today that there
1.3 million earths could fit into the sun. The sun's big,
right? But you hold your thumb just
like that. And as big as that thumb is, you can't see a thing
past that little old thumb. We don't let something little
get between us and our view of Christ. We get that out of the
way, even if it's big to us, even if it's big to us. And it
might be, but if it's not Christ, we get that out of the way because
Christ is preeminent. It's preeminent here in our worship
together. It's our preeminent relationship among ourselves.
That's good and that's meat for us. And more importantly, because
Christ is worthy of that preeminence. That's just little. We're not to let anything obscure
that glory of Christ between us and worship. We're not to
let anything obscure the glory of Christ for ourselves either.
I pray frequently, you hear that
from the pulpit. Frequently you hear people saying, remove the
thoughts and cares of this world. That they don't blot out Christ
right here. Or I'm making the assumption
that you all are like me. I'll think to myself, which is
a true statement, I'm not even worthy to come before the throne
of the Lord. I'm not even worthy to pray. I'm not worthy, which
is a true statement. But that's not what our focus
is on. We put our focus on Christ, not our worthiness or lack thereof. We put our focus on Christ because
he is preeminent. We're to be of the same mind.
Christ is preeminent. In verse four, look, it says,
It says rejoice, rejoice in the Lord always. Paul says rejoice
in Lord always again, I say. Rejoice. And we can rejoice because
Christ does not change. Our happiness changes, my feelings
certainly change. But Christ does not change. His
his blood is our sacrifice and it's our pardon once for all. and we go back and we see again
Christ's preeminence in salvation and we're comforted, then we
can rejoice in the Lord. Always. There are no new charges. There's no new charges. Once
for all, and as we read in Hebrews, once forever. There's no new
charges brought to our account. Christ has paid them all once
for all. We see Christ again in his preeminence
in our worship, therefore we can rejoice in the Lord always
because his grace is sufficient. That hasn't changed. And and
when we're up and life is easy and life is good and life is
exciting. We rejoice. In the Lord, we rejoice in the
Lord. These can be some of our most
dangerous times. When when the sailing is smooth.
Because when we're strong, our. Our flesh tells us you're strong. And our sinful flesh listens
to that voice and eats it up. It says, yeah, we're strong.
But scriptures say, even in our best state, we're all together
vanity. And that vanity grabs a hold of that. When the waters
are smooth and the sailing is smooth, our vanity grabs a hold
of that and says, yep, I'm strong. And we forget the very Lord that
gave us that strength. That's some of our most dangerous
times. Paul says, rejoice in the Lord always. Sometimes the smooth waters are
the most dangerous ones. We rejoice in the smooth waters,
but we rejoice in the Lord, in the Lord. When Lord brings us through the
valley and trials are real, Paul's not for a minute saying to ignore
the trial or pretend that they're not real, not for a minute. Trials
are real. When we're up, we rejoice in
the Lord. And when the Lord brings us through the valley, we rejoice
in the Lord. When we're broken, when everything
changes, when our bodies fail, when our jobs fail, if our families
fail, I'm pushing 50 in all the midlife crises. When our dreams
fail, that's what we see. When all things fail, Christ
is preeminent. Christ hasn't changed, not a
bit. When we're broken, we rejoice in the Lord. When the waters
are smooth, we rejoice in the Lord. Paul says, rejoice in the
Lord always. It's only right. He's earned
it. We rejoice in the Lord. Paul's
calling us to remembrance of that. Rejoice in the Lord always.
It's easier to do when we see him in the preeminence. We're not called to understand
the trial. I struggle with that. We're not called to understand
the trial. We're called to rejoice in it. Rejoice in the trial.
Look over at 1 Peter. First Peter chapter one. It never fails. And I don't think I'm just speaking
for myself, because I believe Peter did the same thing. When
the waters are choppy and you start to sink, Peter felt like,
has Christ abandoned me? But that's not so. 1 Peter 1,
here in verses 6 and 7, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now
for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold
temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious
than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing
of Jesus Christ. We're to rejoice. Rejoice in
the Lord always. Fourth, Paul says there in verse
five, let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord
is at hand. Moderation. Moderation is having
the right balance, right? Eating enough, but not too much.
Drinking a little wine can be good. Too much is bad. Moderation
is having the right balance, correct? Christ. Christ is our life. Our pastor
preached a few weeks ago. Christ, our life. Christ, our
life. The right balance is to see Christ,
the preeminence of our life. Christ, our life. That's the
right balance. That's our moderation. Christ,
our life. That's the right balance. And the right balance in our
lives is extreme. It's not a mix of Christ and
anything else. The correct moderation is all
Christ. When I see that salvation is all of the Lord and none of
me, that's the right balance, all of the Lord. preeminence.
When I see that all glory rightly and justly belongs to the Lord,
all glory, that's the right balance. All Christ is the right balance.
When I hear that none are righteous, no not one, not one, that's the
right balance. When I see that all things were
created by Christ and for Christ, all things, that's the right
balance. When I hear Christ say, all which
he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. That's the right balance. That's
the correct moderation. When I hear that God is completely
sovereign, completely sovereign in earth and in heaven, completely
just, completely merciful, and completely satisfied with Christ's
sacrifice alone, completely, that's the right balance. When
I hear Christ saved from the cross, It is finished, not mostly
done, not okay. It is finished. It's complete. That's the right balance. Um,
look again over in, in Colossians chapter chapter three, chapter three and in verse 11,
where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in
all, that's the right balance. Christ is preeminent, Christ
is all and in all. Let your moderation be known
to all that Christ is all, Christ is preeminent. Paul says, be careful for nothing
in verse six, be careful for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, Let your requests
be made known unto God. Do you know that the Bible instructs
us to not be afraid over 500 times? Over 500 times this book
says, don't be afraid. So that must be something we're
prone to. Don't be afraid. We are prone to. We're not to
be consumed by care for things in this world. We care. Of course
we do. And it's right that we do. We're
not to be consumed by it. Paul isn't telling us to be reckless
when he says, be careful for nothing. Of course he's not,
not at all. Paul is telling us that the burden
is not on us. If you will be careful for nothing,
be weighted down with nothing. That doesn't mean don't care.
Doesn't mean be flippant. Doesn't mean be stoic about things
or cold act that they don't matter. They do matter. Burdens matter. Paul is once again telling us
to have the correct moderation, be in right moderation, be careful
for nothing. Christ is preeminent. Since Christ
is preeminent and God is in control, what does the rest of the verse
there say? Be careful for nothing. Since Christ is preeminent and
Christ is in control, by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. You know when I'm most anxious
is when I find myself in a situation where there's absolutely nothing
I can do to affect the outcome in any way. I can't steer the
outcome any which way. I can't help, I can't hurt, I
can't do anything. I'm completely helpless. And that's, we're always
that way. But it's when I realize that,
that's when I find myself being anxious. I was talking to Wayne before
we came in here. I'm anxious here. Who stands
here can't, we can declare the word, can't make the Spirit bless
that to our hearts, can't make it grow. We can't, any more than
planting the seed in the ground can make that seed grow. Helpless.
That's when I'm most anxious, is when I'm just completely helpless.
I don't even know what to say. I don't even know what to pray
for sometimes. And I. I foolishly and I share this
because I think there's a chance maybe I'm talking to somebody
else does this too. I think to myself. What I need to have is
the whole outline plan. And what I'm going to do is I
will take that outline in my prayer to God. I'm going to have everything
outlined so that I can. This is how I want things to
go. I've got a plan and I'm going to share my plan with God. Too
often my prayers are that way. How foolish is that? Me explaining
my outline to God. Goodness gracious. That's not
how we pray. Paul says, be anxious for nothing.
Be careful for nothing. In all things, prayer and supplication,
you bring that before the Lord. Don't be anxious. Don't be anxious. Speaking to myself, don't, don't
be anxious. We bring that before our Lord. And my advice is that
we pray honestly. We pray honestly. If you will,
and forgive me, I don't mean this to sound glib or flippant,
but bear with me. If you will, the good, the bad,
and the ugly, right? That's the way we pray, with
real words from the heart, and sometimes not even words, sometimes
just groans. And Paul says, be careful for
nothing and everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
Let your requests be made known to God. Paul encourages us to
not be anxious, but to pour out our hearts before our Lord. knowing
that he is preeminent, and that he is all powerful, and that
he is good, and that he is merciful. Knowing that, we be careful for
nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let our requests be known unto God. And, what's
the very next verse say? And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds, through
Christ Jesus, peace, peace. We don't seek peace, we seek
Christ, who is our peace, we seek Christ. And the peace of
God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus, on the authority of the book right here.
And finally, look here at verse eight with me. Because Christ
is preeminent, because Christ is our Lord, Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any
virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Think
on these things. Think on Christ. Christ at preeminence. Not here. Not here, right? Not
letting anything block our view of Christ. Christ our preeminence. Paul says, because Christ is
preeminent, because Christ is our life, we stand fast in the
Lord. We be of the same mind and we
encourage each other to be of the same mind that Christ is
preeminent. We rejoice. We rejoice in the Lord. We let
our moderation be known unto all. The right balance is that
Christ is preeminent. We be careful for nothing, but
we let our requests be made known unto our God. And finally, we
think on these things. I pray that blesses. Stand and sing 236. Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now am
found Was blind, but now I see Was grace that taught my heart
to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come. His grace hath brought me safe
thus far, And grace will lead me home. When we've been there
ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days
to sing God's praise Than when we'd first begun