My Pulpit Message - notes Grow in Proclaiming Christ My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 13th March 2022. Preacher: Pastor Elijah Mokaya, Youth Pastor, Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC). Topic: Grow in Proclaiming Christ. Scripture: Colossians 1:15-2:5 - There is One more supreme than anyone, or anything we consider im- result of this question different images have been formed to depict Him. portant. Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the true image of the invisible Paul says in verse 21 that He is the One whom we pro- God. In Christ we get to see the unseen God. In Him we get to understand claim. the unfathomable God. In Him we get to approach the holy God. In Him The nature of human beings is that when you encounter is the image, the manifestation of the invisible God, a God that cannot be something good, important, you can’t help, but proclaim it. You go to a seen looked at us and said, I will communicate myself in a manner that good restaurant and you like it, you proclaim it to your friends and family you will understand. And so God became a man, that we may no longer members. You watch a good movie and you proclaim it to those around have to ask the question, what is God like? because in Christ, then we are you. You go to a good school, you tell other parents about this good able to see the invisible God. school. You publicly declare and announce about an important thing. Read through the gospel. Don’t we see the nature of God What Paul tells us in the book of Colossians is that Christ as He quieted the storm? Do you not see His power over sickness as He is supreme. healed the woman with an issue of blood? Do you not see His power over From this passage I counted the number of times that demons as He cast out the legion? Do you not see His power over sin as he Christ is mentioned, or His personal pronoun, or His possessive pronoun forgives the paralytic? Do you not see His power over death as He raises and over 26 times Christ keeps being repeated that Christ is supreme. Lazarus from the dead? As He rises from the dead on the third day and It is this Christ lives forever more. who is supreme that we ought to I wonder if you can see God proclaim. It is this Christ that Paul and His compassion in Christ as says in verse 28, “He is the one we He looks at the crowds and they proclaim!. Not a system or relilook helpless as sheep without a gious attitudes, but Christ is the Read through the gospel. Don’t we see the nature of God as He quieted the shepherd. storm? Do you not see His power over sickness as He healed the woman One that we proclaim. Do you see Him the friend with an issue of blood? Do you not see His power over demons as He cast of sinners found amongst those out the legion? Do you not see His power over sin as he forgives the para- who are the outcast of society 1. The One Who is Proclaimed lytic? Do you not see His power over death as He raises Lazarus from the and yet loving them when no one 2. The ones who proclaim Him 3. The process of proclaiming dead? As He rises from the dead on the third day and lives forever more. would and transforming them Him. when no one, or nothing else could? Jesus, the Son of the God, is the image of the invisible God. He makes God real to us. He is flesh and blood that we can relate to so that we may no longer need to ask, what is God like, so that we may not have to go back to traditional African soHis name is Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God. Verse cieties trying to look for something else while Jesus is here, revealing the 15 is a build up from verse 13 and 14. “13 For he has rescued us from the invisible God. Paul continues to tell us the He is the firstborn over all creation. dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he Many have stumbled over this statement. Many religious statements have loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” argued from this statement, ‘if Jesus is the firstborn of all creation then it So, it is regarding this Son that he loves that Paul now pens means that He was created first. this hymn, because from verse 15 to 20 is actually a song/ hymn that as if you are a good Bible student then you must pause at that parPaul ponders on this beloved Son that he things of this Son that God loves ticular verse and ask, ‘what does it mean that Jesus is the firstborn of that Paul pauses and this section is written as a song. all creation, because how we understand that term ‘firstborn’ it expresses priority in order. But what Paul is arguing here is not priority in order, Who is this that we proclaim? Verse 15-20 rather Paul is arguing, priority in rank. That Jesus is not the firstborn of 1. Jesus is supreme over creation. verse Col 1:15-17 “ 15 The all creation, meaning He was created first, but that He is supreme over all Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 creation. Paul goes ahead and qualifies his statement because verse 16 is For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visi- a qualification over what Paul has said about Jesus being firstborn over ble and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all all creation. “For in him all things were created…” So Christ cannot be a things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all creation Himself. things, and in him all things hold together.” Paul continues to argue over Jesus being the firstborn over all crePaul starts by telling us that this Christ is the image of the ation by reminding us that Jesus is the source of creation. He is the one invisible God. who created everything that there is. But also that Jesus is the sustainer of One of the questions that has plagued humanity is what is call creation. Verse 17, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold God like? To some God is like this huge mountain and so it is like a point together. ” of reference to us to worship Him. To other He is like this huge humongous tree and we look at it and we are amazed at God. To other, God is like this thing I have fashioned and placed in a corner in my house. As a
The One Who is Proclaimed
3 TT 144 | MAR 15th - 21st | 2022
