The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ in the World / Colossians 1:1-14

Well, church, it is so good to be with you this week. I am excited for a lot of reasons, but one of them is to say these words: if you have a Bible, turn with me to the book of Colossians.

We are starting a brand-new series here at The Well. If you’re a guest among us, I want to welcome you. I’m glad you’re here. My name is Shay Semlin, one of the pastors, and we are launching into our study of the book of Colossians. I don’t know how familiar you are with this book in our New Testament, or how many of y’all have spent some time in it just gleaning from some of the beautiful promises it contains, but it is a very short book—only four chapters. We are going to spend about the next nine weeks studying this book together.

What you need to know right out of the gate is this: this book is all about Jesus. It is all about Jesus, and its purpose is to show us that Jesus is all we need.

The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Jesus

In many ways, the book of Colossians is a lot like our study in the book of Ephesians from a year or two ago. It is almost a mirror of Ephesians in many ways. Ephesians is about the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus in His church. Colossians, in many ways, is talking about the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus not only in the church, but in the entire world.

When we talk about these terms—“supremacy” and “sufficiency”—those might sound like lofty words, but when it comes to supremacy, we are talking about the fact that Jesus is reigning with supreme authority over all the earth. Every aspect of your life and my life, both the good and the bad; every aspect of our city that we are experiencing right now; every aspect of our country; every aspect of the entire universe is under the supreme authority of Jesus Christ. Anything that happens, happens under His sovereign will for His sovereign, good purposes, even if it means allowing difficult things. Jesus is supremely in charge.

That is why in the book of Colossians, the apostle Paul writes words like these:

Colossians 1:16 (NASB)

For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him.

By Him, all things were created—both in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Everything you can see, and even the things you cannot see, Jesus is in charge of. Whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities, all things were created through Him and for Him. That places Jesus Christ above everything you can see and everything you cannot see. Jesus is supreme in His reigning authority over all things.

Paul is also going to discuss the idea of Jesus’ sufficiency. Not only is He supreme over everything, but He is sufficient for us in everything. That means everything you and I need to live the life of godliness He has saved and called us to live is found in Him. Everything that is going to sustain us—not only at the outset of our salvation, but carrying us all the way through to the culmination and consummation of our salvation—is sustained by Jesus Christ. He is everything we need in every aspect of our lives: for your marriage, your family, your vocation, your holiness, in the midst of your sufferings and your addictions, and for the freedom you so long to have. Jesus is sufficient in His person, in His power, and in His promises for us and for this world. Jesus is the sufficiency our souls need and long for.

That is why in chapter three, Paul says:

Colossians 3:17 (NASB)

Whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. It is all about Him. Even those common graces He gives us—like marriage, jobs, and opportunities for pleasure and fun—are meant to be enjoyed in such a way that reflects back upon the nature of God and His provision for our good and His glory. We are not to worship those things as functional saviors, but rather enjoy them under the glory of God.

It is also why Paul tells us in chapter three to set our hearts on things above:

Colossians 3:1 (NASB)

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

In every area of our lives, we are to seek Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God. He is our sufficiency in all things because He has supreme authority over everything.

The Subtle Creep of Compromise

Now, it might sound hard to believe, but the reality is that in our world, a lot of people do not believe these claims. But what is even harder to believe is that there are those within Christ’s own church—Christians who love Jesus and want to follow Him—who have allowed errant theology to creep in and convince them that Jesus really isn’t who He said He was in every area, and really isn’t sufficient for human flourishing.

In our post-Enlightenment, postmodern, post-Christendom, pro-tolerance, pro-subjectivism culture—where people question everything and embrace nothing—that mindset has subtly crept into the church. Even Christ’s church can fall suspect to believing errors about His supremacy and sufficiency. We start to feel like, in order to attain desired godliness or human flourishing, Jesus is good, but He may not be good enough in every area. We think, I need Jesus, but in this specific area, His hands are tied. I don’t know that Jesus really speaks to this issue, so I need to go seeking additional knowledge or practices to supplement what Jesus cannot provide for me.

It is a subtle yet distinct creep that moves into the church and cuts the legs out from under His supremacy and sufficiency. If we are honest tonight, some of us would say we are in that exact place right now. “I love Jesus. I’ve been a follower of Jesus. I know He saved me by His grace, but I struggle in certain areas to believe He is supreme and sufficient to help me.”

I confess, this is an ongoing battle of doubt for me in my own sanctification and growth. There are areas where I love Jesus Christ, but I doubt, just like anyone else in this room, wondering if Christ can really handle this one for me, tempted to find some other way to add to my faith to find flourishing.

While that may feel like a twenty-first-century problem, this is exactly what the church was facing when Paul wrote this letter to Colossae.

The Story Behind Colossae

Let me give you a little background. Following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the New Testament church was headquartered in Jerusalem for roughly the first fifteen years. As the gospel spread and persecution set in—and certainly by the time Jerusalem fell in AD 70—the epicenter of the church had moved. First it went north to Antioch in Syria, and then west to Ephesus in modern-day Turkey (Asia Minor in that day).

Fast-forward to Acts 19. Paul is on his third missionary journey. Luke tells us that unlike most cities where Paul stayed for just a few days or a month to establish a church, when he arrived in Ephesus, he camped out for about two years. He set up shop in the School of Tyrannus in downtown Ephesus. This was likely a lecture hall where Greek philosophers promoted their ideologies, and Paul leased space there, much like a free-speech area on a college campus.

Luke records what happened during those two years:

Acts 19:10 (NASB)

This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Paul preached the gospel at the School of Tyrannus every single day, and the gospel was heard by everyone in Asia Minor and beyond. Because Ephesus was a major port city, people would come in, hear the gospel, get saved, be discipled, and then carry that gospel back out into their home cities.

The closest modern parallel I have seen is what is happening right now in Dubai. Two of my very good friends and former staff members, Dave and Gloria Fuhrman, planted Redeemer Church of Dubai about six years ago. That church has grown tremendously because Dubai, in the UAE, is an epicenter of global industry and trade. People come from all over the world to work for a short stint. Every Sunday, there are over fifty different nationalities represented in that gathering. Men and women come in for a couple of years, hear the gospel, get trained, and then go back to their home cities. We are seeing churches spring up all over the world because of what God is doing through Dubai.

Ephesus was that kind of strategic crossroads. And Colossians tells us that among the many people who came to Ephesus during those two years was a man named Epaphras. He came from a little no-name town about 120 miles away called Colossae. Epaphras heard the gospel from Paul, got saved, and went back to his hometown as well as two neighboring cities—Laodicea and Hierapolis. Epaphras took the gospel and planted the first church in Colossae.

I wonder what kind of Epaphrases are in this room right now. Wherever you have come from, God is meeting you, blowing your heart open with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and discipling you. Maybe He is taking you back to a family that doesn’t know the Lord, or into a workplace where no one knows Him, giving you the unspeakable privilege of being the first light-bearer of the gospel in that community.

When I think of modern-day Epaphrases, I honestly think of Brad Bell. Most of you probably don’t know the full story, but as you know, I’m from Texas. I was finishing up my undergrad—my seven-year run of undergrad—and our church had a discipleship program where people came from all over the country to study God’s Word for a year, much like our residency program here. Brad was a young believer from Fresno who went to Denton, Texas, to study his Bible.

One day, I came home from school to a voicemail from a guy I’d never heard of: “Hey, my name is Brad. I’m from California, and I’d like to take you to dinner.” I thought, A guy from California wants to take me to dinner? I’m not calling him back. That sounds strange. About six months later, I showed up at a college gathering, and this big, six-foot-forever guy comes up to me: “Hey, you never called me back, man!” That was my introduction to Brad Bell.

Brad invited me into a Bible study he was teaching. I went, and my mind was blown. I brought my buddy Mike Slaton, then my fraternity brothers, and a beautiful ministry started. But no sooner had it begun than Brad started saying, “Man, I’m only here for a season. I want to take what I’m learning and go back to Fresno to plant a church. And someday, I’m going to hire you.” I said, “That is never going to happen.” Yet here I am! I have jokingly renamed him “E-Brad-phras,” because like Epaphras, he went away, learned the gospel, came back, and launched this work.

The Threat of “Jesus Plus”

After his two years in Ephesus, Paul went to Jerusalem, was arrested, appealed to Caesar, and was shipped off to Rome. While Paul was sitting in a Roman prison cell awaiting trial before Nero, Epaphras was pastoring the church in Colossae. But Epaphras grew deeply concerned because heresies were beginning to threaten this young congregation.

Although Colossians doesn’t name these heresies directly, when you look at the text, two primary threats were facing the church.

The first was a Greek philosophical influence challenging the supremacy of Christ. Platonic thought taught that all matter and physical bodies are inherently evil, and the only way to transcend that evil is through gnosis—a secret, higher knowledge of the universe. The Greeks loved entertaining new ideas.

Acts 17:21 (NASB)

(Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

They had never heard of Jesus, so they were happy to add Him into the mix. It was ancient “Oprah-ism”—taking a little Buddhism, a little Christianity, and the latest new idea because Jesus alone supposedly isn’t sovereign over everything. Their formula was Jesus plus special knowledge equals salvation. That undermined His supremacy.

The second threat was a Judaistic legalism challenging the sufficiency of Christ. This influence claimed that Jesus plus works was required for life and salvation. They believed Jesus was good, but not enough to solve your sin problem or overcome your vices; you needed circumcision, dietary codes, and holy days to be truly spiritual. They missed that those Old Testament rituals were mere shadows pointing to the substance found in Christ. Their formula was Jesus plus the law equals sufficiency.

Some people in Colossae were blending the two together into an ugly theological mutt.

When Epaphras saw this seeping into the church, he made the 1,300-mile journey to Rome. He sat with Paul in prison and reported that while wonderful fruit was being born, this dangerous threat was seeking to gut the gospel. So Paul picked up his pen and wrote this letter to proclaim that Jesus plus nothing is everything you need for life and salvation.

If you had a friend being swayed by the idea that Jesus is good, but not enough—that they need Jesus plus something else—what would you write to them? You would write the book of Colossians.

A Report of Faith and Love

Let’s look at the opening verses of chapter one:

Colossians 1:1-2 (NASB)

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Paul immediately establishes his authority as an apostle by the will of God, reassuring this church that his message does not come from human speculation, but directly from Jesus Christ. Then he pours out thanksgiving:

Colossians 1:3-4 (NASB)

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

Paul highlights two vital marks: their faith in Christ Jesus and their love for all the saints. When you have a vertical reception of the grace of God, it inevitably translates into a horizontal outworking of love for others. They loved people well because they had been loved well by God.

What a compliment that would be if someone said that about The Well: “There are many things we could say, but we know this church has an unwavering faith in Jesus and a genuine love for people.”

Paul explains the source of this faith and love:

Colossians 1:5 (NASB)

because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel

The reason their faith is anchored and their love is overflowing is because their hope is secured in heaven. They know what Christ has purchased for them. He has not only saved them in the past and is transforming them in the present, but He guarantees their future. That eternal hope fuels their daily walk.

Colossians 1:6-8 (NASB)

which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as [it has been doing] in you also since the day you heard [of it] and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned [it] from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

Paul celebrates that the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and growing among them, just as it was across the world through faithful servants like Epaphras.

Paul’s Prayer for the Church

Knowing the dangerous temptations lurking around the corner, Paul shifts from praise to prayer. Like a protective father guarding his children from wolves, he writes out a profound prayer in verses 9 through 12, asking God to increase what He has already begun.

Paul prays for two primary things: a gospel-centered knowledge, and a gospel-driven transformation.

First, he prays for gospel-centered knowledge:

Colossians 1:9 (NASB)

For this reason also, since the day we heard [of it], we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Notice how Paul counters the Greek heresy. They pursued knowledge rooted in the will of man; Paul prays for knowledge rooted in the will of God. He uses the words wisdom and understanding—the very intellectual virtues Aristotle emphasized—and anchors them in Christ.

You do not have to search for secret, esoteric knowledge outside of Jesus. As Paul writes elsewhere, you don’t have to ascend into heaven or descend into the deep to find truth, because Christ has come down and has risen for you.

Romans 10:6-8 (NASB)

But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: ’DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).’ But what does it say? ’THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART ’– that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

Peter reminds us of this same truth:

2 Peter 1:3 (NASB)

seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

His divine power has granted us everything we need for life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him. You do not need to look outside of Jesus for human flourishing.

Second, Paul prays for a gospel-driven transformation. He is not asking for their heads to merely swell with transactional information. When the heart and mind submit to Christ, the hands and feet are mobilized:

Colossians 1:10 (NASB)

so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

The result of knowing God’s will is walking in a manner worthy of Him, pleasing Him, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God.

This transformation cannot be produced by human willpower or cultural innovation. Look at verse 11:

Colossians 1:11 (NASB)

strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously

Both ancient philosophies and modern movements desire change. We want healed marriages, flourishing families, racial reconciliation, and an end to injustice. But our culture does not believe Jesus is sufficient to accomplish it. So we rely on human pragmatism and produce synthetic fruit that treats symptoms without curing the disease—modifying external behavior without changing the human heart.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, external religion is like the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 before the breath of God entered them, or what Paul describes as having a form of godliness but denying its power.

2 Timothy 3:5 (NASB)

holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

We need divine empowerment. And when God empowers us, it produces two vital realities: steadfast endurance and joy.

Colossians 1:11-12 (NASB)

strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

The Christian life was never meant to be a burdensome duty of checking religious boxes; it is meant to be a delight rooted in the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Qualified, Rescued, and Transferred

Paul concludes this section with the theological foundation that supplies this entire prayer:

Colossians 1:12-14 (NASB)

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Look at what the Father has done for us. He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness. And He has transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

Left to ourselves, we were under the wrath of God, deserving condemnation for our rebellion. But by His grace, God qualified us through Christ, rescued us from darkness, and transferred us into His glorious light. What God used to save us is the very power He uses to sustain us.

Coming to the Table

As we close, I want to invite our campus teams and bands to prepare for communion. To the Father who has qualified us, rescued us, and transferred us, we want to respond in worship and remembrance.

Communion is our tangible reminder of the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. As we take the bread representing His broken body and the cup representing His shed blood, we remember that Christ not only saved us in a single past moment, but He sustains our ongoing transformation today.

In just a moment, after I pray, you are invited to come to the communion stations around the room. Our servers will distribute the elements and remind us of what Christ has accomplished on our behalf.

Before you come, I encourage you to make Paul’s prayer your own. Ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will, to strengthen you with His power, and to remind your heart that everything you need is found fully and completely in Jesus Christ.

Would you pray with me?

Father, I am so thankful that we get to spend the next nine weeks in this book. In a world that is constantly tempting us to believe that You are not enough—beckoning us to look for some higher knowledge or human effort to sustain our lives—we need to be reminded of the truth. Just as the church at Colossae needed this reminder, we need to know that everything we need for life and godliness is found in Jesus Christ. God, help us to remember that today, and help us find our deepest joy in Him, for our good and for Your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.