Why We Should Want To Worship Jesus
1st Peter 1: 13 – 21; John 14: 1 – 11; Colossians 1:13-20 (Sermon)
As I call out some names I want you to think about why most people consider them to be great. Michael Jordan, Bill Gates,
George Washington, Thomas Edison, Billy Graham, Albert Schweitzer
We all know why each of these people is considered to be a great person. They were people who excelled in their field.
We would like to do what they did so well. These are people we would like to rub elbows with.
Now, one more name for you to think about. Jesus. Could
you tell someone what it is that makes Jesus great? What is it about Jesus that you want
to be like? Why do you want to be associated with Jesus? Why should we want to worship Jesus?
In our text for today the Apostle Paul lists five things that make Jesus great and that should make us want to learn more
about Jesus, and should make us want to fall down and worship Jesus.
The first reason is in verses 13 and 14. "He rescued us from the dominion of darkness." We must never forget
that before we came to Jesus we were slaves to our sinful nature and our sinful acts. Ephesians 2:1 tells us we were dead
in our sins and trespasses.
Jesus rescued us from Satan’s kingdom of darkness, deception, and death. Jesus brought us into His kingdom of light,
truth, holiness, and life. Jesus rescued us by redeeming us with His blood. To redeem means to
buy back. The Apostle Peter reminds us that we were not redeemed with perishable things
such as gold or silver but rather we were bought back with the precious blood of Jesus. (1st Peter 1:18-19).
The Old Testament story of God rescuing the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt is a picture of how we are rescued
from a slavery to sin. When the Israelites chose to sacrifice a lamb and put its blood on the doorpost, it is a picture of
us choosing to accept the sacrificial substitution death of Christ. It is no accident that
the blood on the top and sides of the door make the sign of the cross. The Angel of death passing over that household is a
symbol of us being spared from eternal death. Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Many
churches paint their front doors red to signify that the only way to enter into the family of God is through the blood of
Jesus.
Not only did Jesus rescue us and redeem us, He brought us into His eternal kingdom.
The second reason we should want to worship Jesus is in verse 15. "He is the image of the invisible God".
In John 14:8, when Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father, Jesus replied, "Anyone who has seen me has seen
the Father, the Father and I are one." People have a built in desire to worship
a higher being but many people want to see and touch what they worship. That is why people made idols out of wood, stone,
and metal. The good news is Jesus is not a cheap imitation. Jesus is God. The Apostle Paul
tells us Jesus is the manifestation of God.
Today people still want to see God and ask, "How can you worship a God you cannot see?" The answer is that we have
a whole book that not only tells us about Jesus but … the Bible also tells us how Jesus thought, talked, and acted.
Jesus is the central theme of the Bible.
When Paul described Jesus as, "the image of the invisible God" he emphasized that Jesus is both the representation
and manifestation of God. Jesus is fully God in every way.
All other religions are based on the life and teachings of a man but Christianity is based upon God Himself. Christians
should never apologize for being emphatic that Jesus is the way to our Creator God because Jesus is our creator God. In verse
15 Paul refers to Jesus as the firstborn over all creation. The Greek word for firstborn could mean first chronologically
however, firstborn most often refers to the highest in position. The firstborn most often refers to the son the father chose
to receive his inheritance. We see this in the story of Jacob and Esau. Esau was the oldest but Jacob received Isaac’s
inheritance.
Let’s be really clear. Paul is not teaching that Jesus was a created being. We know this because in verse 16 Paul
emphatically states Jesus "created all things in heaven and on earth, all visible things and invisible things".
Genesis 1 and John 1 are also clear on this. It would be impossible for Jesus to be created and to be the creator. So the
third reason we should want to worship Jesus is that Jesus is our creator God. We give a
lot of praise to people like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and Bill Gates because they invented things that make our
life easier and more enjoyable. But as impressive as these people may be, none of these people created anything from nothing.
They all used things Jesus had already created including their minds and their hands. PAUSE
Our universe is complex and much too fragile to have happened by accident. Modern science knows that any change in the
rate of the earth rotation or in the tilt on the earth’s axis would be catastrophic. The earth would be too cold or
too hot to support life. If the moon were closer to earth the sea would cover the earth. A slight change in the composition
of the air would be fatal. Only an infinitely wise God could create such a complex universe and individuals. Remember God
created the material and spiritual universe for His pleasure and His glory. The universe is God’s handiwork. We should
want to worship Jesus because Jesus is our creator.
The fourth reason we should want to worship Jesus is in verse 18. "He is the head of the Church". There are
many metaphors used in scripture to describe the church. The church is called a family, a vineyard, a flock, a building, and
a bride. But the most profound metaphor is the body of Christ. The church is the body of Christ and Jesus is the head of the
body. Just as the brain controls and gives directions to our human bodies, Jesus controls and gives direction to the church.
Jesus established the church. This is not my church or your church. The church is not run
by the Session or the Deacons. A church will self-destruct if it is run by a person or a group of people. We need to make
sure that our church is always run and constantly directed by Jesus. We need to make sure we stay focused on the mission Jesus
gave us which is to reach lost souls and to build up the saved.
The firstborn of the dead in verse 18 reminds us of Jesus’ resurrection and Jesus’ authority over death. Jesus’
resurrection made it possible for us to be "born from the dead." Jesus is The Life and Jesus gives life to all
who choose to accept Him as their Savior.
That leads us to the fifth reason Paul gives us in verses 19 and 20. We should want to worship Jesus because Jesus is God’s
choice to save mankind. "For God was pleased to have all things reconciled to Himself through Jesus". The Greek
word for reconcile means to change or to exchange. In Christ our sinful nature is exchanged for Jesus’ righteous nature.
We are made right with God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus voluntarily suffered and died on the cross to pay
the price and the penalty for your sins. Through Jesus we can have peace with God.
The Bible is crystal clear. Jesus is not just a Savior. Jesus is the Savior of sinners. God has provided a way for us to
be with Him and that way is Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
In these few verses in Colossians the Apostle Paul has given us 5 reasons why we should want to worship Jesus.
We should want to worship Jesus because of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us. We should
never worship out of duty, fear, or obligation. Rather, we should want to worship Jesus because of who He is and what He has
done for us. AMEN
