You Shall Call His Name Jesus: The Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16)

I. Description of Jesus, the Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15)

1. Jesus, the Great High Priest has passed through the heavens and sits at the right hand of God. (Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:50-53; Hebrews 1:3)

2. Jesus, the Great High Priest is the Son of God. (Hebrews 1:1-4; John 1:14)

3. Jesus, the Great High Priest is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. (Hebrews 5:8-9)

4. Jesus, the Great High Priest was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; John 14:30)

II. Our response to Jesus, the Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16)

1. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

2. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19-20)

3. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

You Shall Call His Name Jesus: The Prophet, the Son of God (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)

I. I will raise up for them a Prophet like Moses. (Deuteronomy 18:18-19; John 5:46; 7:40; Acts 3:22)

1. The Prophet declares the true Word of God and is in fact the Word. (John 1:1; 6:63; Mark 13:31; Matthew 28:19-20; John 6:40)

2. The Prophet identifies the true human condition. (Mark 7:20-23; John 3:20; 8:32)

3. The Prophet predicts the true course of future events. (Luke 12:34; John 13:21-26; Matthew 20:17-19; Matthew 24:1-2; John 14:26)

II. Whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:19)

Application:
What message have you heard from Christ the Prophet?
Are you believing in Him, receiving His Word as truth?
Who will you share this message of truth with?

The Mission of God’s Children (Colossians 4:2-6)

I. Devoted prayer is part of the believer’s mission. (Colossians 4:2-4; Matthew 6:9-13, 17:20; Luke 11:1-4; Acts 2:42, 27; Colossians 1:3,9)

II. A wise lifestyle is a necessary part of the believer’s mission. (Colossians 4:5; Deuteronomy 4:5-6; Matthew 5:16)

III. Godly speech is a necessary part of the believer’s mission. (Colossians 4:6; Colossians 3:8; Proverbs 17:27; Matthew 12:36)

Application Question: In what ways has God challenged you to live a more mission-centered life?

Personalized prayer from Colossians 1:9-14
Lord Jesus, let me not cease to pray for ___________. I ask that ___________ may be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ____________may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified ___________ to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered _____________ from the power of darkness and conveyed ____________ into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom _____________ has redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Five Kernels of Thanksgiving (Colossians 1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:15-17; 4:2)

Kernel One: We are to be thankful for the good work God is doing in the lives of fellow believers. (Colossians 1:3; Romans 1:8; Philippians 1:3)

Kernel Two: We give thanks for salvation and eternal life. (Colossians 1:12-15; John 3:16)

Kernel Three: Our hearts should always overflow with thanksgiving in response to the truth of the gospel. (Colossians 2:7; Luke 6:45)

Kernel Four: Thankfulness is a grace to be cultivated and developed in our lives. (Colossians 3:15-17: Proverbs 17:22; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Kernel Five: We are to pray with thanksgiving in our hearts. (Colossians 4:2; Psalm 100:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

The Clothing of God’s Children (Colossians 3:5-14)

I. God’s children must take off the old clothes of sin. (Colossians 3:5, 8-9; John 8:38)

II. God’s children must put on the new clothes of righteousness. (Colossians 3:12-14)

1. Believers should put on compassion. (Colossians 3:12; James 1:27; Matthew 5:7; Micah 6:8)
2. Believers should put on kindness. (Colossians 3:12; Matthew 11:30; Romans 2:4)
3. Believers should put on humility. (Colossians 3:12; 1 Timothy 1:16; Isaiah 6:5; Philippians 2:3-6)
4. Believers should put on gentleness or meekness. (Colossians 3:12; Matthew 11:28-29)
5. Believers should put on patience or longsuffering. (Colossians 3:12-13; Galatians 5:22-23)
6. Believers should put on forgiveness. (Colossians 3:13; 1 Corinthians 13:5; Isaiah 43:25)
7. Above all, believers should put on love. (Colossians 3:14; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Luke 10:27)

III. God’s children put on righteousness by knowing God through Jesus. (Colossians 3:9-10, John 15:5)

Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Application Questions:
Which heavenly clothes did God convict you most about putting on?
In what ways is he calling you to practice putting them on daily?

A Heavenly Mindset (Colossians 3:1-4)

I. A heavenly mindset is developed by a life of continual discipline. (Colossians 3:1; Romans 12:2)

1. The believer actively seeks heavenly things by impressing Scripture upon his or her heart. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalm 16:8)
2. The believer actively seeks heavenly things by rejecting everything that is not from God. (Colossians 3:2, 5-9; Philippians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

II. A heavenly mindset is developed by attention to our crucified position. (Colossians 3:3)

1. The believer died to sin. (Romans 6:6-7, 11)
2. The believer died to self. (Galatians 2:20)
3. The believer died to this world. (Galatians 6:14; 1 John 2:15)
4. The believer died to the power of the devil. (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:15)

III. A heavenly mindset is developed through a life hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3; John 10:27-29)

IV. A heavenly mindset is developed by a focus on our glorious future in Christ. (Colossians 3:4; Philippians 3:20-21)

Christ, the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:15-20; Ephesians 1:22-23)

We exalt Christ because He is Head of the Church. (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23)

1. As the Head, Jesus expresses His character and nature through His Body. (1 Corinthians 12:12)

2. As the Head, Jesus continues His earthly ministry through his Body. (Luke 4:18-19; Acts 10:38)

3. As the Head, Jesus nourishes His Body. (Ephesians 4:15-16; 5:29; Colossians 2:19)

4. As the Head, Jesus is the source of the Church’s life. (Colossians 2:19; 3:4; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 4:13)

Buried and Raised in Baptism through Faith (Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:4)

1. Baptism portrays the death of our old self in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, through faith. (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:6-7)

A. We are not the same people we once were; our old self has died. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

B. Our future physical death will not have the same meaning for us that it would have had if Christ had not died our death. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57; 1 Peter 1:3)

2. Baptism portrays our newness of life in Christ. (Romans 6:4: Colossians 2:12)

The Supremacy of Christ over All Creation (Colossians 1:15-20)

I. We exalt Christ because He is the image or revelation of God. (Colossians 1:15; John 1:1, 18; John 14:9)

II. We exalt Christ because He is firstborn or supreme over all of creation. (Colossians 1:15; John 1:1)

1. Christ is supreme over creation because He is the Creator. (Colossians 1:16)
2. Christ is supreme over creation because He is the goal of creation. (Colossians 1:16; Psalm 19:1-2; Romans 11:36; Philippians 2:9-11)
3. Christ is supreme over all of creation because He is the sustainer of creation. (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; James 1:17)

III. We exalt Christ because He is the firstborn from the dead. (Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

IV. We exalt Christ because He is sufficient. (Colossians 1:19; 2:9)

APPLICATION:
Why is Christ supreme?
Why should Jesus be exalted in our lives and in the entire earth?
In what ways is God calling you to apply Christ’s preeminence?
What is supreme in your life?
What must you do to make Jesus first in your life and keep him first?

The Gospel in Genesis (Genesis 1-3)

1. Jesus is eternal just as God is eternal. (John 1:1-3;14; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 1:8)

2. From the very beginning, Jesus’ mission is to seek and save the lost. (Genesis 3:8-9; Luke 19:10)

3. Jesus is the last Adam. Christ, unlike Adam, came into an imperfect world and yet lived a perfect and sinless life. (1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 5:15)

4. The first gospel is found in Genesis 3:15. This is God’s first announcement that Jesus was coming and that Satan would be defeated. (Genesis 3:15; John 3:16)

5. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (Genesis 3:21; 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 1:29)

6. The tree of life is waiting. Christ has opened the door to heaven and through him and by him and in him anyone who receives Him can come in. (Genesis 3:22-24; Revelation 22:1-2)

The real focus of the Genesis account is Jesus Christ!

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:34–36)

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

He is “the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63–64). “And the one to whom all authority on heaven and earth has been given” (Matthew 28:18).