The headship of Christ

1) One amazing verse in the book of Acts is the one just read, Acts 9:31.

a) Luke described three distinct areas: Judaea, Samaria and Galilee.

b) With one stroke of a pen he listed the entire area of Palestine.

c) He claimed that in this large section of land, the church was doing very, very well.

2) There was peace, edification, growth, submission to Christ, and comfort by the Holy Spirit.

3) If things were this good 2,000 years ago, we might want to ask ourselves some questions.

4) First, how could Christians scattered throughout three distinct areas come into possession of these items?

5) How could there be such a closeness and unity with so many congregations in such a vast area?

6) Today we see a lack of unity both within the church and certainly in the denominational world.

7) Why were things so different at the time described in Acts 9?

a) A Bible answer to this question is found in the verse that was read as well as Col. 2:19.

b) In Col. 2:18 Paul said to Christians, “let no man rob you of your prize.

c) There were people who were trying to impose religious rules on Christians at Colosee.

d) These false rules involved “feast days,” “new moons and Sabbath days” (Col. 2:16).

e) Other false doctrines involved angel worship (verse 18).

f) Then Paul said this in verse 19 – READ.

8) It was possible for the Colossians to no longer “hold fast the head.”

9) Paul was under the impression that the “head” of the Colossians was pretty important.

10) In the latter part of this verse he said the head helped “all the body.”

11) What did this unnamed head do for the body? It “supplied and knit things together.”

12) We could probably make an educated guess about what the head and body in Col. 2 were.

13) A guess is not necessary because Paul identified the head and body in the previous chapter, Col. 1:18 – READ.

14) The Colossians were told that if they held tightly on to the head (Christ), they would be okay.

a) Is this not what we find in Acts 9:31.

b) There were Christians who were holding on to their spiritual head (Jesus).

c) If one or two congregations had done this, that would have been great.

d) Churches in an entire section of land were doing this and they had marvelous harmony.

15) As we look at Col. 2:19 we see something else that is very, very important.

16) Notice the word that is translated “hold.”

a) This is an important word for a couple of reasons.

b) First, it is associated with the idea of “holding fast or holding securely.”

c) Thayer defines it as “not to disregard; to keep carefully and faithfully.”

17) There are some things in life where we may not use a firm grip.

a) We hear of people who “do not have a good grip on reality.”

b) Or, a person may ask us to “hold the door for them.”

c) We may not actually grip the door; we may casually keep it open with one foot.

d) We might prop the door open and then move to help them or do something else.

e) In other circumstances we hold on to something for dear life.

f) Some grips are called a “death grip” for good reason.

g) Imagine a scene that most of us have seen at one time or another.

h) A person is hanging over some type of cliff or ledge and someone is holding on to them with one hand.

i) If we were the person who was in danger of falling 200 feet to our death, what would we want?

j) We would want that person to devote all their mind, attention, strength and resources to us.

18) When Paul spoke about “holding to the head” (Christ), we should understand this as a life and death grip.

19) If we do not keep a good grip on the Christ, we will fall and fall far and hard.

20) There is a second point about “hold” in Col. 2:19.

a) Thayer has a special note about this word and its specific use in Col. 2:19.

b) He said it means “one’s authority.”

c) Does Jesus have any authority? Jesus said He does.

d) In Mt. 28:18-20 Jesus said He has “all authority.”

e) Col. 2:19 says we are to “hold to that authority” (follow it).

f) If we do that, what will be the result?

21) Our answer is in Acts 9:31; we will have a brotherhood full of churches that are in harmony with each other.

22) The religious division in the world that we see and know would cease.

23) Only when people will not submit to the authority of Christ will religious division result.

24) Jesus once said (Jn. 17:20-21) that unity would come through His word and He was exactly right.

25) Last Wednesday there was a story about two Missouri pilots who were in a plane crash.

26) The story actually goes back to an incident on October 14^th, 2004.

27) It has taken two years for the federal crash investigators to draw some conclusions.

28) Officials have finally concluded that two men “flouted safety rules” and this led to the crash.

29) The article says both men “repeatedly violated company safety rules.”

30) They pulled the jet “into steep climbs and attempted to fly the plane at its highest altitude.”

31) They allowed the “jet to slow down too much, causing the engines to snuff out.”

32) There was “deviation from standard operating procedures and poor airmanship.”

a) The story had an interesting sub-title:

b) “Taking a jet up to 41,000 feet for kicks.”

c) A pair of pilots “flouted the procedures” and the end result was death.

33) If a pilot wants to have a successful flight, he or she needs to submit to the right source of authority.

34) Christ and His word are the authorities when it comes to religion.

35) This should not surprise people.

a) What does the head do for a body?

b) If we literally look at our body from head to toe, what part really counts?

c) Not long ago I saw a wounded soldier running with the President.

d) This man had lost his leg, but he was still able to function pretty well.

e) A person may lose both legs and still manage to have a productive life.

f) People lose their arms but they can still get along.

g) We can lose our eyes and hearing and still survive.

h) We cannot lose our head and keep on going.

i) A headless person ceases to be a person.

36) The head is really a central part of the body.

37) This is true in both the physical realm and the spiritual realm.

a) If Christ is the spiritual head, how can anyone possibly think of someone else having this role?

b) Sometimes it is said the pope is the “head of the church.”

c) This is usually qualified by an additional remark like “the earthly head of the church.”

d) There are not two heads of the church; there is only head and that head is Jesus Christ.

e) The head is the crowning and ruling organ for man in his life and religion.

38) As the head of the church, Jesus has arranged for what is to be taught.

39) He has selected what is to be believed.

40) He has determined what people are to obey.

41) He is the one who has the right to say, “this is the hope for my people.”

42) He is the right one to come back and bring the saved to salvation and condemn the unsaved.

43) This is why He could say, “I am the vine and you are the branches.”

44) When we look at the authority of Christ we really find an interesting piece of irony.

a) Jesus’ headship is apparently not all that well understood by many religious groups.

b) It is, however, understood by the unsaved. Pagan people understand Christ’s authority.

c) Because the unsaved understand what this means (implies), they are very interested in overthrowing it.

d) Prayer has generally been removed from schools as have most forms of Bible reading.

e) The pledge of allegiance has sometimes been repudiated because it mentions God.

45) Unsaved people seem to have drawn some conclusions that are exactly right.

46) They know that if Christ is regarded as a person’s spiritual head…..

a) That person will not let any organization be their head.

b) No other system can be that person’s head.

c) A person will accept no other ultimate leadership than that of Christ.

d) Our world is so bent on self fulfillment and do your own thing so these conclusions disgust them.

47) Our world may turn up their nose at this notion, but Christians cannot.

48) Christ and His word must be our head—the things that lead and guide us in all our ways.

49) These are the two things to which we swear (promise) complete and full allegiance.

50) Our recognition of Jesus’ headship cannot be in word only.

a) There are many groups that say, “Christ is our head.”

b) This statement is pointed out right in their “church handbook.”

c) Who wrote the handbook? Was it the Lord or someone else?

d) At various times people ask me, “What does this congregation believe?”

e) I tell them the Bible; man is now under the New Testament and that is what we follow.

f) If we drew up a statement of belief it could only say, “we submit to the authority of Christ.”

51) All this information is really related to Col. 3:17.

52) Paul said “whatever we do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord.”

53) Why would Paul say something like this?

54) It is because Christ is the head of the church; He is the supreme authority.

55) This is also why in the book of Acts people were “baptized in the name of Jesus.”

56) We could dip people all day long but it would not be baptism for the remission of sins.

57) Only when we are using the authority of Christ (His being head of the church) will people find forgiveness.

58) Another key reference regarding this subject is 2 Jn. 9 – READ.

a) Christ’s authority and the Bible go hand in hand.

b) If we are not following the Word of God, we have not submitted to Jesus’ authority.

c) If we do fully submit to the Word of God, we do fully submit to Christ’s authority.

59) We will make someone or something our head.

60) It may (at least for a time) be our own self.

61) We may say, “I want to be in charge of my own life. My life is my own.”

62) Lots of people have looked at their own bodies and said, “This is my body. It is my choice.”

63) The Bible says “we are not our own.”

a) There is a spiritual head.

b) We can submit to this head now (during our lifetime) or at a later time.

c) God gives us a choice.

d) One way or the other, each person will submit.

64) This submission is not something bad.

65) In the world we recognize that certain people have certain amounts of authority.

66) In the case of Christ, He has all authority.

67) Man has created a problem by sinning and Jesus came to provide a solution.

a) Not only did He come with a solution, He came with a perfect solution.

b) He heads the organizations that removes sin and says to the world, “I am here to help.”

c) If we refuse that offer, we will have to deal with sin on our own and that is a losing proposition.

68) The greatest decision in life we can make is submitting to the Lord.