[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Good morning, Southwinds. Good morning. Just want to make sure this is coming through okay. Everybody can hear all right? Okay, I'm assuming that means yes. Uh I want to welcome you to Southwinds today. I don't know about you, but anybody feel as we think of things that are going on in the world, have anybody feeling like your anxiety has just risen a little bit in the last 24 hours or so? Anybody? Go ahead.
Come on. Show I'm not alone. Some of you are just always calm, which is great. Uh some of us maybe not so much. But, here's what I'd like you to do as we prepare our hearts for worship today. As I was thinking about this morning and thinking all the things that are that are going on even the last 24 hours, we think of what's happening in Iran. Uh there's so many places right now where there is conflict. Uh there's a lot of uncertainty. And what I want to encourage us to do even as we're spending
a few moments before we start, I was thinking of the Lord's Prayer. And I'm not going to have us recite it out loud, but I'm going to invite you to just in your own heart, just simply quietly pray through the Lord's Prayer. And just take a few moments just as we're gathering and just to say, you know, Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. You know, thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You know, give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses. And
just kind of walk through in your mind, just simply quietly surrender your life to the one who is our king. Where do you need daily bread today? We We need that God will deliver us from evil. And all of the themes of the Lord's Prayer. So, why don't we spend a moment even as we're preparing, and then in a moment Morgan and team are going to lead us uh in our first song of worship. So, quietly pray the Lord's Prayer as we kind of settle our hearts and just trust in our king this morning. God
bless you. Let's stand and we're going to sing Hosanna to our king this morning. Praise [singing and music] is rising. >> [singing] >> Eyes are turning to you. We turn to you. Hope >> [music and singing] >> is stirring. Hearts >> [singing and music] >> are yearning for you. We long [singing and music] for you. Cuz when we see you, we find [music] strength [singing] To face the day. In your presence, [singing and music] all >> [singing and music] [singing and music] [singing] [singing] [singing] [singing and music] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [singing and music]
[singing and music] [singing] [singing] [music] [music and singing] [singing] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [singing] [music and singing] [singing and music] [music] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music and singing] [singing] [singing and music] [singing and music] [singing] [singing] [music] [singing] [music and singing] [music] [singing and music] [music and singing] [singing and music] [singing] [singing and music] [singing] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [singing and music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [singing] [music] [singing] [singing] [music] [singing] [singing] [music] [singing] [singing] [singing and music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [music and singing] [music and singing] [singing] [singing and
music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music and singing] [singing and music] [singing and music] >> those, uh, uh, younger ones, your teachers are waiting for you at the back. So, the children can depart in a couple Of minutes. Please greet each other now. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Good morning, church. My name's Elaine. I'm on staff here at Southwinds. Just Have a few announcements to share with you this morning. If you're new to Southwinds this morning, a special hello and welcome to you. We would love to connect with you further beyond
this morning. And so, we'd ask you to fill out a connect card or scan the QR code behind me and we'll just kind of capture your name and a con- way to contact you, either phone or email, just a, um, kind of make an appointment with you for coffee and Just, uh, see what questions you might have about Southwinds. If you missed the QR code, uh, we've got you covered. There's some cards on the information table behind you on your left that you can fill out as well. We have a prayer card. Um, we send
out emails to our church family for prayer requests that receive. Um, if you if you wanted to our leadership team to pray for your need or the church as a whole, we are glad to Communicate that prayer need to the church and also pray for you as well. We've got a couple of due dates today being March 1st. As you know, we've been working on a church survey. Thank you for filling out the survey. We're about 50% response rate, so that's really good. But, that means 50% have not responded. So, that's not good. >> [laughter]
>> So, remember we are building a profile For, uh, the next lead pastor and so, he's going to want to hear from you. And so, I would just encourage you to please respond to that survey. You would have found it in the email from Tuesday and in the newsletter that was sent out on Friday morning. If you're like, "I didn't see it. I've missed it." or right now I'm reminding you about that survey. Please fill that out before midnight tonight. Uh, that is when, um, the link Will close out. If you're like, "I didn't get
any of that." there are some hard copies on the table back there. Take that home with you and then just scan it, take a picture of it, and then just email it to us at
[email protected]. Please make sure you respond, uh, to the survey so we can have the best compilation of our church family to share with the prospective, uh, lead pastor, Um, that God is calling here. So, next Sunday you'll want to be here for the report cuz what did we say? What did the church family say about, um, who we are and, uh,
the next lead pastor. So, please join us next Sunday as well to hear the report back as well. Also, another due date today, March 1st, is this is the last day for the ladies overflowing tickets to be the cheapest they're ever going to be. So, today is the day. If you don't get Your ticket today, the prices are going up to $50. It's a bargain at $40 and that includes your lunch as well. So, overflowing is in Red Deer and so, we are I know some ladies have been offering to carpool so we can ride
together cuz that's part of the fun, too, right? 2 hours of chitchat in the car and then, um, on the way back as well. And then, lastly, um, AV, um, in order for this to happen, this to happen, [laughter] Our online services to happen, uh, we've got to have people that are invested in, um, having those services happen online, in person. And so, we need folks that would be willing to serve on our sound team that's led by, uh, Dan Keysman and our technical aspect is, uh, Jackie Jang. And so, we are looking for additional
volunteers to make that happen. Um, so if you have an interest and you don't have to know anything about tech. Is that right, guys? Know nothing. Just be a blank slate and they will teach you. And so, we just need to have, uh, folks willing to serve on that AV team. As you've been seeing, there's been some needs put out in the newsletter. It's not the only place of service, um, that is needed, but we we're going to call out AV team today. So, please connect with myself or Dan or Jackie or even Pastor Gordon
if you're like, "You know, That sounds like interesting to me." and check it out. Let's continue this morning. Thank you for listening. We'll continue our, uh, worship this morning through song. Let's stand and we'll continue singing. Come thou fount [singing] of every blessing, tune my [singing] heart to [music] sing thy grace. Streams [singing] of mercy never ceasing call for songs [singing] Of [music] loudest praise. Teach me some >> [singing] >> melodious sonnet, sung by flaming [singing] tongues [music] above. Praise the mount [singing] I'm fixed upon it, >> [music] >> mount of thy redeeming [singing] love.
Here I [singing and music] raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I come. [singing] And I hope, [music] by thy good pleasure, safely [singing] to arrive at home. >> [music] >> Jesus sought [singing] me as a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God. He to rescue me [singing] from danger, [music] interpose his precious blood. Prone to [music] grace, how great [singing] a debtor daily I'm constrained >> [music] >> to be. Let thy grace, >> [singing] [music] >> Lord, like a feather bind my wandering heart [singing] to thee. [music] Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love. >> [singing] >> Here's my heart, Lord, take [music] and seal It. Seal it >> [singing] >> for thy >> [music] >> courts above. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to >> [singing] >> leave the God I love. Here's my [singing and music] heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it [singing] for thy courts above. [music] Here's my heart, Lord, [singing] take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. >> [music] >> Father, [singing] let your kingdom come. May love >> [singing and music] >> and mercy
be our song. Sung in [singing] time with you. As the echoes of an empty tomb. Shadows [singing] disappear. Before [singing] the [music] eyes of All who hear. Father, let your [singing and music] kingdom come. And may >> [singing and music] >> all people be as one. Twirling [singing and music] in spite of hurt. Believing [singing and music] that your name is worthy. Shadows pass away. In the [singing and music] light of each new day. Let your kingdom come. [singing] Let your will be done. On earth >> [singing] >> as it is [music] in heaven. Let
your kingdom come. Let your will [singing] be done. On earth as [music] it is in heaven. >> [singing] >> Let your kingdom come. Let your will [music] be done. On [singing] earth as it is in heaven. Let your kingdom come. [singing] Let your will be done. On earth [singing] as it is in [music] heaven. Shadows [singing and music] disappear. Before the [singing] eyes [music] of all who hear us. Sung in time with [singing and music] you. As the echoes of an empty tomb. We come to worship the one who we pray to and we ask
[music] that his will be done. Join me in lifting our hearts and our minds and our Souls to the one who saves. O king of glory, we ask that you, prince of peace, would you rule in the hearts of all? Father, we lament the death of each person who lost their lives recently in the Tumbler Ridge community. Lord, our nation continues to mourn. We pray for the family of a person who Died recently in the avalanche at Nakiska resort recently. Lord, we pray for our world which seems to be imploding on so many fronts. We
ask for your intervention, Lord, in wars and in suffering, in the Ukraine. Three years and still going on. Venezuela and Cuba and Israel and Gaza. And now in Iran. Lord, bring peace That transcends all understanding to the hearts and minds of all involved. And Lord, we pray specifically for those who are suffering through all this. And we also lift up to you the leaders who are making decisions about initiating and or responding to such chaos. Lord, intervene and bring comfort and relief And peace to all as only you can. Father, we want to acknowledge and
we want to thank you for answered prayers. We prayed for one of the victims of Tumbler Ridge, Mia, and she is recovering and we thank you for that. Lord, we lift up to you Linwood who is awaiting another operation. Please bring about full and timely recovery. Lord, we thank you for your care of Sid and Marilyn Keen at Garrison Green. Lord, we thank you. You answer so many of our prayers and we thank you for providing work for a number of our congregation. And we want to acknowledge that it's your mighty hand that is providing
for each and every one of us. Thank you, Jesus. Lord, as we have responded to the survey about the search for a new leader, may we come to you first and ask for your guidance and your direction. Guide and instruct us, Lord, for Southwinds belongs to you. May your will be done. Lord, we pray now for Charles De Silva who brings us your word to us this morning. Father, anoint him. Fill him with your spirit so that your word would go forth with power and with authority. Prepare our hearts and our minds to hear and
obey what you have to say and to teach us today. Be glorified in and through it all. For we pray this all in the powerful name of our risen savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. May be seated. Today is an extra special day. Today is CBT day. You know that we have a seminary out in Cochrane. And at this moment we're going to watch a video and then Gordon will come and introduce Charles to us. Hi, I'm Tanya McCormack, [music] admissions coordinator at the Canadian Baptist Theological Seminary and College. Over the past 35 years, CBT has [music]
trained leaders for tough places. Our intimate environment, like-minded students, and professors work together to help you grow spiritually [music] and academically. Whether that tough place is on the mission fields overseas, in a small town, planting a church, or strengthening your faith to be a light to your own community. Thanks for allowing us [music] to be a part of your special Sunday service. I also want to Thank you personally for your encouragement and prayers. CBT values partnerships like yours. Our school offers many options of study, whether pursuing an undergrad or graduate degree, full-time, part-time, in person,
or [music] at a distance. If you would like to learn more about our programs or book a tour, visit [music] with me and I'd be happy to speak with you. Thanks again for this opportunity. We will be praying for you. I am going to invite Charles come on up at this time. As Charles is coming, I have a question and I have a piece of swag to give away. Okay, now I Who knows when our schools in Cochrane began? Canadian Baptist Theological College and Seminary. Jackie is not allowed to to answer the question. If you
already know the answer because of some kind of inside information, you don't qualify. But the rest of you get to kind of guess or kind of estimate. So, go ahead, raise your hand and whoever gets closest or is the first to nail it is going to get a really nice ball cap. Okay, when did our school start? Go ahead. Gerard, no. Not quite. '72, no, Blair, that is not the case. No, not 1990. Oh, we're getting really close. We have Two '85s. All right, the '85 is going to get closer. '86, you getting real close.
1990, Beverly, no. All right. Debbie, did you have one? Who said '87? Oh! Come on up. All right, you nailed it. You know, I was kind of hoping to hold on to this, but you've got it, man. There we go. Way to go. Fantastic. All right. Now, we have By the way, if if you speak Portuguese and those of us Who don't, those who speak Portuguese are gradually taking over Southwinds. Have you ever noticed that? >> [laughter] >> There are a lot of Portuguese speakers here this morning, including our associate pastor, of course, Ron and
Dalia. Uh but also, whether it's from Portugal or whether it is from Brazil. Now, our guest today is a student of the seminary. Now, Charles, you're going to tell us a bit about your journey. How did you get from Brazil and then I believe you even went to Winnipeg. What would ever possess you Correct. >> to go from Brazil to Winnipeg? Tell us your story. I think the main thing I didn't know better. Okay, there we go. >> Yeah, so I moved to Winnipeg in 2017 in January. So, [snorts] it was interesting cuz in Brazil
was plus 31. Yeah. And then I got to Winnipeg, it was minus 35. And then people ask me if I was happy to see snow for the first time and I say that I was happy until it hurted. Because it starts hurting and >> hurts, yes. >> Yeah. All right. Well, we are we are so glad to have you here. Now, by the way, if you happen to come from Winnipeg, my apology. I owe you a coffee or or Something. They're right there. All right. Oh, we have others from Winnipeg. Okay. My the best man
of our wedding actually lives in in Winnipeg, so I do have to be respectful of Winnipeg as well. Now, tell us about um Well, you've got family here. So, who do you have here? >> Correct. So, I got Cassie, my wife. I got uh Jacob, who is in the Sunday school. Okay. Have Ashton, our little baby, new addition to our family. Uh have Marine and have Emma as well. All right, the mother-in-law. Now, that is very very important. >> Correct. Very very important. >> Yeah, yeah, she is inspecting to meet today. >> Okay, very good.
Now, tell us about the school. Uh what is something you Appreciate about our schools in Cochrane? I love the community. Like me and my wife, we are so like community includes you in every aspect. Um yeah, it's something that uh I don't think we ever seen in any other cuz like we've been to college together and uh we didn't experience that in the college that we went to. Like the community is so strong. Yeah. Great. Now, do you have to Everybody have to move to Cochrane be a full-time student? Do you have the community? Yes.
But >> [laughter] >> if you I mean, if you just want to take courses, like there's options online you can audit as well. Yeah. Okay. By the way, who here has has taken at least one course at our schools in Cochrane? Just raise your hand. I have. Okay, Jackie in the back. Anyone else? Okay. Yes, Andrew, you have as well. Did you take a course at our schools? Oh, you didn't. Okay, okay. All right. So, if you've got questions, by all means talk to Charles afterwards. Uh you can talk to me, you can talk to
Jackie, and we'll make sure you get the information. There's a limited amount of promotional material in the back as well. Uh at the welcome table, you can find out more things about it, but they are great schools. Now, our own doctors, Susan and Steve Booth, who also have, I understand, been professors of yours. Correct. >> And they attend here, so uh right now, they're uh stateside on kind of a stateside assignment, but when they get back, we'll talk to them further. Let's pray for our brother as he preaches the word today. Father, thank you for
Charles. Thank you for bringing him here and his family. We pray as he shares uh your word, that Lord, your word that is true will be communicated with conviction, with Clarity, in a way that will be uh Lord, help us to understand just the the supremacy, the beauty in all that we have in Jesus. We thank you, Father. Holy Spirit, will you guide him, anoint him? May our hearts be open to receive in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you, brother. Thank you. Good morning, Southwinds Church. Awesome. I love that. So, uh the words in which I
would like to call your attention this morning is to be found in book of Colossians, chapter 1, verses 15 to 23. Colossians, chapter 1, verses 15 to 23. And the reason why I would like you to turn there is simply because I want you to consider the divine identity of the Lord Jesus Christ this morning. I believe that one of the main reasons there are so many unexcited, Depressed, and even apathetic Christians in the world is simply because they do not truly know who Christ is and the power that is in that knowledge. Because a
true, transforming knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ will inevitably transform our affections and consequently the way we live. So, in order for our affections to be awakened toward the Lord, to the true knowledge of Christ, and to establish us in this solid rock, let us turn to the book of Colossians, chapter 1, verses 15 to 23. And I would like to invite you to stand if you are able to read God's word with me. And uh my hope for us this morning is that by the end of this, we may be able to echo Paul's
word and um in a different book when he says that he is >> [snorts] >> not ashamed of the gospel because he's certain of whom he believed. So, my hope this morning is that we may have this Certainty. So, God's word says this about the Lord Jesus Christ. It says that he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through him and for him. And he
is before all things. And in him, all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. And through him to recon- self, all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated, hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy
and blameless and above reproach before him. If indeed you continue in faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which Paul, I Paul, became A minister. Oh, you may be seated. Just please don't close your Bibles. Like we going to we going to be kind of going around the a little bit around the context there. Cuz if you read this passage in its context, we see that this is part of a prayer that Paul has started in
in verse 9. And by verse 12, Paul describes the Christian. He says that the Christian is someone who is filled with joyful thanks towards the Father. And then following from verse 13 to 14, he explains the reason for that very Thanksgiving. He says that the Christian is a person who is filled with thanks towards the Father with joyful thanks towards the Father because the Father has rescued them from the domain of darkness and transferred them or translated them into the kingdom of his Beloved son in whom we have redemption even the forgiveness of sin. But
this is roughly the background. So in our passage from verse 15 to 23, Paul turns to the Son of God. Son of God is now the one in evidence. So basically I split this passage in two. From verse 15 to 18, I believe that Paul is focusing more on Christ's preeminence over creation. And then from verses 18, the second part of verse 18 all the way to verse 20 He shows Christ's preeminence also in the new creation. And if you notice, if you pay close attention, Paul here is transitioning the focus of the passage from
God the Father to God the Son. And this is what this would be very relevant to this church. Because although this church would see in the beginning verses of this pass of this chapter were was known to be faithful to the Lord, there was also a False teaching going on around this church. There was a false teaching that would diminish Christ. That would make Christ just another way to God. They would even teach that sometimes may maybe you could get to God through Christ, but in order to grow in our relationship to God, you would
have to bounce back into some Jewish traditions or even some mystic stuff. And this is not very to some of the religions we have out there. Religions that diminish Christ's divinity, diminish Christ's authority. But my friends, Paul the Apostle would not allow anyone rob Christ from his place. He would never let anyone rob Christ from his supremacy. He would never let anyone rob Christ from his equality with the Father. Because Paul knew that if a Christian Are to experience the fullness of life in God, to have this joy in the Lord, they must be fully
rooted in Christ. We must know him, we must trust him, we must stand firm in him and in him alone. This is the truth that the Colossian church needed to hear and is the truth that we need to hear this morning. Christ is supreme and in him and in him alone we find faith, we find hope, and we find the fullness of God. So basically from verse 5 3, in his prayer, Paul is simply explaining who is this man. Is this man who is able to forgive sinners before a holy God? Who is this man
who can make sinful man just? Who is this man who can answer to Job's question, "How can a sinful man stand before a just God?" Who is this man? What makes him so special and so different Than everyone else? So this is what this text is talking about. Who is this Jesus? And if you look at the very first verse in the most incredible fashion, Paul says he is the image of the invisible God. And in this very first statement, he sets the stage before our eyes. What Paul is claiming here is that not a
not Me another way to God, he is the image of God who is invisible. What a statement. What Paul is saying is here is that we are dealing with the divine. Paul is telling us that when we approach Christ, we must remove our sandals because the ground in which we stand is holy. We are not talking about man, we are talking about God himself. We are dealing with the divine. But then you may think that you know Like we look at Genesis 1 and when God created us, he created us in God's image and resemblance.
But I got to tell you this is very different than that. Because it's very different than that because Paul is not claiming that Christ resembles God but rather that Christ portrays the perfect image of God. So humans, we we we are made in God's image in a way that we have rational personality. We share that with God. We Possess intellect, we possess emotion, we possess a will by which we we think, we feel, we choose. But we are not like God, however, in his image morally. He is holy. We are not. We all we also
do not share God's Colossians called his uncommunicable attributes, which is basically his omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, immutability, self-existence. We do not Share that. But Jesus on the other hand, he is the perfect image of God. He shares of all of his attributes. All of God's attributes are in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the perfect physical manifestation of all of God's attributes. Hebrews 1 says that Jesus is the radiance of God's glory, the exact picture. My friends, Paul's claim here is obvious. He is right off the hop equating Jesus Christ with the Lord, with God. And
in fact, if you read the Gospels, you would see that Christ himself does this very same thing. He says, "If you have seen me, you have seen who?" "And me and the Father what?" So this is very obvious what's going on here. Paul is simply equating Jesus with God. Paul is not saying that Jesus was a Creation, but rather that he is God. But then you turn to the very second part of verse 15 and it says that he is the firstborn of all creation. And that could be a little confusing. Because we just claimed
that Jesus is God. But here it says that he is the firstborn and God was not ever birthed. God is the eternal I am. He always existed. So how do we deal with this? And let let let me just suggest that Paul is not saying that Jesus was created first. But rather that Jesus has the firstborn rights before all creation. The way Paul uses this word is in the sense of status and time, not of creation. This statement is used to distinguish Christ from all created things as before them in Outranks all things in creation.
And if you still have your doubts, look at the very next verse. Look what it says, "For by him all things were created." Notice that the text I itself defines what Paul means by firstborn. He says that first, Christ is firstborn of all creation and then he gives the reason, "Because by him all things were created." So I believe that this explanation is Decisive because the creator cannot be the creation of the things that he created himself. Like Christ is the creator and he cannot take part of the creation he brought into existence. My friends,
all things that exist in the world were created by him. Time was created by him. Matter was created by him. The universe was created by him. All animals, all things were created by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is The eternal word of God in flesh and by him all things were made. And pay attention to the text, my friends, because this is not only restrictive to the physical realm. But the passage also says that "For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth. Visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities. My friends, Jesus was not an angelic being. Rather, he is the one who created them and they were created for his purposes to a purposes here on earth and to provide him praise for eternity in heaven. He is the king of kings and lord of lords. He created rulers, he created authorities, he created it all. And if you look at the second part of verse 17, it says that he's not only the creator of all things, but he's also the sustainer. It says that in all things Hold together. So, look, Christ is not only
preeminent in creation for creating it, but also for sustaining it. And my friends, the scripture could not get more scientific than this. If you ever wonder how scientific experiments or the laws of physics are the way they are and they can be tested, it's simply because the holding the universe by the power of his hands even now. He is the sustainer and the creator of all things. And let me tell you another thing, too. This is not only talking about the universe, but this also talks about you. The only reason the only the Christian will
persevere in their faith is because of this very truth. The only reason the doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints or how some other call once saved always saved is true is because of Christ himself because he is the sustainer of the faith he created in you. This is the only reason. It's not because you you're going to grab him as hard as you can, but because he grabs you as hard as he can. Let me tell you, you cannot escape his grip. So, the doctrine of the perseverance of The saints does not primarily come
from a systematic theology that makes sense, but comes from the very nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the sustainer of all things, including the faith that you possess even now. Friends, the more we understand who the Lord Jesus Christ is, the more we are fueled with the joy to belong to him. And then the question is, looking at this truth that were just exposed before our eyes, why should we fear tomorrow? While the sustainer of the universe, the creator of all things, cares for me. Like, why do we need to need to be
anxious about things like that? He who sustains all things is sustaining us. Shouldn't we trust his credentials? Amen. And look at verse 18, there's another encouraging encouraging element here as well. Because he says, and this is going to talk a lot about you as a church, South Winds. Because look what he says, he is the head of the body, the church. So, Paul is bringing up the relationship between Christ and the church. And my friends, let me help you to see this in contrast. Look what Paul is Saying here. He's saying, do you know this
man? This son by whom through and to all things sustaining the universe even now? The one who is the perfect image of God who is invisible? Do you know this man? He is the one who created and who is sustaining his church even now. He's the one who created and is sustaining South Winds even now. The church is not an invention of man. Christ created and he said, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not what? Shall not prevail. And guess what? 2,000 years and he hasn't prevailed. Because he's sustaining power
has sustained it even now. More than 2,000 years, my friends. And he knows your church's needs. He knows you're looking for a pastor. And I got to tell you one more thing. He is more interested on the pastor that your Church is going to have than you are. So, keep that in mind when you're searching for a pastor. He is on the search, too. You're not alone. You are not alone, my friends. And you if you ever if you ever come to a place where you are doubting his capability, I would challenge you to go
outside during the night and look at the stars. Look at the fixed paths of planets. Look At the vast the vast structure of the galaxies. What you're seeing is not chaos, my friends, but it is cosmos. It is order. The universe is not upheld by accidents. It's not upheld by the randoms or randomness, but is by the continuous care of the son of God. Every star is in place because he sustains it. Every law of nature continues because he ordains it to stay there. And his church, he will sustain likewise. Isn't this wonderful news? And
if you notice, right now we're going to get an even better news. Because the second part from verse 18 to 23, we enter into even greater news. Cuz right after establishing the foundation that Christ is preeminent on creation, Paul turns to the new creation. He turns to Christ's preeminency on the new creation. And This is perhaps even more important than the first because it speaks directly to our most desperately desperate need, redemption. It speaks to that. And if you're I'm pretty sure you were aware that the Bible emphatically it states that nature we are both
unable and unwilling to please God. We are his enemies. Dead in his trespasses in our trespasses and sins. So, essentially, what is what this passage the second passage talks about is that all of what was talked about in the first half about his sustaining power would not be much help if the second part wasn't here. Because be sustained in death is no good. So, we need not only his sustaining power, but we need new creation within us. And God, being rich in mercy, made a way. And look how astonishing this is. Because the way that
he made was through his only begotten son. The one by whom all things were created. The image of the invisible God. The one who reflects all his attributes. The very apple of his eyes was sent into the world To die for God's enemies. For me and you. To redeem us. And look what second part of verse 18 says. It says that he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. That in everything in everything he might be preeminent. So, what does he mean firstborn from the dead? I I think I think it's obvious that it
doesn't re- necessarily mean that Jesus was simply the first who was resurrected. Cuz I mean, in scripture there are many other are not some other char- been resurrected. Even Christ himself resurrected some of them. So, when Paul calls Christ the firstborn from the dead, he's not merely saying that Christ was raised chronologically before others, But rather Paul is declaring that Christ is the first one raised from the dead with a glorified body and victorious as well. He is the first one who came out of the grave victorious, never to die again. But notice what I
said, he was the first, not the only one. Because he made a way for others to come. So, those who are united in Christ in his death will also be united in Christ In his resurrection. So, the curse that entered through Adam is reversed by the second Adam. Death no longer reigns over those who are in him. And this passage when I was studying it, it reminded me when I first came to Christ. I remember that when I first came to Christ, I was uh it was probably a couple months after Easter, and my friends
who are teaching me about the Lord, they were telling me, "Oh, man, you can't you you you you you you you You you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you And in Brazil we have a tradition, it's very similar to yours, that says he's
risen, he's risen indeed. But, in Brazil their tradition is that the tomb And I remember that I couldn't wait. I Was counting down the months to be able that the tomb was empty indeed, because that's not just a formality, that's a theological certainty, a theological hope that because the empty the tomb is empty, because he is risen, I too will be risen. And this very truth fills me with joy. Doesn't fill you with joy this morning? The very truth that the Son of God is not only preeminent, is not only doesn't take primacy only in
the creation, but Also in the new creation, and he made a way for us to enter into the new this newness of life. And I think this this exclusive un- understanding of who Christ is is kind of like makes it even more im- it kind of like brings us to the gospel of when Christ himself says those things, because it says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and nobody comes to the Father but through what?" Through me. It's only through the Lord Jesus Christ, because he's the only one who is preeminent in
the new creation. In the same way that nothing that existed existed aside from God's creative power, nothing in the new creation comes into existence in the spirit aside from Christ's spirit. He is preeminent in the creation and in the new creation also. And look at verse 19. I just love that What it says. It says that the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in him and reconcile things in heaven and on earth, making peace by the blood of his cross. Look at this, my friends. The fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ.
Not parts, nor portions, but the fullness of God. The fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ. At Jesus' baptism and at the Mount of Transfiguration, a voice comes From heaven and says, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." The fullness of God was completely satisfied to dwell in Christ. And I think one of the questions this morning, too, for us is, "Are you pleased to dwell in the Lord Jesus Christ?" Are you pleased to dwell in him? While the fullness of God is pleased to dwell in him, are you
pleased to dwell in him? Is he the source of your joy? Or do you need additions? Do you need other things to be added? While the fullness of God is pleased to dwell in Christ, you need additions. Or you are fully satisfied in him. Do you repeat with Apostle Paul who says in Philippians, "I consider all things lost for the surpass worth of knowing the Jesus Christ, my Lord." Do you repeat that with with Paul? My friends, then look at this in a little bit of a different way. Because even though the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell in him, Bible also says that he, God himself, found fitting to crush him for us. And um it is not because we are irresistibly lovable, but it's actually the very opposite. It is in spite of us. Look what verse 21 says. This is what happened when Christ sent his son or God sent his son. We were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds. And that's when he gave Jesus. And the reason why he gave Jesus is simply because he is our only hope. There is nothing else aside from the Lord
Jesus Christ, my friends. And we do not put our faith towards God and say like the world says, "Why there is only one Way?" We simply thank him there is one. And my friends, look at what God has done. The Father sent to the world his most precious possession that we may become the children of God. The passage says that God sent his beloved son to reconcile us through his death in order to present us holy and blameless and above reproach before him. What a beautiful story, my friends. And this is what theologians call the
Scandal of grace. God sending his son to the world for you and me, for sinners like us. And look at the certainty that verse 22 says or gives us. It says that he has now reconciled. This indicates there is nothing else that should or needs to be done. In the same way again that he created a universe without aid, without help, and he finished it and declared it good, is how he acts towards our salvation as Well. Didn't he claim at the cross, "It is finished?" So, he has done it, and he has done it
alone by himself, without aid, without help. John Calvin put it this way. He says, "The Son of God became the son of man so that the sinful sons of man might become the sons of God." Another theologian says it so beautifully. He says this, "Christ is a Gift of God that God in his infinite excellence would never and will never be able to excel. God's infinite, unexhaustive excellence would never be able to excel the gift that Christ is, to give us a better gift." And I think the question for us this morning is, "What do
you do with this knowledge of Christ's nature?" And I think the answer that Paul kind of gives within the context is that we should be filled with joyful thanks to the Father. And also what says in verse 23, too, like not shift from the hope of the gospel in which we have heard, which has been proclaiming re- proclaimed in all creation under heaven. My friends, look at this savior. There's only one reason, one reason a Christian is not thankful or fueled with Thankful joy this morning, and it is because he has forgotten who Christ truly
is. Because if they were truly aware that the sustainer of the atoms of the universe is caring for them even now, they would be completely unshaken. So, let us not be like the pagans that um Martin Luther describes who tremble at the turn of a leaf. Well, let us be unsh- let us be Unshaken, trusting in the sustainer of all things, knowing with the certainty that he's sustaining us even now. So, let us give him all our affections, all our praise, and all of honor and glory to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
And what is a tangible way that we can respond to this truth this morning? What is a tangible way? What is something we can do to respond to this Truth this morning? I was thinking about this while I was preparing this message, and I I I couldn't help but think about Apostle Thomas, who when when he was confronted by Jesus' divine nature, he looked at him in the eyes, fell on his knees, touched his scars, and exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." And may this be our response morning to our Christ. Respond to him as
our Lord and God. Let us pray. Dear heavenly Father, we're so grateful for all the things you have created, Lord. So grateful that you have authority over all things, and that we don't need to Uh be afraid, Lord, cuz uh you are with us. You promised that you are with us until the end of ages. But above all, Lord, we are grateful that you also made a way for us to be saved. For us to have a relationship with you. For us to have fullness of life in the Lord Jesus Christ. Please stir up our
emotions right now. Stir up with our affections toward him, Lord. That we may love him every day More. And that we may look at the things on this earth and we consider all rubbish for the sake of knowing Christ our Lord. That every day we may find a different truths and apply to our heart, Lord. And yeah, Lord, I pray that uh this truth may be alive in our hearts. And we may be And this word this morning may not just be coming with uh words, but also with full conviction in our hearts. In the
name of Jesus, I thank you for this opportunity to preach into the saints at Southwinds. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much, Charles. Christ is supreme in creation, in the new creation, in all the big things, everything in the universe, but also in our lives as well. You know, we live in a world where where always looking for upgrades. You know, the newest thing, right? And really what the Apostle Paul was saying and what Charles has said is that there is no upgrade needed. There is no upgrade. It's all Christ, and we are complete in him.
And one of the ways that the early church, of course, would would acknowledge this and proclaim it was through the Lord's Supper. And the Apostle Paul said that I received from the Lord what I passed on To you, that on the night that he was betrayed, Jesus took the bread and he gave it to his disciples and said, "This is my body, which is for you." And then he also took the cup, the wine, we have juice, and he said, "This is the new covenant, the new agreement in my blood. Drink this in remembrance of
me." And in a few moments, we are going to Have opportunity as the Southwinds family to remember that Jesus is supreme. And to remember not only what we were, which was dead in our transgressions and sins, but also remember that in Christ we can be forgiven. And when we gather in a moment around the Lord's table, what we are really saying is that not only do I believe things about Jesus, but I I've I have trusted in him. I have confessed my sins. I've acknowledged the fact that what Jesus came to do, what Charles was
talking about, that what Jesus came to do, he did for me, and I have made a personal response to that. That is that I'm not just reading these words and saying, "That's wonderful stuff about Jesus." But Jesus is my Lord. And I have confessed my sins, and I've asked Christ to come into my life. The one preeminent is now preeminent in me as Lord. It doesn't mean you're perfect, but it means that you are forgiven. And if you have made a personal commitment to Christ, you have asked him to forgive you and to come into
your life, and you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, And you believe that he rose again from the dead, and that is what you are your faith is grounded in, then I'm going to invite you in a moment to come and just to uh receive, take the wafer and the juice, take it back to your seat, uh and then we will have two of our members of our management team are going to lead us in prayer for the bread and the cup, and then we will partake together. Now, if you are
here for the very first Time today, this is not something that is just for members of Southwinds, but it is for believers in Christ. And so, if you're not yet a believer in Christ, please don't be embarrassed. No one's asking you to come up. Just stay in your seat. That's totally fine. And yet I would also say that this could be the day when you respond to what we've just been hearing about in the word, and you can say, "Yes, today it makes Sense, and today is the day when I wanted me a commitment to
Christ." And then, even as we participate in what we call the Lord's Supper, this could be the day when you just say, "Lord Jesus, would you forgive me of my sin? I admit that I need you, and I am putting my faith and trust in you, and maybe today is the very first time for you to take the wafer, a little piece of bread, and then the juice, Which speaks of the blood of Christ that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins." I'm going to invite you just to pray with me for a moment,
and then when you are ready, uh just come on up, and you can just go ahead and take uh the bread, the cup, just hold on to it, and uh then I'm going to invite uh Chris and Darren. Uh Darren is going to lead us in a prayer in a few moments for the bread, and then Chris Later for the cup. Will you pray with me? Our Father, thank you today. Thank you for your word. Thank you for that wonderful, glorious truth that is the source of our forgiveness of sins. It is the way that
we can have a a relationship with you, our God, who our creator, the one who is holy. But thank you that Jesus is the one Who took upon himself our sin, our failures, our shame, our guilt. Thank you that he went to the cross. Thank you that he rose from the dead, and that that was you saying that what Jesus did was sufficient, it was complete. So that we could be forgiven and restored, and that we who were your enemies could now be called sons and daughters of the living God. Father, thank you for Jesus.
Thank you for all that we have in him. And as we gather around the Lord's table, your word says that we should examine our hearts. That we should see, is there anything unworthy in us? Any any unconfessed sin? Anything between us and our brother and sister? Anything at all that is something that we need to just come clean before you. So, Father, you are the searcher of our hearts. And thank you that as you reveal any unconfessed sin in our lives, you also are the one who gives us the grace to confess it, and that
you are a loving and gracious Father who forgives. And all of that because of what Jesus has done for us. Father, we thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Southwinds, just come on up when you Feel ready. Almighty God, our Father, in mercy you did give us Christ. Upon the cross, your suffering Son Has made the perfect sacrifice. For though our sins are scarlet, his blood has made them spotless white. We come in full repentance now as we receive the bread And wine. So we come to the table, and we join in the feast. We remember
the sacrifice, God's love poured out at We come now to remember As Jesus asked before he died. His body broken, blood poured The death he died has brought us life. So we come to the table, And we join in the feast. We remember the sacrifice, God's love poured out at All right. Yeah, invite you to bow with me and say pray for the bread. Father, we we come together today. We want to empty our hearts, empty our minds, and just receive your spirit, Lord. Uh we take to heart uh the message that Charles gave today,
Lord. We we rejoice in this gift, and uh we think upon and we reflect and remember you right now as we think about your broken body on the cross, Lord, and the sacrifice you made. We thank you for this gift of grace, Lord, and we just want to think about that as we go today and forward into the week, Lord. What do you Want to do with that with us, Lord? So, we invite you to to lead us and to guide us and we pray that each of us are receiving that and and listening to
you, Father, and take those moments of conviction, Lord, and act on them, Father. So, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Lord. We thank you for the relationship and the love that you've given towards us, Father. Jesus' name. For I received from the Lord what I also Passed on to you. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread. First Corinthians and when he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Would you pray with me? Father, we
come to you today and we thank you for this day and though it may bring anxiety and confusion, We remember the steadfastness of of your love and the foundation of of your forgiveness. And may we uh take take this opportunity to remember this this symbol of your blood of your forgiveness on the cross. We'd ask that that we would take it and and remember your sacrifice as we do. In Jesus' name. Amen. In the same way Also he took the cup after supper and said "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this
as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." And now we have our closing song. Let's stand and sing. What gift [music] of grace is Jesus, [singing] my redeemer? There is no more >> [music] >> for heaven now to give. He is my [singing] joy, my righteousness and freedom, my steadfast [music] [singing] love, my deep and boundless peace. To this [singing and music] I hold, my hope is only Jesus, for my [singing] life is wholly [music] bound to him. Oh, how strange [singing] and divine I can sing, "All is mine and Not I, >>
[music] >> but through Christ in me." The night [singing and music] is dark, but I am not forsaken, for by [singing and music] my side the savior he will stay. I labor [singing and music] on in weakness and rejoicing, for in my need his power [singing] is displayed. To this I hold, my shepherd will defend me. Through the [singing] deepest valley [music] he will lead. Oh, the night [singing] has been long and I shall overcome, yet not I, but through Christ [music and singing] in me. No fear I dread, [singing and music] I know I
am forgiven. >> [singing and music] >> The future sure, the price it has been paid. For Jesus bled and suffered [singing and music] for my pardon and he was raised to overthrow [singing] the grave. To this I hold, my sin has been defeated. Jesus now and ever [singing] is my plea. Oh, the chains [music] are released, I can [singing] sing, "I am free and not I, but [music] through Christ in me." >> [singing] >> With every [singing and music] breath I long to follow Jesus, for he [singing] has said [music] that he will bring me
home. Until I die, [singing] I know [music] he will renew me. Until I [singing] stand with joy before the throne. To this I hold, my hope is [singing] only [music] Jesus. All the glory evermore [singing] to [music] him. When the race is complete, still my lips [singing] shall repeat, "Yet not I, but through [music] Christ in me." To this I hold, [singing] my hope is only Jesus. All the glory evermore to him. [music and singing] When the race is complete, still my lips Shall repeat, "Yet not [singing and music] I, but through Christ in me."
When the race is [singing and music] complete, still my lips shall repeat, "Yet not I, but through Christ [singing and music] in me." Amen. How do you think we've been well fed this morning? Amen. Charles, thank you for sharing that beautiful beautiful text. I would encourage you to spend a moment afterwards and just make sure you greet our speaker. He's a good representative of the kind of quality that our schools are putting out. And it's a good place. So, do pray for our schools. If you want more information, talk to Charles, talk to Jackie, talk
to me. And there's lots of stuff available online as well. He's very worthy of your prayers, your Support, and even our giving. And we as a church are very much a part of all that is going on in Cochrane in terms of raising up leaders to serve Christ in difficult places, not only in Canada, but all around the world. By the way, I'm not going to ask you to raise your hands, [snorts] but you know who you are. If you have not yet completed the survey, all right, we want you. We want your Input. It
really gives us a much fuller, more rounded kind of understanding of who we are as a church. And you really don't want to have to stay up until what, 11:59 and whatever to finish because we are closing it down at midnight. Isn't that nasty on our part? But we want your input. And starting tomorrow morning, I'm going to be starting to work at kind of compiling all the data and stuff as we prepare to report back. So, uh By all means, okay? Get get involved. I mean, 50% is good if it's an election. It's not
enough yet. We want a much much more full and rounded understanding of kind of who we are as a church and how is God leading us in going forward. Brothers and sisters, in view of the Christ who is supreme over creation, the one who is supreme over the new creation, and the one who not only is sustaining the entire universe, but the one who is sustaining your Little part in it and mine. To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work
within us, to him be glory in Southwinds Church and throughout all generations, both now and forever. What do we say? Oh, man, we can do a whole lot better than that. What do we say if Christ is preeminent? Amen. Amen. God bless you all. Have a wonderful week. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Mhm.
