Christ Above All - Jesus In First Place

False teaching and thinking about Jesus doesn’t seek to deny Him, but to dethrone Him.  It will allow Jesus to be prominent, but not preeminent!

How To Live With Jesus In First Place

1._______________ The Truth About Jesus (15-20)

As soon as you start believing a lie about Jesus Christ, you start stealing away first place!

·        
He is _______________ – “the image of the invisible God” – the exact revelation of what God is really like

·        
He is _______________ – “of first importance, of first rank” – Term of position – Above all creation

·        He is _______________

·        He is _______________

·        He is _______________

·        He is _______________ of His Body – The Church

·        He is ________________________

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3)

To live in commitment to the truth about Jesus, we must recognize and refuse the temptation to _____________ Him

2. _______________ In The Reconciliation Won For You By Jesus (21-23)

The Need For Reconciliation (21)

Paul uses three striking word pictures to describe our condition prior to the cross:

·        _______________

·        _______________in mind

·        _________________________

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1–2)

The Way of Reconciliation (20,22)

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The Results of Reconciliation (22)

Personally: He uses three words/phrases to express our condition after the cross.

·        _______________

·        
Blameless – ______________________________

·Above Reproach – ______________________________________________ (20)

See Romans 8:19–22

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13)

The Condition Of Reconciliation (23)

“They were encouraged to continue in the faith. There was no doubt that the genuine believers would continue. Even more, the fact that they did continue evidenced the reality of their commitments.”  Richard Melick

True, saving faith is not a temporary emotional decision we made years ago that has no bearing on our lives today. The mark of a truly reconciled believer
is ________________.

Once saved, always saved, and once saved, forever following.

3. _____________ appropriately to the greatness of Jesus

·         _______________Him

·         _______________Him

·         _______________Him

·         _______________ Him

“We may note in passing that He [Jesus] was never regarded as a mere moral teacher.  He did not produce that effect on any of the
people who actually met Him.  He produced mainly three effects: Hatred-Terror-Adoration.  There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.” 

C.S. Lewis

We know we have recognized the truth about Jesus when it changes our
_______________

Ready to take your Next Step?

·        Go by the Next Steps area today after the service

·        Use your phone and the tap card on the seat back in front of you to go to the Next Steps tab

·        Fill out a Connect Card and drop it in the offering box

·        Go to FBCFM.COM and click “Next Steps.”