Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and may our Lord and Savior sanctify you in the truth; for His word is truth. Amen

Last Sunday in the Church Year (2010)

Fear Not, in Christ, You Have Peace with God. Rev. Toby Byrd

Col. 1:13-20 (ESV)

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] 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. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And 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. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Today’s Epistle Reading from St. Paul is most comforting because he opens our hearts to our deliverance from the wrath of God through his prayer of thanksgiving and intercession delivered to the church in Colossae. Furthermore, this prayer has special comfort for me today because yesterday I attended the funeral of a good friend; a man I had known for more than thirty years; a partner in work, a partner in worship, and a partner in play. All who knew him knew that he was a child of God, he had been made so through the waters of Baptism and he had been called to faith by the Holy Spirit; however, there was still this feeling of loss, especially by his beloved wife and daughters. Yet, the words of St. Paul remind us clearly that all who believe in the atoning sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to His kingdom. Moreover, my friend’s funeral reminds us that just as the Church Year is closing; a day will come when our lives will also close as we shut our eyes in death and leave our earthly loved ones behind. However, we do not grieve at this reality, but rejoice knowing that Jesus has rescued us from this domain of darkness, leading us into His wonderful light. Therefore, we Fear Not, because, in Christ we have peace with God.

It is also fitting that today’s Epistle Reading rings out like a mighty hymn of praise to our beloved Savior, telling us just how Great our Savior truly is. Undoubtedly the Holy Spirit knew the topic on which I would be preaching; because the sermon hymn for the funeral was “How Great Thou Art.” St. Paul, in this first chapter of his letter to the church at Colossae, holds before our eyes the truth about the greatness of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s image, the perfect manifestation of the invisible God; the first born of all creation (v. 15). In our Lord Jesus, the invisible God made Himself known, not only in Word but in Person. He humiliated Himself, leaving His divine majesty to become a man. He manifested Himself in the form of an audible, visible, unadorned, and natural man so He could save all men from their sins. Yet, before His incarnation, He was; for He created all things.

Our Lord Jesus is Lord over all created things, “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” (v. 16).

How Great is our Lord? He holds sway over all creation, including all angelic powers. All created things are His domain and under His control. His powerful miracles during His reign on earth are a marvelous testimony to His sovereign control over all creation. Moreover, at the end of the age, our Lord will come to judge all creation, bringing it to a close; while establishing a new universal creation in a new heaven and earth which will have no end. Then He will resurrect the dead in Christ to live for eternity in His new heavenly home.

Furthermore, our Lord, “is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And 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” (v. 17-18).

How Great is our Lord? So great that without Him there would be nothing. St. Paul tells us that, “For from him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36 ESV). He is greater than all others in the church for He is the Head of the Church. Again, St. Paul reminds us, “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23 ESV). There is this intimate and vital interconnection between our Lord Jesus and ourselves: the very Body of Christ. Each of you, through faith, becomes a part of the Body of Christ and He becomes a part of you through His indwelling spirit. Therefore, by His gracious Will, you are intimately connected to Jesus. Moreover, all that the church does is done according to His Will; He is the very source of life and growth in the Church because without Him the Church has no head and it dies.

How Great is our Lord? He is the first-born from the dead. His resurrection on that first Easter is the resurrection, the foundation for the resurrection of all who are members of His Body; the Church. St. Paul makes this clear in his letter to the Romans when he says of Jesus that He, “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4 ESV). Moreover, “if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5 ESV). Just as certain as my friend’s body was laid in the grave yesterday, his soul was raised to heaven the moment God closed his eyes in death, calling him to his heavenly home. Therefore, all Christians, all who are truly members of the Body of Christ, have a living hope of eternal life through the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ from the grave.

How Great is our Lord? He is our hope, our only hope for life eternal. Therefore, we rejoice knowing that He has called us to faith, granting us a resurrection like His. Moreover, we know that, “in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (vv. 19-20). God, who willed our redemption graciously, dwelt in the heart and soul of Jesus; leading Him to live a perfectly obedient life as a man, even obedient to death on a cross; all to fulfill His heavenly Father’s Will; saving us from the ravages of sin while reconciling us to God in all things. Our Lord Jesus, by His perfect life, death, and resurrection made peace between ourselves and God. Therefore we can joyously proclaim, we Fear Not, because, in Christ we have peace with God.

All that I have written and said is the central truth of Holy Scripture; we are saved by grace through faith solely as a gift from God because of the bloody sacrifice of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ on the Altar of the Cross. This is the truth that saves. It saved my friend who was buried yesterday and it saves you today. Yet so many today do not know this truth, in fact, have never heard this truth; even those who claim membership in the Body of Christ.

Reminded by the church year that all things come to an end, it is incumbent on us to ensure that this pure Gospel message is proclaimed from this pulpit and this congregation each and every year that God gives us. God has called us to be His ambassadors, proclaiming salvation in none other than His Son, Jesus Christ. Before the end of another church year, many will meet the fate of my friend; death and burial. However, it is not the tragedy of their dying that is the primary concern of this congregation; it is the reality of their eternal existence. Will it be an existence of eternal peace and tranquility or one of horror and torment? We can’t answer that question, for only God can see into the hearts of men. However, we can provide the platform from which God’s gracious message of salvation in Christ is preached. We can provide the classrooms from which the Gospel is taught, and we can profess through life, word, and deed the love of God for all mankind through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Yes, we are convinced that we need Fear Not, because, in Christ we have peace with God. Now, let us go from here today proclaiming the supremacy of Christ, bringing this assurance to others; that in Christ Jesus and Him alone, there is salvation and eternal life and they need Fear Not, because, in Christ they, too, can have peace with God. Amen.

May the Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.