2. Paul’s Letter to the Church in Colosse 2. The Image of the Invisible God Colossians 1: 15-23 p. 1088

3. Movie theology …  Avatar  All the creatures & plants on the planet are connected  “Avatar and the faith instinct” – Vancouver Sun, Wed 6 th.  “… norm to speak glowingly of spirituality but derisively of traditional religion.”  Star Wars  “The force” is the life energy of everything  The Lion King  “The circle of life”

4. Theological assumptions …  Spiritual sensitivity/openness is psychologically healthy  Most healthy is whatever works for you  Interconnectedness and mutual dependence of all living creatures  “Life” is equally precious no matter its form  Idealization of simple, unsophisticated life lived in harmony with nature – validation of primitive animism.

5. What if …  What if there is no circle of life?  What if we live ONCE and then face judgment? (He 9:27)  What if there is no “force” residing in every living thing?  What if all life is sustained by a creator? (Col 1:17)  What if the creator is separate from the creation? (Col 1:15-16)  What if only one, very specific form of spirituality works?  What if “works” means the difference between eternal life and eternal death, not just happiness now? (Col 1:21-23)

6. What if …  What if the one right spirituality radically alters our experience of life now?  What if all the wrong spiritualities lead us down a dead-end path of disillusionment, discord, discontent,  What if compartmentalizing our lives into spiritual, material, social, etc, is a fundamental error of mis- perceiving reality.

7. 1. Jesus – the One & Only Lord  Lord of CREATION  The Image of the invisible God  Discloses God’s identity and character – not just represents his appearance  “Firstborn over all creation” – position of preeminence  Israel God’s firstborn son (Ex 4:22; Jer 31:9)  “All things created through him and for him”  He is the source and purpose of our existence  “In him all things hold together” – sustainer of life (Rev 4:11)

8. 1. Jesus’ – the One & Only Lord …  Lord of the CHURCH  The HEAD of the body  The firstborn from the dead – the first one resurrected  God’s “fullness” “dwells” in him – not in the temple (Dt 12:5)  God decides where he dwells – we must come there!  He is the source and locus of reconciliation for everything  By his blood shed on the cross

9. 2. From Alienation to Reconciliation  Alienated / Enemies of God  Because of our “evil behaviour”  Fundamentally characterized by living as if God was not everything / enough.  Reconciled by Christ’s death –  Which put to death the cause and the consequence of our evilness  He presents us HOLY –  without blemish, free from accusation

10. 3. IF you continue …  Established and firm in the Faith  DO NOT MOVE from the hope of the “Good News”  Embracing this story in its entirety –  “produces fruit” (v. 5, 10)  Let’s us “live a life worthy of the Lord” (v. 10)  Gives us access to the “might” of God’s “power” (v. 11)  Fills us with “joy” (v. 12)  Rescues us from “the dominion of darkness” (v. 13)

11. Don’t be Robbed!  The greatest challenge for human beings –  Not believing in God “however we conceive him to be”  Believing in the one, true God ALONE!  Living victoriously in Christ is God’s intent –  Requires the fullest possible understanding of Christ  Requires the whole engagement of our being in Him  No part of our identity, activity, interest is apart from Him.  The AWESOME HOPE of the Gospel is ours for the taking