The Big Picture

I preached a sermon this morning from Colossians 1:15-20 that I entitled "The Big Picture." The central assertion of the sermon is that the confession "Jesus is Lord of all" is the big picture of life. Some people call "the big picture" a worldview or a comprehensive paradigm. It is a framework for understanding all of reality. I presented my sermon in four sections: 1. The Subject of the Big Picture (Jesus is Lord of Creation and the Church), 2. The Scope of the Big Picture (Jesus is Lord of all - the word "all" appears seven times in six verses), 3. The Story of the Big Picture (The big picture of life is a story of salvation: Creation - Fall - Redemption - Consummation), and 4. The Significance of the Big Picture (Since Jesus is Lord of all, we must bring his lordship to bear on every area of life). After preaching this sermon, I prayed that God would continue to perform the work of the Word in the hearts of his people. This has become a habitual post-sermon prayer for me. More specifically, I pray that God will enable his people at Sutter Church to see that Jesus is indeed Lord of all, and that this big picture provides context, meaning, significance, and purpose to every detail of life. Moreover, it answers the fundamental questions of our existence. Where do I come from? Who am I? Why am I here? What is wrong with me and the world? Is there a solution? Is there any hope for me and the human race? What does the future hold? I am honored to have the opportunity to preach at Sutter Church, and I pray for the Holy Spirit to use my sermons to glorify God and edify his people.