The theme of the conference was "Everything is New" and focused on the fact that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus changes everything. We spent our time together looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of our Bibles today called the book of Colossians.
The first speaker, Francis Chan, unpacked the reality that we serve a new kind of God, by looking at Colossians 1:15-19:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by
Him all things were created, both in
the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for
Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also
head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the
dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it
was the Father's good pleasure
for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
Here we see Paul reveal for us the reality that Jesus Christ is supreme and rules over all of creation. But not only is Jesus Christ large and in charge of all creation, everything in creation was created through Jesus and for Jesus.
And if that is not enough, Paul reveals for us the reality that Jesus holds all things together. Jesus holds the universe in place. The last breathe you took, you were able to take because Jesus allowed you to.
Paul's point, reinforced by Francis Chan, was that God uses all people to bring glory to Him. God even uses those who reject Him to bring glory to Him.
The next morning, Francis Chan unpacked the reality that we have a new kind of news, by looking at Colossians 1:20-29:
and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace
through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although
you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His
fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and
blameless and beyond reproach-- if
indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not
moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was
proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a
minister. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my
share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking
in Christ's afflictions. Of this
church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God
bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been
hidden from the past ages and
generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to
make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every
man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man
complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His
power, which mightily works within me.
Francis Chan challenged us to not allow familiarity with God's word to rob us of the wonder of God's word. The new kind of news is that we have been reconciled to God through Jesus. Jesus, who hold all things together reconcile us back to God.
To reconcile is to bring two people together who are at odds with one another. And in the passage we see that Jesus reconciliation removes alienation from God through faith in Him. Jesus made everything and made everything right by the cross.
We ended our time with Francis Chan asking us a very pointed question: If everyone turned their back on Jesus, what would you do? Would you stand firm?
So, how would you answer that question...
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