One of the most, if not the most important truth to establish in the life of the church is the reality of the supremacy of Jesus Christ in all of life.
Colossians 1:15-18 says: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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. And he 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.
Our primary responsibility is to hold up Jesus Christ in all his glory and majesty and power and love and grace and mercy and authority and preeminence as we focus our attention upon his triumphant work on the cross of Calvary in our place and for our sins. Then, to celebrate the power of his resurrection as the “living hope” that sustains us in the midst of the trials and struggles we face in this life as we seek to fulfill our role in the Great Commission in the city of Thomasville and beyond to the ends of the earth.
One of the primary venues where we seek to hold up Jesus in this manner as a church body is during our Sunday morning gatherings (i.e., worship service). We gather as one body under one Lord. In that gathering, we desire to express our love and adoration for Jesus in a variety of ways—singing, giving, praying, preaching, etc. Our desire is to create an atmosphere and cultivate a corporate worship experience as the gathered church where all those present are encouraged to express their love for Jesus in Jesus-exalting and Jesus-honoring ways.
We desire for all those present to engage in the worship experience in a meaningful and significant manner. For some, that means a more meditative approach; for others, it means something more celebratory. This is a matter of preference; for, both are encouraged and demonstrated in scripture. Consider the Psalms—both meditative and celebratory Psalms are present in scripture. In both expressions, Jesus is exalted and magnified.
Preferences, then, become a matter of loving and serving my brother or sister in Christ giving up my preference for the sake of my brother or sister in such a way that we can mutually encourage one another in our expressions of love for Jesus even if my preference is not the same as someone else’s. This is an opportunity to present a unified body of Christ to a watching world whom Jesus has called us to love and serve.
May we unify under Jesus as Lord of all and Head over the church.
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