I have been teaching our senior high group every other Sunday night in our church. I'm teaching through a blessed book "Rock of Our Salvation: A Treatise Respecting the Natures, Person, Offices, Work, Sufferings, and Glory of Jesus Christ" written by William Plummer. It is the most wonderful book, next to Scripture, that I have ever read, and should be required reading by all Christians. If it is ok, I was hoping to share the lessons I have taught at senior high with you all. I don't know the rules of this forum, but I'm sure that if I do anything wrong, the thread will be cut.
It is about the All-Sufficiency of Christ. You know, too many of us followers of Christ know too little about our Master. I confess that for the past few years, Scripture reading has not been one of my top priorities. I am the last one who should be sharing about Christ, but I hope God will use what He has shown me in these past few months, to aid others in searching for Him. And I don't mean the Jesus of the American culture, or the man of Jesus Christ Superstar, but the true Christ. The Word, Chosen of God, the Alpha and Omega, our Friend and Comforter. So here is a bit of an outline for the lesson:
I. There is a need in the Church for a correct knowledge of who Jesus is, what He has done(is doing, will do), and why He is worthy of all our love, devotion, worship, and adoration.
Worship: To show love and devotion for.
"Many love, and serve, and trust, and praise Him too little; but whoever loved, or served, or trusted, or praised Him too much? There is no love of duty where there is no love of Christ." William Plummer "Rock of Our Salvation", pg.20
II. Christ all in all
All: The whole extent or quantity; wholly, entirely, exclusively, lasting throughout.
Christ is all in all to all!
To His redeemed:
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-16
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Isaiah 6:5
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by [1] 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. Colossians 1:15-20
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3
Also read the story of Stephan in Acts 6:8-7:60. Here was a man who counted his life as nothing because 1. He was serving his Lord, He who is all, and was all to Stephan; and 2. because he wanted to declare Christ as all in all to the pharisees, even at the risk of losing his life. And because Christ was all in all to Stephan, he was stoned.
And we could go on about all the disciples who were martyred, Paul the apostle and all the trials he faced because of his love for Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:22-31 And the earnesty and zeal through the ages of those who strived to make their Saviour known to the world. Just to name a few: Martin Luther, William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, David Livingstone, Amy Carmichael, John Bunyan, John Knox, and so much more to whom Christ was all in all!
What God the Father says of Christ:
1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
10 And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed. [1]
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”
13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Hebrews 1
What the Angels say of Christ:
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
Revelation 4:8
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Revelation 4:11
9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Revelation 5:9-10
What the unsaved say/will say of Christ:
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:21-28
Just look at the faith of that woman! Through her actions and words she is declaring Christ to be above sickness and death!
2 Now a centurion had a servant [1] who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion [2] heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Luke 7:2-8
How often do we lack this faith? Is He all i all to us?
What Christ says of Himself:
7 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Revelation 1:17,18
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Revelation 22:12,13
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Revelation 22:16
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58
There is so much more Scripture, and so much more to be said, but that is a brief overlook on Christ, all in all! Dwell on Scripture, and let us pray that we will make Him all in all in our lives, and that we learn who this Christ truly is!