Church in the Peak
Church in the Peak
14/02/21 // Christ Is The Visible Image Of The Invisible God // Peter Williams
Peter continued our series looking at Colossians.
This is a 1st century hymn, and Paul incorporates the words into his letter.
Paul is describing how amazing God is, and how integral Jesus was to the entire creation.
Colossians 1:15-17 NLT
Our vision is not big enough
We need to readjust our thinking.
The sun is 1.39 million km across and is a long way away.
If the sun was a watermelon, then the earth would be the size of a sesame seed, and there would be 34m between them!
How big is the universe?
93 billion light years across
1 light year is 6,000,000,000,000 miles
That's 558 million, million, billion miles across
Light travels at 186,000 miles a second
The sun is 147 million km away
Light 8 minutes to get to us from the sun.
How fast expanding?
82km/s per megaparsec, or 150000 mph which is 1,314,000,000 miles a year per megaparsec. 1 parsec is 3 light years, and it's expanding at 82km/s/megaparsec
Sits in the palm of his hand.
He holds all creation together, but also, the unseen realm, kingdoms, rulers, authorities. Good and bad.
2 Corinthians 4:18
The pandemic fills our vision. There is a media microscope on this bit of life, but there is bigger stuff happening. The unseen….
God is changing His church which will never be quite the same.
More people are being saved.
What is He doing to the world powers right now?
He holds all creation together.
Gravity
If gravity was 5% bigger, the planet would implode, and as the mass of earth would be 5% more, we'd go closer to the sun and fry if we survived the implosion!
Cells
The human body comprises of about 100 trillion cells: more than 30 times the stars in the known galaxy. While every minute more than 200 million cells die in the human body, the body creates billions more every day.
Embryos
By day 18 there is a heart beat in a foetus the size of a blueberry. That's only 4 days after the pregnancy test goes positive!
And God knew you at that early stage. He knit you together in your mother's womb.
Jesus
Before all things
All things created for him.
The whole universe…..
That includes you and me!
The image of god. What does god look like? Not physically. Attributes.
Forgiveness, Love, Compassion, Creativity, Miraculous
Jesus has all authority.
Mountain into the sea
Walk on water - demonstration
That is power over things unseen
Exciting, his spirit lives in you.
You have the authority of Christ.
Romans 8:32 NLT
Questions as I preach
What is the most amazing thing about Jesus, God and creation?
Questions for end
Make a psalm or a hymn and share with the church group so we can all join in with your wonder.
Or paint a picture about how amazing God or the universe He made is, and share it.
Questions for groups.
Because you can't see God, what do you have trouble believing Him for?
If christ is the image of the invisible God, then what is God like?
What wows you most about creation?