The Church of Christ on Earth
Jesus Christ, Head of the Church
Jesus Christ, Head of the Church, is the foundation, Lord, and rightful authority over His people. The Church belongs to Him. It is not founded upon the wisdom, personality, or authority of man. Christ purchased the Church with His own blood, calls His people unto Himself, and remains forever the Head of His body.
Scripture declares:
“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” — Colossians 1:18 (KJV)
In a world where kingdoms rise and fall, generations come and go, and human institutions continually change, Jesus Christ remains the Unchanging Changer. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Therefore, the Church must never take its identity from the changing world around it. Our life, truth, direction, and authority must come from Christ. When He has the preeminence, the Church becomes what He intends it to be—a people called out of darkness, transformed by His grace, established in His Word, and living for His glory.
The question before every believer and every gathering of believers is not simply, “Are we a church?” but:
Does Jesus Christ truly have the preeminence among us?
Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word and Lord of His Church
The Word of God Made Flesh
Before there was a Church on earth, Jesus Christ was. He did not begin at Bethlehem. He is the eternal Word, eternally one with the Father, through whom all things were made.
Scripture declares:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1 (KJV)
And again:
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” — John 1:3 (KJV)
The One who is Head of the Church is therefore no mere religious teacher, prophet, reformer, or founder of a human movement. He is God the Word made flesh. Heaven and earth owe their existence to Him. Angels worship Him. Creation belongs to Him. All authority is His.
Yet the wonder of the Gospel is that this eternal and glorious Son of God humbled Himself and came among us.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14 (KJV)
Jesus Christ is worthy of worship.
The Church does not merely admire Him; we worship Him. We do not simply consult His teachings; we bow before His Lordship. We do not place Him alongside other authorities; He has the preeminence in all things.
He is before the Church.
He is the Savior of the Church.
He is the Head of the Church.
He is the Lord of the Church.
And the Church exists for His glory.
Therefore, when believers gather in His name, our highest purpose is not to exalt a ministry, a denomination, a leader, or ourselves. Our desire must be:
That Jesus Christ alone be magnified.
His Earthly Mission and the Church
The eternal Son of God did not merely appear among humanity—He humbled Himself and took upon Himself the form of a servant. The Creator entered His creation. The Lord of glory walked among those He had made.
Scripture declares:
“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…” — Philippians 2:6–7 (KJV)
What astonishing humility! The One before whom heaven bows walked the dusty roads of this world. He taught with divine authority, healed the sick, cleansed lepers, opened blind eyes, raised the dead, forgave sins, proclaimed the Kingdom of God, and revealed the Father.
Yet His earthly mission was moving toward something greater than miracles.
Jesus Christ came to save.
He came for the lost. He came to deliver humanity from the bondage of sin. And He came knowing that the road before Him would lead to the cross.
Jesus said:
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” — Luke 19:10 (KJV)
The Church, therefore, is not the product of human ambition or religious organization. It belongs to Christ. Speaking of His Church, Jesus declared:
“I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” — Matthew 16:18 (KJV)
Notice whose Church it is: “my church.”
He builds it.
He owns it.
He sustains it.
He sanctifies it.
And He alone must receive its glory.
Every true ministry of the Church must therefore point beyond itself to Jesus Christ. Every sermon, prayer, act of fellowship, work of service, and gathering of believers should ultimately lead hearts toward Him.
The Church exists because of Christ, belongs to Christ, lives by Christ, and must exist for the glory of Christ.
The Resurrection and Ascension
The cross was not the end.
The body of Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb, but death could not hold the Lord of life. On the third day, He rose from the dead in victory, just as He had declared.
Scripture proclaims:
“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.” — Matthew 28:6 (KJV)
He is risen.
The One who bore our sins lives forevermore. The grave could not contain Him. Death could not conquer Him. The powers of darkness could not overthrow Him. Jesus Christ arose in triumph, demonstrating His victory over sin and death.
His resurrection is not merely an inspiring conclusion to His earthly ministry. The risen Christ is the living Head of a living Church.
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and gave them unmistakable assurance that He was alive. Then, before their eyes, He ascended into heaven.
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” — Acts 1:9 (KJV)
He who descended in humility ascended in glory.
Jesus Christ now reigns exalted above every earthly authority. Scripture declares that God:
“…set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion…” — Ephesians 1:20–21 (KJV)
And concerning His relationship to the Church:
“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” — Ephesians 1:22 (KJV)
What assurance this gives the people of God.
The Head of the Church is not in the grave. He is alive. He reigns.
The Church does not belong ultimately to pastors, bishops, denominations, ministries, governments, or institutions. All who serve within Christ’s Church serve under His authority.
He alone is Lord.
He alone is Head.
He alone possesses all authority in heaven and in earth.
And because Jesus Christ lives, His Church can place its confidence not in human strength, but in the risen, ascended, reigning Son of God.
To Him be glory in the Church, throughout all generations.
The Second Coming | For a Holy Church
The Jesus Christ who ascended into heaven will come again.
His return is not merely a doctrine for the Church to discuss. It is the blessed hope of His people and a solemn call to live in holiness, faithfulness, and readiness before Him.
When Christ ascended, the angels declared:
“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” — Acts 1:11 (KJV)
This same Jesus will return.
The One who came first in humility will be revealed in glory. The One who was rejected by men will be openly acknowledged as Lord. The One who wore a crown of thorns is King of kings and Lord of lords.
Scripture declares:
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him…” — Revelation 1:7 (KJV)
What a day that will be.
Yet for the Church, the promise of His coming is not given merely to satisfy our curiosity about the future. The expectation of seeing Christ should transform the way we live now.
The Church belongs to a holy Lord, and He calls His people to holiness.
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” — 1 John 3:3 (KJV)
Therefore, the Church must not become so comfortable in this present world that we cease to long for our Lord.
We must watch.
We must pray.
We must remain faithful to His Word.
We must keep our lamps burning.
We must proclaim Christ while there is opportunity.
And above all, we must love His appearing.
Our hope is not ultimately in a better world system, greater human achievement, political power, wealth, or earthly security. Our hope is Jesus Christ.
The Bridegroom is coming for His own.
Scripture presents the Church as one whom Christ loves and sanctifies:
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” — Ephesians 5:27 (KJV)
What an extraordinary truth: Christ desires a people prepared for Himself.
Therefore, holiness is not an attempt to earn His love. We pursue holiness because we belong to Him. We turn away from sin because our hearts desire to please the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
May the cry of the Church never become merely, “Give us more of this world.”
May our hearts instead cry:
Lord Jesus, keep us faithful. Keep us holy. Keep our hearts fixed upon You. And when You come, may You find us watching, worshipping, and waiting for You.
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” — Revelation 22:20 (KJV)
Transformed by Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ does not merely improve the life of the believer. He makes us new.
The Gospel is not an invitation to add Jesus to an unchanged life. When a person comes to Christ in repentance and faith, there begins a work of grace that reaches into the heart, renews the mind, changes our desires, and increasingly conforms us to the image of Christ.
Scripture declares:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
This transformation begins with Christ and continues as we abide in Him.
Jesus said:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” — John 15:4 (KJV)
Apart from Him, we cannot produce the life He desires. We cannot manufacture holiness by human determination. We cannot transform our own hearts by religious activity. Our life is in Christ.
As we remain in Him, submit ourselves to His Word, yield to the Holy Spirit, and walk with Him in obedience, Christ works within us. Pride gives way to humility. Bitterness gives way to forgiveness. Selfishness gives way to love. Fear increasingly yields to faith. The desires of the flesh lose their dominion as our hearts become more occupied with Christ.
And yet the highest purpose of this transformation is not simply that we become better people.
It is that Christ may be formed in us.
Paul expressed this longing:
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” — Galatians 4:19 (KJV)
This is also why Christ’s headship over the Church must become personal.
It is possible to confess that Jesus is Head of the Church while resisting His authority in our own lives. But how can we call Him Lord and continually refuse His lordship?
If Christ is truly our Head, then our thoughts, ambitions, relationships, decisions, conduct, and desires must increasingly come under His rule.
We belong to Him.
We were redeemed by Him.
Our lives are no longer our own.
And the more clearly we behold His glory, the less satisfied we become with anything in us that does not resemble Him.
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory…” — 2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV)
Therefore, our prayer should not merely be, “Lord, change my circumstances.”
Let it also be:
“Lord Jesus, change me. Conform me to Your image. Remove from me whatever does not glorify You. Let Your life be seen in me, until my words, my conduct, my desires, and my very life testify that I belong to You.”
For the greatest transformation is not merely receiving something from Christ.
It is becoming increasingly like Christ.
Living Under the Authority of Jesus Christ
To call Jesus Christ Lord is to acknowledge more than His greatness. It is to bow before His authority.
The risen Christ declared:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” — Matthew 28:18 (KJV)
There is no authority above Him. No throne surpasses His throne. No wisdom exceeds His wisdom. No power can overthrow His purpose. Jesus Christ is Lord.
Yet His lordship must be more than a doctrine we confess with our lips. It must become a reality to which we willingly surrender our lives.
There will be times when His Word confronts our desires. There will be moments when obedience requires us to relinquish what we would rather keep. There will be seasons when we cannot understand where He is leading us.
Still, we can trust Him.
We trust Him because the One who rules us is the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
His authority is not cruel.
His commandments are not given to destroy us.
His leadership is never corrupted by selfish ambition.
His wisdom never fails.
He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep.
Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” — John 10:11 (KJV)
What kind of Lord stoops to save those who rebelled against Him? What kind of King lays down His own life for His subjects?
Jesus Christ did.
Therefore, surrender to Christ is not surrender to a stranger. It is yielding ourselves to the One whose nail-pierced hands testify forever of His love.
When we do not understand, we trust Him.
When His way differs from ours, we follow Him.
When obedience costs us something, we remember what He gave for us.
When every other foundation seems to move beneath our feet, we cling to the Unchanging Changer.
The Church must live under this same authority. Christ is not merely a name attached to the Church; He is its Lord and Head. His Word must stand above our traditions, preferences, personalities, ambitions, and human opinions.
Our question must continually be:
What does our Lord say?
And when He has spoken, may our response be the response of worshipful obedience:
“Yes, Lord.”
For He is worthy not only of our songs, our praise, and our gatherings.
He is worthy of our complete surrender.
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” — Philippians 2:9–10 (KJV)
May every part of our lives bow before Him.
May every gathering of His Church exalt Him.
And may the Lord Jesus Christ have the preeminence in all things. Amen.
Jesus Christ, the Only Savior
The glory of Jesus Christ is not merely that He teaches us the way of salvation.
He is our salvation.
Humanity’s deepest problem is not ignorance, lack of education, poverty, or unfavorable circumstances. Our deepest problem is sin—the rebellion that separates humanity from the holy God who created us.
And no human being could rescue us from it.
No amount of good works could erase our guilt. No religious ceremony could cleanse the conscience. No human righteousness could satisfy the holiness of God.
We needed a Savior.
And in immeasurable love, God gave us His Son.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” — John 3:16 (KJV)
Consider the wonder of this salvation.
The eternal Son of God, through whom all things were created, humbled Himself and came into the world He had made. The sinless One bore the sins of the guilty. The righteous One suffered for the unrighteous. The Lord of glory gave Himself for those who could never save themselves.
Scripture declares:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (KJV)
At the cross, Jesus Christ was not merely demonstrating love from a distance.
He gave Himself.
The Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep.
The spotless Lamb of God bore our sins.
The Son who knew no sin became the sacrifice through whom sinners could be reconciled to God.
And having accomplished the work given Him by the Father, He cried:
“It is finished.” — John 19:30 (KJV)
What could we possibly add to the finished work of Christ?
Our salvation rests not in our ability to make ourselves acceptable to God, but in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished.
There is therefore no other Savior to whom the Church can point.
Peter declared:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” — Acts 4:12 (KJV)
Jesus Christ alone saves.
Not the Church.
Not a pastor.
Not a denomination.
Not our religious works.
Not our own righteousness.
The Church may proclaim salvation, but Christ is the Savior. The Church may preach the Gospel, but Christ is the Gospel’s glorious center. The Church may call sinners to repentance, but Christ alone has power to forgive, redeem, cleanse, and give eternal life.
Therefore, the Church must never draw people merely to itself.
We must point them to Jesus.
And to every soul burdened by sin, ashamed of the past, or wondering whether reconciliation with God is possible, the Gospel still declares:
Look unto Jesus Christ.
Come to Him in repentance and faith.
Trust not in yourself, but in Him.
For the One who died rose again, and the Savior who calls sinners to Himself is alive forevermore.
“Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” — John 6:37 (KJV)
What a Savior.
What mercy.
What grace.
What a glorious Jesus.
Conclusion: Jesus Christ Must Have the Preeminence
We began with one glorious truth:
“And he is the head of the body, the church… that in all things he might have the preeminence.” — Colossians 1:18 (KJV)
And here we must return.
Jesus Christ must have the preeminence.
He is not one among many voices in His Church. He is not merely an honored figure from its past. He is not simply the founder of Christianity whose teachings we attempt to preserve.
He is the living Lord of His Church.
He is the eternal Word who was with God and was God.
He is the Word made flesh who dwelt among us.
He is the spotless Lamb who gave Himself for our sins.
He is the risen Lord whom death could not hold.
He is the ascended Christ seated in glory.
He is the Head of the Church.
He is the Savior of all who come to Him in repentance and faith.
And He is the King who will come again.
What place, then, should Jesus Christ occupy in His Church?
The highest place.
What place should He occupy in our lives?
The highest place.
What name should the Church exalt above every other name?
The name of Jesus.
The Church must never become more occupied with itself than with its Lord. Our ministries, gatherings, doctrines, gifts, programs, buildings, leaders, and works have meaning only as they remain surrendered to Jesus Christ and His glory.
Without Him, we have nothing.
Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
But in Him we have life.
In Him we have redemption.
In Him we have righteousness.
In Him we have hope.
In Him we have access to the Father.
And in Him, the Church is being built into a people for His eternal glory.
Therefore, let every believer examine the heart:
Does Christ have the preeminence in me?
Is He merely part of my life, or is He Lord of my life?
Do I seek His will only when it agrees with mine, or have I bowed before His authority?
Does my heart hunger for Him?
Do I love His Word?
Do I desire His holiness?
Do I long for His appearing?
And let every gathering of believers ask:
Does Jesus Christ truly have the preeminence among us?
May we never be satisfied with merely bearing His name while denying Him His rightful place.
May our preaching exalt Christ.
May our prayers seek Christ.
May our worship adore Christ.
May our fellowship reveal Christ.
May our lives glorify Christ.
And when the world looks upon His Church, may it not ultimately be impressed by us.
May it see Jesus.
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” — Philippians 2:9–11 (KJV)
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Yesterday, today, and forever, He remains the Unchanging Changer.
To Him be glory, honor, dominion, worship, and praise.
Amen.
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