Don't ever limit the gospel to a mere offer of individual salvation that it is thank God

But it is a global hope because it is the power of God

sent it, though we may be a little mustard-sized people in this big world.

It is going to win what God intends it to win.

And that's our hope.

So what is the hope of the Gospel and why does it matter? John Piper answers that two-part question from

Colossians 1 15 to 23 in this episode of Light and Truth. This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on April 20th,

1986.

Let's go to verse 15. Is Christ pictured as the as a part of creation in

verse 15 when it says he is the image of the invisible God the first born of all

creation now that little word of in English is a slippery little devil.

Pulpit of wood.

Teacher of class.

Not the same.

Pulpit is wood, teacher not is class.

There's a big difference in the use of the word of. It has dozens of

means. You list them all. So we have to ask, does this mean firstborn of creation, like commander in chief of armed forces,

thus over them and above them?

Or does it mean firstborn of creation like pulpit made of wood?

He's part of creation.

Now if it were all by itself, all alone, we'd be hard put to know what it means, but it's not alone.

In fact, verse 16, which follows, begins with a little word for, and signals us that an explanation or a support

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