Untitled Sermon (2)

The Voices: Worshiping by Singing

A heart ruled by peace (Vs 15)

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.”

What is the peace of Christ? That word, peace, means to reconcile and/or restore a relationship. To end hostility between two parties.

This is a pretty important part of our text this morning. A contemporary, or new way to understand why this is important is to talk about how the music industry has progressed over the years.

Songs have been used as a way to communicate for years and years. In ancient times they were used as a way to tell stories and legends. Other times it was used religiously to boast about a god, or gods of ancient religions and beliefs. However, it’s widely known and understood that singing, since the beginning of time has been a religious thing.

However, it wasn’t until recent history, say a couple of hundred years, that musicians/artists have been secularizing music. So much so that it’s almost unheard of in some places for there to be Christian music. There are certainly more secular radio stations than religious or Christian radio stations.

So, why is it that the word “peace” in this portion of our text is so important? The reason is we have to distinguish what sets our worship apart from any genre of music. What is the difference between us gathering in a room with a rockin’ band, and singing songs, and a bunch of other people gathering at a Ben Rector concert at the Wells Fargo Arena?

I argue that it’s this passage that talks about letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. The difference is when we come to worship, and I hope that it’s evident when you worship at Restoration Church, that we are centered around a topic of “the peace of Christ” and that it’s ruling our hearts when we’re doing it.

So, what is this peace of Christ?

A heart filled with God’s Word (Vs 16)

A life for the glory of God (Vs 17)