Sermon Tone Analysis

Prince of Peace

There are songs that speak to us more than others.

Some times we hear a song at just the right time, when we needed some comfort, some encouragement, some peace.

Over the past month we have looked at some of the great hymns of our faith, and many of you have told me your stories about those hymns, how it was your mom’s favorite, played at a funeral, etc… the song I would like to share with you today is a very special one for me.

It is one of my favorites, one that I listen to not every day, but often; when I need my thoughts to settle, need a little peace, need to experience some emotion, i listen to this song when I am studying for a sermon, sometimes I put this song on repeat and listen to it over and over.

This particular song sometimes moves me to tears and it is one that I would like to share with you all today, but not just this song, we are going to look at scripture and how scripture plays into this song.

You may not have heard this song before, it was written by three guys form Australia Joel Houston, Matt Crocker, and Dylan Thomas and they are part of a band called Hillsong United.

They have written some of todays more popular Christian worship songs, and the band has been together since 1998 and started out as their youth band at Hillsong church.

One thing about their songs is they tell you the passages from scripture that inspired them to write the song.

I want to look at a song Prince of Peace taken from three passages of scripture

But the verse that come to my mind when I hear this song is

Let’s look at this song.

Verse 1

My heart a storm cloud’s

Raging deep within

The Prince of Peace came

Bursting through the wind

The violent sky held its breath

And in Your light I found rest

Chorus

Tearing through the night

Riding on the storm

Starring down the fight

My eyes found Yours

Shining like the sun

Striding through my fear

The Prince of Peace met me there

You heard my prayer

Verse 2

Hope like the sunlight

Piercing through the dark

The Prince of Peace

Came and broke into my heart

The violent cross, the empty grave

And in Your light I found grace

Bridge 1

Your love surrounds me

When my thoughts wage war

When night screams terror

There Your voice will roar

Come death or shadow

God I know Your light will meet me there

When fear comes knocking

There You’ll be my guard

When day breeds trouble

There You’ll hold my heart

Come storm or battle

God I know Your peace will meet me there

Again

Bridge 2

Oh, be still my heart

And know that You are God

Oh fear no evil

For I know You are here

And my soul will know Your

This is both a command and a promise.

Israel is commanded to fear not.

Fear, worry, anxiety are often sin.

When God rules over the nations as described in Isaiah, the God who chose us and loves us as described, when that God tells us to fear not, we must take it seriously!

But there is a promise.

We must fear not, because the Lord God has told us, I am with you.

What more do we need?

For Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

When we are alone we are prone to fear and discouragement, but we are not alone as believers, we are never alone because God has told us that He is with us.

We must believe, we must have faith, as the early Christians did, as the martyred Christians in the 20th century had faith so we must have faith that the Prince of Peace will never leave us nor forsake us, that He is always with us.

Stand Hymn # 797 Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Prayers of the People

Closing Chorus # 88 More Precious than Silver

Benediction: