Ruled by the Blood-Bought Peace of Christ

Big Idea

Tension: How can the Church be ruled by Christ’s peace and be thankful?

Resolution: By letting the Word of Christ dwell richly in both preaching and singing and by offering up prayers.

Exegetical Idea: The Church can let itself by the peace of Christ by letting the Word of Christ dwell richly in both preaching and singing and be thankful by offering up prayers.

Theological Idea: A Church is ruled by the Gospel leading to thanksgiving by letting the Word of Christ dwell richly in it through preaching and singing leading to prayers of thanksgiving.

Homiletical Idea: The blood-bought peace of Christ rules the church where the Word dwells.

Big Idea: The Church where the Word dwells will be ruled by the blood-bought peace of Christ and echo forth in thanksgiving.

Outline

Introduction: Where is the church where the peace of Christ dwells?

Shift to the Church

Key to Christian maturity is a love that forgives

Makes the transition from individual application to corporate. One Body, “each other,” corporate practices

Why Church instead of marriage, children, slaves, evangelism? Because it is through the corporate gathering of the Church that we learn from the examples of others, and it is by our faithful love with one another at church that we grow in our capacity to share the love of Christ in marriage, with our children, with our unbelieving friends or family.

Ruled by the blood bought peace of Christ and echo forth in thanksgiving:

Peace of Christ - Now, when I first read this, I always assuemd it was a sense of peace and calm. I kind of always assumed it was about not being anxious. And while, I think there definitely is truth to that, I think you have to see it in connection to 1:19-20....

Rule in your hearts - Now this word is similar to “govern” or “umpire”. So the command here is to let the blood-bougth peace of Christ govern. What does it govern?

To which you were called in one body - God has called us to this, he has saved us to this in one body. The peace of Christ ought to govern the relationships that we have specifically in the church body.

be thankful/giving thanks to God the Father through Him - And you can see here, that this peace of Christ ruling the heart, this blood bought forgiveness we have from God reigning and governing the church, willr esult in praise and thanksgiving.

Transition: What kind of church is this? SO how do we actually do this?

The Church where the Word dwells

The Word of Christ & its relationship to the Peace of Christ

The Word of Christ - The Scriptures. But notice here, Paul is clear to say that it is not just the Word of truth, althoruhg it is. Not just hte Word of God, but it is the Word of Christ.

The Peace of Christ - When the Word of Christ dwells in us richly, it will cause the peace of Christ. You see the miracle of the gospel, the miracle of Christ, the forgiveness that has been purchased by the precious blood of our Lord, is the point of hte Word of Christ.

Application:

All are called to this peace of Christ. Whoever you are, whether you have been here for a long time, or whether you are a new comer, first you need to hear the scandalous nature of this message. God has sent his Son to bear your sins, your curse, your pain, your shame, your condemnation on the cross. And he has not only reconciled you to himself, but he has reconciled you to each other. God has bought you by his blood, and he welcomes you into a blood bought people.

Teaching & Admonishing one another in all wisdom

Preaching - If you hate the preaching of the Word, and you close off your heart to it, you will never have the Word of CHrist dwelling in your richly. If we want to be a church that is all about the gospel, all about Jesus, if we want to be a people that is bought by the blood, preaching must be the central heart of the ministry here that pulsates in life-giving blood.

Admonishing - means correct or rebuke. Crucify and Kill with the Word. Tear down false worldviews, erroneous presuppositions. One of the elders says “step on the toes.”

Teaching - means to inform. So not only do we tear down, we build up. Not only do we kill. We give life.

With wisdom - And notice this “wisdom” here. I think that means two things. I think it means pointing back to 2:3, that true preaching is Christ-centered not man-centered. Yet Christian wisdom is not only knowing about Christ, but knowing how to walk with Christ. Christian preaching should come with a warning level, it is not pie in teh sky reasoning. rather, it should instruct people how to live practically.

We need to have a humble attitude - And what this means for hte average person in the pew, is that we need to have an attittude of humility that is eager to hear God’s Word.

Singing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with thanksgiving in your heart to God

psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs - Psalms - Psalms. Hymns - Traditional songs. Songs - special meaning of new songs.

with thanksgiving in your hearts to God - This will accompanied not by begrudgingness, but by an attitude of love and generosity. We need not be afraid of holding our love for our savior back.

Songs as Corporate prayers - One thing that Scripture trains us to do is to sing to God as prayer. Our singing here is our prayers to God.

To not sing in Church is disobedience. - This is particular challenge to men.

This is how the word of Christ dwells in us - God’s Word dwells in us through preaching and singing. To neglect either one of these is like putting a big peace of plastic on a spot of grass. Before long, it will get musty and moldy and all dried up and withered. If Christians and a Church want to have Christ’s blood-bought peace rule over them, and Christ’s Word dwelling in them, they need to hear the Word of God preached and sing with the people of God.

Resulting in Prayer - The key is to see that this will result.

Whatever you do in Word or Deed - Now, I think what he is saying is that the result of these things will result in people who give thanks for every word and deed.

do it in the name of the Lord Jesus - The preaching of God’s Word will change the way that our marriage works, our children, our work places.

Giving thanks to God the Father through Him: And Paul says this should be overlayed with all the prayers of God’s people that can be mustered up.

Conclusion