Sermon Tone Analysis

"*A PEACEFUL, GRATEFUL, WORD-FILLED COMMUNITY*"

(A Message from Colossians)

 

Westgate Chapel 8~/8~/00 a.m.

Colossians 3:15-17

 

PROPOSITION:  The power of the resurrection of Christ at work within the believer and his~/her community of faith will produce peace, joy and gratitude as a way of life.

! i. introduction

!! -     THE same power that stopped the decay in Jesus' body, that reversed the rigor mortis; that prevented brain damage; that raised up His dead body as a new and glorified body; that blew the stone out of the way to show that the grave was empty....is at work in you and me right now.

!! -     THE New Testament is full of the power of this resurrection principle.

!!  

!!! ~*     The resurrection of Christ is the source of our eternal Life.

In John 11:25, Jesus said,

!!!!       "*I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die*.'"

!!!  

!!! ~*     The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our salvation.

Romans 10:9 says,

!!!!       "*…if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.*"

!!!!  

!!! ~*     The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our hope for heaven.

I Peter 1:3-4 says,

!!!!       *"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you*..."

!!!  

!!! ~*     The resurrection of Christ was the center piece of the message the apostles preached.

Acts 4:33 says,

!!!!       "*With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all*.”

!!!  

!!! ~*     The resurrection of Christ is the source of supernatural power in us to live victoriously today.

Romans 6:4 says,   

!!!!       "*We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.*”

!!!                        

!! -          AND in his letter to the church on Colosse, Paul develops several key principles for godly living in Colossians 3….based solely on the significance of the resurrection of Jesus.

!! -          IN Colossians 3:1 he writes (page 1167),

!!!       "*Since, then, you have been raised with Christ*..."

!! -     "SINCE you live with a different power base than the rest of the world.....the resurrection power of Christ within you...."

!! -     SINCE you have been raised with Christ, live in such a way that honors the name that you carry.

!! -     AND what follows naturally from living in resurrection power in the following verses is….

!!! ~*     Set your hearts on things above.

!!! ~*     Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

!!! ~*     Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature.....sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed.

!!! ~*     Rid yourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lies.

!!! ~*     Clothe yourself  with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

!!! ~*     Bear with each other.

Forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

!!! ~*     Above all these virtues put on love that binds all of these together.

!  

! ii.

let the peace of Christ rule

!! -          AND then what I want to concentrate on this morning is tied to resurrection power and described in verse 15a.

!! -          I BELIEVE what Paul describes in verses 15-17 is crucial to what the Lord has in store for us in the months ahead.

!! -          IN fact, the elders and I talked just yesterday morning about what the Lord is preparing us for to be a light on the hill….and

one of those things is for us to have a quality of relationship that speaks hope for the growing relational dysfunction in the world around us.

!! -          SO Paul says, “*Since then you have been raised with Christ*…..”

!! -     COLOSSIANS 3:15a,

!!!       "*Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.*"

!! -     PEACE is the opposite of disturbance....of hostility.

!! -     PEACE is the opposite of a state of war.

!! -     BUT peace also means a sense of wholeness...of well-being…the kind that only comes from God.

!! -          THIS peace comes from the saving work of Jesus in your heart where first you and He ceased being enemies….through

the cross.

!! -          IT is the peace OF Christ the rules in your heart.

!! -     THEN, after you have the peace of God it translates into peace with the members of Christ’s body showing up in our everyday lives.....by the power of the resurrection within.

!! -     PEACE in our family, in our relationships, in our church, starts with peace in your own heart and in mine.

!! -     PEACE is one of the spiritual weapons of Ephesians 6....the shoes of the Gospel of peace.

!! -     EPHESIANS 6:15 says,

!!!       "*Stand firm then.....with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace*."

!! -     THE Roman soldier had very important footwear for battle.

!! -     AND the reason that his footwear was so important was that one of the principle strategies for warfare in Roman times was long marches where a lot of ground was covered quickly and the enemy caught by the element of surprise.

!!! ~*     Apparently, the enemy would have a report of your position and the size of your army.

He would estimate how long it would take you to move that many men over the terrain that separated you from him....and gage his strategy against you accordingly.

!!! ~*     If you were able to move faster than he anticipated, by a significant margin, you would catch him unprepared.

!!! ~*     This was one of the reasons behind Rome's military successes.

!! -     AND one of the critical ingredients in moving an army across terrain is what they have on their feet.

!! -     THE Roman army wore a simple leather sole, strapped to their feet and ankles with leather ties.

This was light in weight for mobility, it breathed, and didn't create blisters.

!! -     ON the bottom of the leather soles, metal studs or nails were attached to prevent any slipping and sliding.

This enhanced stability in battle, and mobility in all kinds of terrain.

!! -     WITH this footwear you could....

!!! ~*     Move into battle fast and surprise the enemy.

!!! ~*     Climb difficult inclines, without sliding backwards.

!!! ~*     Remain standing and stable even when absorbing blows in battle.

!!! ~*     Negotiate the spikes that the enemy would sometimes imbed in the battlefield, trying to trip you up and wound you.

!! -     WHAT is this footwear, the readiness of the Gospel of peace?

!!! ~*     It is the cessation of hostilities between you and God.....PEACE WITH GOD.

Romans 5:1-2 says,

!!!!       "*Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.*"

!! -     BUT there is another meaning to this footwear, the readiness of the Gospel of peace?

!!! ~*     It is the cessation of hostilities between you and those around you.....THE PEACE OF GOD.

Hebrews 12:14 says,

!!!!       "*Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy.*"

!! -     I BELIEVE that the absence of peace between members of the Body of Christ trips up more spiritual "armies" than the devil has destroyed since Acts 2:4.

!! -     WHY is this aspect of the Gospel of peace important?

!! -     WHY is this aspect of the footwear so critical?

!! -     WHEN you and God are in open hostilities.....taking on the enemy is tough business.

In fact we give the enemy place in our lives when we are not operating in peace with God or one another.

!! -     WHEN you and your brothers or sisters in the faith are in open hostilities......taking on the real enemy at the same time is impossible.

!! -     ON the other hand, unity in warfare is an awesome, powerful thing.

Jesus said that is two of on earth agree on about those things that have to do with the kingdom of God.....it shall be done for them.

!! -     THE devil HATES unity in the church.

!! -     JESUS, on the other hand, prayed for our unity, and that we would be protected from the evil one, in the same prayer (John 17).

!! -     SOME years back Dean Sherman taught is that peace is not just so that we can be nice and happy in the church....it has to do with getting and staying in Spirit flow.

!! -     THERE is no discord in the kingdom of God.

!! -     THAT is why Colossians 3:15 says that since we are raised with Christ, we are called to peace.

!

iii.

be thankful

!! -     BUT wait, there is something else that being raised with Christ results in.