Sermon highlights from Relationship Reset Week 6. Sermon by Pastor Mike Standish; notes compiled by Dan O’Toole.
Big Idea:
- What You Choose to Focus On Impacts the Peace Your Experience.
Week 6 Main Scripture:
- Colossians 3:15
- Matthew 6:24
What challenges Christ’s rule over your heart?
Devotion Cannot Be Divided. Your Loyalty Requires Choice.
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us that we cannot serve two masters: God and Money. We will love one and hate the other. The same principle applies to anything that fights to draw our attention away from God. Whatever we choose as ruler of our hearts will change our priorities, and since we don’t live in isolation, our motivations and actions will impact other people.
When Power rules our hearts, influence and success become our main priorities. Power leaves other people feeling used.
When Acceptance rules our hearts, affirmation and accolades become our main priorities. Acceptance leaves other people feeling smothered.
When Control rules our hearts, perfection and certainty become our main priorities. Control leaves other people feeling judged.
Pax Romana vs. The Peace of Christ
During the Roman Empire, there was a sense of relative peace, stability, and innovation. But there was also strict military control, economic inequality, and widespread slavery. Peace came at a cost, at the expense of the ruled.
The kingdom of God is not just following rules; it’s following a ruler. Our peace comes at the willing expense of our ruler, Jesus Christ. He rescued us from the oppression and darkness of sin.
Darkness Adds to Uncertainty Because It Hides Truth.
Money, success, and politics have a level of uncertainty to them. When things are unclear, we stress, worry, and long for peace. However, the message of Colossians is that Jesus is king. He is a ruler of peace. And he desires to bring us peace.
Our Negative Reaction to Being Ruled, Even by Christ
The idea of obedience and submission makes us uneasy.
The freedom and independence we experience as Americans have brought great opportunities and progress, but they have also made us obsessed with ourselves.
We may also struggle with the idea of leadership because we’ve experienced bad leaders in our lives. Bad leadership makes us cautious of other leaders. We fear being disappointed, hurt, or abandoned.
But Christ’s good and perfect rule in our lives changes everything. Jesus is the kind of ruler who is calm and composed amid complaints against his rule. He calls the shots and ensures fairness and justice, unhurried and unmoved in the face of pressure. [Isaiah 53:7, 1 Peter 2:23]
When Christ leads our hearts, his peace can overcome whatever we face. The Peace of Christ doesn’t diminish the hardship or injustice we face, but it can help us through it.
Categories of Peace in the Bible:
- The Absence of Fear [John 14:27]
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you don’t have to try mustering enough willpower to not be afraid.
You have the presence of God with you, fighting for you and guaranteeing he will be with you.
- The Absence of Anxiety [Philippians 4:6-7]
When anxiety comes, talk to God. He will guard your heart and your mind. He invites us to trust that he is bigger than the worry we experience.
- Reconciliation [Ephesians 2:14-17]
Jesus is the embodiment of peace, and he destroys the barriers of hostility and division. He makes it possible for us to pursue a life that’s defined less by conflict and more by peace.
Christ’s death on the cross provided the way for us to have relational peace with one another and with God. When we allow pride, unforgiveness, and being “right” to dictate our lives, we’re rebuilding the wall that Jesus tore down.
- The Absence of Strife in Relationships [Romans 12:18, 14:9, and Ephesians 4:3]
Peace is Contagious. The Lack of Peace is Also Contagious. When we tell others about peace in Jesus, but they don’t see any peace in our lives, they won’t believe in the Peace of Christ.
Making excuses and defending ourselves is the easy way. The hard way is humility that says, “I’m sorry. I want to make it right so we can have peace.”
Practical Steps
- Cut People Slack. Give them the benefit of the doubt until there is no doubt.
- Remind Yourself Something Genuinely Good About Others.
Catch up or rewatch the full messages from our Relationship Reset series here.
