Hillsong Worship – Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)

Hillsong Church is a megachurch founded in 1983 in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia.  It was formerly led by Hillsong Founder Brian Houston.  Hillsong possesses a massive discography, spanning across four music ministries.  These include Hillsong UNITED, Hillsong Worship, Hillsong Young & Free, and Hillsong Kids.

Hillsong has won several awards within their Hillsong UNITED and Hillsong Worship artist groups.  As of this writing, there are no awards for Hillsong Young & Free or Hillsong Kids.

Also, check out my entire list of Hillsong reviews and Christmas songs, Seasons and Prince of Heaven.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.  I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.

1. What message does the song communicate?

Hillsong’s lyrics offer several subtle hints that the Lord rescues us from our destruction, transformed into God’s vessels of righteousness whose acts show the whole world how awesome He is.

Side Note: To those annoyed by massive repetition, after Verse 2, Chorus 1 and 2 alternate three times.  Each section becomes increasingly repetitive as the song progresses, with Chorus 1 repeating twice and Chorus 2 three times.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

The entire song is Biblically sound.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

All these pieces, broken and scattered
In mercy gathered, mended and whole

That is, the broken pieces of Hillsong’s life are put together by the Great Physician (Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17, and Luke 5:31).  Much like mended pottery, there are spiritual scars of our previous broken life that we constantly war with (Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 7:14-25, Ephesians 6:12-17, and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Empty handed but not forsaken

Though Hillsong has nothing to offer (Isaiah 64:6), God has not abandoned them (Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:8-9, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Psalm 118:6, Lamentations 3:22-23, and Hebrews 13:5-6).

I’ve been set free, I’ve been set free

That is, freedom from brokenness and into mercy (see lines 1 and 2).

[Chorus 1]

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I am found
Was blind but now I see

Quotes from the opening lines of John Newton’s Amazing Grace.

[Chorus 2]

Oh I can see You now
Oh I can see the love in Your eyes
Laying Yourself down
Raising up the broken to life

Christ’s sacrifice (John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, and 1 John 4:9-10) and raising us with Himself (1 John 4:9) are both demonstrations of His love.

[Verse 2]

You take our failure, You take our weakness
You set Your treasure in jars of clay
So take this heart, Lord, I’ll be Your vessel
The world to see, Your life in me

Like clay in the potter’s hand, God takes our broken lives and molds them into something valuable.  According to 2 Corinthians 4:7, God did this to show the world how great He is through our transformation.  We become living temples filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Hillsong’s quoting Newton’s song pegs this one as Christian.  Unbelievers will conclude that God receives the failures of Christians and repairs them into containers filled with Him, free from their former lives shattered to pieces.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies the Lord as the One who takes our broken, messed-up lives and converts us to beautiful tapestries of His radiance, showing off His greatness through our obedience.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Hillsong Worship’s Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) is great.  It gives us hope that lives destroyed could be reborn, filled with the Holy Spirit to perform great works that please God.  This was made possible by Christ’s sacrifice, bringing Him glory.  Unbelievers should be able to piece together that God transformed Christians, making them obedient servants that show off God’s greatness through them.

I recommend it for corporate worship with fewer refrains.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) (Live) (listen to the song)

Artist: Hillsong Worship

Album: Hillsong Worship

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2014

Duration: 9:29

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*Copyright © 2014 Hillsong Music Publishing (APRA) (adm. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.