I have decided that this week I am going to focus solely on Sojourn originals. I want everyone to experience the amazing music that comes out of my church and to see how well the gospel is presented every week, through the music and through the teaching. There are so many songs that I want to do, and if this series is a hit, I might just do it again and use non-Sojourn songs. So, for this week, I hope you enjoy the music that has come out of my church.
The first song I want to share with the blogosphere is "Lead Us Back". This song was written by Brooks Ritter and Bobby Gilles. The song can be found on the Before the Throne album that was released in 2007. Both of these men are elders at our church. If you come to the Midtown campus, which is the campus I attend, you will more than likely see Brooks on the stage leading music. We sang this song yesterday during the service and it is just amazing.
Lead Us Back Audio
Lead Us Back
Bobby Gilles and Brooks Ritter
©2006 Bobby Gilles and Sojourn Community Church
CCLI Song #4878333
CCLI License #1888971
Falling down upon our knees
Sharing now in common shame
We have sought security
Not the cross that bears Your name
Fences guard our hearts and homes
Comfort sings a siren tune
We’re a valley of dry bones
Lead us back to life in You
Lord we fall upon our knees
We have shunned the weak and poor
Worshipped beauty, courted kings
And the things their gold affords
Prayed for those we’d like to know
Favor sings a siren tune
We’ve become a talent show
Lead us back to life in You
You have caused the blind to see
We have blinded him again
With our man-made laws and creeds
Eager, ready to condemn
Now we plead before Your throne
Power sings a siren tune
We’ve been throwing heavy stones
Lead us back to life in You
Oh where to even begin. The first two stanzas of this song are so convicting for me. I like to feel safe and I really like to be in control. I often think that my plans are better than God's plan and oh so often I get in the way of God working in my life. Too many times I seek comfort and security instead of Jesus.
I love the line, "we're a valley of dry bones." This is a reference to Ezekiel 37 where the prophet is shown a valley of dry bones and the Lord asks Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?" Later in the chapter, the Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones and while Ezekiel is doing just that the Lord brings those dry bones back to life. I love that even when I am a valley of dry bones, the Lord still has the power to bring me back to life. I can't do it on my own power, it is only the power of Jesus that can bring me back to life.
The next two stanzas are also very convicting for me. I know that I have so often sought for people to like me, often not caring the cost. I don't know about you, but I like being in someone's favor. The part that always gets me is the line, "We've become a talent show." I am guilty of wanting recognition. I used to sing solos at church, not to glorify God, but so that people would compliment me after the service. When I was in the youth group, I would always volunteer to share my testimony on youth Sunday, because I wanted people to tell me how wonderful I was. I also tend to volunteer for many things at church simply so I will be recognized by the leadership. Songs like this have convicted to me to search my heart when I volunteer to serve, to make sure that I am doing it for the right reasons.
The final two stanzas really hit home with me yesterday. How often do we create our own laws and expectations that we impose on people just so we can condemn them when they fail. Jesus came to give sight to the blind, and we are just like the Pharisee so often. We are currently working through the book of John at church and a few Sundays ago we studied John chapter 9 when Jesus heals a man who was born blind on a Sabbath. The man was brought before the Pharisees and they were so consumed by the fact that Jesus made mud on the Sabbath, which is consider working, that they could not rejoice in the miracle a man being given his sight. They were blinded by their man-made laws and creeds. We are so often like this, missing the miracle for the laws.
The final thing that I want to point out from this song is the final line of each verse, "Lead us back to life in You." I love this line because it shows how I can do nothing. Recently I have really come to realize, and delight in, the truth that I had nothing to do with my salvation. Jesus is the one who lived the perfect life, the one I could not live. Jesus is the one who died on the cross, a death I deserved to die as punishment for my many sins. Jesus was the one who rose on the third day defeating death, I have absolutely no power over death. It is Jesus and Jesus only who saves me. All I could do was call out, "Save me Jesus." When I was younger I used to believe that I played some part in my salvation, because I admitted that I was sinner and I believed that Jesus is Lord and repented of my sins and turned to Jesus. I have come to realize that none of that was of my own power, it was the prompting of the Holy Spirit in my heart. I love the reminder that even when I stray or make poor choices, Jesus has the power to lead me back to life in Him. Hallelujah!!
I hope you take a few minutes to listen to the song this morning and that you will let the truth wash over you. I hope this song convicts you like it convicts me and that you will ask Jesus to lead you back to life in Him. If you have never experienced life with Jesus, I pray that you will seek that life today.
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