Romans and Lecrae
I thank God for Pandora radio. He has used these random mixes of songs to edify my soul so many times. A number of the songs that we sing on Sunday have shuffled into my radar at just the right time. Some notable songs that we sing from Pandora stations are Psalm 46 and Esther.
After my men’s small group this morning, Romans 6.1-16 and David’s sermon were swirling around in my head, and as I traveled home I decided to press the “shuffle all” button on the Pandora app, and Lecrae’s tune “Tell the World” began to pulse through my car speakers, and hearing the gospel restated through his voice hit me at a fresh and beautiful angle. If we could sing this corporately, I would try it. 🙂 So here he is – a gifted hip hop artist proclaiming Jesus as Lord and using the gifts that God has given him to point people to the one who makes us brand new:
I’mma tell it everywhere I go
Tell the world, tell ‘em
Yeah, i’m a billboard
Tell the world, tell ‘em
And i’m broadcastin’ like a radio
Tell the world
You ought to know, i’m brand new
I know one thing’s true: I don’t even really deserve to know you
But, I-i’m a witness that you did this, and I’m brand new
So, I-I’m read’ to go, and i’mma tell the world what they need to know
A slave to myself, but you let me go, I tried getting high but it left me low
You did what they could never do
You cleaned up my soul and
Gave me new life – I’m so brand new
And that’s all that matters
I-I ain’t love you first, but you first loved me
In my heart I cursed you, but you set me free
I gave you no reason to give me new seasons, to give new life, new breathing
But you hung there bleedin’, and ya’ died for my lies and my cheatin’, my lust and my greed, (and lord!)
What is a man that you mindful of him?
And what do I have to deserve this lovin’?
But, like a hero in a dream
Christ came, and he rescued me
Tell the world, tell ‘em
I’mma tell it everywhere I go
Tell the world, tell ‘em
Yeah, i’m a billboard
Tell the world, tell ‘em
And i’m broadcastin’ like a radio
Tell the world
You ought to know, i’m brand new
I can’t offer you nothin’, but your care & kindness keeps comin’
And your love is so unconditional, I get butterflies in my stomach
I got the old me in the rearview, now the new me got a clear view
And I was so dead, I couldn’t hear you, too deep in sin to come near you
But you drew me in, you cleaned me up, so take me home, beam me up
Before you do, just let me tell the truth
And let these folks know that I done seen ya’ love
And it’s everlasting, infinite, it goes on and on, you can’t measure it
Can’t quench ya’ love, they can’t separate us from the love of god, there’s no estimate
My face look the same, my frame ain’t rearranged
But i’m changed; I promise I ain’t the same
Your love’s so deep you suffered and took pain
You died on the cross to give me a new name
Ain’t nothing like I’ve seen before, I got a beaming glow
I was low, down, and dirty, but you cleaned me, lord
You adopted me, you keep rocking me
I’mma tell the world, and ain’t nobody stopping me!
But, like a hero in a dream
Christ came, and he rescued me
Lecrae featuring Mali Music, 2012, from the album “Gravity”
Praise God,
Matt
