Rescue

A week ago yesterday we first introduced this song to our congregation; I've been listening to it for a while now. It's a very good song, and I want to make a couple points:

1. I believe that in my sin before I knew Jesus, I was utterly incapable within my own power even to cry out (John 6:44)--I didn't think or know that I needed to be saved. I was just fine on my own, thank you very much. When I sing "I called, you answered..." It's even more amazing to know that I only called on God because in his great mercy toward me, He DREW me, he came knocking on my door. When, by his showing me my sin and I realized my need, I cried out to him, and He answered. And he didn't stop there...

2. He came to my rescue. He suffered and died. He has given his whole life that I (and billions of others) would be saved from myself, my sin, and it's consequences. Now I'm alive to him (Galatians 2, I Cor. 5:17-21). The truth of these lines impacted me deeply as we sang this during communion last week, and I watched someone do the sign of the cross over themselves. The cross was for me. For my rescue.

3. Much of the song focuses then on the proper response to such an amazing gift from God our Father. Falling on my knees... humbled I bow down... giving all I am to seek your face... I want to be where you are. In my life, in our love, in our world...BE LIFTED HIGH!

Do you want God to be lifted high? What does that mean? Dave Paul mentioned something yesterday, that God's deal should be above my deal. That I seek him first. That I focus on being fully alive to him, living like a person who has been rescued. God has not rescued me just to have me live a lukewarm, lackadaisical faith toward Him and others. It starts with realization, brokenness, change, movement, and bold, passionate love and desire for Him.

I think I just preached a sermon to myself. 'Cause He knows I need alot of this cultivated in me. Maybe overhearing it will impact you too.