The scripture reading on Sunday morning at Waterview will be coming from John chapter 3, verses 9-15. Notice the words of Jesus as He says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up…” The text of this reading is the basis for our lesson.
In Numbers 21 we read of the rebellion among the people against God. He sends ‘fiery serpents’ that plague the people, and many died because of their rebellion. The Lord’s instruction however was clear, “Make a fiery (bronze) serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” The Jews were told if they wanted healing, they simply needed to come to ‘the standard’ that was raised in the wilderness. The songs this morning are designed to focus us on the saving power of Christ and His plan to draw us toward God.
“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15
Sunday morning, June 9, 2013
The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.
“To God Be the Glory” – 4
One of several great songs of praise, this hymn was written by Fanny J. Crosby in 1875. It always amazes me when I read the words of this woman who was blind from birth. In this hymn she writes, ‘…let the earth hear His voice…’ and obvious statement coming from someone whose sense of hearing was likely well developed. But I’m more intrigued by her words in the last verse. Never having seen the light of day, Fanny Crosby writes, “…But purer and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we SEE.” Praise the Lord!
“My Only Hope is You” – no book
The beauty of this song comes as it builds upon each verse. Some may consider this a ‘7-11 song’ (7 words sung 11 times), yet the repetition and development of the thought should take precedence. From early in the morning, until late at night, Jesus is my only HOPE, PEACE, and JOY. The fourth verse sums it up best… “All that I need is You, Jesus, all that I need is You…” Listen to the song below, but Sunday we’ll sing it without the soloist.
“More Precious Than Silver” – 273
A simple hymn that implores us to consider how we view (yes, spend) our wealth. To what, in this life, do you dedicate your prosperity? Another song that’s easy to sing…but perhaps not so easy to fulfill. Really, what is it that you desire?
“I Come to the Garden Alone” – 595
Written from the perspective of Mary as she comes to the garden after Christ burial, you can see her emotional pull to be with Jesus, the soothing comfort of His voice and the longing to stay with Him. C. Austin Miles captures the feeling Mary may have felt as we read John chapter 20. Perhaps with that understand we can sing this song differently; “…and He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has every know.” From Mary’s eyes, truer than we may have previously thought.
“We Saw Thee Not” – 342
An older hymn (again this is sung to our God) that brings the saints to a clearer understanding of Jesus life here on earth. None of us ever saw Christ or His ‘cottage home.’ We didn’t stand on Golgotha’s hill and see the soldiers ‘lift Him up’ on the cross, and none of us stooped down to look into the empty tomb. But together we’ll sing, “But we believe the deed was done, that shook the earth and veiled the sun.”
“Lift Him Up” – 631
How do we reach the masses? What can we do to show Jesus to a lost and dying world? Jesus told us that He would be lifted up so all men could come to Him. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” John 12:32 How do we reach men with Christ? Perhaps we start by lifting Him up in our own lives.
“I Am Thine, O Lord” – 666
Our song before the lesson implores us to draw nearer to God. Do we really long to rise in our faith, and truly seek to be closer drawn to Jesus? In the second verse we’ll sing that our souls look up with a steadfast faith, and our will be lost in Jesus. He was lifted up to draw us to Him…now will you look up to Him as you draw nearer in faith?
“Come to Jesus” – no book
In the chorus of this invitation song we’ll sing,“Come to Jesus!” Repeated more than 6 times, this old spiritual song implores the lost to seek His salvation. And like the Jews who were rebellious and bitten by the fiery serpents, we need to look up to the cross. But notice the admonition, “…Oh delay not till the morrow, lest thy coming be too late.”
“The Greatest Command” – 448
Though we sing with simplicity we sing with the scripture… “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” I John 4:7, 8 It’s easy to love the loveable, but what about those who persecute you and refuse to love you back? We can better understand how to love when we draw near to the One who was lifted up.