The Rock Music has released our new song, “Mercy.” It has been an honor to play a small part in writing and recording this song. Indeed, God has been so kind to our little local church in Draper, Utah (of all places) to allow us to put out so much original music.
I’ve helped release several songs over the past 15 years. This one is unique. From the first time we led worship with this song (April 2022), it has been a particularly special song for our body to sing together.
First and foremost, we write and record music for Jesus to be exalted and, secondly, for our local body. We want the music to be a blessing to the saints who call The Rock Church their home. Anything beyond that is just icing on the cake. And, of course, more glory for God.
I wanted to highlight the lyrics in the chorus of this new worship song; hopefully, it will encourage you with Truth (when you hear the song).
Your light shatters the darkness
We live in a dark world. When we are honest with the complete depravity of man and the world, it can feel overwhelming and helpless. Jesus says in John 3:19 that “people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” Because of this, we desperately need Someone to help us escape this darkness. But, as we look at the other verses in John 3, we see that Jesus says He was the light of the world that came into the world to save us from the darkness. He did not enter “into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” Jesus is the Light that “has come into the world” to shatter the darkness of sin and death.
Your love reaches for me
There are numerous accounts in the Gospels where we see Jesus (in infinite love) reach out to people the world says should never be loved. We see Him physically reach out to those sick with leprosy — those stripped of all humanity (to wander in shame and isolation away from civilization). In His very incarnation, we see a God who says, “I will make the first move to reach out to those who are so helpless that they can’t even hope to reach me. I will reach out to them because I love them.” When the Apostle Peter first realized that he was talking to the Messiah in Luke 5, he told Jesus, “Leave me, Lord, I am too sinful!” Jesus responded with love. He said, “Do not be afraid.” Not only did Jesus reach out to Peter, but our Lord loved him and worked through him.
Tender mercies that bind up the broken
Have you ever felt broken? Maybe lost? Have you felt too far gone for God to fix? Perhaps you think that now. We see in Jesus the perfect Divine Physician. In the Gospels, not only did He heal people physically, but He also healed them spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and mentally. While legalistic religion tells people they could not approach God without first fixing their brokenness, Jesus “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Jesus sought the lost sinner, the worst prostitute, and the greediest tax collector. He forgave them and changed their heart of stone to a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
The Savior that sin never saw coming
When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s rebellion, I imagine Satan the Deceiver felt pretty proud of himself. That is until he heard the prophecy of the One who was to come to defeat sin, death, and the Devil. Jesus will crush the serpent’s head and kill him. Even when Sin thought it had won, it had already lost because of the promised Messiah.
Mercy my sin never saw coming
When you think of “mercy,” do you also think of the adjective tender? Mercy is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” Of course, because of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, we have hope to receive mercy and grace. That can sometimes feel like theological knowledge rather than a personally experienced truth that we let sink in deep to fill us up. A tender mercy is personal, delivered with care and love. It’s mercy from my Personal Savior and Friend. He is the Savior my sin and shame didn’t know was coming. While my guilt wants to keep me in bondage and fear, Jesus is a Suffering Servant who wants to know and be known by me.
Read this marvelous truth found in Ephesians 2:4-5. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved.” Those truths are personal for you, Christian. Let that sink in. It’s because of Jesus Christ’s tender mercy shown to you.
Once again, thank you for always supporting The Rock Music. It mean a lot. We hope the new song blesses you.
Grace and peace,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor