11/04/2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk6_d-5beTM
This worship song is really speaking to me this week, give it a listen and make it a prayer from our hearts,Lekker week almal :)
River Valley Worship is a collective of songwriters from River Valley Church, which has campuses spread across the Minneapolis, Minnesota area and also in Swaziland, Africa. Their debut BEC Recordings release is Million Lifetimes, which features the standout songs, "Chain Reaction," "Hope Has a Name," "Calvary's Shadow" and "World Needs Jesus."
Their songs are all Christ-focused, worshipful and help set our hearts and minds on our Savior as they are filled with biblical truth that the world needs to hear. I had the chance to speak with River Valley Worship's lead worship Pastor Ryan Williams about "World Needs Jesus."
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
On a personal level, when it comes to the song writing story, this was an encouraging story to be a part of. We have a really great team here at River Valley with a lot of great young song writers. The song started with one of our young worship leaders, Wesley. He was in his apartment watching events unfold before him on television about police shootings and riots in streets, and it was a high-tension filled time in our country. He's a young man in his twenties, and he had a beautiful response to what he was seeing. He grabbed his guitar and started worshiping to try to connect with God in this tumultuous time.
I was encouraged from day one where this song started. It was a desperate response to what Wesley was seeing in the world. He wrote a first draft and chorus of the song and sent it to me in a voice memo. It stirred my soul right away, and I knew we had to finish this song because it carried a lot of weight and would bless and encourage people.
It took about a year to finish, and along with Wesley, me and a couple of other songwriters worked on finishing the song together. He went on a mission trip to multiple countries around the world, and he was working on the song on a rooftop in Cairo, Egypt. When the call to prayer was going out to the city, he was singing, "the world needs Jesus." He got back from his month-long trip, and we finished writing the song together and recorded it.
When we finished the song, Wesley started to cry. He was there at the start when God planted the seed idea in his heart, and it was one of the most touching song writing moments I've ever been a part of when the song was finished. We wrapped our arms around him and praised God for using him to write this song. We saw a lot of beautiful things along the way as this song was written.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
John 14:6 (NIV): Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV): "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
Psalm 150:2 (VOICE): "Praise Him for His powerful acts, redeeming His people. Praise Him for His greatness that surpasses our time and understanding."
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 John 4:18-19 (NKJV): "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us."
Romans 8:35 (VOICE): "So who can separate us? What can come between us and the love of God's Anointed? Can troubles, hardships, persecution, hunger, poverty, danger, or even death? The answer is, absolutely nothing."
Psalm 68:18 (NKJV): "You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the Lord God might dwell there."
Ephesians 4:8 (NKJV): "Therefore He says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.'"
Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV): "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV): "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."
What is the takeaway message?
If you look at the verses of the song, I remember Wesley and I sitting at my house at my piano writing the song. We wanted people to know that Jesus is the answer in their living rooms, on their suburban street, when they are going through a divorce or a fractured relationship with one of their children, when they are going through financial issues. We want people to realize that Jesus is the answer in all of those situations as well as on a street filled with riots and violence. We want people to see all of those perspectives of the song. We knew it was right to include all of those examples because we need Jesus in all of those situations.
We wanted to sing this song at church, and we prayed about including the opening line "when our homes are hit by heartbreak," and felt it was right to include that. The song is connected to John 14:6. When we lead worship, we're not trying to lead 20 minutes of singing or look good or sound a certain way, we are trying to pastor people and remind them of their place in God's story. In John 14:6, when Jesus says, "I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me," we are reminded that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, He is the way through the storm and out of trouble. Jesus is the answer for our lives and our plans and our dreams and our sickness. We are only living a shadow of the life we are meant to live. The world needs to know that truth.
Lyrics:
When our homes are hit by heartbreak
Let Your presence meet us here
When the pain seems overwhelming
We hold onto You
When the streets are torn by chaos
We will be Your hands and feet
When the darkness brings division
May we be Your light
'Cause we know our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say
When the nations ache from violence
We will be Your blessed peace
When the headlines scream injustice
May we shout Your name!
'Cause we know that our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say!
'Cause we know that our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say! Jesus
So let every heart turn to Jesus
Let every voice sing of Your great name
Let all the earth know Your freedom
'Cause we believe for more
So let every heart turn to Jesus
Let every voice sing of Your great name
Let all the earth know Your freedom
We believe for more!
We believe for more!
'Cause we know that our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say!
'Cause we know that our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say!
'Cause I know that I need You, Jesus
And I know this heart needs healing
So from my knees I lift thus prayer to You, my Savior
For my life and for the world, You're the answer
Jesus
Every thought and lyric in this song and this album is rooted in Scripture, which I admire. In singing this song, you can reflect on the promise of Psalm 68:18: "You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the Lord God might dwell there" and the fulfillment in Ephesians 4:8: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."
The Good News of the Gospel is that we don't have to pretend we've got it all together. That is certainly an area of sin in my life. I find myself wondering how I can "do" more to earn love from God and people. Only in the Name of Jesus and putting our faith in His sacrifice on our behalf can we be free from sin, shame and hypocrisy.
When you sing this song, the devotional thought we should all be thinking is whether we are submitting our lives to the Truth or just singing the words. God wants us to boldly approach the Throne of mercy and grace to receive and obtain what we need from Him. When we acknowledge our identity in Christ in this song, our burdens are removed. I can't get enough of the beautiful poetic and powerful expressions of faith in this song.
We should not be ashamed to sing of our dependence on God and show Him reverence. This is an amazing new worship song for the Church that helps prepare my heart for Good Friday and Easter. The sentiment of this song represents something that the global Church can all cling to and proclaim loudly: "'Cause I know that I need You, Jesus, and I know this heart needs healing. So from my knees I lift thus prayer to You, my Savior, for my life and for the world, You're the answer, Jesus." Amen to that!
Lyric video for "World Needs Jesus" from our brand new album, Million Lifetimes. Million Lifetimes Album Releasing Early 2018 River Valley Church Minnesota, USA
