When Will The World See That We Need Jesus?
Written August 2019
Just a few weeks back, Allison, Grace, and I had to travel to Louisiana for Allison’s grandmother’s funeral. We ended up driving over two days to get there and the Lord graciously blessed us with good travels there and back.
An interesting thing happened as we were traveling to Louisiana. We had conquered the I85 to I-20 passageway through Atlanta (Praise the Lord), and we were in Alabama. For anyone who has traveled through Alabama, Birmingham is their largest city. Because of that there is a huge bypass that goes around the city to ease traffic buildup and to allow those that are not going to Birmingham to simply pass through quickly. Well, we were on this bypass and it was well past lunch time so I found an exit with a shopping center and pulled into a Burger King to get a very late lunch.
In this Burger King I found something that took me off guard and really got me thinking. Now, I don’t know about you but there are certain expectations that I have when entering into various fast food restaurants. In Chick Fil A, I expect to see lots of cows with signs that say “Eat Mor Chikin.” I’m not at all surprised to hear Christian music playing at a Chick Fil A. I expect to see kids running around playing in a playground at McDonalds. Something, however, surprised me at this Burger King in Alabama. It was something that I did not expect but was pleased to find out it was there. In the restaurant, playing over the radio was Christian music. Not instrumental versions of contemporary Christian music or classic hymns, but rather old school Christian songs like I heard when I was in college.
I will admit, when I first heard it I was taken back and actually didn’t place the music that was playing at first. My mind wandered a little and thought, was this old 80’s soft rock or something from the 90’s, then all of a sudden I realized what song was playing. It was a song by Petra, a Christian rock band that started in 1972. The song was one they released in 1997 called “We Need Jesus.” I remember the song so well because it was played a lot on the radio when I was in college.
Now when I heard this song I was like, “well that’s pretty neat that of all the places we could have stopped we found a Burger King that was playing Christian music. That is amazing.” So I did what anyone would do, I relived a little bit of my college years and sang along with the song in my head, and then it was as if God was poking me and saying there is a deeper meaning you need to realize in what you are hearing.
You see I knew the words to this song, I had sung them countless times, but on this day of traveling they sparked within me a question that stuck soundly in my mind.
Here’s the lyrics of the chorus of “We Need Jesus”
When will the world see that we need Jesus? If we open our eyes we will all realize that He loves us When will the world see that we need Jesus? When our hearts are as one and believe that He’s the Son of our God
The question that kept churning in my mind was “When will the world see that we need Jesus?” You know as Christians and as members of Mars Hill Baptist Church, the one hope we have for this world is that every lost person would see that they need Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. But how can we make this happen? This was what was churning in my mind as I listened to this song. When will the world, all the lost souls and those worshipping false idols, when will they see that they have such a need for Jesus Christ?
Then it came to me…..the answer is quite simple…..
The world will begin to see that it needs Jesus when they begin to see that I need Jesus.
I can’t expect anyone else in this world look to Jesus as their Savior and their King unless I am looking to Jesus and living out the truth that He is my Savior and King. I can’t ask anyone to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus if I do not have a cross on my shoulder and feet filling the footprints of Christ. We say that we have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, redeemed from our sins, and given a new life as part of the family of God, but if we are not a reflection of that truth why would anyone believe us, let alone want any part of what we offer?
Think about the many things in this world that are so easy to sell and the things that everyone wants. One thing that automatically comes to mind are cell phones. Almost everyone either has one or wants a new cell phone that is faster and better than their last. You know one of the reasons why? Because everyone else has one and it is so integral to everyone’s everyday life that the idea of being without it is silly. The world, by its actions, say you need a cell phone. Do we say by our actions and by our very life say that we need Jesus?
Imagine a world, where every Christian, every day, by the life they lived, showed that they desperately needed Jesus. That they worshipped Christ in song as passionately as they cheered on a sports team. That they kept themselves from the sins of this world because they did not want to break the fellowship they had with Christ. That they were enthralled at the teachings of Christ and His life to the point where they knew His life better than that of their favorite television show. What would this world do if Christians cherished and pursued corporate worship and Christian fellowship as passionately as they did team sporting events or vacations?
We would be looked at as strange, different, and odd to the rest of the world, but our message would be crystal clear. We need Jesus and so does everyone else. I’ve heard this phrase many times in my life, “you can’t argue with results.” There is a certain amount of truth in that. Results show the outcome of a work done. One of the greatest and most powerful tools we can ever use in this life to influence people and witness to others is showing the work that Christ has done in our life to change us and make us holy.
Jesus? Is He the desire of your heart each day?
The Psalmist put it this way in Psalm 42:1-2 (New Living Translation)
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?
In our lives people see us yearn and long for so many things. We long for lunchtime to get food in our bellies. We long for vacations to rest and relax. We yearn to see loved ones after they have been away on a trip. Does the world see us yearn and thirst for the God of our Salvation?
If we are not thirsty for God, how will the world ever know of the dryness of their own souls and the need for the Living Water?
Heavenly Father help us to thirst for You. Help us to have lives that show our desperate, passionate, and loving need for You to be in our lives. This world needs You but does not know it. Use to show the world that it needs You. Amen.