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I've been listening to Jimmy Needham's album Not Without Love recently. One of the songs on the album is called "Come Around." Here are the lyrics:
The central point of the song is clear: winning people to Christ requires more than smooth speech, passing out tracts, and being able to win theological debates. It requires a life of love poured out for the sake of others. Apart from love, ALL of our efforts are nothing more than a noisy gong and clanging cymbal (see 1 Cor. 13). (Do we REALLY believe that?!)
But here's the point I want to make. The last line of the chorus says this: "There’s only one way they’ll come and its love." The problem is that this isn't correct either! True, people won't "come around" with mere slick speech, good tracts and theological debate. But they also won't come around through love either!
Don't believe me? Look at the life of Christ. What greater evangelist has there ever been? Who has ever preached the gospel like Him? Who has ever lived a greater life of sacrificial love than our Lord? And yet, not even He won over everyone He shared the Gospel with.
The bottom line is this: without love, ALL of our efforts are worthless and are a stench in the nostrils of God. But even love is not enough; we need the power of God through the Holy Spirit. We need to preach the gospel "by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven" (1 Pet. 1:12). We need the wind of God to blow (John 3:8), or nothing will be accomplished. Sometimes the wind will blow 3000 into the kingdom (Acts 2), and sometimes just one (Acts 16:14). God is responsible for the increase (1 Cor. 3:6).
Whatever the case, we can be sure that there will be no results whatsoever apart from the working of the Spirit of God. Even the purest gospel combined with the most sacrificially loving life will bear no fruit without the aid of the Spirit. We must pray brothers and sisters; we must pray for the wind of God to blow.
I thought I’d win them all with words
I’d say a smooth little line to win the room every time
And they’d be moved by what they heard
My tongue as empty as my heart
It’s not enough to play the part
O Jesus give me more than words
CHORUS:
We pass out paper facts all week but they won’t come around
We can debate theology but they won’t come around
Apologetic reasoning but they won’t come around come around
There’s only one way they’ll come and its love
I am a one man marching band
And you’ll be mighty surprised to realize just how I’m playing my songs
Its all live music ten till one come hear some cymbal crashing, son
And maybe hear me beat the gong
CHORUS
Men with other men loving the mammon more than God, man
They’re in a sinking ship and who can save them? God can
Maybe for a minute I can get back to the heart of it
Sure I’ve got zeal but does love have a part in it?
Passionate words and beautiful phrases
They just don’t mean much if I don’t have Jesus in it
CHORUS
And its love
And its love
And its love
And its love
The central point of the song is clear: winning people to Christ requires more than smooth speech, passing out tracts, and being able to win theological debates. It requires a life of love poured out for the sake of others. Apart from love, ALL of our efforts are nothing more than a noisy gong and clanging cymbal (see 1 Cor. 13). (Do we REALLY believe that?!)
But here's the point I want to make. The last line of the chorus says this: "There’s only one way they’ll come and its love." The problem is that this isn't correct either! True, people won't "come around" with mere slick speech, good tracts and theological debate. But they also won't come around through love either!
Don't believe me? Look at the life of Christ. What greater evangelist has there ever been? Who has ever preached the gospel like Him? Who has ever lived a greater life of sacrificial love than our Lord? And yet, not even He won over everyone He shared the Gospel with.
The bottom line is this: without love, ALL of our efforts are worthless and are a stench in the nostrils of God. But even love is not enough; we need the power of God through the Holy Spirit. We need to preach the gospel "by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven" (1 Pet. 1:12). We need the wind of God to blow (John 3:8), or nothing will be accomplished. Sometimes the wind will blow 3000 into the kingdom (Acts 2), and sometimes just one (Acts 16:14). God is responsible for the increase (1 Cor. 3:6).
Whatever the case, we can be sure that there will be no results whatsoever apart from the working of the Spirit of God. Even the purest gospel combined with the most sacrificially loving life will bear no fruit without the aid of the Spirit. We must pray brothers and sisters; we must pray for the wind of God to blow.
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