The New Evangelists

In the last few years, it has dawned on me that God has been doing a powerful new thing through gifted musicians/songwriters like Mathew West, LeCrae and Kari Jobe. They are the new Billy Grahams that God has raised up to proclaim the Gospel in Song to today’s world.

The young people of our culture are passionate about music. God, in his rich mercy, has raised up Song evangelists like Tenth Avenue North and Sidewalk Prophets to connect with a new generation of teens and young adults. The great thing of these new evangelists is that they also connect with middle-aged and senior folk.

We may not, on the surface, think of these musicians as evangelists and preachers, but they certainly are. When I attend the various Winter Jam tours of these gifted individuals and groups and listen to their songs on the radio, I am overwhelmed by their faithfulness and depth to God’s Word and to the Gospel. LeCrae is not just a rapper but a great Bible teacher. Just carefully listen to his lyrics.

The Message is in the Song

For example, this past Sunday, we had a healing service at our church. I preached on Luke 8:40-56, Jesus’s healing of the woman with a 12-year issue of blood and his raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead. In my message, I quoted from Mercy Me’s song “The Hurt and The Healer”.

Let me quote some of the words from this song which were written by Mercy Me’s lead singer, Bart Millard, in a time of great personal loss:

Why?
The question that is never far away
The healing doesn’t come from the explained
Jesus please don’t let this go in vain
You’re all I have
All that remains

So here I am
What’s left of me
Where glory meets my suffering

I’m alive
Even though a part of me has died
You take my heart and breathe it back to life
I’ll fall into Your arms open wide
When the hurt and the healer collide

Breathe
Sometimes I feel it’s all that I can do
Pain so deep that I can hardly move
Just keep my eyes completely fixed on You
Lord take hold and pull me through

So here I am
What’s left of me
Where glory meets my suffering………..

It’s the moment when humanity
Is overcome by majesty
When grace is ushered in for good
And all our scars are understood
When mercy takes its rightful place
And all these questions fade away
When out of the weakness we must bow
And hear You say it’s over now…………..

Jesus come and break my fear
Awake my heart and take my tears
Find Your glory even here
When the hurt and the healer collide.

Lyrics © MUSIC SERVICES, INC

May the music continue to play. May the Lord continue to proclaim His word and the Gospel through the Mathew Wests’ and Lauren Daigles’ of the world. Lord, raise up even more Song-Evangelists and Song-Teachers among us. Keep pouring out new wine in new wineskins.

QOTD: Do you agree with the statement that some of the great new evangelists of the Gospel are musicians like LeCrae and Kari Jobe?