Like many church families today, our worship often includes a wonderful song by Hillsong Music titled “Mighty to Save”. The lyrics are:
Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations
[Chorus:]
Saviour, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever, Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender
[Chorus 2x]
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen king Jesus [2x]
[Chorus 2x]
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen king Jesus [6x]
Each time we sing this, I am reminded of the words of J. I. Packer in his book titled Keeping in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2005, p. 57.):
The Holy Spirit’s distinctive new covenant role, then, is to fulfill what we may call a floodlight ministry in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. So far as this role was concerned, the Spirit “was not yet” (John 7:39, literal Greek) while Jesus was on earth; only when the Father had glorified him (see John 17:1, 5) could the Spirit’s work of making men aware of Jesus’ glory begin.
I remember walking to a church one winter evening to preach on the words “he shall glorify me,” seeing the building floodlit as I turned a corner, and realizing that this was exactly the illustration my message needed.
When floodlighting is well done, the floodlights are so placed that you do not see them; you are not in fact supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you see it properly. This perfectly illustrates the Spirit’s new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior.
Or think of it this way. It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder, on Jesus, who stands facing us.
The Spirit’s message is never, “Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me,” but always “Look at him, and see his glory; listen to him, and hear his word; go to him, and have life; get to know him, and taste his gift of joy and peace.”
The Spirit, we might say, is the matchmaker, the celestial marriage broker, whose role it is to bring us and Christ together and ensure that we stay together.
Well said, Dr. Packer! In light of your inspired words, I add my voice to the impassioned chorus and sing with joy: “Shine, Spirit, Shine! Shine your light and let the whole world see!”
And if someone asks, "Let the world see what?" I respond, "Let the world see that our only purpose in singing is for the glory of the Risen King, Jesus Christ! To Him be glory and honor, forever and ever! Amen!"
SOURCE: As cited at : http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/
2010/09/21/the-holy-spirits-hidden-floodlight-ministry/. Note: this is also found in Packer’s earlier book: Your Father Loves You (Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986).
LYRICS: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/hillsongunited/mightytosave.html.
See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y.
As well as: http://hillsong.com/music/.
Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations
[Chorus:]
Saviour, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever, Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender
[Chorus 2x]
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen king Jesus [2x]
[Chorus 2x]
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen king Jesus [6x]
Each time we sing this, I am reminded of the words of J. I. Packer in his book titled Keeping in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2005, p. 57.):
The Holy Spirit’s distinctive new covenant role, then, is to fulfill what we may call a floodlight ministry in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. So far as this role was concerned, the Spirit “was not yet” (John 7:39, literal Greek) while Jesus was on earth; only when the Father had glorified him (see John 17:1, 5) could the Spirit’s work of making men aware of Jesus’ glory begin.
I remember walking to a church one winter evening to preach on the words “he shall glorify me,” seeing the building floodlit as I turned a corner, and realizing that this was exactly the illustration my message needed.
When floodlighting is well done, the floodlights are so placed that you do not see them; you are not in fact supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you see it properly. This perfectly illustrates the Spirit’s new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior.
Or think of it this way. It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder, on Jesus, who stands facing us.
The Spirit’s message is never, “Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me,” but always “Look at him, and see his glory; listen to him, and hear his word; go to him, and have life; get to know him, and taste his gift of joy and peace.”
The Spirit, we might say, is the matchmaker, the celestial marriage broker, whose role it is to bring us and Christ together and ensure that we stay together.
Well said, Dr. Packer! In light of your inspired words, I add my voice to the impassioned chorus and sing with joy: “Shine, Spirit, Shine! Shine your light and let the whole world see!”
And if someone asks, "Let the world see what?" I respond, "Let the world see that our only purpose in singing is for the glory of the Risen King, Jesus Christ! To Him be glory and honor, forever and ever! Amen!"
SOURCE: As cited at : http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/
2010/09/21/the-holy-spirits-hidden-floodlight-ministry/. Note: this is also found in Packer’s earlier book: Your Father Loves You (Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986).
LYRICS: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/hillsongunited/mightytosave.html.
See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y.
As well as: http://hillsong.com/music/.