126 Sermon Illustrations on Songs

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suffering and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Chorus

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary.

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see,

For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,

To pardon and sanctify me.

4. To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,

Its shame and reproach gladly bear;

Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,

Where His glory forever I’ll share.

*

[for some background on this hymn, see sermon #12473]

1. He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater

He sendeth more strength as our labours increase

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

Chorus

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

2. When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father's full giving is only begun.

*

1. We’ve a story to tell to the nations,

That shall turn their hearts to the right,

A story of truth and mercy,

A story of peace and light,

A story of peace and light.

Chorus

For the darkness shall turn to dawning,

And the dawning to noonday bright,

And Christ’s great kingdom shall come to earth,

The kingdom of love and light.

2. We’ve a song to be sung to the nations

That shall lift their hearts to the Lord,

A song that shall conquer evil

And shatter the spear and sword,

And shatter the spear and sword.

3. We’ve a message to give to the nations –

That the Lord who reigns from above

Has sent us His Son to save us

And show us that God is love,

And show us that God is love.

4. We’ve a Saviour to show to the nations

Who the pat of sorrow has trod,

That all of the world's great peoples

Might come to the truth of God,

Might come to the truth of God.

[See #16493 for the story behind this hymn.]

1. God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

2. You fearful saints, fresh courage take:

The clouds you so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

3. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning Providence

Faith sees a smiling face.

4. His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding ev’ry hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flow’r.

5. Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

[Tune “Dundee”]

*

1. Have you any room for Jesus,

He who bore your load of sin?

As He knocks and asks admission,

Sinner, will you let Him in?

Chorus

Room for Jesus, King of glory!

Hasten now, His word obey;

Swing the heart’s door widely open,

Bid Him enter while you may.

2.

Room for pleasure, room for business–

But for Christ the Crucified,

Not a place that He can enter

In the heart for which He died?

3.

Have you any room for Jesus,

As in grace He calls again?

O “today” is “time accepted,”

Later you may call in vain.

4.

Room and time now give to Jesus,

Soon will pass God’s day of grace;

Soon your heart left cold and silent,

And your Saviour’s pleading cease.

[Tune: “Any Room”]

1. Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates:

Behold the King of glory waits!

The King of kings is drawing near,

The Saviour of the world is here.

2. O blest the land, the city blest,

Where Christ the ruler is confessed!

O happy hearts and happy homes

To whom this King of triumph comes!

3. Fling wide the portals of your heart:

Make it a temple, set apart

From earthly use for heav’n’s employ,

Adorned with prayer and love and joy.

4. Redeemer, come! I open wide

My heart to Thee: here, Lord, abide!

Let me Thy inner presence feel:

Thy grace and love in me reveal.

5. So come, my Sov’reign, enter in!

Let new and nobler life begin!

Thy Holy Spirit guide us on,

Until the glorious crown be won.

[Tune: “Waltham” or “Duke Street”]

*

You have been a shelter, Lord,

to ev’ry generation,

to ev’ry generation.

A sanctuary from the storm,

to ev’ry generation,

to ev’ry generation, Lord.

*

1. God of our fathers, whose almighty hand

Leads forth in beauty all the starry band

Of shining worlds in splendour through the skies,

Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

2. Thy love divine hath led us in the past,

In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;

Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,

Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

3. From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,

Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;

Thy true religion in our hearts increase,

Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

4. Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,

Lead us from night to never ending day;

Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,

And glory, laud and praise be ever Thine!

[Tune “National Hymn”'

*

Shackled by a heavy burden,

’Neath a load of guilt and shame–

Then the hand of Jesus touched me,

And now I am no longer the same.

He touched me, O He touched me,

And O the joy that floods my soul!

Something happened, and now I know

He touched me and made me whole.

Since I met this blessed Saviour,

Since He cleansed and made me whole,

I will never cease to praise Him–

I'll shout it while eternity rolls.

*

When I look into your holiness,

when I gaze into Your loveliness,

When all things that surround

become shadows in the light of You.

When I've found the joy of reaching Your heart,

when my will becomes enthroned in Your love,

When all things that surround

become shadows in the light of You.

I worship You, I worship You.

The reason I live is to worship You.

I worship You, I worship You.

The reason I live is to worship You.

*

1. Meekness and majesty, manhood and Deity,

In perfect harmony, the Man who is God.

Lord of eternity, dwells in humanity;

Kneels in humility and washes our feet.

Chorus

Oh what a mystery,

meekness and majesty

Bow down and worship,

for this is your God.

2. Father's pure radiance, perfect in innocence;

Yet learns obedience to death on a cross.

Suff'ring to give us life, conquering through sacrifice;

And as they crucify prays, "Father, forgive."

3. Wisdom unsearchable, God, the invisible;

Love indestructible in frailty appears.

Lord of infinity, stooping so tenderly;

Lifts our humanity to the heights of His throne.

1. The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am His

And He is mine forever.

2. Where streams of living water flow

My ransomed soul He leadeth,

And where the verdant pastures grow

With food celestial feedeth.

3. Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,

But yet in love He sought me,

And on His shoulder gently laid,

And home rejoicing brought me.

4. In death’s dark vale I fear no ill

With Thou, dear Lord, beside me;

Thy rod and staff me comfort still,

Thy cross before to guide me.

5. And so through all the length of days

Thy goodness faileth never:

Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise

Within Thy house forever.

[Tune “Dominus Regit Me”]

*

1. One day when heaven was filled with His praises,

One day when sin was a black as could be,

Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,

Dwelt among men – my Example is He!

Chorus

Living – He loved me, dying He saved me,

Buried – He carried my sins far away;

Rising – He justified freely, forever:

One day He's coming – O glorious day!

2. One day they led him up Calvary's mountain,

One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;

Suffering anguish, despised and rejected

Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

3. One day, they left Him alone in the garden,

One day He rested, from suffering free;

Angels came down o’er His tomb to keep vigil–

Hope of the hopeless, my Saviour is He!

4. One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,

One day the stone rolled away from the door;

Then He arose, over death He had conquered,

Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

5. One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,

One day the skies with His glory will shine;

Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing!

Glorious Saviour, this Jesus is mine!

*

1. O the deep, deep love of Jesus –

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!

Rolling as a mighty ocean

In its fullness over me.

Underneath me, all around me,

Is the current of His love –

Leading onward, leading homeward,

To my glorious rest above.

2. O the deep, deep love of Jesus –

Spread His praise from shore to shore!

How He loveth, ever loveth,

Changeth never, nevermore:

How He watches o’er His loved ones,

Died to call them all His own;

How for them He intercedeth,

Watcheth o’er them from the throne!

3. O the deep, deep love of Jesus –

Love of ev’ry love the best!

’Tis an ocean vast of blessing,

’Tis a haven sweet of rest.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus –

’Tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me;

And it lifts me up to glory,

For it lifts me, Lord, to Thee!

[Tune “Ebenezer”]

*

1. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious — Thy great name we praise.

2. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;

Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above

Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

3. To all, life Thou givest — to both great and small,

In all life Thou livest — the true life of all;

We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,

And wither and perish — but naught changeth Thee.

4. Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;

All praise we would render — O help us to see

’Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee!

[Tune “St. Denio”]

*

1. Jesus loves me! this I know,

For the Bible tells me so;

Little ones to Him belong,

They are weak but He is strong.

Chorus:

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

2. Jesus loves me! He who died

Heaven’s gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin,

Let His little child come in.

3. Jesus loves me! He will stay

Close beside me all the way;

He’s prepared a home for me,

And some day His face I’ll see.

1. I sing the mighty pow’r of GOd

That made the mountains rise,

That spread the flowing seas abroad

And built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained

The sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at His command,

And all the stars obey.

2. I sing the goodness of the Lord

That filled the earth with food;

He formed the creatures with His word

And then pronounced them good.

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed

Where’er I turn my eye:

If I survey the ground I tread

Or gaze upon the sky!

3. There’s not a plan or flow’r below

But makes Thy glories known;

And clouds arise and tempests blow

By order from Thy throne;

Whole all that borrows life from Thee

Is ever in Thy care,

And ev’rywhere that man can be,

Thou, God, art present there.

[Tune “Ellacombe”]

1. From heav’n You came, helpless Babe,

Entered our world, Your glory veiled;

Not to be served but to serve,

And give Your life that we might live.

Chorus:

This is our God, the Servant King,

He calls us now to follow Him;

To bring our lives as a daily offering

Of worship to the Servant King.

2. There in the garden of tears,

My heavy load He chose to bear;

His heart with sorrow was torn,

“Yet not My will, but Yours,” He said.

3. Come, see His hands and His feet,

The scars that speak of sacrifice;

Hands that flung stars into space,

To cruel nails surrendered.

4. So, let us learn how to serve,

And in our lives enthrone Him;

Each other’s needs to prefer,

For it is Christ we’re serving.

He is our peace

who has broken down ev’ry wall,

He is our peace, He is our peace.

He is our peace

who has broken down ev’ry wall,

He is our peace, He is our peace.

Cast all your cares on Him

for He cares for you

He is our peace, He is our peace.

Cast all your cares on Him

for He cares for you

He is our peace, He is our peace.

Chorus (repeat)

“Fear not, for I am with you;

Fear not, for I am with you;

Fear not, for I am with you,”

says the LORD.

“I have redeemed you,

I have called you by name,”

Child, “you are Mine.

When you walk through the waters,

I will be there

And through the flame

You’ll not (no way!) be drowned,

you’ll not (no way!) be burned,

for I am with you.”

[The context tells us that the waters and the flame here are not physical dangers. The preceding chapter ends with a pronouncement of God’s fire, His punishment, upon Israel for their wickedness. Isaiah 28 uses the picture of the flood for God’s punishment upon Ephraim for their evil ways. Later in Isaiah 28, God promises that He will deliver a “residue” or remnant from His punishment; the same theme is to be found in Isaiah 43. So don’t join the band of those now died-out sects the “serpent handlers” and the “fire walkers!” For those who are the redeemed of God, when the punishmebnt comes, they will be spared, for Christ, who is our life, was punished in our room and stead. — RGH]

1. Marvellous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured –

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Chorus

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

2. Sin and despair, like the sea-waves cold,

Threaten the soul with infinite loss;

Grace that is greater – yes, grace untold –

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

3. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide –

What can avail to wash it away?

Look! there is flowing a crimson tide –

Whiter than snow you may be today.

4. Marvellous, infinite, matchless grace,

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face,

Will you this moment His grace receive?

1. Days are filled with sorrow and care,

Hearts are lonely and drear;

Burdens are lifted at Calvary –

Jesus is very near.

Chorus

Burdens are lifted at Calvary,

Calvary, Calvary;

Burdens are lifted at Calvary –

Jesus is very near.

2. Cast your care on Jesus today,

Leave your worry and fear;

Burdens are lifted at Calvary –

Jesus is very near.

3. Troubled soul, the Saviour can see

Ev’ry heartache and tear;

Burdens are lifted at Calvary –

Jesus is very near.

1. Who is on the Lord’s side?

Who will serve the King?

Who will be His helpers,

Other lives to bring?

Who will leave the world’s side?

Who will face the foe?

Who is on the Lord’s side?

Who for Him will go?

By Thy call of mercy,

Chorus

By Thy grace divine,

We are on the Lord’s side–

Saviour, we are Thine!

2. Not for weight of glory,

Not for crown and palm,

Enter we the army,

Raise the warrior psalm;

But for Love that claimeth

Lives for whom He died:

He whom Jesus nameth

Must be on His side.

By Thy love constraining,

3. Jesus, Thou hast baught us,

Not for gold or gem,

But with Thine own lifeblood,

For Thy diadem.

With Thy blessing filling

Each who comes to Thee,

Thou hast made us willing,

Thou hast made us free.

By Thy grand redemption,

4. Fierce may be the conflict,

Strong may be the foe,

But King’s own army

None can overthrow.

Round His standard ranging,

Vict’ry is secure,

For His truth unchanging

Makes the triumph sure.

Joyfully enlisting

1. Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim,

And publish abroad His wonderful name;

The name, all victorious, of Jesus extol;

His kingdom is glorious, He rules over all.

2. God ruleth on high, almighty to save,

And still He is nigh, His presence we have;

The great congregation His triumph shall sing,

Ascribing salvation to Jesus, our King.

3. "Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!"

Let all cry aloud, and honour the Son;

The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim,

Fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb.

4. Then let us adore, and give Him His right—

All glory and pow’r, all wisdom and might,

All honour and blessing, with angels above,

And thanks never-ceasing, and infinite love.

[Tune “Hanover” or “Lyons”]

*

Hide me, Lord, in Your holiness,

Ev’ry sin I now confess.

Praise to You, forgiving Lord,

Hide me in Your holiness,

Hide me in Your holiness.