In the last week Kanye West released a new album entitled Jesus is King. Kanye’s conversion to Christianity, and subsequent release of a gospel album, have caused no little controversy. Jesus is King has been the number one album on iTunes. The phrase “Jesus is King” was the number one trending topic on Twitter for three days straight. Spotify, the music streaming service, displayed a 30 story digital sign in New York City’s Times Square that said, “Jesus is King.”
The website factsandtrends.net released a study this week that said, “Google Trends show phrases mentioned on the album like ‘Jesus is Lord’ and the album name itself have had dramatically increased searches since Friday. Online searchers have also been trying to find more information about specific Bible verses mentioned on ‘Jesus is King.’ Bible Gateway’s website search traffic for John 8:33 and John 8:36 (mentioned in the song ‘Selah’ increased about 10 times on the day West released Jesus is King, according to Jonathan Peterson, content manager for the Bible-reading website. According to Google Trends, the verses saw as much as a 700% increase in recent online searches.”
Needless to say, the release of Jesus is King is a significant moment in 2019. The message of Jesus Christ does not need validation from celebrities. However, Christians should take notice that things we believe are being promoted and talked about on platforms that we might not be privileged to have ourselves. What we have been given is the opportunity to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am not endorsing a person, rather I am pointing to Jesus Christ. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to share the gospel, I am going to employ various song titles, and lyrics from Kanye West’s Jesus is King album.
Jesus is King
First, the album title: Jesus is King. This is a bold declaration in today’s cultural climate. Government is not king. Money is not king. Popularity is not king. Politics is not king. Tolerance is not king. Celebrity is not king. Sports is not king. Music is not king. Entertainment is not king. There is only one King, and that is Jesus. Jesus is not nominated or voted in as King. Jesus is King over all!
Scripture plainly declares that Jesus is King over all:
- The King of Israel (Jn. 1:49)
- The King of the Saints (Rev. 15:3)
- The King over all the earth (Zech. 14:4,5,9)
- The King of Righteousness (Heb. 7:2)
- The King of Peace (Heb. 7:2)
- The King of Glory (Ps. 24:10)
- The King of Ages (1 Tim. 1:17)
- The King of Kings (Rev. 17:14; 19:16)
Kanye wrote in Selah:
“God is King, we the soldiers.
Ultrabeam out the solar,
when I get to heaven’s gates,
I ain’t gotta look over.”
He wrote in God is:
“King of Kings, Lord of Lords,
all the things he has in store,
from the rich to the poor,
all are welcome
through the Door”
(Rev. 3:20; 19:16)
Jesus is the King! Does He reign in your life? Jesus has a kingdom and in order for you to see and enter the kingdom of God you must be born again of the water and the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-8).
Jesus is Lord
“So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11).
Jesus is not just the King, He is Christ the Lord! This expression of Christ’s Lordship declares His rights over creation and humanity. References to Jesus as Lord, or to His Lordship, in the New Testament totals more than 650 times, 170 of those references are in the Gospels.
Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All other kings and lords must submit to Jesus’ Lordship and Kingship. He will not yield His authority to another. Likewise, you must submit to Christ’s Lordship if you are going to be His servant. You must confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9), for whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13). Peter declared on the Day of Pentecost:
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself’” (Acts 2:36–39).
Listen to what Kanye says in the song On God,
“How you get so much favor on your side?
Accept Him as your Lord and Savior, I replied.”
We all must surrender our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Water
One of my favorite tracks on Jesus is King is the song entitled “Water.”
“Clean us like the rain in spring
Take the chlorine out our conversation
Let Your light reflect on me
I promise I’m not hiding anything
It’s water
We are water
Pure as water
Like a newborn daughter”
Water is a biblical theme throughout the Old and New Testaments. Water was used metaphorically in reference to salvation: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isa. 12:3). Jesus referred the Holy Spirit as Living Water (John 4:10-15; 7:37-39). Water is associated with baptism as a cleansing from our sins (Ez. 36:25; Zech. 13:11; Matt. 3:11,16; Acts 2:38; 22:16). Water is used in reference to Scripture (Eph. 5:26).
Washing is necessary for our salvation. The actual water that is used to baptize does not do the washing, rather it is the obedience to Christ’s commands, and His ability to cleanse us from all unrighteousness:
“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).
Kanye continues in Water:
“Jesus, flow through us
Jesus, heal the bruises
Jesus, clean the music
Jesus, please use us
Jesus, please help
Jesus, please heal
Jesus, please forgive
Jesus, please reveal
Jesus, give us strength
Jesus, make us well
Jesus, help us live
Jesus, give us wealth
Jesus is our safe
Jesus is our rock
Jesus, give us grace
Jesus, keep us safe”
Jesus the King will heal, deliver, forgive, and reveal!
Tell the Devil You’re On Strike
One of my favorite lines on the album is found in the song Hands On:
“Told the devil that I’m going on a strike
Told the devil when I see him, on sight
I’ve been working for you my whole life
Told the devil that I’m going on a strike
I’ve been working for you my whole life”
Here is a man whose life has changed. What makes Kanye’s turnaround so significant is the dramatic shift from the lifestyle and content he produced previously to what he’s doing now. Repentance is turning away from the old life, and facing Christ (Acts 11:21; 20:21). Repentance is a change of heart, and a change of action (Matt. 3:8). You need to switch your attitude,
If we say we do not have any sin, then we are deceiving ourselves (Rom. 3:23; 1 Jn. 1:8). However, recognizing our sinful nature and ways, and repenting, then Jesus the King will forgive us (1 Jn. 1:9).
Only if they knew what I knew, uh
I was never new ’til I knew of
True and living God, Yeshua
The true and living God
Many need to declare to the devil that you are on strike! Proclaim with a loud voice that you are free from sin, free from the darkness, and living in the Light of Jesus the King!
Listen to what Kanye says in Selah:
“Won’t be in bondage to any man
John 8:33
We the descendants of Abraham
Ye should be made free
John 8:36
To whom the son set free is free indeed
He saved a wretch like me”
Every Hour We Need Him
Throughout the album Kanye reveals how much he needs Jesus the King. On the first track, Every Hour the gospel choir sings:
“Sing every hour (Every hour, ’til the power)
Every minute (Every minute, of the Lord)
Every second (Every second, comes)
Sing each and every millisecond (Down)
We need you (We need you, sing ’til the power)
We need you (We need you, of the Lord)
We need you (Comes)
Oh, we need you (Down)”
It is in Jesus the King that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Furthermore, Jesus the sustainer of all life:
“All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17).
What’s revealing is that here is a man who has made billions of dollars creating and producing music and even fashion. But in the song Everything We Need, the thick harmony sings:
“We have everything we need (Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, oh)
We have everything we need (Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, oh, oh)
We have everything we need (Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, oh)
We have everything we need (Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, oh, woah)
We have everything we need”
Since Jesus is King, He has everything we need:
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
All walks of life need Jesus the King. No matter the background, ancestry, economic situation, or walk of life, we need Jesus every hour!
Closed on Sunday
Finally, we must decide if we will submit to Jesus Christ’s kingship.
Closed on Sunday, you’re my Chick-fil-A
Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A
Hold the selfies, put the ’Gram away
Get your family, y’all hold hands and pray
When you got daughters, always keep ’em safe
Watch out for vipers, don’t let them indoctrinate
Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A
You’re my number one, with the lemonade
Raise our sons, train them in the faith
Through temptations, make sure they’re wide awake
Follow Jesus, listen and obey
No more livin’ for the culture, we nobody’s slave
I bow down to the King upon the throne
My life is His, I’m no longer my own
I pray to God that He’ll strengthen my hand
We give Jesus the first portion of our week and life:
“Everything that hath breath praise the Lord
Worship Christ with the best of your portions” (God Is)
“They say the week start on Monday
But the strong start on Sunday” (Selah)
Use This Gospel
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).
Brothers, and sisters, we have been given the greatest message. The good news is that Jesus is King, and He has come to seek and to save the lost (Lk. 19:10). If Jesus can save a wretch like me, He can save Kanye. The same message that you are hearing today is the same message that can save you. Change is within your reach!
Use this gospel for protection
It’s a hard road to Heaven
We call on Your blessings
In the Father, we put our faith
King of the kingdom
Our demons are tremblin’
Holy angels defendin’
In the Father, we put our faith