Jesus Culture (Feat. Bryan Torwalt) – Sound of Adoration

Jesus Culture began as a Bethel Church youth group in Redding, California.  Led by pastor Banning Liebscher, they launched the very first Jesus Culture Conference in 1999.  They broke away from Bethel to become their own entity, moving their headquarters to Sacramento.

Much like Hillsong and Bethel Music, their discography is vast!

Also, check out my reviews of Fierce, In The River, Move, Your Love Never Fails, You Won’t Relent, and Rooftops.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.  I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.

1. What message does the song communicate?

We were formerly slaves to our lawbreaking, wayward sinners whose fate was eternal separation from God.  Yet, in our state of damnation, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, paid the penalty for our lawbreaking, making forgiveness of sins possible.  He rose again, defeating death and giving us hope for new life.  We who are His followers receive Christ’s grace.  We are free from sin, our former master.  The Son of God welcomes us into His loving arms.

In response, we worship Him with all that we have.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

All of it is Biblical.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

When we were lost ones
You were the Shepherd that carried us home

Jesus rescued us from our deadness in sin.  We are now alive in Him (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24).  References Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11 and John 10:14).

When we were prodigals
You ran to meet us with open arms

References Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-20, which represents the Father’s wide open arms for us when we repent of our lawbreaking and run to Him.

And we can’t hold back our praise

In response, we worship God with all of our hearts (Psalm 86:12, Psalm 103:1-2, Psalm 103:22, Psalm 119:10, and Psalm 138:1).

Side Note: I’m not sure if anyone else identifies with this, but I feel convicted when I sing an action that I’m not doing.  For example, if I sing “I lift my hands to praise you”, then I feel like a hypocrite when my hands aren’t in the air.  In this example, if I sing “we can’t hold back our praise”, then I must not hold back when I praise God.  I’ve often found myself not singing a line or two because the words don’t match what I’m doing at that moment.

[Verse 2]

When we were refugees
You were the One who took us in

God is our refuge (Genesis 15:1, Deuteronomy 33:29, 2 Samuel 22:3, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 12:5, Psalm 18:1-3, Psalm 20:1, Psalm 27:1-5, Psalm 28:7, Proverbs 30:5, Psalm 33:20, Psalm 34:19, Psalm 46:1-3, Psalm 57:1, Psalms 59:1, Psalm 71:1-6, Psalm 84:11, Psalm 89:18, Psalm 91:1-16, Psalm 115:9, Psalm 121:1-8, Psalm 140:4, Proverbs 14:26, Proverbs 18:10, Isaiah 41:10, 1 Corinthians 10:13, and 2 Thessalonians 3:3).

When we were enemies
You paid the price for all our sin

While we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).

And we can’t hold back our praise

Repeats Verse 1, line 5.

[Chorus]

This is the sound of adoration
Oh, how we love You
Jesus, we love You

Jesus Culture’s song is how they choose to worship Christ, expressing how much they love Him (1 Chronicles 16:23, Psalm 33:3, Psalm 96:1-2, Psalm 98:1, and Psalm 149:1).

You are the joy of all creation

Alludes to every knee that will bow and confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10-11).

Oh, how we love You
Jesus, we love You

Repeats lines 2 and 3.

[Verse 3]

You are the Risen One
You conquered death and made a way

Jesus rose again (Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29, Acts 1:3, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8), defeating death (Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14, Luke 20:35-36, 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 2 Timothy 1:10, and Hebrews 2:14) and making a way for us to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11, Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 1:20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, and Revelation 21:3-4).

You sang our freedom song

Not literally, but figuratively (see lines 1 and 2).

Now we are dancing on our chains

That is, we experience freedom from our slavery to sin (John 8:34, Romans 6:6, Romans 6:20-22, and 1 Corinthians 6:12).  Also, see Verse 1, lines 1 and 2.

And we can’t hold back our praise

Repeats Verse 1, line 5.

[Bridge]

By the cross, I am free

Our freedom was purchased by Jesus’ death (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).  Also, see Verse 1, lines 1 and 2, and Verse 3, line 3.

Your grace changes everything

God’s undeserved favor changes us (1 Corinthians 15:10, 1 Peter 1:13, and 2 Peter 3:18).

I was blind, now I see

Most likely, spiritual blindness (2 Kings 6:17, Luke 24:31, John 3:3, John 9:39, Acts 26:12-18, 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, and Ephesians 1:18), borrowed from John Newton’s Amazing Grace.

Your grace changes everything

Repeats line 2.

By the cross, I am free
Your grace changes everything
I was blind, now I see
Your grace changes everything

Repeats lines 1-4.

Everything

Essentially repeats line 2.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will likely conclude that this song is Christian, with words and phrases such as “risen one”, “you conquered death”, “cross”, and “I was blind, now I see” as dead giveaways.

Jesus Culture does a great job of mixing Christianese with common language, with the everyday explaining Christian terminology.  For example, In Verses 1 and 2, Jesus Culture makes the same point four times.  If an unbeliever doesn’t understand what “prodigal” or “sin” is, the word “lost” explains it.  If they don’t know who the “Shepherd” is, Chorus tells us it’s Jesus.  If they don’t understand “conquered death”, then “Risen One” points them to the resurrection of Jesus.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God, describing our lives before Christ, Jesus’ rescue, and our transformed lives after knowing Jesus.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Jesus Culture’s Sound of Adoration is wonderful.  It contains the four elements that I usually see in worship music:

1. We were lost/sinners/prodigals
2. Jesus saves us through His death, burial, and resurrection
3. We worship Christ because of His payment for our lawbreaking

Jesus Culture’s use of this formula, though saturated in the litany of Christian music, is accurate and glorifies God.  Jesus Culture mixes Christian and everyday language, with the latter explaining the former.  This makes interpretation easy for unbelievers.

I highly recommend this song for corporate worship.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Sound of Adoration (Live) (listen to the song)

Artist: Jesus Culture (Feat. Bryan Torwalt)

Album: Love Has a Name

Genre: Rock

Release Year: 2017

Duration: 4:13

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*Copyright © 2017 Jesus Culture Music (ASCAP), Jesus Culture Music Group (ASCAP), Capitol CMG Genesis (ASCAP), Capitol CMG Paragon (ASCAP) (adm. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com), Sing My Songs (BMI) Simply Global Songs (BMI) Phil Wickham Music (BMI) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.