[Title: I WAS ASHAMED, NOW I'M A WITNESS] [Long Instrumental Intro] [Verse 1] Shame says— your worst chapter benched you. Christ says— Feed my sheep. He told Peter before the fall— I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. [Silence] Before Peter ever wept, Christ was already talking about who Peter would strengthen afterward. [Instrumental] Then came the cock. Then came the tears. Then came the risen Lord— Feed my sheep. FOLLOW ME. [Instrumental Build] [Chorus] I WAS ASHAMED. NOW I'M A WITNESS. Not— look what I survived. LOOK WHAT THE LORD HATH DONE FOR ME. I WAS ASHAMED. NOW I'M A WITNESS. THE GLORY IS HIS. [Post-Chorus] Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. [Long Melodic Instrumental] [Verse 2] Paul said— Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Then— for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. [Silence] A PATTERN. Somebody coming behind him would need to know— Christ has mercy for people like me. [Instrumental] [Verse 3] Then a woman left her waterpot and went her way into the city. Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? [Silence] She did not become the attraction. CHRIST DID. Her history became part of the sentence that pointed away from herself— COME. SEE. CHRIST. [Instrumental Build] [Chorus] I WAS ASHAMED. NOW I'M A WITNESS. Not— I was worthy after all. Not— look how strong I became. I KNOW WHAT HE DOES WITH PEOPLE LIKE ME. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. I WAS ASHAMED. NOW I'M A WITNESS. THE GLORY IS HIS. [Long Instrumental Drop] [Bridge] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, AND NOT OF US. [Silence] Not every shame was yours to earn. Not every wound was yours to confess. [Instrumental] But whatever made your face look down— when Christ lifts it, somebody still looking down may see where you looked. [Build] So don't show them the vessel and forget the treasure. Don't show them the scar and forget the Healer. Don't make your testimony a monument to you. Tell them— HOW GREAT THINGS THE LORD HATH DONE FOR THEE. [Long Instrumental] [Breakdown] Peter— STRENGTHEN THY BRETHREN. FEED MY SHEEP. [Instrumental] Paul— FOR A PATTERN TO THEM WHICH SHOULD HEREAFTER BELIEVE. [Instrumental] The woman— COME, SEE A MAN. [Instrumental] The delivered man— TELL THEM HOW GREAT THINGS THE LORD HATH DONE. [Silence] Different mouths. SAME GLORY. [Hard Silence] [Huge Melodic Drop] [Final Chorus] I WAS ASHAMED! NOW I'M A WITNESS! Mercy gave me something to tell! Compassion gave me somebody to point to! I don't stand because I never fell. I don't speak because I never failed. I don't glory because I became something great. HE THAT GLORIETH, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD! Lift your face. Then turn it toward another bowed one. And when they ask how you got from there to here— DON'T POINT AT YOURSELF. POINT TO JESUS. [Long Instrumental Outro] [Outro] Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. [Silence] I was ashamed. Now I'm a witness. [Long Silence] JESUS IS THE LORD.
