"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"
-Romans 10:14-15
I was recently at the state volleyball tournament in Yakima, Wash., for the 1A state title game. I traveled on a "rooter bus" with some of the students from the school. They had been such a supportive crowd all year, getting dressed up in crazy outfits and always being loud and supportive to our girls' team, which finished 4th in state. The volleyball team thinks that the fans had a lot to do about their success. That day, as I was watching our student body, who were dressed in crazy costumes and face paint, cheering as one, I got an image in my mind. What if. . . What if that was how we were to worship God and spread the Good News about what He has done?
The students were dressed up in these crazy, clashing outfits, all in blue and gold. Not one person felt left out of place or self conscious about what they looked like. What if that was how we approached our faith--not self conscious, not feeling out of place, but being bold and sporting our true colors or faith in a crazy way.
The student section was loud at all times. They were yelling and screaming till their throats were hurting and their voices lost. What if. . . What if that's how we worshiped the Lord, preaching and sharing loudly for all to hear and not caring what we sounded like or what we would say, but just caring that we were loud enough so that we would drown out anything that was against our team?
The student section was filled with students from all over the school: athletes and non-athletes, those in the arts and those known for great grades. Even teachers and parents united together for one purpose and didn't care whom they were standing next to or what they did outside of school. What if. . . What if that's how we as a group of Christians lived our lives, unified for one purpose: to spread the Good News of Christ? As it says in Romans 10:14, ". . .And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?"
What if we played, coached and lived our lives daily like the student section: bold in our faith, yelling loudly about Christ, banded together with our fellow brothers and sisters from all social groups, all yelling for our favorite team. . .God's team!
1. Are you a part of Christ's fan base?
2. Could you be bold enough to join in this section and put aside all self-consciousness?
3. Would God be able to hear you from the court?
Psalm 96
Jeremiah 20:9