Have you ever been to a game or been at an event where you have really gone for it? Not worried about who is around you and what they might think, you just shout out or lift your hands, punching the air and giving it some?
British culture can be a little bit, well, stiff upper lip old boy. Self-restraint in the face of emotion, fortitude and courage in the face of adversity. I love all that stuff but actually, sometimes we need to just give it some!
Let me explain.
We are building up to the Gathering now, and there is one thing I love to see there, it blokes giving it some in worship and wonder at how amazing God is.
I remember a young guy came to the front at last years Gathering to kneel at the foot of the cross for the first time. As he did so, behind him were four fellas, his uncles. They were giving it some, in a big way! Punching the air, face full of tears and just celebrating at how amazing the grace of God really is.
Why don’t we see that more? In our churches, factories, building sites, prisons, on the street and in the boardrooms? Maybe you do see it?
As I am writing this I am at the HUB, I was getting updates on Instagram, and a mate of ours called Simon Edwards had just put up a photo of him sharing Jesus in a Prison. 27 fellas gave their life to following Jesus!
That made me pumped, like I had just lifted 130kg deadlift in the gym! (I did this on one occasion and seriously hurt my back, ended my heavy lift career early)
When I read this post, I wanted to scream out, ‘yes LORD, what a result! HAVE IT!!!!!’ But I clicked on the little like button instead, ‘ah that’s nice, well done boys.’
What’s going on? This is the best news ever and we need to get excited about this stuff because Jesus saves! He transforms the hardest of hearts and calls to the deep in us to come alive. That is flippin exciting.
Last weekend I went to the Message Trust where Beechy and Andy Hawthorne are taking ground like there’s no tomorrow. 100 evangelists, all ages, all backgrounds came together to get seriously excited about Jesus and his message of hope.
It was amazing, why? Because this is what we are about, if we follow Jesus our
Captain and friend he is excited about people finding him, so we need to be too. If you have lost that passion, then recapture it’s urgency, the drive and passion for seeing people saved from sin and an eternal separation from the most wonderful creator who made them for more.
Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
Photo Credit: Andre Hunter
