There’s an old saying surrounding Cowboy’s stadium: the hole in the roof is there so God can watch His favorite team play. I don’t know about my Father’s NFL preferences, but I know that God showed up on March 6th for the Harvest America crusade.
Two of my brothers in Christ (both Summit Jags, I am slightly ashamed to say) and our sisters jumped out of the car in front of AT&T stadium, spirits high in the anticipation of seeing God work in mighty ways. Having prayed over the event for a good month, it was absolutely amazing to see the insane amount of people who had shown up, either to worship the God of the universe or find out what the big deal was. We continued to pray for the latter as we looked for a few empty seats in the huge stadium, which by now was almost full. We ended up behind the stage, and watched the whole thing on the giant screen, which was alright with me.
The event took off with Switchfoot, a Gospel rock band, and never really landed. After a few songs, Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman ran into the crowd and proceeded to take selfies and steal people’s hats, which was so taxing on the old boy that he never really completed a lyric after that. MercyMe followed and lead the offering, and continued to lift up the stadium with their hits. By this time, the live broadcast had began, and over 7,000 host locations from all 50 states and 50 other countries had tuned in to see the spectacle. The next artist on the lineup was Christian Hip-Hop star Lecrae, who I was particularly excited to see live. Finally, Chris Tomlin, one of the most famous Christian artists in the world, led us in worship. Jesus worked in people’s hearts the whole time.
As Tomlin and his band set their gear down and walked backstage, Pastor Greg Laurie walked forward to the pulpit. We immediately began to pray. “Father, there are people here that don’t know you. Work, Jesus, and call people to You.” Man, do I serve a God who answers prayers.
Laurie began his message with 3 things that are true for all of us: we’re all lonely, we’re all guilty, and we’re all afraid to die. We are all born with a God-shaped hole in our soul, and by constantly trying to fill it, we find ourselves lonelier and lonelier than before. Acceptance. Popularity. Drugs, relationships, status, sex, Twitter followers, you name it – all the things that that we try to fill that hole with only drive us further from the one thing that can make us complete: Jesus. Laurie titled his message the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and told a story about two people who met Jesus and had their lives changed.
The first individual was a pharisee named Nicodemus in John 3. He was a “good” man, super religious and respected by most in the religious community. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, so as not to be seen and thought less of and began to talk with Him. We can see that Nicodemus tried to fill his God-shaped hole with religion and status. Jesus, without skipping a beat, answered the question that was plaguing this Jewish leader’s heart. We see Jesus’ answer in John 3:3: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus calls this man to do the one thing that can allow him to spend eternity in heaven: trust in Christ, and be made new by the Spirit of God.
In the very next chapter we see the second person changed by an encounter with Jesus, who was perhaps the total opposite of Nicodemus: Scripture calls her the woman at the well. This lady was a Samaritan, and because of history between Jews and Samaritans, she was considered “unclean” or an “infidel”. Most Jewish leaders would walk all the way around Samaria rather than go through. But not Jesus. Now this woman wasn’t just a Samaritan, she was considered “bad” even by people in her own country. The woman at the well was an adulterer, having had five husbands and other partners. She had attempted to fill her need for a Savior with relationships. The woman was getting water at noon instead of early in the morning, because all the other women in the area, who all came to draw water in the morning, wanted nothing to do with her. THIS is the person who Jesus, God incarnate, approaches, and simply asks for a drink. She is confused and asks in verse 9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” In verse 10, Jesus completely turns the conversation. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” Christ is offering this woman, this sinner, totally unable to come into the presence of God, “ a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Eternity in heaven.
So there’s the good, and the bad. But who is the ugly?
Every single one of us.
The Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Our sin makes us ugly in God’s sight, and makes it impossible for us to come into His presence. But God the Father so loved us that He sent His own son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life in this dark and sinful world. Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years, teaching, preaching, and never once sinning. And then, in the greatest act of love and grace ever shown by any being in the history of ever, Christ took our sin on His shoulders, endured the full wrath of God’ and died. Jesus died. But that’s not the ending. Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. He lived the life we couldn’t live, died the death we should have died, and payed the price we could never pay so we could come into a relationship with Him. And He pursuing you right now.
Laurie finished His message, and the band came back onstage and began to play softly. The speaker called on all those listening, packed into the stadium and all over the world, to bow their heads, close their eyes and cry out to Jesus. He prayed over all of us as souls came into the family of God. Upon finishing the prayer, Laurie called all those who wanted to answer Jesus’ call to the floor of the stadium. It was one of the most God-filled moments I have ever experienced. For the next 20 minutes over 6000 people, every single one a soul about to find truth, peace and new life, filed through the stadium and onto the field. The floor of Cowboys stadium was filled to capacity, and there were so many people accepting Christ that they had to use overflow rooms!
The night ended with a worship party with Chris Tomlin, and after screaming praises to our amazing Father, it was finally time to leave. I am so humbled by the power of God. That He would deem all of us, filthy, worthless sinners who could never experience true love, joy or peace without Him worthy of the sacrifice of Jesus simply boggles my mind. I truly do serve a Good, Good Father.
But perhaps you haven’t given in to Jesus, taken hold of this free gift of eternal life, this gift that will cost you everything. Christ is calling you to Himself, not to some wishy-washy religion full of rules and do-nots. He is calling you to a real relationship with Him, talking, walking, serving, worshipping the only one deserving of worship. He is calling you to the person of Love: Himself. So whether you are a Nicodemus, who knows all the answers and follows all the rules, or the woman at the well, a “bad” person, ashamed and broken, Jesus came for YOU. And take it from me, a life lived for my Jesus is so worth dying for. Work, Lord.
Watch Greg Laurie’s message here.
