At church, we’re in the middle of a sermon series called “The Word”. We’ve been reading through the first part of John and looking at how Jesus is revealed in the first 18 verses of that book. At the end of each sermon, we’ve been singing a song that talks about how Christ has won the victory in the second verse.
The first week of the sermon series, our pastor told us that when we get to the part of the song that says “the battle has been won” that collectively as a church, we were going to scream, shout, clap, holler, jump up and down, and overall just be really, really excited.
I’m sorry…what?
Literally, my first thought was “This is going to be awkward. I really hope everyone jumps on board with this or I’m going to look stupid.” There are so many fundamental things wrong with that statement as a whole, but let me just focus on what I see to be the main one.
You see, I’m generally a loud person.
I cheered when I last watched a Panthers football game, and I honestly could care less about football or the Panthers. (really…I. Don’t. Care.) I yelled “Congratulations!!” fairly loudly after two of my friends had just gotten married this past summer. I get really excited when I get to see my sisters, which often times involves jumping up and down followed by squeals of excitement. Y’all, when I was a toddler, my mom had to send me to my room because I would follow her around the house “talking her ears off” (her words, not mine). So as you can see, I have no problem making noise.
Except when it comes to this. For the past 4 or 5 Sundays, every time we get to the second verse of that song and it’s time to scream with excitement because the battle has been won, I freeze. I get quiet. I start to feel self conscious. I clap…very, very quietly.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME??!
If I can cheer for the Panthers, who I really don’t care about, then why am I not cheering for my God who sent his son to DIE for me? Why am I not screaming at the top of my lungs to praise the one who was ridiculed, beaten, and hung on a cross so that I might live? Why am I not shouting and dancing and singing before the one who looked upon me and called me his daughter and forgave me, when I didn’t deserve it?
The bottom line: I should be doing all of those things and more, because He is the King of the universe
So, take this post as me screaming and shouting for God’s glory, because His love is never-ending, and because He has beaten death and sin…HE HAS WON!
“Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.” Psalm 66:1-2
