CAN THE SUPER BOWL TEACH US ABOUT WORSHIP?
If we worshiped God on Sunday morning with the same enthusiasm as we watched the Super Bowl on Sunday afternoon, there would be more people in church. But mustering up fake enthusiasm doesn’t impress God or help you. It needs to be real. What is it that makes fans so intense about their football teams? What can the Super Bowl teach us about what truly drives authentic worship?
1. The more invested you are, the more exciting it is.
If you watch every game, you care more. It’s partly the time and memories you’ve invested. Those fans that dress up and spend money on tickets and airfare are obviously going to be more into it. Anyone with money riding on the game cares more about the score.
It’s the same in worship. The more time and money you give to God, the more you will care. Jesus said “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. If worship is boring to you, maybe you need to give more in the offering or volunteer time to serve somewhere.
2. The more you know the story, the more engaged you are.
The NFL does pregame interviews and hype to help you enter into the story. When you know what the players, coaches and teams have overcome to get where they are, you feel more engaged. Your team goes from them to us. We need to beat our rival.
The more you know the back story of God and his rivals, the more worship will come naturally. If you have trouble engaging, maybe you need to read your Bible more to remember the story you are in. God’s enemy is our enemy. We are in this together.
3. The higher the stakes, the greater the energy.
The energy increases when the game is close. It is especially intense when this is the Super Bowl. As the clock ticks down, the stress goes up. Players feed off the energy of the fans. Fans feel the intensity of the players. The more important and the closer the game, the more it matters to everyone.
The church is God’s team. Ultimately, the victory over evil will be his. But in the mean time, the stakes are high. Our brothers and sisters are getting clipped, held, speared and taken out right and left. The other team doesn’t play fair. But we are winning. Jesus is leading our team to victory in a game winning drive that makes Tom Brady look like a fourth grader.
When we worship, we advance the ball down the field and take ground from the enemy. If you knew what was at stake and how much time was left in the game, you would be on your feet cheering and shouting.