A man walks into a Chicago restaurant with his dog. He begs them to let the dog in. “You see,” he says, “you're playing the Bears game, and my dog is a really big fan of the Bears." Just then, the Bears get a first down. The dog goes wild. He jumps up on the bar and hops around in circles on his hind legs. Then he does the same on his front legs! The waiter is astounded and asks, “If he gets that excited when the Bears get a first down, what does he do when they get a touchdown?" "I don't know," confesses the owner, "I've only had him for five years."
My apologies to all Bears fans.
Many of us have a favorite sports team that we love to cheer for. One of my bucket list items is to see the Patriots play in person.
We love to cheer for them, encourage them and hope for the best for them. We even get so excited that if we are at the game and our team scores we will high five and hug complete strangers!
I believe God wants us to have that kind of excitement when it comes to His church. If you are like me you would rather be at a sporting event than watch it on TV. The same is true of going to church. We can watch in on TV, but we miss the interactions, the “high fives” and “hugs” that we can only get when we are together with other people who are chasing after God alongside of us.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
We are called to love God and others together. That is why we encourage people to come on Sundays and to get plugged into a life group.
It’s the way God wired us. He wants us to be a team player, not just a spectator.