Champion of the World 

“…keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)

Recently I went to see the rock band Queen (plus Adam Lambert) live at the O2 arena; a performance which the Evening Standard called an ‘all-guns-blazing rock machine’. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but it warmed the cockles of this old rockers heart. The evening concluded with one of the group’s biggest rock anthems: ‘We are the Champions’ and was a fitting end to a spectacular show.

Way back in 1986, Noel Richards, a Christian worship leader, saw a TV programme with Queen playing live at Wembley Stadium. As they were singing ‘We are the Champions’ he thought to himself how incredible it was to see 70,000 people singing along with Freddie Mercury, their hands raised in adoration. So began a dream: To one day see Wembley Stadium and similar venues filled with Christians declaring that there is only one champion of the world, and his name is Jesus.

In 1994 Richards along with his wife wrote the song ‘Champion’ the opening verse and chorus of which is:

The world is looking for a hero
We know the greatest one of all
The mighty ruler of the nations
King of kings and Lord of lords
Who took the nature of a servant
And gave his life to save us all 

We will raise a shout
We will shout it out
He is the champion
Of the world

Then in 1997 Richards organised and performed at the ‘Champion of the World’ event at Wembley Stadium with an attendance of almost 45,000, making it the biggest contemporary Christian music event ever staged in that venue. He has since played in front of 66,000 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff; to 60,000 at Flushing Meadows in New York; and also at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, and at sell-out venues in San Francisco and Hungary. His stated goal when organising the Wembley event was “to proclaim Jesus Christ as the true champion of the world, in the place where the ‘gods of sport and music’ had been worshipped.”

The idea that Jesus is our champion is a Biblical one. The writer of Hebrews tells us Jesus is the one who came to this earth as our champion in order to defeat sin, Satan and death on our behalf, thereby initiating and bringing to completion our salvation. Through his victory on our behalf, the Champion of the World has blazed the trail for us and has secured our eternal salvation. So let’s keep our eyes on fixed on Jesus as we lift up holy hands of adoration to him (c.f. 1Timothy 2:8) for all He has done for us.

Prayer
Father, the Lord Almighty is our hero who breaks the stranglehold of sin. Through Jesus’ love we fear no evil, and so we raise a shout to the Champion of the World who gave his life to save us all.
Amen

Study by Barry Robinson

___________________________________________________________

About the Author:
Barry Robinson is an Elder and pastoral worker in the Greater London area, particularly the Camberwell and North London congregations of the Worldwide Church of God UK.

Local Congregation:
Worldwide Church of God Camberwell
The Salvation Army Hall
105 Lomond Grove
Camberwell
LONDON SE5 7HN

Meeting Time:
Saturday 11 am

Local Congregational Contact:
Barry Robinson
Email: barry_robinson@wcg.org.uk