39,000 Reap a Harvest of Inspiration in Anaheim : Evangelism: Cheering stadium crowd hears a rockin’ revival at the opening of a three-day religious crusade that mixes MTV-style music with the message of Christianity.

ANAHEIM —  From behind the first-base line, the unified shout came across the freshly mowed infield grass.

“We love Jesus, yes we do,” yelled the believers, encouraging the crowd behind third base to join in this religious twist on the age-old spirit cheer. “We love Jesus, how about you?”

Mixing Puritan-era evangelism with icons of the MTV generation, the Orange County Harvest Crusade opened Friday night with the crowd of about 39,000 at Anaheim Stadium.

Starting with a spontaneous cheer so apt for the baseball field, the crusade quickly turned into a contemporary Christian rock concert, and then to a modern-day revival meeting, where Pastors Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie rose to offer the Lord’s message.

“I see myself as the delivery boy,” Laurie, the star of the three-day crusade, said in an interview Friday before the band began to play. “My responsibility is to just give a clear message, tell them what God says and the rest is up to Him.”

Laurie, 40, began his ministry at age 19 leading a 30-member Bible study group. He now lives in San Clemente and heads Riverside’s 12,000-member Harvest Christian Fellowship, one of the 10 largest congregations in the country.

Since 1990, the Harvest Crusade has drawn audiences totaling a half-million in Hawaii, Washington, Arizona and across Southern California. After stints in Honolulu and Albuquerque, N.M. this summer and fall, Laurie will travel to Rio de Janeiro for a crusade in December.

As the crowd filtered in Friday evening, many carried gilt-edged Bible or paperback copies of “Ben Born Again’s Believers’ Growth Book,” written by Laurie. A trio of men in jeans and cowboy boots harmonized and strummed guitars in the dugout, while those in the stands munched on peanut, popcorn and nachos slathered in squeeze-cheese and jalepenos.

“It’s loud,” observed 62-year-old Ray London of Ontario, who had never before been to a crusade--or any other event--at Anaheim Stadium.

“We’re not interested in sports--that’s why we don’t know anything about a stadium,” London said. “I think wherever the Lord is, it’s inspirational, in a stadium, on the streets. . . . Before we get out of here, it’s going to be very inspirational.”

As the preachers and musicians performed on a stage planted atop second base, a huge video screen beamed their message to the rest of the stadium.

In a half-hour sermon about God and the meaning of life, Laurie mentioned media mogul Ted Turner, Eddie Murphy, Madonna and bungee jumping and quoted from Eric Clapton’s Grammy-champion song “Tears in Heaven.”

Afterward, hundreds tumbled down the aisles, hurdled over the short stadium wall and rushed across the infield toward the stage, claiming they had accepted Jesus Christ.

Jayne and Bruce Thompson of Glendora, along with their two children, arrived two hours before Crusade time to snatch front row seats behind the third-base line.

“It’s very simple,” said Jayne Thompson, who has been to three Harvest Crusades. “We don’t have to do anything. We just have to come. It doesn’t matter what vices we’re holding onto, Jesus Christ will take you as you are.”

“We just love the worship style--and the message,” added her husband, Bruce. “We come in T-shirts, tennis shoes . . . no bouffant hairdo, nothing phony. It’s real people.”

More than 300 Orange County churches combined to sponsor the $320,000 crusade this year. Organizers expect 150,000 people to attend over the weekend. For the first time ever, Laurie will gear his message to children ages 5 to 12 in a special Kid’s Crusade today at 11 a.m.

The crusade, which is being televised through the Santa Ana-based Trinity Broadcasting Network, continues tonight and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night’s crusade will feature Ricky Johnson, an off-road race car driver and born-again Christian.

Admission is free, but parking costs $5.