all right, ha ha this is cool. You guys mind if I talk over here? you guys gotta kind of turn around a
little bit all right sorry bout that or if you just look up there they'll
probably show me. I just want to be able to see people's faces. Hi! hey man. This is
cool. This is way more exciting than what... I expected.
I've been to a lot of youth conferences. That's what I do.I've got to say there's
something special going on here, in fact... um, I want to pray, because I'm a little
bit overwhelmed right now. I'm not even sure what I'm going to say,
and I've never spoken on one of these... things. But you know what was weird was
you guys last night okay understand... this is what I do. I go around and
travel. I speak at different... conferences. In fact, I'm speaking at
different conference tomorrow morning, another one on Thursday, another one on
Sunday. You know, so I go place to place... to place, but last night when I was
thinking about this conference in... particular I couldn't sleep. In fact, I
had one of the craziest nights ever for... me.
I mean I'm laying on my bed, and I'm trying to pray, and think through what
God wanted me to say today. I'm... on the bed and man I just started
freaking out. You know? Every time I... would breathe, I started thinking man "God
like I'm totally..." it was such a... realization of just how dependent I am
on God. Like every breath I was thinking "man, you could have stopped me in the
middle of that breath." Like there was just this real presence of God in my
room, where there was this fear where I'm... thinking God sometimes I get scared.
I get scared to say everything that God... wants me to say you. You ever get that
feeling? Where you're talking to someone, and you're thinking "man, I don't want to
say everything, because it might offend..." "them. It might bug them or I don't know
if I want to give up my whole life to..." "God."
To hold on to some of it, but it was... like last night God was saying "Francis,
every breath of yours is totally in my..." "hands. Like everything is up to me. Why
would you be scared to risk your life?" you wouldn't even have life unless I
gave it to you right now I mean think about it right now in heaven there is a
being up there and he's letting me breathe that I'm still alive right now
and there's just such a real thought of that for me like he's watching me and I
really want to please him and say everything he wants me to say even if
it's difficult to hear even if it bothers some of you even if afterwards
you hate me for what I said is go you know Lord I kind of please you that's
what I live for and so that doesn't normally happen to me I don't normally
have these restless nights I don't want you to think I'm some freaky guy that
just does that all the time like last night was just weird and I just felt
like God was going to do something special here and even when I flew in I
mean I just got here like half-hour alphago because the plane I was on both
of the tires went flat it's weird huh you know plane tires went flat but uh I
just thought man there's a lot going on and when I came in and I saw you guys
worshiping I just started praying for you because I started to get excited I
started to think man some of the things you guys are talking about even caring
for the poor I ever thought about this when I was in high school I could care
less I I mean I'm sorry to say but I no one really talked about this stuff and I
just kept trying ago God it would be so awesome if you raised up a new
generation where students grew up and they didn't just go to church and try
not to swear and try not to drink try not to sleep with anyone and just have a
nice little family but if you could raise up believers like what we see in
the Bible people that are insanely in love with
you that would do anything for you they don't care about safety and secure your
saying you know what I want to live this and experience you and I pray that God
raises up a generation of believers here in America because it's happening
overseas but here in America where people are so crazy about Jesus they go
I'll die for you I'd love to die for you it's not about
this life this life is going to be over before we know it it's about what comes
after it's about living for you so can I just pray for tonight right now just bow
your heads with me and let's let's think about who we're talking to we're talking
to God in heaven right now who's allowing us to breathe allowing us to
think God the last thing I want to do is just
give another sermon father would you have something happened tonight I can't
make anyone fall in love with you and I want that fall I want that so bad as
that you would move that we'd experience your Holy Spirit tonight god I pray that
tonight would not be normal that would really experience you in Jesus name Amen I'm not done yet um you know what I'm
going to go back up there because there's like an echo and it's making me
feel weird well because I hear my voice when I'm
down there all you guys you know don't take it personally I still hear it
nevermind okay okay alright I'll just ignore it eventually
okay so the question we're going to talk about today is from John chapter 21 and
Jesus asked Peter Jesus as this after Jesus rises from the dead you guys is a
great question he looks at Peter and he says do you love me and this is actually
an amazing time because remember Peter messed up River Peter denied Jesus three
times and then Jesus gives them that look just like Jesus told him he would
he predicted and then when Peter does it he looks at Jesus he has catches his eye
and Peter just wept bitterly like oh my gosh actually denied Jesus three times
it's like he said Peters and I beat her swore like I'll never deny you but he
does it so after Jesus rises from the dead he knows Peter feels terrible about
what he's done and so P Jesus goes to Peter I believe this is a time of
reconciliation where he goes after Peter and says man I know you messed up and I
know you feel bad about it but let me ask you do you love me and Peter says
yeah I love you and Jesus okay good feed my sheep then he asked them again just
Peter do you love me and Peter's like yes then he asked them a third time it
says Peter do you love me and Peter finally goes Jesus you know everything I
mean you should know of course I love you
Jesus okay go feed my sheep and I think it's very interesting that just like
Peter denied Jesus three times Jesus had him affirmed his love for him three
times and and even there during worship I was thinking then what would it feel
like if Jesus walked up to you and looked you in the eyes and said do you
love me that'd be pretty intense like how would you I think I would answer the
same way Peter dislike well you would know better than me you know you know
everything but I want to I want to I want to ask
you guys a question okay I'm here with my wife and we've
been married for 18 years yes and we've got five children and we left them all
at home so some little anxious to get this over with
kidding ah but if I were to let's say you were going to interview me okay I'm
gonna take notes on what you say let's say you were going to interview me and
your job was to find out whether or not I really loved my wife I want you to
think what question would you ask me okay so I'm going to just is there is
anyone over here that would think of a good question yet what do I love her
well okay that's that's Allison okay okay we got that one out of the way okay
let's come up with a new one that's good how about a girl maybe girls know more
about love okay yeah what emotions do I feel when I look at her well come on
guys all right okay I'll let a guy redeem the man okay gorillas man how
often do I get her something do I spoil her thank you
and that came from a man I heard a gal over here say something
have I been faithful you asking me all right well what's that how do i how do I
make her smile what are you guys laughing about out
there okay what would they say out there how big the ring are you kidding me okay
let me answer that question so I did get her a ring obviously but she was so
convicted a couple years ago about there's a ministry where you can
actually give your wedding ring to the ministry and they provide they sell it
and so that they can provide clean water for people in places that don't have
clean drinking water so that's my wife for you okay serious question though
what would I do for her they already asked I for her okay let me let me pick hands okay girl
what's that is it Facebook official alright alright one more I'm going to
ask you you you know about love I can tell do I treat her like she's the only
girl in the world Wow she does make me feel like she's the
only girl in the world do I make her a sandwich all right that's good those are
good questions okay so let me let us get back to the question Jesus says do you
love me and that's a very important question right because Jesus said what's
the greatest command love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul
all your mind so at the center of everything we do it always has to go
back to how much do I love this God so let me ask you some questions about your
relationship with God what emotions do you feel when you think about God how
often do you get him stuff is that one those really work no but how often do
you do something for him would you die for him have you been faithful to him is there
anything you wouldn't do for him is it Facebook official seriously what does
your Facebook look like is it obvious on your facebook that you love God or is it
obvious that you love yourself you see a lot of times we talk and we say oh I
love God and it's very easy to say these things but I'm using your definition of
love I mean seriously what what emotions do you feel even right now when I say
Jesus is there any emotion that rises in you is there any part of you that is
close man every time I hear that name or is it a name that's become common to you
is he someone you would die for you see one of the things I think about why I
see a group this size is I just I got to ask you man
are you really in love with God I mean is your relationship with God really
your relationship with God and what I mean by that is is I know a lot of you
grew up in church and it's very easy to just kind of think oh yeah I go to
church I don't do this yeah I I prayed a prayer yeah I got baptized nothing that
do you love him I mean do you have a relationship with him it's so important
because at the end of your life when you stand before God is can be you and God
this is you and him this is you and Jesus and he says one of two things -
either he says well done good and faithful servant come on in or he says
depart from me I never knew you I knew your dad I knew your brother
I knew some of the people in your youth group I knew your youth pastor but but
you I never knew you like do you really have a relationship with him I mean I
mean what if you left the conference this week you go home and you find out
that your parents your whole family decides we're not going to worship Jesus
anymore and what if your whole youth group all the friends you're with all
the friends back home what if they all say we're not going to do this anymore
we're not going to follow Jesus anymore what would you do seriously imagine that
okay so no one in your life is following Jesus anymore what would you do think
about it would you really be the type of person that could look your parents in
the eye and say look mom dad I man it kills me that you're not following Jesus
but I love him I'm going to keep following him did you be able to look at
your friends and say man is Steve than all of you guys left the youth group you
left the church but it doesn't matter you know what because I personally am in
love with Jesus can you say that is that the type of person you are the Bible
says in in Matthew 10 verse 21 it says that brother will deliver brother over
to death father is child children will rise against parents and have them put
to death and you will be hated by all for my name's sake but the one who
endures to the end will be saved talking about the one who will endure
see some of you you love God right now when there's a big group of believers
around but what's it going to be like when you get back to school or when
you're feeling kind of alone will you still love him you know when uh early in our marriage
number one time my wife she asked me a question goes do I do anything that bugs
you and I said yeah a couple things and and so I just told her what they were
and then I asked her are the things that I do that bug you and she had a list but
it was it was interesting because you know just out of the blue she just asked
is there something I do that bothers you and so I told her a few little things
and you know what's so cool was after we had that talk she works so hard to try
to never do those things again now that's so cool she asked me just because
when you love someone you want to know what bugs you right when you love
someone you go man what bothers you and I'm going to try not to do those things
and it made me think of how in a in Psalm 139 David David says to God first
that whole Psalm is God you know everything about me but I love this
phrase at the very end of the chapter he says this he goes search me God know my
heart try me and know my thoughts see if there's any offensive way in me and lead
me in the everlasting way the David asked God the same thing he goes God
look in my life right now is there anything that I'm doing that bothers you
that is offensive to you you know this that grieves you and he goes and then
help me get that out of my life I want you to think if you were to ask God that
right now what do you believe he would say if you
were to say God search me right now look at my life what am i doing that bothers
you what would he say see Jesus says there's a natural
response to love in John 14 verse 15 he says if you love me you will obey what I
command Jesus if you love me you'll obey what I command G zhis that's written
here look here's the things that bother me here are the things that offend me
and then he says and if you love me here's what's going to happen you're
going to obey my commands you're going to do what I asked it becomes natural in
fact the Bible says that when the Holy Spirit comes into you he makes you with
slave to righteousness you reveal that where once you become a believer in his
Spirit comes into you it's like you have to do the things he loves otherwise it
bugs you you feel guilty don't you see some people have told me they said you
know some Christians and maybe some of you in this room are the most miserable
people on earth and the reason is this is because you still are holding on to
certain sins and so whenever you sin you don't feel totally great because the
Holy Spirit is with you right and you feel guilty because you're a slave to
righteousness like Romans six through eight explains but then when you go to
church and you try to worship even here at this conference you try to worship
you don't feel good at church either because your sin is still within you
know you really haven't turned from it and so it's like when you were in your
sin you feel guilty because the Holy Spirit's with you and then when you're a
church or trying to worship God you feel guilty because your sin is with you
because you've become a slave - right nice try to illustrate it see you this
way I brought a couple of my favorite drinks this is a lemonade you guys like
lemonade I love lemonade
and then I got this property now you guys like these yeah I got shake it
you're right thank you I almost forgot you must really love me so Frappuccino
I love lemonade hello Frappuccino this is the way some of you are I really
believe that you love Jesus but there's also sins that you love and you enjoy
you enjoy them both but you're going back and forth and you you know you wake
up in the morning go oh Lord I love you I smoke pot like I want to get in your word today
naked girls on the Internet I love you brother I hate her and you go
back and forth and back and forth and you wonder why you're miserable because
God says look I'm like there's no darkness in me and some of you it's like
you go well I don't do that I don't go back and forth with God and my sin but
maybe there's just one sin and you just feel like oh that's perfect okay so I'm
like 90% God and I just add a little bit of my sin that one sin I hold on to it's
just sick seriously some of you man this is you tonight there's stuff you know
that you're holding on to the god absolutely hates and you you're
wondering man I'm just not totally fulfilled man up I'm telling you there's
nothing like having things right with God then you ever have those times when
you're so close to there's nothing in the way just pure him you've repented of
everything and you start praying to him and suddenly he starts answering and he
starts doing things I don't know about you but there's nothing like that on
earth for me when God is listening to my prayers there are times when I'll pray
something and he'll answer it immediately and I'll just be left there
going shut up that was amazing I just prayed to God he just answered me and
the intimacy the relationship was like oh god we're so right but then there's
other times when I try to add something or I try to hold on to something and
it's just never right and you're miserable or speaking
at a conference like this and and when I was done one time you know we just
talked about God and showing our love for him and when we're all done the
leaders came up to me and they said hey Francis can you do something different
at this conference they go right now could you just hold a microphone up
there and let students come up and confess their sins we're not doing it
tonight Nouri but uh I said man that's kind of weird you know like I told the
leaders I go I mean because the Bible says you know we need to confess our
sins and you know and God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins but
hasn't said we got a broadcast it to everyone and they said well no we're not
saying that we just thought we just thought it'd be good for students to
come up and share so I was like all right so I held the microphone there and
I just said hey does anyone feel like they've been lying to everyone and they
just want to confess it to everyone before God and number one you know the
first one is always a little nervous right you know the first guy comes up
grabs the microphone looks at everyone and he goes um yeah some of you guys
don't know but sometimes I cuss I thought that was easy okay someone else
okay and uh another guy comes up and he admits that he's looking at pornography
they just feeling sick about it all right then this girl comes up and she
starts talking about how she started dating some guy and you know first it
was kind of innocent but they went further and further and she says I'm
sleeping with him now and I need to go home and end it because it's driving me
crazy I know God hates it a couple other people shared then this
kid came up he was a senior in high school
big old kid from Texas they're all big and it comes up and he grabs the
microphone and he starts talking and he goes you know when I was a freshman I
was already a leader in the youth group and he goes I would lead Bible studies
he goes but you guys didn't know it he goes but I was looking at pornography
that year I was addicted to it the whole year even though you guys thought I was
a leader he goes in my sophomore year came and I was leading Bible study on
campus and meanwhile I had a girlfriend and we started sleeping together but
none of you guys knew that you just thought I was a leader and then he goes
this last year my junior year he and then she starts crying
he goes man I I started dabbling in homosexuality
I was just curious and then he goes then I just fully indulge and none of you
guys know this about me he goes man and I'm leading Bible study and he goes man
it got so bad because I even tried to force my little brother and he could
even talk he's just kind just a total mess and I'm holding the microphone God
in the world I can't believe this guy just stood in front of everyone right
before his senior year and confessed all of that and I thought what are these
high school students going to do and immediately like 30 of them just got up
from where they were and they walked up to the stage
it just started hugging this guy laying hands on him and praying over him
they're all just crying over this guy and then pretty soon every
one started confessing their sins then that was one of the few times was at a
youth conference where I felt like man that was true revival it wasn't just a
bunch of a thing I love Jesus it was people showing it and thank God let me
show you how I love you I don't care what anyone thinks here's the truth I've
got to get it out of my life and that night everyone was confessed I mean you
can imagine after a guy says something like that you just go okay I killed a
couple guys you know it's like you know it's like what's that first person just
like oh here's here's the truth about me pretty soon everyone started just saying
all sorts of stuff and it guys but for me I still I still look back at that and
I think man what was that all about what would possess an 18 year old guy to
get in front of all of his peers and say that I'll tell you at that moment he
could care less what anyone else thought he just wanted to be real before God he
just wanted to get it right he just wanted to be honest because I don't know
what's going on in your lives I don't know who in this room is for real you
know which ones really love God and if Jesus came up to you today and said do
you love me what would you say your actions show it he says if you love me
you'll obey what I command I mean I thought the best thing we could do
tonight is just have a time of confession where you're honest and maybe some of
you you know it says in Revelation I always think about this one because in
Revelation three we'll find it okay revelation three it talks about the
church in Sardis and he says you have a reputation of being alive but you're
dead because you have this reputation like
people think you've got this great relationship with God but Jesus says to
this whole church because you got this reputation everyone thinks you're so
alive because what I can see inside of you and you're dead it's like right now
God can search me and it doesn't matter see I've got a reputation man I'm on the
speaker up here I mean I'm a Bible teacher I'm a pastor so I have a
reputation but at the end of the day the reputation means nothing because I got
to stand before God cause I don't care for your youth pastor I don't give your
pastor leader you know you came here as a counselor I'm saying if you stood
before God right now are you for real because you could be fooling everyone
then think about this if I asked all of your friends hey tell me about her tell
me what would they say about you okay right now if I came to your friends and
I asked them about your relationship with God what would they tell me can you
picture what they would tell me okay now let me ask you another question if I
could stand before God right now and say God tell me about his relationship with
you tell me about her relationship with you what would God say to me see there
are those two different answers I mean with your friend say one thing and God
say another I mean if so it could be that you've been all about your
reputation and not about who you really are
that's why Jesus said to that church look you've got this reputation people
think a certain thing about you but I know the truth and you're dead guys I
just I just don't want you to be caught up man
no things are embarrassing in our lives I know there is it's hard to admit like
I don't even know if I have a relationship with God
maybe you're embarrassed about some of the things but then we got to learn to
get real and aquit hiding stuff I mean think about it
what what's going to happen at the end okay so you just keep this facade going
and you lying you pretend you got this relationship with God then one day you
stand before God and God says I never knew you you never loved me depart from
me I never knew you so then what so then you go to hell and you think yourself oh
but that's okay because everyone earth thinks I'm in heaven I fooled them
that's your goal and you guys let's just get real with each other man I just
would hate to think to some of you even through the night we'll just keep the
facade going listen God will forgive you of anything but you got to get real before him could
you bow your heads right now I want you to pray try to pray what
David prayed where's his God see if there's any offensive way in me and then lead me in the everlasting way staff God what am i doing that bugs you I'm not asking you to make some vow
tonight and say okay god I will never do that again don't don't even make that
vow pray what David prayed and say lead me in the everlasting my god get me away
from that I've been trying to mix that with you and it's making me miserable
just tell God because you love him say god I love you for what you did on the
cross for me you watch your son suffer and die on
that cross for me that's insane and god I don't want to sin against you
this way so give me power power to walk away you
