Francis Chan: Lukewarm and Lovin' It!

you know sometimes we'll look at oh that's weird that they live that way no it's weird that we live this way we're the weird ones you know you guys some of you can probably go oh it's weird our pastors Chinese no it's weird that you're not you you know sometimes it's like we get into this world where we just think I mean you guys are you know it's it's we get in this world where we just think gosh you know the way they live is so strange know the way we live is so strange I mean isn't that crazy that if there were a hundred people in the room and you got your computer and your internet connection you know how they would just look at you like whoa you're one of the three people that has all of that the $2 $2 a day over half of the world here's $2 $2 oh oh you something look at you did you see that they just kind of go I don't like that one dollar bill touch me suppose it back there's probably a couple more on the ground from the last two services it's just no one's reaching for it you know I'm gay I guarantee you no one's gonna leave here today and call their friends go no way Francis threw out $2 but do you understand that the majority the majority of the world would look at what I just did and think that is crazy most people would go I can't believe he just did that and no one even reached for it 53 out of a hundred live on to that per day now maybe if I threw out two $100 bills maybe someone might have reached out of hand because that's more like a day's wage for us right you know $200 day you know we make about four grand a month that that's about a day's wage now isn't that weird I mean how does that hit you to think that you make 100 times 100 100 times the amount of what the average person on this planet makes that over half of the people you make a hundred times what they make if you make four grand a month I don't know if that's weird or it's weirder that you don't think you're rich you know how everyone else in the world would look at this they would just go no way do you know how strange it is to the rest we'll imagine if you're one of those fifty three out of the hundred and you look at some people that are making a hundred times what you make and you hear them complain about money you guys have you ever stopped to think how the rest of the world looks at us we are so weird we are so filthy filthy filthy rich yet most of you would say that you're not and I'm hoping to change that today I'm hoping you can walk out of this room like I do and go man I am just loaded I am just absolutely rich beyond imagination you know because that's the way the rest of the world looks at me and we've got accepted we're rich that's my point you don't like to think of yourself as rich but you're so rich and yet some of you would call yourself broke and the rest of the world just look at you and go man what an idiot you're stressed out about money you're stressed out about 30 years from now the point is you're rich I'm rich and that puts us at a very serious disadvantage spiritually what the Bible says what Jesus says is you you're rich and that's a huge disadvantage for you Jesus says it is so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God so we thought riches were this great advantage of all it's so cool because look at all I have all those poor people over there and Jesus goes ooh you're at such a disadvantage because you rich it is so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven yeah how hard it is maybe people have said you know friends you're always talking about the poor over there and caring for them don't you care about the people that are spiritually poor and I go yeah that that's why I'm in Simi Valley not only we're the richest people in the world but you talk about security let's let's live in the safest city in the world - who do you think it's hard you think on this planet I think the toughest people to reach are right here in this room the richest safest secure people on this planet Jesus says in Luke chapter 18 where he says it's hard you guys we in this room we're at a serious disadvantage Luke chapter 18 he talks to a person who has wealth talks to one of us Luke 18 verse 18 he's a certain ruler asked him good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life okay so there was this rich man who wanted to go to heaven right that's us that's why you're in this room right you're rich person that wants to go to heaven that's what we have in this room that's what we have in the satellite room the satellite room we have rich people want to go to heaven and they're always late for church kidding you guys I know some of you guys go in there to make room here and thank you for that rusty you're just late Luke 18 here's here's a rich young ruler comes to God and it comes to you good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life verse 19 why do you call me good jesus answered no one's good except God alone you know the commandments don't commit adultery don't murder don't steal don't give false testimony honor your father and mother verse 21 all these I've kept since I was a boy when Jesus heard this he said to him you still lack one thing sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven then come follow me when he heard this he became very sad because he was a man of great wealth Jesus looked at him and said how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God indeed it's easy for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich men into the kingdom of God those who heard this ass who then can be saved and jesus replied what's impossible with men is impossible with God God tells this rich man just just sell everything you have give to the poor and the guys like and he just went away sad he couldn't do it and Jesus goes oh it's so hard it's so hard when you're rich enter the kingdom of heaven because you actually think your riches are worth something and like I don't know if I could give them up because you just get so clouded it's so hard he goes it'd be easy for me to to cram a camel into the eye of a needle that is to get a rich man into the kingdom of God I mean I've been studying this passage for twenty years I mean I've read this backwards for I've heard so many sermons on it explaining every piece of this or that after 20 years of studying I'm just gonna you know what I know what this means now I finally figured out what Jesus was trying to say when he says it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God you see what Jesus was really trying to say was that it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God III I'm convinced of that see we sometimes we we we dissect the passage so much that we're just blinded to what it's obviously saying he's just lookin the rich guy con man it's so hard do you understand this is this is one of the hardest places in the world to tell people about Jesus for them to get it because we're so rich and so comfortable and he says it's impossible because you know what it's impossible it's impossible for the rich to get into heaven that's how hard it is he goes but with God it is possible it's impossible from a human level but it can happen it can't happen that's why I'm here I go you know what it's not going to be easy it's not going to be probable but by the power of God some of you could go to heaven you see because he if you keep reading you know then the disciples go well we left everything verse 29 verse verse 28 we left all we had to follow you and Jesus says I tell you the truth no one who's left his home wife brothers sisters parents children for the sake of the kingdom will fail to receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come you keep reading Jesus predicts his death and he he gives a blind beggar his sight and then in chapter 19 what happens he look at the story very important chapter 19 verse 1 Jesus entered Jericho and he's passing through and a man was there by the name of Zacchaeus he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy he wanted to see who Jesus was at being a short man he couldn't because of the crowd so he ran ahead climbed up a sycamore fig tree to see him since Jesus was coming that way remember this story and then when Jesus reached a spot he looked up and said to him Zacchaeus come down immediately I must stay at your house today so he came down at once welcomes him gladly and all the people saw this and began to mutter he's gone to be the guest of a sinner but Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord look Lord here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor and if I have cheated anybody out of anything I will pay back four times the amount jesus said to him today salvation has come to this house so here's a wealthy man and what happened that day salvation what happened that day the impossible a rich man jumped out of a tree and said here take my money here half goes to the poor and the rest of it who did I ripoff here four times whatever I ripped you up I don't care about money anymore Jesus just invited me in Jesus wants to dine with me it looked Lord you know what I don't care because I found this treasure now so all my other stuff it doesn't matter I give it all away and Jesus says okay he got it see I told you the rich can enter the game of heaven it's it's near impossible but with all things are possible and it happened salvation has come to this house you see the kingdom of heaven is not like the rich young ruler who said man I got my wealth he's telling me to give it to the poor I don't know man he went away sad the kingdom of heaven is about a little man who jumps out of a tree it goes man I don't care about my stuff what did the kingdom of heaven like the kingdom of heaven is like a man who finds a treasure in a field right and he sees this treasure it's so great that he covers it back up and he goes man and let me just get rid of everything else I have because I want that field so badly he doesn't have to sit there and think about it go man I don't know if it's worth it it says with great joy you found you get it you see that the treasure is that great that I don't even have to think this isn't compare this isn't a let me weigh it out what's more valuable with great joy let me just sell everything I have and get this filled with great joy I I don't do you ever picture Zacchaeus slowly climbing down the Train go on all right I guess I'll give some to the poor I feel kind of guilty about it anyways or if I ripped you off I'll pay you back that you just picked this little Dane DeVito guy goes oh you know just jump in and here's all my money you know here you go and in any one I ripped off if I don't care because I've got God it's like this treasure that was so great see but that's so rare you see because money does weird things to people it just does I've heard people say that many times have you heard that here a statement we used that statement man money does weird things to people one statement I have yet to hear in my lifetime money has done weird things to me it's always someone else huh you guys money has done weird things to us money has done very weird things to us except it see Jesus says that the thing with money is it gives you this this false sense of security you start feeling safer the more you have rather than finding your security and God the more you have the less you're inclined to believe that you're needy Jesus wrote these seven letters to the churches in the book of Revelation he writes to these seven churches and one of them was a pretty wealthy one and when I read the letter I just go wow that's America this is a letter to the church in America it freaks me out how similar it is like eyes know exactly what I'm talking about the Church in Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3 verse 14 it's it's crazy when you read this you go man that's so us and that's scary because it's not a nice letter he says in Revelation 3 verse 14 he says to the angel of the church and Laodicea right these are the words of the Amen the faithful and true witness the ruler of God's creation verse 15 I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot I wish you're either one or the other so because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold I'm about to spit you out of my mouth I'm not again I'm not going to go deep into the geography and tell you about the history of this and because I think sometimes we missed the point of the passage by getting too into the details and that's especially true in this passage it's simple Jesus says to this church you're not hot you're not cold you just kind of lukewarm just kind of casual about me I feel like you're spitting you out of my mouth you make me gag it's it's it's not like a hot cup of coffee it's not like a iced mocha you're just like this lukewarm coffee I sip it by accident just oh that's disgusting he goes that's what I think of your church because you're not fired up about me you're not on fire you're lukewarm and a lot of it is because they're rich you see it in the next verse verse 17 he says you say I'm rich I've acquired wealth I don't need a thing it's every guy's I don't need a crutch I'm doing fine he goes but you don't realize that you're wretched pitiful poor blind naked I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so you can become rich and white clothes to wear so you can cover your shameful nakedness and salv to put on your eyes so you can see see this church they were kind of laid-back about God because they didn't feel like well like I'm depending on God God give me this day my daily bread that's not us that's the last time you're like Oh God give me something to eat today no it's like I don't really need God for my food I really need God from my home I don't really need God to give me money for the rest because I got my whole retirement set up and I've got money a leaf for my kids so they don't have to depend on God I mean any of us really need to depend on him for daily necessities he goes it creates this sense of security to suddenly you feel like you're not a needy person because no one on the right mind would look at you and say wow you're needy those people in Simi Valley they're so needy and God says they don't get it they really are the needy ones there are actually ones that in my eyes are wretched pitiful poor blind disgusting because of their view of me because they're not on fire three on fire for God right now see my concern is that some of you in this room many of you I'm not judging I'm just saying that you would probably say it about yourself that you're lukewarm if I were to ask you okay are you on fire for God right now or you lukewarm I think a lot of you would say you're lukewarm what concerns me more than the fact that you're lukewarm is that some of you would say yeah I am lukewarm and then you'll walk out the door and you'll do nothing about it what concerns me the most is that some of you are lukewarm you know you're lukewarm but you want to be lukewarm you've planned your life out this way you've got enough God in your life it's not like you don't you don't want to be on fire I mean I look at the majority of the American Church they don't want to be on fire they want a little bit of God of course they want God I want a little bit of God I mean it's good it's good for my kids it's good to give them a little bit of morals it's good to you know learn to give a little bit here and there serve a little bit but I've got enough of God I don't have enough money I don't got enough stuff I don't got a big enough house I need more of that but I've got think I've got enough God in my life right now and it's crazy not only are you lukewarm but that's the goal you're lukewarm and you're loving it and you hate for anyone to challenge you to be on fire for God it's we're content here it's it's the craziest thing do you understand this passage what is lukewarm equal spit out well what does spit out mean I mean you know can you explain that I need to what what do you want to hear all it comes from the Hebrew word Hawk which means you know you know what do what do you want what do you want I mean it's this idea of spin out and people have asked well does it necessarily mean that it from lukewarm that I'm going to hell because if you're spin out of his mouth can you be spin out of his mouth and still be saved you read it look at the words okay you're a wretched pitiful poor blind are these words that you normally use for a believer and once was blind but now I'm blind you know it no no these are unbeliever at it you won't be lukewarm this isn't about work salvation it's not about okay if I work enough then I'm suddenly on fire no I'm saying if you get it the kingdom of heaven as a person goes whoa you're kidding me okay here here's everything I'm getting this treasure here it's not about a person going cloud or no that's pretty good I don't that's pretty good too I don't know what I want there's God there's the world there's guy there's I don't know God says oh you you make me wanna gag so so you're looking at me okay the maker of the world and then you on this little planet you're looking at this little house here in this little car and going man I don't know if I can give that up or retirement for a few years and you comparing me the Creator the one who made the whole world who spoke it into existence and you're going to I don't know if I can give out this little thing on this piece of dirt for him he goes that makes me sick you make me want a gag I just want to spit you out of my mouth see your riches have so blinded you that you think this stuff is good you don't see it as dung it's a big pile of crap and you don't get it you think it's actually good it's all this great stuff you've been blinded by it and girls and that just makes me sick God looks at he goes man you're comparing me to this you're wondering if I'm valuable enough man the Kingdom of Heaven is a guy that just goes duh are you kidding me let me just sell everything so I got a guy that jumps out of the tree goes forget it I can have God he goes put these people that are lukewarm that as is repulsive that's just sick to me see my concern is that the people will see themselves as lukewarm because we do this in church all the time yeah and then ten minutes later you're gonna forget about it and move on in life and I just go what else is there to think about okay so so you understand what lukewarm is so you're gonna be spit out of the mouth of God you you just go okay I go man you shouldn't do anything until you figure out how to be on fire for God you should be down on your face you shouldn't eat again until you come before God and just fast and pray and God get me on fire I'm not on fire you got to get me on fire for you I want to be in love with you I got to see how valuable you are compared to all this other junk you know get me here that should be all you care about don't go to work tomorrow if you're lukewarm man sell your house just move live and do whatever it takes you can't end your life lukewarm do you get that I mean why why are Jesus words so strong he says in the next verse verse 19 why is he saying it so harshly verse 19 those whom I love I rebuke and discipline so be earnest and repent why is God saying this because I love you I don't want to spit you out of my mouth you understand I love you and that's why I'm speaking so harshly and I'm rebuking you he goes and I'll discipline you too I'll have things happen in your life to get your attention because you're lukewarm and if you end this way I'm just gonna spit you out of my mouth because that's disgusting it's repulsive to me you make me gag when you when you question whether I'm worthy of everything and you compare me to your stuff and you're false security your idols I was trying to think about this passage this week and say okay how does this relate because I want everything to be about love your neighbor as yourself how's this relate to that and Jesus as I tell you this because I love you and so I said okay what do i what am I supposed to say the cornerstone Church was the most loving thing I could say to you this morning and I thought long hard about this and it's not going to sound pretty but I believe it's the most loving thing I could say to you this morning I have this haunting fear that many of the people that attend Cornerstone Church even if you've been coming for years and you grew up in the church or whatever else I have this fear that some of you possibly many many of you are going to hell it keeps me up at night I read the Bible and I go man the kingdom of heaven is like a guy that just sold out is that what we have here some of you are I know you are but I have this other fear of like people that like being lukewarm and people that are there do you understand the reality of what I said I'm talking about Hell have you heard that word so many times that you just have grown numb to it eternal punishment and like what in the world am i doing up here then and again I sure hope you don't see this as well how Francis is up there judging the congregation saying he's saved I'm not saying that I'm saying I'm willing to bet some of you would leave this room and say it about yourself that you are lukewarm meaning you're gonna be spit out of the mouth of God and cast into the fires of hell that's all I'm saying is what you would say about yourself and it blows me away that it's some of you you won't do anything you see cuz to me I just go whatever god I got to get this right because why do you think I left the church in June you guys write these email oh because you're mad about this no yeah I told you why I left because I wasn't sure about myself I don't even know if I'm a person that really wants the will of God sometimes I could call you what you think that suddenly I'm just oblivious to all the riches and everything I could call I get sucked in to Simi Valley of this comfort secure a happy little Disneyland world we live in and I get attached thinking this is my home this is the home and God just think come on that's not your house I mean I get sucked in by this awesome little family and how cute my kids are how much I love them and oh I couldn't bear to lose one you know it's it's like no God and again I had to go caught in my lukewarm a my a man that even wants your will I've gotta be right about this man and I've said God anything anything cuz I see the treasure now just give me that give me that if you have to take everything else away you know what if you gotta take with all my stuff it's just stuff if you need to take my family way it's just a family I'm talking about god I gotta have this and sometimes I get clouded by the riches and the security that we have here and that's why Gaza it's gonna be hard for you and I will do anything I will leave that that's what I'm hoping I just show I'm out of here if I can't pull it off here I'm leaving maybe I'm just not strong enough I'd love to think that I could be that man here that lives in this crazy rich safe environment and still could care less about all that security and have my eyes focused on God that's what I want to be I'd love to be that example here but if I can't then I'm out of here I'll sell everything and just just live amongst the poor maybe I'm just not strong enough to really have my eyes on God here but I gotta keep fixed on him I got a bead on fire I'll do whatever I'll jump Shep I am NOT going down with the ship you're saying wow you're a terrible captain I'm sorry as much as I love you I love myself far more and I'm talking about my own salvation here and again it's not about works it's not about earning it it's just you never you ever like when someone's struggling someone becomes a new believer and let's say their struggle is is drinking and you just say you know what maybe you should just get out of the bar for a little while because maybe you're just not quite strong enough to handle it there you know and just not wise you know I've got a sickness and it's this it's called comfort security riches and maybe I'm just not strong enough to handle it here in the safest city in America you know and so maybe it's just not wise for me to be there and so I got I gotta watch myself and go man if I can do it because this is all that matters it's everything I hope you're that serious about this Jesus says in verse 20 next verse he says here I am I'm standing at the door and I'm knocking if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I'll come in and eat with him and he with me and then verse 21 he says to him who overcomes I'll give the right to sit with me on my throne just as I overcame and sat down with my father on his throne he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches see Jesus look I'm knocking on the door because I'm saying this because I love you and I don't want to spit you out of mail I'm not gonna go please let me and let me in I'm greater these are greater riches just look at it the other stuff is dung it's garbage compared to me trust me it's so much better here he goes not only if you overcome and by overcome overcome this lukewarm you see the Bible says that there's this huge road that leads to destruction there's this huge lukewarm road that leads to destruction its broad everyone's going there he goes but there's a few people because there's also this narrow road and few people will find it very few that are rich very few from from Simi Valley very few but they'll find it and they're gonna go against the flow they're gonna find it if you're one of those that overcomes you know this flow that's going this direction you're gonna know I see the treasure I see Jesus I'm gonna walk to that I don't care if everyone's around I got the treasure in mind I'm going toward that goes if you overcome he goes I'll give you the right to sit on my throne with me you know what's awesome about that is in the next verse in chapter 4 he says after this I looked up and I saw this door standing open in heaven what does he see there he sees the throne of God we've talked about chapter four before remember John gets to go up there and see the throne do you understand a picture he goes I see this throne and there's this being sitting on it he's glowing like diamonds and rubies is this a person it's God he's he's glowing like diamonds and rubies he's got lightning coming from his throne he's got these pillars of fire there's just roaring thunder coming from this throne there's this big sea of glass around the throne there's these twenty-four men dressed in robes they're just barreling down dropping their crowns before the throne there's these four living creatures with eyes all over their bodies and six wings looking at the growth throne screaming holy holy holy he says there's a hundred million angels all bowing down and worshiping at the throne and Jesus says if you overcome you can sit on that throne with me you can be on that throne if you overcome if you can see that throne and go WOW that or this little world down here that's why God says you're gonna look at all of that and then just don't I don't know because that makes me sick that just makes me sick makes me want to spit you out of my mouth and I will because you're trying to find this pleasure outside of me you think these things compare to me that's just repulsive I've shown you the throne I'm saying you can sit there if you overcome you can have me you can dine with me you can be with me you can have true riches I'll close you and white robe you you'll have it all and the Bible says if you get it you'll say I'll forget all this I don't even care it was reading Time magazine last week does God want you to be rich remember that if you saw Time Magazine's but all these televangelist Konoha God wants you to be rich ah you know riches are good you know you got to strive for you guess I got given to me that's gone you know if you've got the throne you've got God you won't care about the riches it's not about being poor rich it's about I don't care I don't even think about it and if my riches are an obstacle to go that's all I care about why do I want anything else what else do I desire on earth it's all about the throne it's all about heaven are you an overcomer is that you have you overcome this world here's what I want you to do again I don't want this to be me manipulating anyone I want you to be alone with God this morning I want to give you some time to pray to God because I am not accusing any of you I say I get scared about this because I don't know but if you go well you know just because I serve in a lukewarm way and I give in a lukewarm way and I pray in a lukewarm way doesn't mean I'm lukewarm all right but you you just come before God and say God I am I am I on fire for you do I really see how great it is to know you and the riches you you have for me or am I caught up in all this junk give you some time of silence and here's some things I want you to pray through I want you to ask God first of all God revealed to me the areas in my life where I'm lukewarm can you pray that to God say God show me where I'm glue quorum you could probably pray that right how about the second thing would you be willing to say God give me strength in the areas where I'm weak and I'm lukewarm you want to pray that but here's the real question how about that third one are you willing to say God do whatever it takes to get me on fire for you whatever that's a scary prayer God if you have to take everything I own away from me if that's holding me back God please take it away please please please please because I want you so badly God if it's is if it's if it's loved ones please please please just I gotta be on fire for you you want to pray that do you see the treasure is that great hope so doesn't give you some time just just bow your head before God and just start asking God for those things you for your that is so harsh at times you say that you rebuke and you discipline those you love I pray that you would shower your love on this congregation on me you rebuke us with your word got an you discipline us I asked for your discipline god I never enjoy it I'm always thankful afterwards God give it to us discipline us take whatever you need to take away from us it's just stuff I have to go if we have to die big deal it's just it's just life on Earth helped us to see the true riches God don't let anyone leave here today lukewarm and comfortable in that don't let us rest you convict us in Jesus name

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Keywords: sermon, Francis Chan, church, GOD, Jesus, Crazy Love, Crazy, Love

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Length: 39min 50sec (2390 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 02 2014