Francis Chan - Not in Eloquence, but in the Spirit

God has for me here than than anywhere else one of the s the second semester of my freshman year I visited the college service on the Wednesday first college service of the year it was one of the most impacting moments of an experience I had had up to that point with God in it I mean that next week I I jumped into you know a small group at on my campus immediately just kind of said you know what I am just gonna give everything I have to build God's kingdom as much as a 19 year old can I'm gonna go for it as I stayed for my fifth year to get my master's degree I couldn't be involved in my sorority anymore and so I found myself with all this free time his co-leader in life group said hey why don't you come to our life group and so I said well I have all this free time now sure I'll come I remember she came to that very first life group of the year we went around sharing what what do you want to get out of this year and I remember seeing Suzanne and her face just lit up and he said this year I want all that God has for me and I remember being so impacted by that I went on our colleges trip to Mexico during spring break and during that time I just felt like God stirring up something in me a heart for church planting about that same time we started dating and it was just a fun adventure of of exploring all that God was speaking and also knowing okay God you're calling us to do this together so we got engaged and got married we we really committed our marriage at the very beginning to say God we want all that you have for us we sold my car I quit my job to do the training school and so we were living on one support income we had one car and it was definitely a big change from the big city lifestyle that I thought I would have our dear our dear friend and pastors Robert Stefanie Herbert asked us hey we feel called to Planet Church in San Diego do you want to come with us we didn't really know that much about San Diego but we felt called to our team so we had been in this journey in San Diego we were in a part of town that we loved I thought we would be here for the next 10 years 15 years 20 years and I had a dream one night and in this dream I knew immediately that I was in Mexico then I see this woman I asked her what she wants and she says I want another year to go by where I don't have to go see the doctor next scene I'm next to my wife we're driving in the car we're going down a road and I know we're not going to be able to make it and Suzanne in this dream she lifts up her fist and she says we can do it and I immediately wake up so I'm meeting with my pastor Robert a a couple days later I share with him oh I had a dream you know and he's like huh well we should really you know start looking towards planting in Mexico and as God would have it in the next week Joe you it isn't down Joe and I are having lunch and I'm like hey so I had this dream and Joe says wow I really think that's significant I'm like okay well I mean maybe you know you never know you know and and I was shocked went a few hours later he calls me on someone else's cell phone he's like Jonathan I really think this dream is significant I'm a little freaked out because my problem is I've talked to Robert in a Joe and I haven't talked my wife I decided to take the risk and I went to my house and I was like hey Suzanne I'm a little worried I was like so I had this dream and this is what happened to the dream so I was just making conversation with Robert and he says ha that's really significant and I'm like thinking why is that significant then I go and I share with Joe then Joe calls he said he calls me back and says it's really significant so I'm a little concerned that these guys that we really love and respect think that we're supposed to be a part of something happening in Mexico and she says I've actually always felt like there would be a season that we would go and we would live in Mexico and I'm thinking what I have never heard of this before I remember feeling like the the wait fall on me and I had this knowing moment we're moving to Mexico I remember sing in my house that I had always dreamed about with my four kids and schools that we loved having friends that we'd finally built relationship with over years and years in San Diego and looking around all of this and saying God are you really asking me to give up all this and I feel like God gave me a picture of all of these Mexican people and God saying this is your inheritance these people your house can burn down your school can change friends can move away but this inheritance will never spoil or fade will you give it all up for this inheritance our very first year was just building relationship and the people that God gives us we're gonna be faithful with those people this past year we had our very first school of transformation and had over 40 students in the school with twenty life groups throughout the city and we are believing that goddess has called us as a church to to touch to touch thousands of lives seeing our people go through these transformative processes and then have a heart and a vision for now I'm gonna take what I've learned and go take it to these other cities in Latin America that's our dream that's absolutely what we want to see we have our four kids and a dog here in Tijuana Mexico never in our wildest dreams thinking that we would be here yet at the same time you know I can't help but think this is this is this is what we were made for it's what we are called to it was it was never my ambition to lead a church it was never my entire cup and I think God has done so much more than I could have ever imagined we all have those that struggle of how do we take it from world mandate to Monday morning it really does go back to the simple things as you're faithful to say yes to the next thing God can do more than you can ever imagine wow you know Psalms 2 the Lord says ask of me and I will give the nation's as your inheritance and when I listen to the layers story and I authentically can say to people that absolutely wanted to honor God with their lives to people that wanted to share the gospel wherever he sends them and I am always humbled and amazed at what God does with a surrendered lives that just keeps saying yes yes yes to whatever he asks and I just want to say to them tonight Jonathan and Suzanne we your fan Antioch family here in Waco the 12 streams every single person that is watching absolutely want to honor you and thank you for being a couple that has said yes over and over again you have lived radically you have lived obediently you have lived surrendered and you have totally poured out your life for the people of Tijuana and we are so thankful and I want to share with you tonight and all of you I absolutely believe that your testimony has burst faith in us tonight and I absolutely believe it as we worship God as we surrender each one of us this weekend the best we can and lean our ear to the heart of God and say God what are you saying to me that it their testimony has birth courage and faith in us to step out yeah you know 31 years ago Laura and I started with a handful of people in a room and we said Lord send us marvelous comrades who fear your name when I'm with Jonathan and Suzanne and those guys are like yes that's family and we want to say to all of you guys as the Antioch family and friends hey we're so glad you're here and we're in the family room tonight we're in the family room this weekend where we gather around Jesus the head of the house and we love him and we honor him we adore him and we care for one another and we build community and we love each other world mandate was never intended to be a conference it was intended to be a family on mission and that's what this weekend's about family on mission and what's great about the family journey is we pick a lot we pick up family along the way and dear friends like Jim Yost has become family to us through the years we have Floyd McClung our dear friend from South Africa now just friends along the way and one of our nearest dearest friends but slowly but surely becoming family at least to us is our dear friend Francis Chan and many of you guys you guys know you know Francis from the books and all that stuff and I just wanna have to be honest I've only read about half of one of your books but but we have become heart family in these last few years because of Jesus and because what he's doing in our lives and and I want you to know that I love this man his wife his family we not only love them but we want them to be a part of us and these are these little windows that we get a couple days together and we got some big plans ahead yeah we'll let everybody know next year of us all working together in the future but more than anything thanks for loving Jesus man thank you thanks for surrendering everyday we love you come give it to us [Applause] it it is really seriously like an honor to be a part of this family I I know I don't let's go through all my tapes our voice week I don't say that okay that's not your normal thing to say it I really feel honored to you know almost feel like I've been grafted into this family in some ways adopted in because your heart seriously uh every time I come here I get so encouraged and it's just feeling so much more like home and just so much encouragement from from different people and because a lot of times we're in our own worlds and you can just feel like you're crazy and everyone thinks you're crazy and I'm here to tell you no I I think you guys are some of the few that have their heads on straight biblically you know to give up everything for this mission and and I I was confessing to this the the leaders during lunch today like I remember being your age and being confronted with you know the needs in the world and I remember not having the faith to go and still being stuck in my flesh not knowing it at the time but just kind of masking it under a well I don't know if God's calling me and back then there weren't things like this and and there wasn't the same talking that's that's no excuse I knew the mission and I know that in my heart I wasn't ready to go and there were things are just confessing in the flesh where I wanted to be a speaker I wanted to stay in America there were things about the American Dream that were appealing and and it was just this this struggle and so when I see people your age thinking about the things you ought to be thinking about the glory of God amongst the nations there's like this gem let's see honestly that going calm I didn't get it back then I didn't get it back then you know and it's not like the self-condemning thing it's just you you get later on in life and God gives you all these things and dreams you had and you get them and you go this really isn't that great you know and and then I'm talking to some of your people who have been overseas for years and and the things that they've seen and experienced and and there is a part of me and total honesty that feels like I missed out on something and and I say that because I just want to beg you like if you have that willingness to go and you have the ability to go go you know seriously I just from a guy who's 51 big old family everything else I'm just going you have these windows in life and these opportunities in life and Christ is always worth it and there are times when we're afraid and and Satan gets in our head and our own flesh has its own desires and then you know church people can almost talk you into what your flesh wants to do anyways and sometimes they do that to justify their own lifestyles and man I know these things and and you can get caught up in that and miss out on what God has for you and and so it's it it really is so uplifting to meet so many people who have given their lives you guys don't know what a maybe you do know what a privilege you have in being a part of things here and having such a rich rich heritage of so many godly examples I mean everyone I meet I just listen to their lives and where they've been and what they've experienced and even the hardship they've been through and it's like oh it's just gold it's just gold and I and I think a lot of you know that I and then I I see this younger generation that's hungry for those examples because in so many places you don't have examples like that and yet God's done a very special thing here today was probably one of the most encouraging days cuz that one gal that came up to me who's been serving in the Middle East she shared with me you know the you were a part of our story and like really and she goes you were leading at this conference back in oh seven I think she said 2007 and but she was mean my my husband I were there and you were gone up to lead and you just felt like you weren't supposed to speak and that we were just supposed to get into the presence of God and start worshiping and she says my husband for the first time was like flat on his face because he just felt like that's what God wanted him to do and so he's flat on his face and then God tells him exactly where to go in the Middle East and she you know no talk of this before and he goes to her and says this is where God wants us to go he just spoke to me and that's where they've been for the last few years and I know I DNA that happened and what what so encouraged me is my most I mean that's just like a dream as a speaker but the most powerful message was the one I didn't give you know it really is and I love that because it couldn't have you couldn't have told me that story at a better time because everything I'm reading about the resurrected Christ and how he moves and how it really is when we empty ourselves right and and he moves and and to give him space and you know what we're here we're here gathering together and all the different sites because of the Great Commission right and and Jesus comes to them and says all authority in heaven and earth been given to me this is after rising from the grave you know everyone's gathering together to to see this man who rose from the dead and it must have been shocking right like no one's ever seen anything like this a man rose from that he claimed that he would die and rise again and he did it and now he's about to say something and he says every ounce of authority is right here and I'm telling you go make disciples of all the nations I want you to baptize them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and I want you to teach them I want to teach them to obey everything I commanded you and the thing I want to get focused on today is that last phrase and I'll be with you always okay so as I go out and make disciples that man who died and was mutilated and came back to life and says every ounce of authority every single bit has been given to me so go do this thing and I will be with you the resurrected Christ will be with you so does that mean that he is literally here right here with me like how much do I believe the Word of God that I am NOT alone on the stage right now that much power is right here all day I've been imagining what if I walked on here with him and I could see him what would I do would I be nervous to speak I would be so anxious to get up here and go what's he gonna do seriously right wouldn't you you just go what is he going to do and if he asked me to open my mouth and read some scriptures then I just read it and watch to see what he does that's what I believe happened at that gathering 10 years ago so I just kind of got out of the way and Jesus was finite I don't need you I actually seriously you probably talk way too much and rely on your own power and let the resurrected Christ speak if we believe he's alive let the Word of God speak if we believe this is the only book that is alive it's the only one the words of this book are the only these the only words are actually living crazy love is probably second but I'm kidding I am totally kidding but this whole idea of like living words and Christ being here and I've been focusing on that all day because I thought how many times have I walked on a stage as though I were alone a lot of times I've walked on the stage as though it were up to me and and so I started feeling the stress I started feeling the expectations I started expecting things of myself other people start expecting things of me but if I'm walking up here with Jesus no one would expect anything from me right in fact you would just say okay the less you say the better right and the more he speaks the better and what does it mean to manifest the Holy Spirit of God he says to everyone to every single one of us is given a manifestation of the Spirit like somehow Christ and the Spirit of God would actually speak through me and I'm praying for that tonight sometimes give the illustration of the the demon-possessed person where we've seen movies or we imagined or some of you have probably actually seen it where a person is no longer there but he's chosen to or however it works it's no longer that human being speaking but this demon manifesting through him oh god I want that I want your spirit to manifest through me I want Francis Chan to be crucified with Christ so it's no longer Francis who speaks but Christ speaks through me I used to teach a preaching class and I would tell my students if you walk on stage and you feel nervous there's probably sin in your life or disbelief because if you feel nervous why do you feel nervous it's usually because your concern of whether the people will like you or not that's what makes you nervous up there so you up there please people like what causes that nervousness it's either that or maybe you don't believe that the resurrected Christ is on that stage with you because if you knew he was on that stage there would be no fear there would just be this incredible expectation like what is he gonna do what is he gonna do what's he going to say what words is he gonna give me to say to the people today and something amazing is going to happen because Jesus Christ rose from the dead and he commanded me to make disciples commanded me to teach everyone to obey what what he said and he promised me that he would be with me as he did that do I believe this but we have an enemy that's constantly getting into our heads and trying to get us to forget he's really here there's an enemy who's constantly trying to get us to do this flesh and blood to flesh and blood my mind to yours my clever speech into your brain this will accomplish something and put all the stress on me all the pressure on that's what the enemy wants and God sing this isn't about flesh and blood there's something so much bigger going on here this is reality and everyone in the world is saying I'll get your head out of the clouds right no no no I am NOT gonna you're not gonna get me to stare at what Sene because everything I can see is temporary Cornish scripture if those things are invisible that are eternal and so somehow there's this invisible world and this is what this is the war that's going on in the room is this invisible world and these thoughts that are getting into your head that are from that invisible world you know that are telling you to look at things in the flesh to stare at things in the world to look at these few years you can enjoy on the earth that's a spiritual thing that's going on the Bible says the whole world 1st John 5 says lies in the hands of the evil 1 Corinthians he says that the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they can't see the glory of Christ this isn't this isn't like a flesh to flesh thing this one that it's a spiritual enemy there's this darkness and as long as we fight it in the flesh the enemy's thrilled he would love for me to walk up here and give my best stories and use every bit of human ability to try to talk you into something then we would love that the enemy would love for you to be satisfied with that the enemy would love it if you know good Francis Chan's gonna come up and he's gonna give a message and for you to be satisfied with that Dan we would love that rather than what God would want is for you to go okay last thing I want to hear is Francis Chan give a message for you to sit there and go that's not and that's not why I came I would love to hear I'm hearing from a godly man is not a bad thing but I'd much rather hear from God himself and for you to demand from God I'm not happy with that I want your spirit to manifest through him and do something I want something spiritual to be deposited today please please have Francis give him the wisdom the mercy the grace to die to himself to be crucified up there so we can hear from the Spirit of God so the Spirit of God would manifest through him and so that something real would change I'm not satisfied with anything less than that it's the power of the Resurrection don't you want to experience the power of the Resurrection today I want us to take a moment and I want us to pray together don't you think about God Almighty who dwells in unapproachable light all the angels staring at him once you think of Jesus who has all authority every bit of authority is given to this one person and I'm gonna throw a verse on the screen it's Philippians 3 you guys know it Philippians 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share in his sufferings becoming like him in his death that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead but I want to hone in on that first phrase that I may know him and the power of his resurrection okay I'm not going to ask you to just close your eyes and pray this with me I'm gonna ask you to seriously have everything from the core of your being your inner man your inner and crying out to the God on his throne saying Lord I want to know the power of his resurrection I want to know the power of his resurrection can we all just honestly come before God right now and let's just spend a couple minutes he hears us we want something spiritual invisible to happen in these next few minutes so let's ask him together father we are united together all of these different gatherings across all of these campuses we all agree that we want to know the power of your resurrection we are not satisfied with anything less god we don't want to do things like the world doesn't we don't want to be feel like we're alone God we want to show them your power God anything less Lord is not enough we don't want to play games we don't want to manipulate we don't want to do things in the flesh but we want to experience the power of the resurrected Christ and we trust your word your words is the spirit of him who raised Christ from the dead now dwells in us your word tells us that as we go and make disciples that Christ is with us and we are claiming that Lord that he is here with us Lord we put to death we take captive all of those thoughts that the enemy has planted in our minds that we're alone then we have to look in the mirror and see if we're good enough or we're smart enough or we're clever enough no God we take all of that captive we trash it we destroy all those lofty arguments they're all lies lies from the pit you are here with us you dwell in us holy holy holy are you hallelujah praise You Jesus you have risen you are alive and you are with us and so God today we collectively say we want to know the power of your resurrection and we claim that truth Your Word is truth you didn't give us a spirit of fear but the enemy keeps trying to give it to us you are with us you are with us because your word says by your grace thank you Jesus thank you for being in this room giving us power to do what we could never pull off in the flesh thank you for the rest we have in your power you take all stress away your yoke is easy your burden is light I praise you Jesus I worship you even now may you be moving across all these campuses showing them the power of your resurrection oh Jesus we love serving you we anticipate what you're about to do even in the next few minutes god we just feel like your disciples two thousand years ago just walking around going what's he gonna do here we believe you're here what are you gonna do here what are you gonna do this time you're here with us thank you Jesus I love this I love this drive away all that is evil in this room our tour just left here in your beautiful presence thank you in Jesus name you know earlier in in Philippians in chapter 1 verse 27 he says only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or am absent I may hear of you that you're standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel and not frightened in anything by your opponents this is a clear sign to them of their destruction but of your salvation and that from God if we're all confident in the power of the Resurrection again it takes away all fear doesn't it at least I know it does for me I just go okay once I have in my mind what the scriptures say that he's with me all fear is gone and then he says if you guys could all with one mind strive for the gospel and we just go okay Jesus is with me I'll go anywhere Lord he goes you start doing that with zero fear no fear at all of your opponents you're only gonna do that if you believe the resurrected Christ is there he's the one that takes away all fear all fear is gone it's because he lives that I can face tomorrow right it's because he lives that all fear is gone and so so then when he says when you guys would live in a manner worthy of the gospel and you lock arms your side by side of one mind we're all saying we're not afraid he's with us he says then the world is going to believe in their destruction and your salvation then they're actually gonna believe our message and actually even have a fear themselves of their own destruction that's amazing in a world where you hardly for anyone seems like they're afraid of their own destruction God says well an empowered Church will create that what a United fearless Church the enemy hates that he loves when we separate we divide on so many things and were afraid and insecure and we go to every event nervous because we don't believe in the resurrected Christ he loves that because he knows these guys get United and believe that Christ is with them and they're not afraid of anything then what Jesus said what happened will happen that the world's gonna believe that he really did come in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 Paul says this in verse 1 he says I when I came to you brothers did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified and I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling and my speech and my message were not implausible words of wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God well you're gonna wait a second Paul just is saying there that he came in fear and trembling listen to what he's saying though in contrast to fleshly confidence with which would be I've got a great speech prepared I've thought this through and I can outtalk them I can convince them no he's saying I didn't come that way I came with a simple message going okay if you don't move god nothing is going to happen and I I tell you there are times when I'll I'll walk onto a stage and there's confidence in the flesh like all this message is gonna kill it you know there's just one illustration in the middle I and get half of them to cry like duh right that's what Paul says like I could come and some some people that's enough for them man if you come and you give me a few quotes that I can write down and tweet out that's all I want if you can tell me one story you make me laugh and you know and then throw a few scriptures that's enough for me if you could just get into some Greek words that I've never heard about and really tearing apart that seriously is enough and Paul saying I'm coming and I'm gonna I decided it was a choice to no nothing so I accept Jesus Christ and him crucified why he says so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God he explains he goes I don't want to earlier in Chapter one he says I I verse 17 Christ had not sent me to baptize but to preach the gospel not with words of eloquent wisdom lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power so there is a way that if I come up here in the confidence of the flesh I will actually diminish the power of the Cross who talks like that right to come up here with fear and trembling and with a simple message of the Cross so that I don't take away the power because if I'm up here and Francis Chan just oh yeah and Jesus is just like the the message of the Cross somehow gets diminished by our confidence in the flesh you see this in the scriptures whenever someone start God hates self-reliance God hates the confidence in the flesh I'm the story of one of our favorite verses right is a and our favorites and chronicles see he doesn't like that I could just quoted in the flesh I forget if first chronicles are second chronicles 16:9 okay st. chronicles 16:9 we know that for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him you have done foolishly in this were from now on you will have Wars what what the context is what I'm getting at if you know the context of that story it was King King ASA who was amazing because he relied on the Lord and he defeated these armies way bigger than his but then later on in his life towards the end he starts partnering with this other king and God speaks to him through the Prophet there and said what are you doing and he goes because you relied on this king of Syria you're gonna lose because you relied on me your whole life and now cuz you're this mighty king and you have all this ability to partner with other people you're gonna rely on that because of that because you've done a foolish thing he goes don't you know the eyes of the Lord he's looking for the one whose heart is blameless but because you relied on this King you're gonna and you're gonna have Wars from here on out he hates that reliance on anything besides him and that's why Paul says I'm not gonna do that I'm not gonna rely on Paul was mentored by like the best like he was brilliant he could have come up here and just had this amazing speech and talked people into these things and if he had come he goes no I've decided to know nothing I'm just gonna go up there and weakness I'm in tremble and I'm just gonna give the simple message and believe that the resurrected Christ is there to do what he needs to do I'm just gonna speak his words because his words are living and if I start talking if Paul starts talking with his lofty speech all of his wisdom it's gonna kill everything I'm sharing these things because I don't want fear to paralyze you that's what the enemy wants you to look in the mirror and remind you because all your life it's been about working hard you know everything's been fleshed the harder you study in the flesh the better grade you're gonna get the more you work out the better you're gonna do you know in the game you know everything's about like this we're gonna do and we are supposed to study and we are supposed to search the scriptures but our confidence it's like coming in weakness and trembling and trusting go god you're you're moving in this room because I asked you to and by your grace because you want to move and Lord as your eyes are looking around I really want you to pick me and say there's a guy who really wants to die to himself and have me live through him he really believes there's nothing he has to offer Jesus says it's the spirit right John 6:63 it is the spirit that gives life the flesh is of no help at all we should be the most confident group of people because of who is standing with us and because of whose presence is with us so get rid of all those lies as Satan's trying to plant into your mind that you could never survive over there you could never pull this off or this just get rid of that that is all of the enemy and believe the resurrected Christ is with you everywhere you go and when you walk around with that type of fearlessness and we join arms and say yeah we're in this thing together none of us are afraid that's when we know the power of the Resurrection and that's when the world's going to believe but we have to be dissatisfied with lofty speech eloquence superior wisdom we just have to agree that's not enough for me you know I was reminded when we were praying this this afternoon of a psalm I just read a few days ago it was really interesting it's Psalm 17 and when I read this really Psalm 17 verse 13 says arise O Lord confront him subdue him deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword from men by your hand O Lord from men of the world whose portion is in this life you fill their womb with treasure they are satisfied with children and they leave their abundance to their infants as for me I shall behold your face in righteousness when I awake I shall be satisfied with your likeness it's such an interesting passage to me because it says they deliver myself from the wicked by your sword for men by your hand oh Lord of men of this world whose portion is in this life circle man who is God who's he st. God please deliver me from these wicked people and then he kill goes to describe them they're their people whose portion is in this life God you fill their womb with treasure and they're satisfied with children and they leave their abundance to their infants he goes there are people on this earth that are happy just to have kids make a living die and pass on their inheritance to their kids and refers to those as the wicked and he goes that's not enough for me he goes ask for me I mean for some people they're satisfied with that they're happy with that and I think back to those days when I was your age and I just I'm alone I'm just ashamed my god I think even as a Christian at that time the only things I was dreaming of was like a family a happy family and some kids and a home these aren't bad things but to be satisfied with that voices as for me I shall behold your face and righteousness when I awake I'll be satisfied with your likeness that's that's the only thing that's gonna satisfy me it's so similar to Paul Gore not for me to live is Christ the enemies of the cross there their God is their stomach like whatever they do this one they're satisfied by that that's so weird because I want you I want to know the power of your resurrection I want a fellowship in your sufferings I've got to attain to that that resurrection somehow so when this is over man I'm I'm gonna see your face and I'm gonna attain your likeness like that's the hunger of my life we've gotta stop being satisfied with the things we can see I used to be satisfied giving a sermon that people liked and having the people like it and walk away going oh that was convicting that was good that was this that was that and Paul says man I'm not satisfied with that I want to see the power I want to come because the the kingdom of God is not about words it's about a power and demonstration of the Spirit and that's where I've been praying for God could good tonight good demonstration of the spirits power so everyone leaves there knowing the power of the Resurrection I can't I can't give that to you I can't talk you into that I can't talk you into leaving this room and and and going to the most dangerous places on earth to share the gospel and get you to be unafraid for the rest of your life no but by the grace of God he can do that and that's what I'm praying for you see it's it's a sharing with some guys earlier today just how okay like I heard I love surfing and I heard that there's a place to surf in Waco and so I went on the internet cuz I had someone told me there's a wave pool in Waco so I looked it up and watched a video this morning I thought that's kind of cool you know because what's cool about it is when you have those manmade waves it always breaks in the same place you know normally you're swimming out in the ocean you don't know where the way it's gonna come when it's gonna come how big it's gonna be what's gonna bite your face off you don't know any of that and I thought it'd be nice to just go on a wave pool and go to the exact spot where the machine makes the wave every single time and you can wave you know just ride the exact shape wave over and over and over again like what that looks kind of fun but I would get bored of that after a while and but as I was watching that wave I thought you know what that's what we do in our church gathering sometimes we just know how to create a wave we know when it's gonna begin 9:00 a.m. we know just at the height at 9:21 and then we know what's gonna close off at you you know in these different places and then we'll do it again at and and and it's just this we can manufacture so much and be satisfied with it I've done that a lot of my life because there's something about that where if I go to that wave pool in Waco I won't I know it's not gonna be horrible there will always be something where has there been times I paddle out in the ocean hearing there's gonna be a swell and you're sitting there lord please please just one God please come on Lord Josh I prayed this morning my devotions I witness to the guy on the way here you know like can I just have a wave you know like it's that's what you do sometimes it's like nothing happened but you never have that problem in Waco it's always gonna show up it's always gonna be the same thing and I just I just feel like there's like this safety in some of our fleshly confidence to create something and for many people that's enough and as long as that's enough for us God's not going to give us more and as long as we play it safe and use our human wisdom and eloquence to create some sort of wave that's manufactured by us and as long as I'm happy with it you're happy with it it's like all right fine that's all you'll get then but that wasn't enough for Paul and I don't think it's enough for you and that's why you're here and it's not enough that type of wave that you can create through your own learning and strategy is not enough to sustain you not even close and who wants to do that over and over and over again ride a wave that we created rather than saying God like Paul I'm gonna go out there I'm just gonna paddle out and if you don't do something I'm just gonna be standing there I'll just be sitting on my board but if you create something you can create something so beautiful so amazing that's what Paul was saying to the church in Thessalonica in 1st Thessalonians 1 he says in verse 4 he says for we know brothers loved by God that he has chosen you because our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction you know what kind of men we prove to be among you for your sake and you became imitators of us and of the Lord for you receive the word in much affliction with the joy of the holy spirit so you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Nakia for not only as a word the Lord sounded forth from you and Macedonian care but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere so we don't need to say anything for they themselves report concerning as the kind of reception we had among you and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come paul says okay when i came to your town when i came to your city he goes I know God chose you I know he created a wave why because the result because you started just the gospel when I spoke it there there was like this power and there was conviction because it was in a time of persecution and yet when you heard what Jesus did on the cross you took it with full your leg you know gonna bring the persecute these people heard the word like go ahead persecute me I don't care anymore he goes I didn't even have to tell people what happened in your life you started preaching you started preaching to everyone and everyone start talking about you and how you turned away from idols to serve God you were imitating us you're laboring it's like he goes man something happened there same message he goes but with you guys something happened there was a wave there was a wave as yesterday when I was hanging out with Jimmy he was just telling me at the times when you when that wave comes when the spirit moves any strategy will work you know it's it's not like it says it's it's just when that when God isn't moving we try to manufacture something and so then you gotta get real clever and make something look like a semi revival you you know and and it's just to say God I don't want that Lord I want to see this I'm gonna see your spirit move I don't know how that's gonna look in these different places but I'm not satisfied with anything other than the power of the resurrected Christ I was speaking with a couple friends of mine at this other conference a few months ago and they spoke and then I was gonna come at the end and and it was all about getting people to go and you know into the nations and I'm just like I just really feel like if it ended right now they would all go that was good and then nothing would change and so I gathered the two guys gotta go what do I say what do I say to change this so that something happens and we're sitting there plotting it's the three of us like gosh I don't maybe if I go this direction or this direction and then it hit me I can wait a second I could this shouldn't be that hard and I asked the two guys that spoke before man like when the Holy Spirit entered you and you believed did anyone have to talk you into spending time with him that people have to beg you to get the sin out of your life was your pastor just all over you begging you to do something for the kingdom like I don't know what it was like for you guys but like I had to do something like when I when the Holy Spirit came into me it's like the thought of I can speak to Almighty God like he'll listen to me like they eat after begging me to spend time with God I want to be something in there and when the spirit came in to me it's like all the sin that was in my life I'm like I want it out get it out get it out get it out I hate it every time I dabble just a little bit I don't want it I know I'm a new creation I don't want that stuff in my life something inside happened and I am NOT happy I couldn't be happy just golfing and surfing every day that would drive me nuts I have to be about the kingdom like even now like as the end is looking like it is just imminent like it's happening I'm begging God all the time please get me in the game get me in the game I'm begging Jimmy and then get me in the game where I gotta go I gotta do something cuz I'm not gonna sit around like in the days of knowing go I'm happy you know marrying my kids off you know like no no I'm not satisfied with that but it was something inside that happens that the Spirit is given to me to be his witness so it drives me nuts when I haven't been my his witness it drives me nuts when I chicken out like oh this is all it was happening inside of me like oh do people have to beg you no you're right no something happened inside something happened inside you guys our job should not be that hard if you are pushing pulling dragging people for the tiniest bit of fruit we've got out of love be concerned that the Spirit of God and the resurrected Christ is not really in them changing them from the inside because if the spirit of him who raised Christ from the dead is in them what I hear is that your soul your depths will cry out father and you'll want to manifest the Holy Spirit of God you'll want to be his witness you will seek first his kingdom you when you see the poor you can't just keep walking how could the love of Christ be in you like it's all these things should happen as the spirit enters us so as you go to these other countries that you oh no I'm scared this this this this no there's only one X Factor that's the Holy Spirit if the spirit of him raised Christ from the dead enters into these people it's gonna start happening from the inside out and that's something that only the resurrected Christ can do who is with you and if the Holy Spirit does not enter those people nothing's gonna happen and you can spend all your days trying to protect them and talk them into something when in reality we need to be honest with people when we don't see the fruit in their life to say you know um I'm nervous for you I'm concerned for you because I don't see this power so I I even have to ask you like do you from the core of your being cry Abba Father does your spirit cry out to him do you hate sin and want it out of your life are you a slave to that righteousness is your mind about the kingdom and wanting so desperately to be a part of this mission that he's called us to see if that's not coming from inside and you need everyone and their mother pulling you begging you then I'd say gosh you may not know him I say that cautiously but out of love because this is about the power of the resurrected Christ it's about people going from death to life and there should be a noticeable difference so don't put the pressure on yourself thinking I'm not good enough to go and accomplish this in that tribe if you do feel like you're good enough man that's exactly when nothing's gonna happen it's it's that confidence that you're not coming with fear and trembling and you're not coming into this confidence that the resurrected Christ is with you everywhere you my prayer is that there's I don't want to ever walk on another stage or share with another unbeliever with fear gonna walk with this confidence that the resurrected Christ is with me and that's a lot of power that's all authority in heaven and on earth is with me so I would just like to pray over you right now and kind of end this the way we started coming before Almighty God abba father of our Father you are only father you're the only father we need you're a father to the fatherless our cup overflows you are our Shepherd we are clean you died and rose again and you're with us to the end of the age the spirit of him who raised Christ from the dead now dwells in us graters he was innocent he was of the world your eyes one or two and fro throughout this earth looking for people to strongly support you're looking for hearts that are blameless not arrogant God we can do nothing I have no wisdom no power your word is living and active like a two-edged sword when Jesus says whatever we ask in his name you'll do it God we are asking for the same thing you want a united church that is not afraid because the resurrected Christ is with us we want to know the power of the Resurrection we agree Lord so I pray for everyone in this room and in every satellite that we would know your resurrection power and we destroy all these crazy arguments that came from the evil one that tells us we're not good enough we're not wise enough when I strong enough and intelligent enough we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us all things you're with us more by your spirit give us the strength we want Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith the resurrected Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith and now Lord may you move throughout all these rooms and just lead us [Music] resurrected Christ leaders [Music] [Music]

Channel: Crazy Love

Views: 29,035

Rating: 4.9379845 out of 5

Keywords: Francis Chan, the Church, Jesus, Christ, Crazy Love, GOD

Id: _Xqb4_Av9ZQ

Length: 72min 45sec (4365 seconds)

Published: Mon May 13 2019