Francis Chan: Relationship with God - Bayside Church Easter Service

this is so cool I love this you know honestly I used to hate Easter because I was a pastor and and you feel so much pressure on Easter because you're like what am I going to say this year this going to top last year you know that type of thing and it hit me one year I go this is so insane someone was tortured crucified buried and then came back to life and said I'm going to return one day to judge the world and I'm sitting in my office trying to make that sound exciting you know like someone rose from the grave and I have to come up with something creative this year and then and then I started reading like oh man what did Jesus do when crowds showed up because there's pressure on Easter there's pressure you think man all these people are coming a lot of you come once a year and I'm thinking man I got a nail and if I nail it they may come back on Christmas you know and you put all this pressure on yourself like this is my one chance to get at these people I better nail it and so you start stressing out so many pastors go through this on Easter and then one year I'm like wait what did Jesus do when he saw crowds did he stress out you know like and I and I was reading in the The Book of Luke just reading the first time Jesus appeared before great crowds man it's the craziest story because it says that people came thousands of people came from different towns because they stood they all heard about this man they think oh man I heard this guy healed a blind guy I heard this guy was healing people who are deaf I heard this guy actually raised someone from the dead so imagine back then you're hearing of someone doing these miracles so everyone floods to the spot to hear Jesus and in Luke 8 it says that there were just a ton of people great crowds from all of these villages and it says Jesus comes up to the crowd and this is how he addresses them he goes there was a farmer and he was planting seeds some of it fell on the ground and birds ate it some landed on rocks they sprouted up and then the Sun scorched you to kill two others landed in the thorns and and and it tried to grow but the thorns choked it out then some landed on good soil and it produced like a hundred times what was planted if you get it you get it if you don't you don't see it that was the whole message man could you imagine like thousands of people show up and he just says that and so it says later in Luke 8 that the very next verse talks about how the disciples come up to Jesus his followers you know Jesus what was that all about and listen to his answer he says to them in in Luke 8 verse verse 9 he says to you it's been given to know the secrets of the kingdom but for others I speak in parables so that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not understand where did you get that the disciples like why'd you do that he goes I spoke to them in a parable so that they wouldn't understand me man I just go what are you talking to like what I mean I'm coming here going man I want to speak in such a way that you understand me and Jesus now I'm just throwing this this this parable out there and then they're not they're not going to get it and then he explains the parable he says you see the seed that that farmer threw that was like the Word of God he goes you're going to toss some and it's going to hit the ground and he goes that's like people who they're not going to hear it doesn't matter what I say they're not listening today okay he goes then there's others that you know they may get all excited like whoa Jesus I'll follow egos you know but the moment the trials come the Sun comes the wind comes they're they're done he goes then there's others that they they'll want something but they got too much going on in their lives and they're trying to fit Jesus in but all their worries all the stuff they want it's going to crowd him out choking out he goes but just like a farmer when it lands on the good seed the good soil that's the stuff I'm going to work with and he was telling us disciples that's what you guys are so you guys came you want to know the truth and so let me tell you about it for those other people you know it's it's egos if God gives them ears to hear they're going to hear but if not there's no point man and too often in the church we try to water the sidewalk you know the rocky soil you know the thorns and then what Jesus is I want to talk to the people who are ready to hear me and that's why he says that phrase he who's got ears let them hear what I got to say those who don't I can't help you see and I I started thinking about that one Easter and I thought you know what I brought some seeds um I don't know if these would work I never plan anything but I figured you know what this is all I'm doing today right this is all I'm doing I'm just throwing the Word of God out there you sure and and some of you are here and this is what's going to happen seriously now there's there's no point you're just sitting here going just get this thing over with it's high you know I'm just here as my wife told me if I came to this I wouldn't have to go to our mom's house you know you're just right and you're just like man I've done the church thing and so I could sit here and preach all day long but this is all it's going to do now there's others of you that the Bible says you're actually gonna take and go yeah yeah yeah I want that I want that give me that commit like oh man see I want the seed I want to see but it's just a moment things get difficult you're like oh man this doesn't taste like I thought man some of that shell is trying to pinch my skin forget it he goes that's what a lot of people do it's like they all follow Jesus but then once you realize man Jesus didn't promise your life to be easy man there's preachers I'll get on a stage and go man if you follow Jesus you'll become rich you know and go on and on and you'll never get sick again you know your whole family you guys that's not what Jesus taught Jesus says you follow me it's gonna be more difficult he goes people hated me they rejected me they're gonna do the same thing to you so something oh no I'll follow Jesus but then one thing difficult you spit them out you go that didn't work give me something else I want life to be easy and Jesus no in this world you're going to have pain but but take heart I've overcome the world okay you think it was easy to go to the cross no that's life he goes but guess what comes afterwards you're going to rise again see and some people they don't like that message this is then there's others others are going to toss the seed out to them and they're there actually go no I I want that let me go no I want that but but but uh I'm kind of busy right now and you just shove it in your pocket because you know I want it but let me let me just finish this one project and then I'll start going to church and I'll start doing this let me just get over this one relationship let me just do this let me do that and you know so some of you some of you ladies will grab the seed didn't go no I want that and you just shove it in your purse with 300 other things and you're just going to lose it now some of you're going to hear this and the moment you walk out in the parking lot you're just you're going to grab your phone and you're going to start returning the 40 texts that were on there some you're doing it right now you losers and end up because you know what it's just like I don't care I don't care it's just a word of god see but the Bible says but then there's other people Jesus others are going to be like no no give me that seat give me that seat now I want this I want this you're gonna chew it up and you're gonna digest it and it's gonna nourish you you know it's gonna be like no I want this I want this in jesus's that's that's who I'm talking to and so for me I come here today and I go man all the pressures off because I can't make anyone fall in love with Jesus I can't make you turn your whole life around no matter what I say either you came with the right kind of heart and soil where you go you know what I actually want to know God at this point in my life give me that help me understand it I get it cuz the Bible says some people are gonna get it some people are going to treat this like he gives us parable of a person who who saw treasure in a field and he's designed that treasure was so great he covered it back up and he just took wrong seed I didn't eat it last service okay so some people they're gonna see that and uh am I talking about okay the treasurer they're gonna go man he says with great joy he went and sold everything he had he goes here take everything just give me that field I gotta have that field you can have my house you can have my my donkeys whatever you can have everything I just I just have to have that field that's all I want and Jesus some people are gonna get that some people are that good soil because they understand that man you can actually know God are you kidding me some miracle I'm way to saying every breath comes from him I'm not guaranteed he gave me another one and his inner telling me that being up there who's making that sunshine that Sun that that's 93 million miles away and we feel its heat right now that God who made all of this and everyone here I can actually talk to him man and I'm telling you I'm not talking about closing your eyes and saying a few words I'm talking about different times in my life when I'll talk directly to him and he'll answer me in ways where I just freaked out and I'm going there's no way there's no way I just talk to God and some of you here you hear that and you're going man but I did the church thing man I did it didn't what I'm gonna no you don't get it you can seriously have a connection with him talk to him you can be forgiving of everything the God who sits on his throne the Bible says as lightning and thunder coming from his throne pillars of fire around his throne a hundred million angels around his throne that somehow I could be worthy to come into his presence and talk to him and have him answer me and walk with me through life and enter into my body to where I'm not the same person I was before it's a real thing and some of your going to get that and go man I want that because you underst stand the Easter servant story you understand that on Thursday night the Bible says Jesus the Son of God this is probably the most touching part of the Bible to me is that story in the garden you ever get that before Jesus will be crucified he's in the garden and and mark mark chapter 14 it talks about how Jesus starts to pray to his father in mark 14 but but listen to what it says it says Jesus says my soul is very sorrowful even to death and it says going a little farther he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him and Jesus said Abba Father all things are possible for you remove this cup from me yet not what I will but yours be done do you get that like Jesus is looking at the father and first he says man my soul Eagle man I heard so bad right now because I feel like I'm gonna die you ever felt like a giver I don't know some of you may have felt this before where you hurt so bad inside you wanna do anything you can to get rid of the pain and it's emotional but becomes physical you're like man I can't stand life right now I just want to get rid of pain so you medicate yourself you drugged yourself you just don't want to think and you even think about ending your life cuz you're going man I just want to jump cuz I don't want to feel this pain anymore here's Jesus the one and only Son of God looking at his dad and gone dad I feel like I'm gonna die right now and the Bible says he was in so much anguish that he was sweating blood which what we understand medically is possible where you are such anguish that blood starts coming out of your pores and Jesus the Son of God is crying - daddy goes and this is what he says he goes dad I know you can do anything you can do anything so please don't make me go through this take this cup from me the Bible says he prayed that three times men can you imagine if one of your kids whom you love so much looks you in the eyes and dad I don't want to go through this get me out of this and he's sweating drops of blood and saying look you can do anything can get me out of the situation and three times he says to you please is there another way man what would you do and yet at the end of the prayer Jesus looks at the father and goes okay but not what I want what you want not my will but your will be done and then it says in Isaiah 53 verse 10 it says it was the will of the Father to crush him it was the will of the Father to crush so your son is crying out is there any other way but not what I want what you want and God on his throne goes man I love you but what I want is I want to crush you so that you will be an offering so that you will pay for everyone else's sin God is saying I want these people that are gonna show up two thousand years later maybe someone's gonna get it and recognize that I watched my son go through all of that I love my son Warren any of you love your kids and I watched him and I thought no this is worth it I want to crush you so you'll be the guilt offering this way I can be fair and I can also show mercy because yeah I could do it any other way sure I could just say you're all forgiven but that would not be fair and the Bible says God needed to be just and the justifier he needed to be fair that when there's a crime committed like all of us he goes man I have to punish it that see that's what a fair judge does and I'm perfectly fair so I must punish but rather than punishing you here's how I'm going to show mercy my sons crying out but I'm going to crush him so that you can be forgiven and that I'm going to raise him from the dead and I'm going to give you that power so you can start living the way I asked you to you guys that's what we're celebrating today you know the Bible says that God made him Jesus who knew no sin become sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God through him he says you want to be righteous gonna be right in God's eyes because that's what Jesus was doing on that cross and he rose from the grave he's and give you power man when I prayed for you because I was praying for this service you know and I and I pray differently for every church wherever I go like yesterday yesterday I was in a child chilla prison preaching preaching and I'm just talking you know having Easter service with these prisoners and I prayed one thing and then when I was driving out here to Roseville this morning I prayed something different for you because different people need different things see this morning you know what I prayed for this community I prayed that you would understand Philippians chapter 3 I prayed that you would understand Philippians chapter 3 because Philippians chapter 3 talks about what it means to be a good person in the sight of God and I thought you know what I bet you there's a lot of people that are going to show up this Easter and feel like I'm okay with God because I'm basically a good person I've done a lot of good deeds I'll probably come to church in four weeks where we do those projects man I might even go to you know Mexico next Easter I and I give money to the poor a sponsor you know and I just think man I think there's people here that will look at their crimes and think man but look at me I'm a family man or look at me I'm a great mom and I've got these kids and I'm just trying to raise them the way God wants me to and I'm doing these different things and protecting them and giving them a good life a better life than I did and you're going to feel like you're a good person man and what Philippians 3 talks about is Paul Paul says in Philippians 3 he goes you guys think you're good he says these are his exact words he says uh if anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh because I have more because if any of you think you're good people I guarantee you I'm better than you and he goes through the list of all the things that he did all the religion he goes I did this I did this I did this I did this beat that he goes but with that he goes but I don't I don't count that righteousness I don't go okay I'm good I'm gonna stand before God No what he says is he says but whatever gain I had whatever those good things that I thought I was achieving for myself whatever gain I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus for my lord my lord for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and I count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith Paul says look I did a lot of good things but here's what I did all those good things I consider them all rubbish in order that I may be found in Christ he goes I had to take every good thing I did and not think that Oh God look what a good person I am because I promise you the people who will not make it into heaven are the people who think that they're good enough to make it in okay that's what scripture says you really think you can stand before a holy God with your works Paul says no way he goes all of my good deeds and I've done more than you he goes I counted all rubbish and those who have studied this passage know that that word rubbish actually means manure he goes do I really think my good works are going to get me into heaven he goes I might as well just bring a plate of manure to God and go God will this get me in I made it myself is this eco Simas that's what all my good works and he says look I have to do that in order that I might be found in the righteousness of Christ okay you you can't have both you know okay I'm a good person and I'll take Jesus awesome no no he goes look you got to come to the point in your life where you recognize there's one way for us to become righteous that Jesus who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that those of us who believe in him we become we switch places with Jesus he was God that's why he didn't want to go to the cross he's gonna down you're gonna look at me like I'm gonna take on everyone sin you're gonna crucify me he was going to take that on and then we in turn we become perfect those of us who believe in him we take on his righteousness he took on our sin and Paul says look I want to switch I'll take all my righteous deeds and I counted as as manure that I might be found in Christ and having his rights that's what I prayed for you I go man lord I just pray that people would understand Philippians 3 that they would understand look I know okay great you do some good deeds you're this that do you know who you're about to stand before and he knows every secret you can lie to me you can lie to your pastor you all do it you know you can lie to your family hide things but you're gonna stand before this being sitting on his throne and he knows every thought everything you've ever done there's no more lies and you think you're gonna come before him and go I'm a good person no he's saying man that's why I sent my son don't you understand I did that I went through that pain so that you could believe in him and it's through faith that you're gonna become righteous you're not just righteous but he says you know what that's why Paul goes on he goes man I I counted all loss he goes that I may know Christ and the power of his resurrection look what I'm talking about today is not a religion I'm not saying hey start going to base I don't even go there you know it's just I'm not saying hey go this church and start obeying a bunch of rules and do this and do this and it'll change you know that's not what the Bible talks about the Bible talks about how when you believe in Jesus he says his spirit will literally enter into your body okay and he'll actually change your heart that's the idea the power of the Resurrection Paul says I want to know that power that changes my heart so you're not just forcing yourself to do something but that's what that seed is he'll change your heart to where it becomes good soil and you actually want his commands and it's not like okay I'll force myself to do this I know he changes you from the inside out I've had it happen not the same person I used to be man do you understand all through the Old Testament they talked about this day they you know in the Old Testament there was a temple you know you guys heard about that the temple and then there was this place called the Holy of Holies in the temple where they kept the Ark of the Covenant in there and and it was curtain'd off you don't dare walk in there because it was a presence of God you walk in there you die you just die no one could stand the presence of God once a year the high priest if he did everything right in preparing himself he could walk into that room but many of them died when they walked in they would have a rope around their foot so that if they died they could pull him out because you can't go in and get him right and you die and there's a whole pile up so so they just they would pull the guy out by a rope but every once in a while someone could go in perfectly pure or you know gone through all the rituals and everything they could go in into the Holy of Holies and he didn't die and he could pray on behalf of the people I mean that was the Holy of Holies in the temple and what they taught in the Old Testament God says in Ezekiel there's going to come a day when that temple will be gone and I'm actually going to take that Spirit of God and I'm going to put it inside of human beings I'm going to put him inside of human beings and they will become the temple of God that's what I'm talking about all of that power now would enter into us and change our hearts to where now we have the ability to walk away from sin now we have the ability to influence other people and build them up that's what I'm talking about today it's not about joining a church it's not about obeying a bunch of rules I'm going man he changes you from the inside out it's an insane power the resurrection power that enters into your life and I know some of you are sitting here going now but I know church people and their lives are no different from mine and I've seen the way they lived if anything I'm living a better life in them explain that and I just I go you know what I agree with you don't be careful with what I say right now but I just want to be honest with you look I believe that the majority of people who attend churches in America do not really know Jesus Christ that's what I'm saying I'm not trying to judge anyone I'm just going man if the Spirit of God is inside of you that should change everything and some of you are going man I did the church thing it did nothing for me and you just go man I tried that when I was younger and I went I sang the songs I read the verses I was an altar boy I was this I was having like man would you just let go of the past forget about all the other examples out there I'm talking about you who you are today today do you hear what this book is saying forget church experience forget everything else do you believe the words of Jesus because at the end I could I could make excuses all day long and go well I've been to church I've done this I've seen the hypocrisy I've seen no but at the end of day I stand before God and there's no excuses because I go you know what Lord I read what this book says and even if no one else believes it I believe that I need his righteousness and I believe that your spirit can come in here and change this heart and make me a man who actually follows you and gives me new desires and makes me a slave to what is right that's what I'm talking about today and my prayer is that some of you would get it some of you would get it and maybe you would be the real thing and that that you will jump into a church and actually be a light even in the church then you go back to work and they would actually see no there are still people who leave this thing there are people don't just spit it out when it doesn't taste right there are people who don't just let it be choked out but all the things in the world I want to be like that good soil God and that's something that God I believe is doing in some of your hearts right now we're saying you know what you heard what he said and it resonates with you forget everything else right now God in heaven he's not begging he doesn't need to beg any of us preysing look do you believe what I did on that cross for you do you believe I watched my son suffer those of you who say oh there's probably a bunch of ways really that makes sense to you a bunch of ways to heaven so God looked at his son who's begging him saying God is there any other way and God says yeah there's probably fifty other ways to get to heaven but I'm going to crush you anyways you don't really make sense to you know he says no this is the one way I can be just and the justifier this is the one way to heaven and some of you may get that today and go okay I don't care what everyone else teaches what everyone else says I heard from the word today and I'm ready to follow him and God in heaven right now look I just done things where people will go okay I'll I'll become a Christian of you and then it doesn't even last and I'm not interested in that I'm not interested in stats of oh we had 18 hundred people give their life to know if it's not real it's not going to last and I've done things that don't last and I'm going man are there people here today they go look I get it I really get it and it's not going to be just something I throw in my mouth till doesn't taste right I'm ready to go to the cross I'm ready to deny myself pick up the cross and follow him I'm ready to turn from my life and seriously I want that heart change and I want it today and if that's you I want to pray for you and I'm not going to have everyone close their eyes so you can do it in secret now we got enough people that are ashamed of their faith in churches i I'm going to ask you to do something really bold if you heard what I said and you're going man no if I'm right with him but I believe I believe that he really sent his son and he watched his son pay for my sins and I believe he can enter into my life and change my heart I want that spirit in me and I want to live a different life from here on out if that's you and you go man I think today's the day I want it I'm going to ask you right now to do something bold because I want to pray for you I want you to stand where you are and raise your hand and say you know what I want Jesus right now right on right on right on right on that's right stay up stay up stay up God is watching right now God in heaven is looking at you right now going okay you want my spirit in you you want to be forgiven you believe in the cross man I'm gonna pray over you right I'm going to pray for you right now man just stay there with your hands up saying God in fact put both hands I'm just said God I surrender to you that's what you're saying and everyone that's sitting down right now pray for these people who are standing because you remember what it was like when you gave your life to Jesus and how all the temptations came and how difficult it was man pray for these people that this is the real thing and that the church begins to change but right where you're standing I'm gonna pray over you right now father these people are standing before you saying they want you God in them I'm so tired of seeing this fake Christianity thing lord I pray that these people are for real and your spirit really enters into them I pray they see all their good deeds it's just a pile of crap and then they understand they need what Jesus did on the cross for them and God please fill them right now make them a temple of the Holy Spirit do what you promised you in Ezekiel and change their hearts from a heart of stone change them from that path that hardened path and give them a heart of flesh make them good soil so they'll hear the word of God and it will change them so father we know the enemy is going to attack those who are standing right now and this week all sorts of temptations are going to come their way but greater is he who was in them now then he of the world and so father fill them protect them and use them for your glory in the precious name of Jesus we pray amen

Channel: Crazy Love

Views: 27,688

Rating: 4.8730159 out of 5

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

Id: ufQNOqsSZfk

Length: 31min 22sec (1882 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 21 2015