Francis Chan: We Are Church - Church Together, June 2016

follow Jesus now it's a choice and this is what so many people don't get it's like I gotta choose I can't be a part of two gangs I can't like keep all of my friends and everything going this way the way life always has been and then also add Jesus too because look it's two polar opposites and I see so many people call themselves Christians and try to walk in both worlds and Jesus says look if the world hates you it's because it hated me first he says in John 15 he says if you were of the world the world would love you as its own but as it is you're not of the world I pulled you out of the world therefore the world hates you but you gotta understand that if you were of the world the world loves you as its own so if the world loves you right now why is that it's because you never left the world to follow Jesus and we're trying to walk this life what we're saying no we actually are glad that God found us and it's exactly what Justin said like some people will hear the gospel and they'll hate it they'll hate it cuz it's the opposite of everything they've been taught most almost the whole city right now is celebrating pride while we celebrate humility most of cities go no we do what we want to do and we're proud of that we're proud of whatever we feel in here we're going after we're saying well actually I'm embarrassed of what's going on in here and I choose to come under the lordship of Jesus and he asked me to do things that I don't feel like doing but that's what humility is about is saying look it's not about me it's about him and I'm gonna come under whatever he tells me to do when sometimes it's horrible sometimes it's miserable man this is not why he's placing we're gonna follow Jesus everything should be so easy everything be great it just adds to your life nobody takes away quite a bit pretty much everything as is die to yourself deny yourself pick up your cross and follow me and that's a tough thing but the same time there's some of us who are crazy enough to go actually I think he's worth it actually he's that great man when I just sit and think about you sitting on that couch and God opening your eyes to like you're so good and just bawling your eyes out like man I can have him I just kept wondering man how many of us get that that's not just adding something to your life but it's making a choice most of us have been reading The Book of Jeremiah this week you know and you know I think I convinced myself that our world was so horrible right now like in a lot of ways I think men in my lifetime I don't think I've ever seen the world this evil but then I read the Book of Jeremiah and I'm going man that's pretty bad back then you know I'm thinking oh no but people are so anti God just doing their own thing and then we Jeremiah go saying you know exactly it's just there's no difference in fact it was talking about how it got so bad in Jeremiah in Chapter 7 it talks about okay I think it was worse back then maybe because because it says they have built the high places of tofu which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire which I did not command nor did it even come into my mind say wait a second these guys are are in the Valley of Hinnom taking their sons and daughters and killing them sacrificing them to God what's crazy is three weeks ago some of us were in Israel together in the Valley of Hinnom looking at archaeological digs where they showed these skeletons of these babies systematically killed and burned in the fire and I'm looking at that and I'm reading Jeremiah this I saw that we were in that exact place where they were burning the children and looking at these skeletons that were dug up where man why are there all these babies with their head severed and burned to death and then you read about it in Jeremiah exactly where he said it would take place and you know wow maybe that's worse they were killing babies good thing we don't live in a country that murders babies and calls it something that's virtuous like a woman's choice it just doesn't make sense when you really think about it you know we said well it's different with us because the babies we kill are still inside the womb see if it's inside you can murder it but the moment it comes out then it's wrong does that really make sense is that one second so what about the babies coming out and you stopped at a deaf man is it not murder like when does it become murder you guys look look I understand this is a touchy thing but it's we it doesn't make sense if you really think about it yeah well they did it as a religion you know so that's what was evil about it and so it's okay if you do it out of convenience and that makes it okay or less evil look I know there are some of you that have killed your babies in the past and I'm not saying that there isn't forgiveness there there absolutely is forgiveness because of what took place on that cross what Justin was saying about how everything everything all the wrath deserve for you was poured out on Jesus and so you're 100% pure cleansed of that you can let that go you can move on you've been forgiven but I hope there was a time when you got in there faith on your face and cigars sorry for what I did rather than seeing it as a virtuous thing you see that that's the Book of Jeremiah Jeremiah was promised by God that his life was going to be miserable that everyone was gonna hate him I mean that that's a pretty tough way to start a life um in fact Jeremiah I don't know why but this book jumps out to me like no other I remember about 10-15 years ago I just want to get close to God you know I felt like man you know from when he get close to my wife I'll go on vacation with her floating it close to God why don't I do the same thing with him where I just get along with him and no one else and so I went out in the woods for four days and I just didn't even see another human being that's what I wanted I just want some water let me go in the woods in my friend's cabin Mike borrowed a cabin too but I remember just going man I'm sinking close to God I did one of those let me flip open the Bible and see where it lands type of thing I don't totally recommend but it worked but and I landed on the first page of Jeremiah that's weird I never read Jeremiah let me see what's on page one and I got to verse five and I didn't read another verse for four days I don't remember reading another verse for four days it hit me so hard because he says before I formed you in the womb Jeremiah 1:5 before I formed you in the womb I knew you and before you were born I consecrated you I appointed you a prophet to the nation's that's crazy God says before he formed Jeremiah in the womb he already knew him and then he already decided that he was gonna be a prophet is that true yeah I just started thinking God is that true of me like did you know me before I was even born before I even came out of my whoo you knew who I was and you had a plan for me like he needed someone on the earth during Jeremiah's time he says everyone else is gonna be telling lies I'm gonna you're gonna tell the truth though you tell them everything and and so God tells Tara might look when you and your mom's womb irineu what you were gonna do so think to yourself isn't that true of you that you're not a mistake I know you went through all sorts of garbage in your life but to go back I'm not a mistake like God specifically designed me for something and I just went on that for four days ago are you kidding me so that I can't fail you made me like this man used to look in the mirror and compare myself to other people but I don't match up to him this guy's smart this guy's you know better leave this guy's a better speaker this guy's this this is you go on and on and on and look at my life I'm so weird aren't that parents I like this I don't have that and then that this is kind of trumped everything we're guy names look before you even born I knew you you think I screwed up when I made you and I made you specifically and I got a plan for you you told your Amaya look before you came out of your mother's womb where is that this is the guy he's gonna be a prophet he's the one to the nation's and to know that I'm not a mistake or an accident and it was like something God decided beforehand like he made me for a purpose it wasn't like I was born and he looked and go whoa I didn't know that was gonna happen Chinese baby 2 billion and for you know what am I gonna do with this one no it says that before I was he before he even flew to me he knew me he was I'm specifically gonna make him and I'm gonna use him and for us to believe that I didn't know that's why I was huge so that's our Jeremiah is always connected to him but but this week you know as I was reading it the passage a hit me was just a few verses later in verse 17 he says but you dress yourself for work a rise and say to them every I command you do not be dismayed by them less I dismay you before them and I behold I make you this day a fortified city an iron pillar and bronze walls against a whole land against the kings of Judah its officials its priests and the people the land they will fight against you but they will not prevail against you for I am with you declares the Lord to deliver you that's why saying God tells Jeremiah he goes look I'm gonna have you say some things that the people are not gonna like but I'm telling you you better say everything I tell you to say and don't be afraid of them or I'll give you something to be afraid of that's what he says in verse 17 you want to be afraid because don't you dear fear them or I will give you something to fear it's like okay God I've got a choice I either fear all my friends the city whatever the world is teaching or I fear you that's like okay and it tells Jeremiah he goes look I've made you I've given you the ability to stand like a bronze wall like a fortified city like nothing's gonna take you down but he goes but I promise you everyone's gonna try I mean look at the people he names he goes a bronze walls against the whole land against the kings of Judah its officials its priests and the people that's pretty much it you covered it all with the people you know it's like okay Jeremiah the King's gonna be against you the government officials gonna be against you even the priests even the religious leaders will be against you for your message and all the people will be again but he does but I'm gonna be with you to deliver you God says I promise you I won't let them take you down but it's gonna be a lonely life everyone in that city is gonna hate you but you say to them everything I tell you to say you guys I think this is the biggest challenge for our generation are you willing to be rejected this is gonna be the hardest thing for all of us I thought about this if someone stuck a gun to my head and so I'm gonna pull the trigger unless you deny Jesus Christ I wanted to say shoot that's kind of easy to be honest right but to be rejected every day that's a difficult thing sometimes we pride ourselves I'll die for gee I would do but I just living for you that's hard being rejected by everyone I know I don't know that's what Jeremiah had to deal with and I think that's that generation more because we're obsessed with being liked we're obsessed with getting likes alright I mean we we we value a person based upon their Twitter followers right how many Facebook friends they have I mean this is how we judge each other now it's not your money anymore it's how many followers does he have how many people like him how many likes the Jeremiah get you got one giant thumb okay all right I'll take you no I'll take that right I mean that's that's gonna be the challenge for us but and the thing is is we can try to play both sides we can try to love both in and in man it's just not possible nowadays you've got to make a choice and now that's why I was wrestling with The Book of Jeremiah this week it's like wow I can't do it I can't be loved by the world and I think Christians have gone very crafty of say well I'm just you know loving on them being there and everything else but the truth is is in our hearts we don't really want to be rejected so we avoid certain things and that's why God tells Jeremiah look don't avoid anything you tell them everything I tell you it's offensive for me to say what I said about abortion I don't know what else to do with that I can skirt it I mean have to talk about that let's just avoid that let's just avoid the whole sanctity of life issue God tells Jenna I know kind of man are you don't be a coward I'm a I made you to be a city that no one can take down a bronze wall it's time for some of us to step up and say okay you know what I'm willing to take it I've been careful with my words make sure I'm not offensive make sure you know you just walk in both sides because you don't want to be rejected and the bottom line is he tells Jeremiah to begin sir because of your message and when I look at the message that he tells Jeremiah to give it's offensive it's offensive thousands of years ago and it's offensive today three things I saw that was over and over and over in Jeremiah that I want to point out that people will hate you for if you're willing to speak up first thing number one you're not a good person so don't follow your heart hearts evil don't follow your it in fact in and Jeremiah 9 verse 12 Danah verse 12 Jeremiah 9 12 years why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness so that no one passes through and the Lord says because they have forsaken my law that I said before them and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it but have stubbornly followed their own hearts because why am i destroying this city because the people won't come under my law they're rejecting these commands and stubbornly following their own hearts that's the message of the world right now follow your heart and I'm going after this because God made me like this and in my heart I really feel like this is right and they'll say with tears in their eyes no everything in my mind tells me well your mind is evil and your heart is evil and God was destroying the city because the people were stubbornly following their own hearts rather than the Word of God the story buddy she was like sixth grade or something and and and one day the teacher quoted scripture tried to and you know some public school and he says you know I was like in the Bible when when Jesus said it's more important to follow your heart than the commands and right you no mercy you were like eleven years old or something raise your hand goes what verse is that you know there's 11 girls where is that I mean that that was verbatim his words that she came up with Christian so sad it's not in there ISM No it's more important to follow your heart and the commands this is the exact opposite but that's what PT pardon and you know the next day she goes back to call you know teachers like oh yeah I'll find him okay did you find that verse it's like no but it's in there yeah I asked my dad he breezed by a lot this is not in there no it's in there I'll find it no it says the opposite that God is destroying people because they stubbornly follow their own heart rather than the commands of God this isn't popular there's so many things in my heart and my mind that contradict this book and at that time you've got to decide am I gonna follow my heart my thoughts my feelings that come from deep within or am I gonna say you know what I'm gonna humble myself rather celebrate my own pride I'm gonna humble myself and say you know what my heart is desperately wicked I think evil thoughts I think about myself non-stop and I need to submit to the Word of God that tells me the opposite so you can understand why Jeremiah was hating so look this is what's going on you're following your heart and you're off you're not as great as you think you are you're not a good person second thing that he preached that God told him to preach is that all other religions are false that's a popular message all other religions are false and he doesn't even do it delicately you know they had so many God so many idols here's what Jeremiah says about the idols that people were worshiping in Jeremiah 10 verse 8 because God told to say this Jeremiah 10 verse 8 they are both stupid and foolish the instruction of idols is but wood beaten silvers brought from Tarshish and gold from off' as they are the work of the craftsmen in the hands of the goldsmith their clothing is violet and purple they're the work of skilled men but the Lord is the true God he is the Living God and the everlasting King at his wrath the earth quakes and the nation's cannot endure his indignation starting understand why Jeremiah was hated he spoke up he says look all these other gods are not real I know you can go to India right now there's like 300 million gods that they've carved out of what this is over a billion people golden images wooden images and just say you know what that's can you imagine if Jeremiah walked in hey that's not just stupid it's stupid and foolish because you're listening to wood I can tell you where that silver came from that silver was shipped over here from sound so some guy beat it down and and marked it now you're saying it's speaking to you he goes no there's only one God and he's a living God you don't have to create him he's actually your Creator and we go yeah you had those stupid people and their idols we don't do that in America you guys we do the same thing we just don't use wood but we make up these gods in our own mind based upon our own thoughts I mean where did that wooden image come from for that guy in his head I'll make his eyes like this I'm gonna give him six times no II don't know twelve arms you know it's just I'm keep adding eyes and arms and this is how why because it came out of my mind and now I fleshed it out onto a piece of wood or a piece of metal now we don't do that but we make up gods all the time out of our own minds in our own hearts I think God would let me do this I think God would not be a God of punishment I think God would have everlasting life but not everlasting project I think God what where's this coming from again your own head you didn't carve it out but you created this God for you and that's why he says in Chapter two he goes hey when the judgment comes call out to your God and see what happens don't like cry out to that piece of wood see if he saves you from my wrath that's what Jeremiah saying it's like you anyone here you can make up your own mind from your own heart your own thoughts your own feelings and let's just see what happens when Judgment Day comes cry out to that God you imagine in your head that doesn't care about your sin see if he rescues you and I'll cry out to the Living God that I've been coming under his word and under his commands and thank him for his salvation I'll cry out to that God and you see what happens that's what God says that's what he largest said on Mount Carmel just go ahead cry out to bail go ahead cut yourself scream out them have your worship service go all day all night no one's going to listen to you now watch what happens when I pray to the Living God the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and I say the same thing and then finally he preached it Judgment Day is coming God is going to judge the deeds of man in this is such a big one nowadays you guys because we have people pastors preachers evangelists preaching that there's no longer a judgement God that don't worry about how this is the popular thing now man that God would never punish like that and they offer people the sense of peace and every every funeral you go to they go he's in a better place oh good he's in a better place she's in a better place because it's so much nicer to preach that isn't it now I was talking to a friend of mine was a friend of mine that started teaching this opposite doctrine that hell doesn't exist anymore basically that you know what that eternal punishment thing that was for the Dark Age I'm like man how do you get that I mean how do you where do you get from the scriptures these exact words where do you get from the scriptures that God's gonna empty out hell everyone gets go to heaven he goes well it's not in there but isn't it a better story those words words isn't it a better story that's your argument isn't it a better story by the way that was Ron Bell the wrote Love Wins just so you don't get caught up in that isn't it a better story wouldn't it be a better ending Francis for all of your friends that that didn't know Jesus just to know that they're in a better place now yeah sure I can write a lot of good stories but what Jeremiah sings the same thing to the line prophets he says the Lord you know in Jeremiah 14 verse 13 then I said O Lord God behold the Prophet say to them you shall not see the sword nor shall you have famine but I'll give you a short piece in this place this is what the prophets were saying hey you're not gonna get you're not gonna face judgment God wouldn't kill you he's not gonna be starved to death and the Lord said to me the prophets are prophesying lies in my name I did not send them nor did I command them or speak to them they are prophesying to you a lying vision worthless divination and the deceit of their own minds therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them and who say sword and famine shall not come upon this land by sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed and the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem victims of famine and sword with none to bury them them their wives their sons their daughters I will pour out their evil upon them God says look there they're telling lies all through it you've been read Jeremiah it's like man the prophets are up these are so big prophets and their prophesying lies they're prophesying peace peace when there is no peace he's in a better place he's in a better place when he's not in a better place look I get it man I've said things that fly against the face of every I don't know who I haven't offended this morning okay but there comes a point where you say you know what I'm walking here with that okay I'm done in trying to tiptoe Jeremiah didn't Jeremiah's life stopped right let's throw him to prison let's put on this talk no no let's throw him in a cistern now I'm sinking in the mud and starved to death now let's pull them out and throw them in a dungeon now let's do you know let's just have every hate him and the end up he's like I got this I got this as long as I've got God and I was thinking today man I'm so grateful for some of you because I know you stand with me and we've got this you know but I thought you know what if not you know with me still I'll follow all right I don't know what else to do I was creative for this I was made for this and we've got to understand we've got to make a choice at some point there's no way you can tell me that you objectively read this book and came up with the idea that there is no judgement and there is no punishment for sin there's no way you can tell me you objectively read this book and walked away and thought I think God wants homosexual relationships you can't tell me these things you didn't come with that no it came from your own heart and your desire and your love for people which isn't a bad thing but when it comes to the point where you say you know what I'm going to choose them over the commands of God and when choose my own heart over I am NOT saying be rejected just to be rejected okay please understand is there some people that like rejection like they be rejected if they weren't Christians they just said no I'm not talking about that yeah you know people like that I used to I met some people Wow he's willing to be rejected for Jesus but then I see he's projected for everything this is weird I'm not talking about that I'm talking about those of us who hate rejection who love being loved and love people don't want to tell them that what they're doing is wrong is the last thing we want to come out of our mouths but then we read the Word of God you know I gotta say it I have to say it out of love for them and before we get any you know self-righteous man I just want you to make sure you catch chapter 9 verse 1 where Jeremiah says oh that my head were waters and my a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people this is not jeremiah with this joyful man I'm so glad I'm right you're wrong you're all going to hell God's gonna destroy this no he says man I wish my eyes were just like a fountain because I just want to cry all day this is killing me this kills me to have to say this it kills me to think about what's gonna happen when people face God like he is no joke everything he doesn't Bluff man if you were here rejecting everything I say go on man he's for this is this it I'm not mad I'm just scared I'm seriously scared for you man I'm worried about you my heart breaks for you because many of us were in that same place that was Justin's testimony man I loved evil I hated this message and I saw my God opened my eyes and that's what we pray for man you think I like teaching this stuff you think Jeremiah liked being rejected but it was hard for people that he had to say one last person won't take you to its nun Jeremiah it's actually in hebrews hebrews chapter 13 Hebrews 13 13 but I want to go back one verse verse 12 so Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his blood therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured love this passage see Jesus okay could just stick with me one more second Jesus was not allowed to be crucified in the city walls okay because the crucifixion was something so evil so despicable when you hung a person on a tree he's immediately cursed by God he's dirty so he's like there was animal sacrifice man they had thrown the carcasses over the city we don't want this stuff this is the crap they would take the crap the literal crap from the animals everything get it out of the city make sure that is outside of the city walls and so when it came to Jesus it's like no we can't crucify him in the city are you kidding me that's gross he belongs with the crap let's put him outside the city walls hang him on this tree stick him on this stake and he belongs out there that's where we'll torture that's where we're crucifying him outside the city gates and that's why I love that verse 13 the imagery because so you know what they just took our Savior and they threw him out of the city as some reject and put them in a pile of crap and hung him on a cross so you guys let's go outside the city gates to our Savior and bear the reproach that he bore he says you know what if you're gonna stick Jesus out there I'm going with him and I'll stand knee-high in that crap and stand there with my Savior on that cross so you're gonna reject me reject me I'm standing with Jesus that's the author of Hebrews and ker nice come on man you want to stay in the city you want to stay inside the city gates and make everyone love you go ahead but you know what I'm willing to march outside and be rejected and for a lot of my life I've been a coward and I'm just saying you know what reject me I don't want to spend my life as a coward let me go hey you do what you need to do you did it to Jesus you'll do it to me because I'm not of this world if I was of the world you'd love me but I'm not I'm not and I'm okay with that and I don't do this with an arrogance it breaks my heart to do this and it kills me that others aren't willing to do this because God is so worth it God is so worth it he's bigger than any inconvenience in your life bigger than any sexual desire in your life he's worth everything and someone to march out of the city and stand there at the cross because I just want to be with Jesus I hope that's true of you father I pray that you make this church of courageous church every time we take communion and we think about how the people rejected you how you came to that which was your own and your own creation did this to you and so father we want to stand with you so give us the courage give us the courage to do what Justin did because you put that in with that in all of us Lord to see you is worth it many of us right here would die for you Lord and now I'm asking you for something deeper and we'd be willing to be rejected for you in love preach the gospel love on these people who don't know you yet but ultimately stand with you when they reject your gospel we love you Jesus and you are worth it and this life is going to hand it any second we thank you God this week as pastor GE died we thank you that he had faith in you and he's with you house that you be with the family lord thank you that we don't fear death or anything else and they'll make it so we don't fear rejection in Jesus name

Channel: Crazy Love

Views: 26,304

Rating: 4.924686 out of 5

Keywords: francis chan, church, GOD, Jesus, Crazy Love, Crazy, Love, we are church

Id: uCm06j5MYE0

Length: 35min 43sec (2143 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 27 2016