How Do You Stay Humble - Francis Chan

I love that man it's just um it's humbling to be up here I'd you know I shared earlier about how the first time I saw him at Azusa Pacific, I was just Diddy I was like a little girl and at a Hannah Montana concert or something you know I mean I was I was literally nervous I mean he doesn't know this but you know we're having a lunch there at the cafeteria and I'm just waiting to see what he orders you know because I I still remember what you ate that day that Baroni pizza and and it's what I wanted but I was scared to order it because I thought hah maybe I should get a salad I don't want him to judge me like you know and I thought wow I can eat pepperoni pizza to the glory of God this is great you know so it is a little surreal to be up here and but it's just it's just my life it's just nothing makes sense outside the grace of God you just look back you go how in the world did this happen right our salvation you look at just the disgusting things you've done in life and to think and then God loved me and then he took me out of that he wanted to use me and that just it's it's just this whole thing just fascinates me and and and today I've been given this topic think hard stay humble think hard stay humble and so I want to start with a question how do you stay humble when John Piper picks you to speak about humility I've struggled with it you know it's good ammo at home when my wife and I disagree I go you know what he asked me to talk about the annuity has no well apprenticed you to talk at a Women's Conference and teach her about humility you know it's just that whole but it's been a great topic honestly it's been a great topic I've been given the text at first Corinthians eight verses one through three and and I love it in fact would you stand and join me as I read God's Word let's just stand in reverence to his word right now first Corinthians eight verses one through three now concerning food offered to idols we know that all of us possess knowledge this knowledge puffs up but love builds up if anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know but if anyone loves God he is known by God father help us to respect absolutely revere your word tonight God not just by standing for it not just by executing it God but literally taking it as these words coming out of your mouth God and and so that it would transform us god help us to understand this lord spirit speak through me God would you just speak and encourage us by your word show us how to honor you thro baying this passage in Jesus name we pray amen you can have a seat I actually am so glad that I've been given this topic because it it's it's affected me it's it's affected me greatly this idea of staying humble and and this passage itself it's affected my actions because I have a tendency to be self-centered I have a tendency to think about myself and wake up and think what do I want what do I want what do I want what do I feel what would I like other people to do for me and and this passage is so much about about love and it convicted me about how often I will speak without loving the person that's right in front of me and I'm not thinking about them I'm not thinking about loving them I'm just I'm just saying things and and and and I've been praying I've been saying God I I want every person I face Lord help me to look them in the eyes and really care like really think about them I really want to love them like this passage caused me to I remember when I when I first started speaking and at conferences I was um I was getting ready and in a another guy who was speaking at the same conference he asked me go say Francis how do you get ready to get in front of a crowd and how do you get ready prepare your heart to speak and I told him I go you know what I do is I think about God himself being in the room I think about Almighty holy God him being in the room that I'm gonna face him one day and I picture him in the room and I just think God I want to speak in a way that pleases you I think about God being in the room and say god I don't want to be scared of anyone else I just want to say whatever you want me to say and so give me the boldness to it to do this I just want to please you so then I looked at him and I go well how do you prepare and because he was kind of he's like wow that's really that's really good that's really insightful that's great and I go how do you prepare and he says you know what I do you go sometimes I'll just you know be backstage I'll just peek out and I'll look at people's faces and I'll say to God I go god i really love these people and i want them to know you and i want them to love you and i want them to of you in a greater way so please give me the words that would that would love them best and you know sometimes I look out at the faces and I go god I don't really care I'm not I don't feel any affection any affinity I'm not recognizing them as my brothers and sisters help me to love them and I asked God to help me love I've never thought of that I'd never entered my mind you know I was taught how to preach but no one actually told me well you should actually love the people in front of you it really it was it was a great thought and and and I don't think that because you get caught up in other things so I even have in my Bible I I have this a little check I have like seven questions I ask myself before I speak because like that old hymn says prone to wander lord I feel it you know I I get sidetracked I get distracted I start thinking about other people in the room I started thinking about other things and especially when when I feel nervous like I did earlier this afternoon I I've told my preaching stance before I go if you feel nervous it's probably cuz they're sin in your life and and because you're you're thinking about a person you're thinking about pleasing someone you want someone to approve of your message rather than thinking about God and then the nerves often are not because you love the people it's because you want them to love you and you want them to like you and so think this through and so I have these questions you know the first question is am I worried about what people will think of my message or am I more concerned about what God thinks and the second question I ask myself is do I genuinely love these people do I do I genuinely love the people I'm about to speak to because so often I just forget these things and I get sidetracked and since I get nervous and the nervousness is usually because of sin one of my first conference as I spoke at was at my alma mater you know when I went back to masters college for the first time and I was preaching a friend John MacArthur and the whole faculty and and and I I'm giving this message I still run dry preached out of Psalm 139 and every joke I told I'd look over at my you know what I'm talking about every you know every time I try to go in the Hebrew I'm like you know looking over and you know so I'm done with the message I thought okay I got through that I got through that I get in the car with my wife we're driving home and she just looks at me and she goes what was that all about what are you talking about because you were so not yourself up there in the room he was in the front row and she goes here's your horse she goes let me get this straight you were preaching about the presence of God and you were worried about the presence of John MacArthur and it's look my wife a guy you don't even know who he is I go this guy you know me books he is written you know how how wide his influence is he is one that you know the best expository preachers of our day you know and if I see anything wrong that write a book about me I mean it's just there's a lot of a lot on the line here you know and as I'm talking about just all the wonderful things you know he has done she looks to me and hears her response she goes yes Francis and all of his righteous deeds or his filthy rags thank you my helper you know it but it was just such a good reminder and you know last last night my wife says to me she goes honey just just be yourself okay don't try to sound intelligent so here I am but um but III gotta confess you know there there was a nervousness earlier on yesterday throughout today but just God in His graciousness you know I mean some of my heroes are in this room you know and I know some of yours are too and that you respect men that have caused you to fall more in love with Jesus and I'm so thankful that even as I was preparing everything the Lord really did get me focused he got me focused and he got me thinking and to where I was just thinking about you even as I was preparing this over the last couple of weeks yeah I said Lord how did you just please use whatever giftedness you've given me how can I use that to love you because that's what this passage is about it's about it's about loving your brother and and I began to pray just God give me words that would help encourage to spur you on to stir you up to love and good deeds how can I encourage you as a brother I I prayed for uh I prayed for our time here I afraid that he not even just in the sessions but all around that you would look at each other genuinely as brothers and sisters and that this is a heart of God he wants to see his children here just just madly in love with each other you know I was praying for that let me think about this I will be looking at some of you a hundred years from now think about that and I try to preparer in light of that and thinking I'm gonna see your face out a hundred years from now two hundred years from now so with that perspective of you being my brother you being my sister okay what can I say to you today that will matter at that point and and I'm just praying oh god help me help me love them in this passages is so perfect and so perfect for this conference because this this passage is it's addressing people that technically have the right theology it's like they were right in their theology yet before God they were still so long because of their lack of love and so I just want you to know I had the Lord's really healthy you know I just he's taught me so much through this passage and the main thing is he gave me a heart for you to love you and and I hope that as you look at me you just see me as literally your brother an eternal brother and and and that God wants us to have so much love for one another and I I prayed for you I hope as you're watching Rick and knowing the record everything he's gone through that you were praying for him I was a praying for him last night praying for him this morning every person that's speaking up they're just looking for God that's one of our soldiers right there that's one of my brothers up there God use him you know if the beat is you were as you were preaching I just like thanking God for you you know and just going to God just keep them strong keep him going I just love these guys see first Corinthians eight verses one through three the issue here is this he talks about this food that's offered to idols and a lot of the Corinthians that come out of this pagan background where they worship these idols they spent their lives worshiping the idols the best I understand it this this idea of meat that was offered to idols some of them believed that the the meat that they were about to eat was actually inhabited by demons and so sometimes they would offer that meat right before the the eye the idea was the idol would actually cleanse the meat of those demons and so somehow the idol would come and chase away all of those demons into that meat and so that when they consumed that meat now it was clean and now it was inhabited by their God or their Idol and there was a sense of worship and and they kind of grown up doing this and so here was this meat here was this meat that was offered to idols and so some of the Corinthians were more knowledgeable we're just saying there's no such thing as an idol I mean that's not really a God there so just eat the meat it's not a big deal but these guys I mean they had spent their whole lives struggling with this and then their conscience they're gonna I can't eat that oh I feel like it's almost like a worship of that Idol and I can't do a bit but these these more knowledgeable believers were saying just eat it there's no such thing as an idol and the Bible says they kind of wounded their conscience and Paul's point was yes you're right those idols are not really God but that is not the point the point is you weren't thinking about your brother and for him he didn't feel right in his conscience taking that and yet you pushed him towards that and you weakened you wounded his conscience and fourth point is why would you do that because why in the world would you do that to your brother and in fact I love what Paul says in the in that in verse 13 he says if food makes my brother stumble I'll never eat meat again lest I make my brother stumble Paul says I love that guy so much he goes and if I knew that that me eating meat him seeing me eating me would cause him to stumble he was I would just stop eating meat I go vegan it just not that big a deal to me I'd stop I'd love him and so yes when I'd be right and okay because he goes but you're not thinking about your brother he says in verse 11 he says I love this if his conscience is weak - I'm sorry and so find your knowledge this weak person is destroyed the brother for whom Rhys died because you're hurting your brother from for whom Christ died and then if that's not enough verse twelve eases the sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak you sin against Christ Paul so technically are you right yes yes the idol is not real okay great he goes but look what you did you got your brother whose conscience wouldn't allow him to eat that you forced him into it he you ate of it yourself and like come on just eat it's not that big a deal because if I knew that I could hurt my brother doing that I would never eat meat again I would have just stopped it because I loved him so much that's not that's my brother for whom Christ died this is when I admire so much about Paul I know I know we we all admire his theology as understanding of God but the thing that I admire so much about Paul equally and maybe even more is his love for people don't you just see that in his writings he just had a passion for people then he if whoever he was around probably the most shocking statement is Romans nine right Romans nine every time I read that I am I'm surprised by it we're in Romans nine verse 1 Paul says I'm speaking the truth in Christ I'm not lying my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers my kinsmen according to the flesh every time I read them and I've studied that's impossible I mean I I think I love people I care for people but I can't imagine ever making a statement like that I wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers that's gotta be hyperbole probably exaggerating its it's it's it's tough he can't really mean that let's run it sound smart look what happened okay but the whole thing of him just just saying okay cuz I love you but the thought of being cut off from Christ how many thought that before like I couldn't do that I couldn't do that for anyone and and that's why because I think he's exaggerating or maybe even lying I'd love that he starts the the path of saying I'm speaking the truth I'm not lying my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit you're gonna think I'm lying about this you're gonna think that this love can't be real but I'm telling you the truth I'm not lying my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit because I hurt so bad I mean those words he goes I have this great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart does that describe you right now that you have a great sorrow and an unceasing anguish in your heart for those who loved or lost unceasing anguish see and then when I look at Paul's life and I see how he went from place to place and just trying to win people to the Lord and tell them the good news and he just wants them saved so badly and you see all the persecution he goes through he's willing to go through then I go you know what that passage really does make sense in light of his life when you look at his life you go I think he believed that you remember what rick warren said last night about we believe those passages we actually act upon you know we believed those doctrines that we actually live out and you you you you look at Paul's life and you go yeah I think he really did have that great sorrow and unceasing English I really think he really could wish that he were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers some of you in this room you-you-you think really hard you really do I mean this conference is so right on for you and you love it you cheer it on because you think very hard through the Scriptures and I guess my challenge to you tonight is how hard do you think about people how hard do you think about the lost when the the BT was talking about how we care for for the Muslims and how we we want to reach out to them you know it's interesting I was sitting on a plane on the way to Africa and and I sat next to a Muslim guy just started asking about his beliefs he started asking me about my life and I told him how Jesus just changed my life and he's you know I just well he says because I just hope you're not one of those radicals I didn't say anything he just see just goes man I hope you don't want those radicals because I used to wait tables and I'd have these Christians that would just preach at me yeah those guys yeah you know and uh but you know I'm just praying you know like we were talking about you can think two things at once so I'm listening to them and I'm praying to God god help me on this and what in the world do I say how do I love this man how cuz I'm sharing my tests everything else and he just he just was so turned off by Christians and a few minutes later we're talking about other things and I just thought let's talk about whatever and then he goes why you go in Africa I go you know I'm and I went there a few years ago and I just saw these kids you know these kids had nothing they were just yeah you know just to see them digging through trash heaps and just looking for water looking for food looking for anything there's just there's no education there they're just dwindling away I said it broke my heart I went back you know and start selling things got my friends that started selling things the church started you know giving more and more and so we started you know building these schools out there for them and teaching them how to farm and teaching them how to do this and that so that you know and I go I'm going back to see some of that I go I'm so excited and he just looks at me his eyes get all big and he goes that is amazing to me because so you're one of those this is what he says this was this was so fascinating he looks at me because you know what I prayed that I would meet someone like you because I never understand part of my life he goes because I can't understand the charity of some believers like why they would sacrifice their own stuff for someone else that they might not even know he goes tell me about this it certainly he's interested and and I said well you see I see in Scripture that I'm supposed to become like Jesus and Jesus had it all but he didn't consider that equality with God something to be grasped but he emptied himself and so as believers I believe we're supposed to do the same thing that the Bible says that that he laid down his life for us and that was an exam well that we should lay down our lives for our brothers and that's why we do what we do but it was just I loved how it was when he saw that we loved things changed for him here were these people that he was disgusted with these these radical Christians and yet it was something about our love for people that intrigued him when's the last time you wept for the lost so when I was in high school now became a Christian I just started looking at all my friends differently it didn't know Jesus I mean it consumed me that that grief that sorrow that unceasing anguish that Paul talked about man that was me I would cut class to tell people about Jesus I mean it's not that I didn't want to cut class anyways but it's just that I I still remember you know what getting conversations I would just forget about class this is bigger I remember getting my high school yearbook when I was a junior but we got our yearbooks and and I just started thinking these seniors that are graduating in a couple of weeks I'll never see them again and I just got on the phone I just start calling every single one I knew go man this is gonna be the weirdest phone call you've ever received I go but you know I mean we kind of know each other I just think we'll never hear from each other again and and I got to tell you about something that changed my life I just I remember being in junior college and and and it's just my passion for my friends remember trying to start a Bible study on campus and yeah you know and just thinking I'm gonna reach this whole my whole school like I gotta same they're my friends I love these guys man I remember waiting tables there were waiting tables at this restaurant and I don't know if you guys have ever waited tables but you get so close to other waiters and waitresses you know you're just this little you know like you get together and you complain about your customers you complain about the managers you just bond and in and every huh every night though every night remember they would all go out and they'd all get drunk and they would they would take me along so I could drive them all home and you know and and and I just remember just sharing with them but I remember just one day having so much fun we went to Six Flags and we just had a great time I started coming home and just weeping and just let these people go to hell I love Laurie I love farming I love Ron can't do them do something and I I can't do anything for them you know you say the prayer of a righteous man is powerful effective and I want all the sin out of my life on ibiza righteous like i just want you to hear me i want you to save these people and i felt those times of this unceasing anguish I'll never forget when my my grandmother was dying but the most painful time in my life you know she'd come in from honking this is the woman that raised me for a part of my life I had loved her everything else but she didn't believe in Jesus she had a stroke and they were waiting for me to get to the hospital before they turned off the machine you know they and she was brain dead everything else it's just me my brother and my grandmother in that room and I just remember getting down you know just just screaming in her ear in Chinese as well as I could just try and explain the gospel and say god I know I know you can't just save her you can't just let her into heaven but but I know she's must be brain dead but you can change that can you can you just get her to hear my voice that's all I'm asking just let me share some of the things I never got to share and I wanted to share and so I'm just in or I'm falling I'm just crying like a baby grabbing her hands like oh grandma please believe you know you were wrong you were wrong I'm telling you this is the way to heaven you've gotta get it you gotta get it and as I'm sharing I'm just hoping I'm hoping like maybe she'll show open and I give me some sort of sign Lord maybe so squeeze my hand and just just just show me that that you hear this message and there was nothing and you see that EKG monitor when it's going straight and it's just just just man I thought I was gonna go nuts there's a one time I want to take this book and didn't just toss it because if I believe this my grandmother was gonna suffer right then and then that it's been 20 years and it's been suffering that whole time are you kidding me man and I want to erase these things I don't want to think hard about the truth about the wrath of God I don't want to think hard about people like that but it's it those are the things that motivate us those are the things that motivated Paul he goes because I've got this unceasing anguish I gotta do something and remember as as she's dying my brother is in the room not walking the Lord he just he just looks at me you know and I just looked at my brother listen Paul I don't ever want to see you like this I don't ever want to see you in a hospital room wondering where you're going you got to change your whole life you gotta give him your whole life to Jesus I you know not just this little prayer prayer that I mean you follow him you you seriously follow him you need that you need to turn and and my brother was like gosh I thought I believed until I I saw you talking that day and I realize I don't believe I don't believe like you believe and as I was sharing I just looked at me goes okay okay okay I'll change I'll change in and and I'm just thinking here you're just saying it you're just saying you know in my mind but sure enough few weeks later he goes Francis I literally everything I've changed you know the girls living with you know that's that's all over with you know I no more drinking no partying no nothing because I'm even driving the speed limit you know I go that far you know but it's just but um it really was that time it really was you know when then it was a couple years later he goes you know when I think I want to be a pastor like you I think I want to go to seminary and I want to and and now he's a pastor in San Francisco and works with the homeless and in the Bay Area and he takes these home yeah it just it's everything you pray for right you know because it's your big brother and you're always scared to talk and you're intimidating everything else but there's at that moment you're going I don't really care it's only one thing in my mind and this is unceasing anguish for you and that's what motivates us to talk it's it's just this love and and and then that's why Paul Paul's looking at these you know these believers and and he's I got I gotta tell you how much I heard I've got this unceasing anguish and I'm just I'm just curious how much do you how much do you love remember as elders we sat down one time as the elders at Cornerstone and we all just started confessing we said you know I think I used to love people more I think I used to just hurt for the poor more I used to love the lost more and then I started learning you know and then I just someone told me well you know while your theology isn't quite right to want you to step out of that environment and let us teach you first and then you start learning getting these Bible studies and go wow I really don't know my stuff you know so you go through there I better go to Bible College and just you know and you get further and further away from the unbelievers then you get to Bible College you realize well I really don't know anything and so I better go to seminary then you go to seminaries like wow I really don't know anything and you just keep going down this this trail where I got to know more got to know more got to know more got to know more and that's good let's do that let's pursue that but somehow we we leave this this world of lost people so often you know what I'm talking about and we get secluded and we get out here and we think hard about the Scriptures but we're no longer thinking about people and somehow the apostles were able to do both they grew in their knowledge of God but they also grew in their love for people and this unceasing anguish it never stopped they kept pursuing and thinking and so I got to ask is that true of you I mean are you still loving are you still burdened like you once were do you mourn for those who mourn does it break your heart that right now you've got brothers and sisters they'll never sit in a room like this I can have this kind of teaching ever they're just trying to find water so they can survive right now what does that do to you like there's mothers just going at high I think I can't even know this stuff you're debating in that room I just know that I gotta feed my kids somehow today what does that do what does it do for you to think about kids in Thailand right now little girls that were abducted and they're just being raped repeatedly right now what we sit in this room what is it does it do anything is there a love man man III love what al Mohler was talking about he's talking about this younger generation in the way they were thinking and the whole idea is that's what we got to think hard and so that we can help them change their minds because I'm worried about them I'm worried about their eternal destiny if they keep thinking with that type of worldview they're not headed to this eternity with God does that break your heart is that what motivates you I mean why do you learn do you learn because you love coz you love so much and you think I got to help them somehow I gotta love these people somehow and the only ways if I can understand this stuff and first John 4:12 it says this it says no one's ever seen God if we love one another god abides in US and his love is perfected in us I love that verse because it's talking about the love that we're supposed to have for one another in this room those of us who call ourselves but I mean everyone everyone look at me right now just look at me right now I mean when you look at me honestly do you do you love me like do you look up there and go man that's my brother man if France is ever in trouble man I am right there with him as you look around at the the people around you I mean is it that type of love because somehow we were supposed to embody that there's something about this verse and first John when it says no one's ever seen God you get it no nobody has ever seen him on unbelievers will walk there's some of you in here you don't you've never seen God you you know you don't have a relationship with God right now because you've never seen him but but what this verse is saying it says if we love one another if we love one another god abides in us like somehow if we could love each other the way God wanted us to someone who doesn't even know God was never seen him shouldn't be able to walk into this room and somehow see the love of God it's almost like and I want to be careful not overstep some you guys can correct me later but it's just it's it's almost like you know how Christ embodied God the Incarnation God in flesh it seems to me like it's that Duty is almost passed on to us like we are that incarnation because they're not going to see God but if we would love each other the way God called us to if they would see this love in us they would actually get a glimpse that God's love would abiding us I mean as people come into your gatherings do they see so much love that they actually get a glimpse of God or are they just see a lot of a lot of knowledge so you and Paul and Paul this there's this first phrase when he's concerned this food offered to idols there's that phrase he goes we know that all of us possess knowledge and say that that's in quotation we know that there's some phrase that they were using it was kind of well everyone knows this it falls not against the knowledge you know when he says this type of knowledge puffs up he's not saying don't say don't think hard he's talking about this attitude here it's it's it's a the best I as I was trying to study and trying to explain it the best I can understand remember when I was 8 years old I was on the playground and I remember a phrase that this girl said that I'd never heard before I said something then she looked at me and she goes no duh and I remember going what's that mean no duh but you know what no duh means it's just that attitude of come on everyone knows it that's that's the attitude here of these people with so much knowledge at going you know what we all know we all possess it is this attitude come on everyone knows there's no such things as idols and what Paul's saying is you know what that kind of knowledge is is puffing up it's it's just it's all about you this cold stale who you have this knowledge in fact in verse verse 4 he explains he goes yeah he goes therefore as to the eating of food offered aisles we know we know you and I know we know an idol has no real existence and that there is no god but one for although there may be so many so many may be in the world for although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth as indeed there are many gods and many Lords yet for us there is one God the Father from whom are all things and for whom all for whom we exist in one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist he goes ok we know that we know that we know people can say oh that's God that's God that's God and we know better than that you're right you're right we know that but then in verse 7 goes however not all possess this knowledge but some through former association with idols eat food as really offered to an idol and their conscience being weak is defiled he goes ok great you've got this much but not everyone has its knowledge don't you understand this guy's not ready for it yet it be mindful of where he's out you know you have this attitude of all he should know that we all know that and goes that that type of knowledge that just puffs you up but he says the the love is supposed to build up and it's it's this puffing up I was reading something MacArthur wrote years ago and he said he actually was 35 years ago thought wow 35 years ago this knowledge is essential but it's not sufficient knowledge is essential but it's not sufficient in writing about this passage he says it's we need this knowledge of course well that's what this whole conference is about we need to think we got to know the truth he goes that that's that's that's essential but it's not sufficient it's not enough just to have the knowledge that's why he says in in chapter 13 you know you know the passage of the famous love passage in chapter 13 verse 2 if I have prophetic powers and I understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have faith so as to remove mountains but have not love I'm nothing he doesn't matter if I have all knowledge I mean knowledge is important it's essential we needed think heart so it's all been about but that's not enough because Paul says even if I had all knowledge but I didn't love he goes that would amount to nothing that means some of you could be brilliant and worthless seriously it's it is it's it's it's it's this point it'd be like a great basketball player you never misses a shot but he keeps shooting at the wrong basket you know and he walks away going hey I was fine 4/5 today from three-point line fine you're like but you're killing our team you're shooting at the wrong bat he goes yeah but I did not miss it's it's it's that it's that same attitude that Paul's talking about here oh you're so brilliant or so Priya yes but you're killing our team you're not building up the brothers you're making them feel dumb you're wounding their conscience you're not stirring them up to love and good deeds you just keep making a feeling out because you your by your knowledge this weak person's destroyed that's great that you're brilliant but you didn't build up your brother you actually destroyed him with your knowledge see because when you look at people do you love them do you think let me use my knowledge to build this person up you know I've read some statements on on blogs on tweets on comments after every article and I read some of these things that brothers will write to brothers and I go where is the love you know you ever just look and you just go man I'm looking on and I just it just burdens me it's like wow you really just said that how was that supposed to build this guy up or anyone else who read that I thought we're supposed to let any of these unwholesome words come out of our mouths we're out of our fingers you know except that's what which is gonna build one another up because these are that's what love does it builds up it looks to build up you guys know who Joni Eareckson tada is that is one of my heroes when I thought about this I thought about her for those who don't know Johnny Erickson she's been a paraplegic I believe over 40 years now start an amazing ministry you know gets wheelchairs all around the world but I don't know her real well but we get together once in a while and remember last time we got together a few months ago we're talking and she just starts hurting like her there's so much pain she says she's just you know and I didn't realize that as a paraplegic she would feel she could feel so much pain but we're talking it's just cuz ow ow ow and she just closed her eyes because I'm so sorry for her I gotta go I'm just in so much pain right now and you know you just start you just get all teary like you know and then just recently she found out that she had cancer and that was diagnosed with with breast cancer and and so though everyone's just hurting for her then and then she starts her chemo treatments and her chemo treatments start wiping her out and then a couple of weeks ago we found out that during that time she got pneumonia just the sweetest woman on here and in there you know 40 years as a paraplegic in this insurmountable pain and then she's got cancer and then she's in chemo and then she's struck with pneumonia and while she has pneumonia she types me a letter encouraging me to stay strong saying Frances I love you as a brother you stay strong in the faith I believe in what you're doing are you kidding me right now how can you be thinking about anyone else when I have the flu I'm only thinking of me you know what I mean but it's just this constant thinking of others I mean that's humility right it's it's humility is not self degradation not putting yourself down because that's all about self humility is about thinking of others considering others more important than yourself and here's this woman in the midst of her pain in the midst of her sickness is is thinking I should encourage Francis I wonder how he's doing and I just read her note and I just started crying oh god make me like that I want to just constantly be thinking how can I build people up how can i how can I just encourage you to keep fighting for for for the King for our kingdom how can I keep you focused on eternity how can when you are discouraged when you're getting all the negative emails or press or whatever else or did how can I build you up because the Bible says that's what love does it's it just builds people up and in fact Paul explains to the Corinthians who are using their gifts gifts of knowledge gifts of tongues gifts of whatever to puff themselves up he uses that phrase seven times in the scripture six times it was to refer to these Corinthians there was thinking about themselves and building themselves up he explains to them that in in Chapter 12 or 7 - each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good why did God gift you the way that he did it's for us it's not for you you got to be constantly think how can I build up the people around me and verse two he says if anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know after he says knowledge puffs up but love builds up but then he says if anyone imagines that he knows something was that tell you these people with all this knowledge they really didn't know anything in God's eyes if that matters to you in God's eyes he's saying yeah you you may think you're technically right but you're just imagining that you're this knowledgeable brilliant person see because because he says you you if anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know seeing God's eyes is it's not real knowledge you're delusional because if you really knew you would know better and you would use your knowledge to love that's true knowledge in God's eyes that's a person who really gets it who really knows see there's this danger of puffing yourself up and imagining that you're this brilliant person it's like the school bully a member the school bully when you grew up you know the toughest kid in this school and just kind of imagines himself as a hero and just because he's the strongest person they're right and he could beat anyone up and you're just looking at you're not a hero you're jerk you know if you're a hero you'd be defending the weak you'd be lifting them up you'd be using your strength to care for them and protect them not to bully them around in the same way with the intelligence there can be these intellectual bullies who know so much and imagine themselves to be so knowledgeable and Paul's just saying you're imagining that because if you really knew you would use your knowledge to actually build people up because that's what love does but instead you puff yourself up and you imagine that you know all of this stuff it's it's just not real he says but if anyone loves God he is known by him see the point here he says but if anyone loves God he is known by God he explains the power of love there he doesn't say if you know a bunch of information about then you are known by God it has to do with love love is a little bit important here he says in fact he goes if you love God then you're known by him it's not just about information it's it's when you when that love is attached to it then actually create something and here's such a beautiful thought because he goes it's when you when you love God when you love him when you when you think about who he is and you you just don't know all these facts about him you know just and you know understand some truths about him but you actually love him that's when he knows you it's about this relationship it's about how and I love that phrase you know one of my my favorite verses is uh his Galatians chapter 4 verse 9 when when Paul's talking and he says now that you have come to know God and then it's almost like he breaks his or rather to be known by God I love that to be known by God it's it's a big difference there it's like okay because all my life I was saying okay I know God I know God I know God then when I read that passing love wow that's a beautiful thought I am known by God like he knows me it'd be one thing for me to say you know tell you I know someone I don't know Tiger Woods that's dumb one who ever you know but let's just say that then suddenly the next press conference you hear Tiger Woods go yeah I just want to thank you know one of my best friends Francis Chan it's like told you you know you know there's something about that and and then this phrase when he says you know when you love God you're known by him and I just started meditating on that thought to be known why did Paul switch he goes now that you know gotten rather here's better way to say you're known by him that God knows me this is so deep to me that means right now in heaven think about this there's a being who sits on his throne we in this room believe that he is sovereign he's in control of everything he gave me that you're breathing right now everything's gone went on it's all all in his hands the angels are screaming out covering themselves holy holy holy he dwells in this unapproachable light yet if somehow if you could go before God right now and if you could just just speak to God if you could enter into his gates enter into heaven and it's like God Almighty do you know Francis the thought that that God would look down right now on the stage and go man Francis I love him as my son I love him I know him I love him man and that's God loves me like the Creator the Creator of everything the all-powerful one he knows me like in heaven right now he sees me as his son it is my all the jump that was in my life he sent a son and his son just paid for all of it now it just looks down and and and just to think Oh God and when I talked to him man when I talked to him and I and I tell him you know God hears the desires of my heart here's what I here's how I want to bring glory to your name here's the things I want to do in ministry like I see these answers to these prayers I mean I talk I Francis Chan talked to God and he answers me like I'll say God here's what I'm thinking here's and I'll see these things happen like supernatural amazing unbelievable things and it blows my mind every time because it just reminds me I'm talking to God and he hears me he knows me he listens to me whether it's silly little things too massive things I could sit here for hours they just tell you story after story of just how God listens and each time I'm just dumb dumb dumb things the little things that you see I am one time I was I was golfing with some friends right and and they and I'm not a great golfer but man I can hit the ball you know and they they got these bigger drivers you know and so they they out drove me I'm like now I can't do anything you know and I'm I'm walking away from God one of those clubs you know and I'm think I'm gonna buy one I'm asking for for Christmas I go now that's dumb I'm not gonna go that's a waste of money I just can't do it and I just don't know Lord I'm not gonna waste the money like that the next morning I go to speak at a conference you know a little little church plant and when I'm done speaking the guy goes hey we hear that when you go to little churches sometimes they'll give you an honorarium and you just hand it right back so we didn't get you in on a room we bought you this driver and I'm just the whole way home just laughing : come on it even the driver every little thing I mean I can't tell you the times at least and I mean there been times when we've cried just going can we ever give to God I mean every single time without him just blessing us and blowing our minds and answering every prayer just just just two weeks ago you know I'm flying up to Seattle to speak at this conference and and there's a girl's nuts thing right here there's a there's an empty space and then there's a girl right there I don't think and I should pray for I should find out what's going in their life and I don't think God give me an opportunity opportunity and and nothing you know and we just still small talk and I thought ah and I just I got scared honestly I just you know I chickened out I chickened out you know and then so I get to Seattle and I speak to a bunch of pastors about courage and that was the topic I know and the whole time going what in the world why am I talking about this you know and you know why I give this message a good message and and you know get right back in the car monly there for like four hours go right back to the airport you know go to sit down in my seat guess who sits right next to me and we're just looking each other laughing you know and everyone around us is like what you guys were like yeah you know and everyone's just laughing and they're gonna you guys been in a married no no no no no no that's not what this is a fight but to sit down and just to tell her I go you know what this is not a coincidence and then we just let me just tell you let me just tell you what's what the Lord put on my heart this morning and I was scared to do and God by His grace and well yeah that was a little much for you to reach over one seed so I'll put her right next to you you know on the way home but I just I just love that because this girl could walk away going okay that was really weird you know that was not just by about sitting next to some preacher it's about someone's pursuing me about God pursuing me I was in a cab with another Muslim guy one time and just sharing with him you know I just asked him I go what do you believe I I said help me understand because I've heard from different Muslims I want to understand like well are you going to have any sure and and tell me how you know this tell me how you know you're forgiven and he went on and shared all this stuff and then I laid out what I believed and we just went back and forth and the night then I just started talking to him about knowing God and and I just started saying gosh you know I just tell you when I pray God answers me he just it's it's been the craziest thing and I just started naming different examples and telling him the recent things that God been doing in my life and I go this God do that for you he goes oh yeah you know I'm listening to him and I'm praying to God going god this was to happen you know like I like that I don't I don't get that it really was bothered by it and so I just went on to another topic like okay what about you know any just getting to but here was the awesome thing a few minutes later and I loved his honesty he goes hey you know earlier I said God listens I didn't mean that he actually he doesn't and I think I didn't think he would you know it's just no seriously I didn't say you know but it was it was it was bothering me it really was bothering me cuz I'm going no lord I am so confused here because I know I know you I know you listen to me and it really confused me that that man would say yeah that's what God does for me too but then I love the fact that he was so honest and later to come back and say well you know no actually doesn't answer me like that and and I could just see the earlier we we we said we quoted that verse you know let not the wise man boast about his wisdom but not the you know what I'm totally flustered right now but let him who boasts what most in the Lord and but but I like the way it says it in Jeremiah Jeremiah 9 verses 23 and 24 says thus says the Lord let not the wise man boast in his wisdom let not the mighty man boast in his might let not the rich man boast in his riches but let him who boasts boast in this that he understands and knows me you want to brag about something brag about the fact that God knows you brag about the fact that you know God you know as we hopefully you're experiencing him in your everyday life and that these truths and these promises that you've been thinking about in Scripture you really believe them to wear when you pray you don't have a down you go I know my God's listening to me this is crazy and and I just been going around telling people the answers to prayer until the girl in the airplane this is an answer prayer this happens me all the time God knows me he listens to me this is insane you don't boast about how much you know you don't boast about your knowledge your might or anything else you post I'm known by God right now the god of the universe knows I mean he loves me he calls me by name let me just close with a couple of thoughts of course trying to think what is the most loving thing I could say to you today based upon this passage of wanting to build you up and to think about you and I love you and what knowledge I do have and what giftedness I have how can I build you up for the right things and and give you a sense of with courage we're sitting courage one another and sister one another up what could I say I think okay what can I say based upon my love for you and based upon a knowledge that I'll see most of you a hundred years from now what would I want to say and here's my thought some of you have been studying Christ for years I mean you've been studying the life of Christ the statements of Christ and you've been thinking hard about Christ but but does your life look anything like his can you say like Paul was able to say imitate me as I imitate Christ look at the look at the way I'm living look at the way that I'm loving and imitate me because that a lot of people can talk a lot of people have knowledge like in Hebrews 13 you know verse 7 says remember your leaders those who spoke the Word of God consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith look at their lives to look at look at how they live can you imitate it look like Jesus do you look like Jesus act like Jesus do you love like Jesus do you love like Paul you know we had this missionaries speak at our church years ago and and at the end of he went to Papua New Guinea you know when a tribe the Lord the whole thing beautiful story at the end of it he says you know I owe it all to my youth pastor this guy named Vaughn who just loved me and told me this is what my life was supposed to be about is for the glory of God and I thought that's awesome you know and then the next week I had another guy show up and he was talking about sponsoring kids and when he was done at the end of his little spiel he goes you know what I owe this all to my youth Hastur a guy named Vaughn I thought wow when I found out those two guys were in the same youth group next week another guy from the rescue mission from the inner city LA came and he shared his a friend of mine he didn't mention Vaughn but but uh but when he was done because he was a member of the church like a wasn't it weird that those two guys you know both mentioned how much impact their youth pastor Vaughn had on them and and he looks him he goes I know Vaughn Michael really the same Vaughn he goes yeah and he tells me this story about he goes bonds a pastor in San Diego and he takes people into the dumps in Tijuana and he comes he goes I spent a day with him he ministers there and that dom's in Tijuana where where kids are picking out of the garbage where you know kids are just dirty and and he goes I was just with Vaughn and he would walk in the city and these kids would run up to him and he would just love them he would just hug them he'd have gifts for them he'd have food for them you know he'd figure out how to get them showers get them food and he goes in and would just follow him around that whole day and and here's the thing that Dan said to me he goes his Francis it was eerie he goes the whole time I was walking with Vaughn I kept thinking if Jesus was on the earth I think this is what it would feel like to walk with him he's just he just loved everyone he ran into and he would tell them about God and and and people were just drawn to his evolving as a faction and he made the statement and rose because the day I spent with Vaughn was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus oh wow that's an amazing compliment the day I spent with Vile's our closest thing I've experienced walking with Jesus the made me think would anyone in their right mind say that about me that's what I thought would anyone say that would anyone say that about you I merely realize that there's all this other stuff of oh you're such a good speaker that's not the goal or if people go wow you know so much Bible that's great but at the end of the day what would they say Wow it's it's weird hanging out with you I mean I read about Jesus and then I walk with you and it's like the same thing the way you just you've loved so much to where it where it hurts where you sacrifice and you just give up it's just this is this humble you're just giving giving give it's weird I realize you know what that isn't that wasn't that supposed to be the goal of all this knowledge of Christ that would become more like him and this thing Lord that's that's what I want I don't want to be the best speaker in the world not me if I'm that if I become that great whatever it just doesn't matter I'm to be the most intelligent person on the planet is that what do you want to be known for want to be known for someone saying wow he's a lot like Jesus and so I just don't want us to fool ourselves in this room yeah this is what we were predestined for right to be conformed in the image of Christ and aren't we supposed to walk as Jesus walked and and and so it's great that we've fought so hard about Jesus but my prayer is that this becomes true knowledge and we actually become like him and that our knowledge doesn't make us arrogant so where we gloat about it and just show off what we know but that we read every one we become in contact with we just try to love them and build them up how can I lift them up with this knowledge that I have and that's my prayer for us I don't want us to fool ourselves kid ourselves and imagine that we know so much and maybe we we don't know anything at all and maybe some of us have even been using our knowledge to tear our brother down and hurt that brother for whom Christ died and they don't to be guilty of the Corinthians and so I'm trying even right now as I'm talking like God give me a love for them let me believe what I'm saying and and I hope that as we leave here that we we think through our words and how we can build one another up and to think about each other is really brothers and sisters so much so that if unbelievers came in here they'd get a glimpse of God Father I write I just ask that you would really help us prioritize things God I don't I don't I don't know what to think all the time the best thing to do well on God we dwell on Christ we want to become like him father give us a love we pray that my brothers and sisters in this room are built up right now and just encourage believing they can do great things I pray that their they do feel exhort just to love one another encourage one another I can't forgive us for the careless statements we make that may have actually destroyed or weakened or brothers and sisters and hurt them and not motivated them to greater ministry I thank you for the men of God and the women of God in this room that have used their knowledge to build others up it caused them to love you more and become more like you I'd really want to become like Jesus more and more god help us to see him not just as a great Savior but as a great role model and their lives really would be conformed to his and that people would see Christ when they saw our lives and they would see God when they saw his love one another use our knowledge and we think hard about your word may we think hard about people and we think hard about our brothers and sisters when we think hard about the suffering and we think hard about those who are lost and headed for an eternity apart from you in Jesus name we pray amen

Channel: BRMinistries

Views: 231,248

Rating: 4.8576884 out of 5

Keywords: Francis Chan, John Piper, Desiring God, Desiring God Francis Chan, how Do you Stay Humble, Stay Humble, Stay Humble Francis Chan, Humility, Humble, Live Humble, humble life, Humble Life francis Chan, pastor Chan, chan, Crazy Love Chan, Crazy Love Francis Chan

Id: 1SEP0Zo91-o

Length: 67min 54sec (4074 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 07 2018