The Mission of Marriage | Francis and Lisa Chan

okay okay I just need to obey uh what I I feel like the Lord wants me to read Psalm 145 and I don't really know why but I'm going to do it um so if you want to turn there you can but I just pray that I will just receive this that the word of God is more powerful than anything we can say I will extol you my God and King and bless your name forever and ever every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable one generation shall commend your Works to another and shall declare your Mighty Acts on the Glorious Splendor of your majesty and on your wondrous works I will meditate they shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds and I will declare your greatness they shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness the Lord is gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding and steadfast love the Lord is good to all and his Mercy is over all that he has made all your Works shall Give Thanks To You O Lord and all your Saints shall bless you they shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power to make known to the children of man your Mighty deeds and the Glorious Splendor of your kingdom your kingdom is in Everlasting Kingdom and your Dominion endures throughout all generations the Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works the Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down the eyes of all look to you and you give them their food in due season you open your hand you satisfy the desire of every living thing the Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works the Lord is near to all who call on him to all who call on him in truth he fulfills the desire of those who fear Him He also hears their cry and saves them the Lord preserves all who love him but all the wicked he will destroy my mouth will speak the praise of the Lord and let All Flesh bless His holy name forever and ever foreign one of the sweetest things about getting older is that you just realize how precious it is to speak of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness because you have seen it for a lot of years and it does give you courage like sometimes I like almost feel guilty saying what's true and right because it's like oh I almost want to apologize that we have a great marriage I wanna I don't know like there's so many people that are struggling or hurting and I don't want to set myself you know up higher or something but I also want to say no like one generation commends your works like it's okay for this word like to say no there's something higher and and more amazing like there's a kingdom that we're here operating in waiting for and we don't have to apologize for that and it's okay for me to just say you guys you need to realize that all of this bickering or arguing and grumbling and complaining and just it just gets you nowhere but if you can lift up your eyes like where does your help come from it comes from the one who made Heaven and Earth like this is the god whom we serve and when we you know set out to write this book about marriage that's like a very humbling thing to do because you don't want to like Francis pray like we don't want to say something that isn't right or honoring and it's we don't want to set ourselves up like well we're the experts like we've said that's it's a very like holy thing to try to speak and encourage for the Lord you know so we sat there we got away into this little Old Ranch that was like crawling with rattlesnakes I remember it was a tiny bit creepy [Laughter] but it was free and it was very sweet sorry if he's listening right now and you know he let us borrow his Ranch but oh thank you my nose is Totally Running thank you Laura um so we sat there and we're just praying together getting away like Lord what do you want us to say and we tried to think about all the people that we had ministered to over the course of our ministry life and just couples we knew we're like man there's kind of like these different categories of people and I can't even we were trying to remember some of them it's like Francis coined one phrase like there's people who are like really happy in their marriages they're like going on vacations all the time like you're just seeing they're like oh we're off on this this Cruise or that place and and like they're just kind of living the dream living in the Gated Community with all the things and pleasures of life and going on vacations or just enjoying one another and we're like Francisco's it's kind of like happy but worthless like you know which is a a heavy thing to say but um but you know as far as like the kingdom mindset like what what did God want your marriage to what what's it for like it's the one expression in all of Human Relationships that he wants to be a picture of Christ in the church and that's a pretty high calling and that's pretty lofty to try to be like wow does our does our marriage make God look good um does our marriage attract people to the gospel in the way that we interact in the way we live our lives that we're here on Mission we're here to love the Lord Our God to love our neighbor as ourselves so how are we serving and extending ourselves and like working together for the kingdom you know not for our own pleasure and then we thought about those ones like I have said like they're just always fighting always bickering always in the next trauma and always needing help and assistance and don't get me wrong like we all need help and we need one another in fact some of you young couples please find older couples that are really walking the walk and just invite them into your life let them speak in like nip it in the bud now be like will you guys pray for us will you pray over us will you help us figure out how to get along we're just being selfish and we need you to pray for us um like please yes we need one another but there's ones that are just that's all they're ever doing is like coming over and over and over again like so imploded you know right yeah and I was I was gonna just say too you know we have some friends who were you know definitely in that category um of uh happy but worthless uh you know for the kingdom I mean it's great you're having a good time but there's people suffering there's people dying we gotta do something and and I mean I was thinking today you know right before we came up here we had a quick text from someone who's um in Antioch and the Real Antioch uh you know out in Syria and you know where the earthquake and everything else and just a quick update he says well about a third of the people have left the city of Antioch a third of the people have stayed in Antioch and a third of the people are dead in Antioch like it's just so if we were in Antioch right now we probably wouldn't be doing a marriage conference right you know if we had plans like oh no we're going to have a big soccer game that would probably cancel it and well I hope we would cancel it you know and go no let's dig through the rubble let's let's get food let's do whatever we need to do because something's going on here and so I'm not being insensitive to like oh that's great that you're happy and everything I'm just going gosh there's a lot of stuff going on in the world and those deaths of all these people and then everything the scriptures teach about this mission that we're supposed to be on you know and the thing about it is it's not like hey quit having fun and pursuing unity and enjoying your marriage go do the mission instead I'm saying No it's it's like our marriage Our lives our family it's it's amazing um at our 25 year anniversary we're having dinner it was like five years ago and just Elisa just asked me at dinner she goes do you know anyone happier than us more blessed than we are and as I I don't know um she goes I can't think of anyone either I keep thinking I'll meet someone that I could genuinely say they're more blessed than we are and I haven't found them yet like it's an awesome thing to say on your 25 year anniversary and but the the thing is is it's not like we got married and we set out to let's be the happiest couple on Earth it's it's no let's set seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and and then the byproduct of that was this seriously because it's it's you can seek a United Family and and that's good but it's almost like the pursuit of that can almost destroy because there's a self-centeredness in that and just like you can seek Financial Security and God's saying now seek my kingdom first I'll take care of you um seek my kingdom first I'll work it out with the fan we've had crazy things I mean even you know some of you guys are the story of my oldest daughter like you know ever since they're babies you just pray for who they're gonna marry and I meet this guy you know and I'm Blown Away by his walk with the Lord to where Lisa is like wow you sound like you've got like a crush on him I go I do he's amazing and you know I just went to prayer one day I said Lord you've always given me whatever I want I feel like whatever I ask for and I don't I don't want to be overstepping my bounds but this kid Justin you know could you have him meet my daughter Rachel and could you have them fall in love and get married because I want him in my family I prayed it in February they were married by December okay and now they've got a couple kids he's one of the you know Pastors in our church I mean it's just I mean God has just been with us an amazing things and and and like Lisa said sometimes I feel bad like I don't want to bring it up because I remember giving that illustration once and then someone confronted me and they're like well that didn't happen to me so you shouldn't you know bring those things up I'm like yeah I get it but I also that's pretty awesome you know like like and I I saw it in the Bible you know like Abraham and Isaac and Jacob go to the well you know it's just and so I felt a piece about like I really wanted this and and I mean and I I kind of worked my magic too um because he had to borrow a saw from me I had this chop saw I want to borrow I'm like oh yeah go to my house I'm not home you know but uh my daughter's home and she can get it and so I quickly call my daughter I'm like Rachel someone's coming over right now to borrow a saw please look your best I said just just trust me on this one trust me on this one I go just pretend you didn't try and you just got up and you know but that thing when you play with your hair just but it was one of those things where it's like gosh Lord you keep blessing blessing blessing and now you know I can't tell you what it's like at a Friday night Gathering you know and worshiping with the church and one of my daughters is leading worship you know I got a son-in-law it's Blanca hone and organize the whole Ministry you got another son-in-law you know who's sharing the gospel with everyone and my wife and my daughter my son and they're leading in work and it's just like wow this is so cool meanwhile okay this one left to Africa this one went to the Middle East and and it's just it's just amazing um but how much we love being together and the crazy thing is we didn't try to we pursued the mission and God brought a uni to the family and um and I you know so I don't want to sound harsh like uh you know happy but worthless there's also the point that it's like you know if you really want that life to the full it's from being on Mission together and thinking about more than yourself and and I want to read a passage from First Corinthians 7 verse 29 it says this is what I mean Brothers the appointed time has grown very short from now on let those who have wives live as though they had none that's a weird verse to read at a marriage conference right but it's biblical what's he saying here the the same Paul who said husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church here's saying the time is short let those who have wives live as though they had none it's just saying look there's something bigger than just your marriage it's not just about the two of you and the more you just sit and stare at each other and try to work things out and just talk about how to make your life wonderful we're not made for that type of self-centeredness it's it's about God's given us we were made for a purpose he says there were good works that were created for us to do before one before we were born now crazy that that you're here for a reason I'm here for a reason I'm here this weekend for a reason you know we're staying with Jimmy and Laura that I'm constantly my mind okay why why is this why is this Lord because your mind is fascinating and you saw me you knew me you knit me together in my mother's womb Jeremiah 1 says that before I even came out of my mother's womb that you determined certain things for me to do that was made in there and I was gonna have experiences and I'm going to live a life and to get to this point all of this somehow is in that fascinating Eternal mind of God and now it's like oh hey God what's next what's next you know the same way it's like okay why why did why did Lisa and I get married why it's all for some Eternal purpose and and to try to figure that out and to walk in that and go okay where do we think the holy spirit is leading us right now what should we be doing now that's the life of a Christian um and somehow you know we got so over focused on the family that we lost sight of the mission and I think that was one of the most encouraging things to me coming here to Antioch Church was everyone I'd meet whether it's an extra someone out there I kind of asked their story and like oh yeah we spent eight years in Russia oh yeah we spent nine years in Cambodia oh yeah we I'm like whoa everyone is on Mission here and whether it's supporting or everything else and so in some ways I'm preaching to the choir but in the other ways I'm just going man this is where life is like it's it's when you're you're that's why he says in uh second Timothy uh I think it's chapter five where he's talking to the rich and uh well there is no second Timothy five so it must be somewhere else he's talking to the rich when did they take it's their first ticket out I mean it yeah yeah first Timothy six okay for those who don't know first Timothy 6 used to be second Timothy five and they're like well first is always supposed to be bigger so let's just move it over and so I'm used to the old Bible and but in in uh First Timothy 6 uh verse um oh 17 he says as for the rich in this age charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy they are to do good works to be rich in Good Works to be generous and ready to share thus storing up for themselves storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of that which is truly life okay so what's the end the point of this he goes I'm telling them to do this to be rich in Good Deeds be generous with their stuff why so they can take hold of that which is truly life he came for life I I can't tell you how exciting it is to to uh like on our 20-year anniversary um we're like gosh everything that's been awesome in life is not oh that trip to Hawaii was awesome that was fine but those times when we did something and you saw a result I'm like you know let's not go on it vacation just for us what do we let's go somewhere and serve and you know I'm like oh we've been ministering to this you know group in Ethiopia let's you know we've been supporting them we've never been there let's go and it was just awesome not not because it was super fun but it was just like wow I've never seen starvation like this you know where it's just Skin and Bones and you know I'm praying for this little girl and they're going now she's not gonna make it but you can pray for her because you know the stomach's distended that means the bodies were eating itself and and just getting on my knees and praying for a miracle and and all these kids like that that were just getting on a feeding program and and I can't tell you how amazing it was a few years later to find out when that girl actually made it and uh to be running around playing hide and seek with her and laughing with her and then watching her worshiping the Lord when I just you know my one prayer that day was I God can you just keep her alive make this mouth worship you I just want her to live so she can worship you you know and so to see kids like that and and you just go appears to this you know or or seeing these girls in the red light district and it's just the grossest place we'd ever been to and just seeing guy after guy going into these these little creepy tiny little Hut things about the size of you know just just big enough for a bed and their kids are under the bed and just guy after guy coming in for two bucks and it's just gross just and they're just going from stall to stall and and then seeing these girls rescued from that and learning jobs you know like getting uh skilled you know in in different trades and becoming hairdressers and you know a couple years ago going back and and being able to do one of their weddings you know you know the thrill of of seeing this girl come down an aisle that you know the place where she used to be and and now I'm going with her back to those places and watching her minister to everyone and now I get the pleasure of giving her over to a man who who is going to protect her now and it's not a predator a protector and and who loves her and loves the Lord and and to go man I have to play a little part in that you know to chase a girl around you know playing hide and seek and and then watching her worship my gosh we played a little part in that you know to see hospitals built and go whoa we we did look at this place this is crazy that was an empty piece of land look there's a full Hospital like these are the things where you're going oh my gosh I live the greatest life on Earth we live the greatest life on Earth I mean it just doesn't compare meanwhile we've all purchased things and bought things that we're disappointed in and in your mind you I I go oh my gosh that would have fed and kept alive a thousand people but I was stupid and I just thought about me and I bought that and it didn't even work out you know it's it's just I'm talking about a life that is full I'm talking about taking a hold of life that is true that I'm talking about being 30 years into marriage and go I think we're the happiest people on the planet and and God listens to us and I I think of um I I love that verse in Isaiah 58 when he says uh sorry over this PowerPoint on it's all over the place going places where I told you I would not go um but when he's talking about fasting and uh you know when he says I'm not listening to you God says is that the fast that I called you to do you know just act all sad and everything um in verse 7 he says is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house when you see the naked to cover him and not to hide yourself from your own flesh he says then shall your light Break Forth like the dawn your healing shall spring up speedily your righteousness shall go before you the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard then you shall call and the Lord will answer you shall cry and he will say hear I am like what is better okay you weren't talking about life that's truly life what is better than being a person that prays to God and God goes here I am okay you can have anything on the Earth what would you want more than that to know God and to for him to say I'll be your rear guard I've got your back God Almighty sitting on his throne and when you call out to me I'll say Here I Am what do you need oh it's Francis he cares for the poor he pours out his it's just This Is The Life and and so when we talk about Mission it's just like the fear of the Lord I'm going that is a treasure it's a good thing it's a great thing and so when we go man don't just live your life for yourselves live for eternity live for the kingdom care for the poor use your resources for the poor because God says when you do that then shall your light Break Forth like the Dawn and your healing shall spring up speedily your righteousness shall go before you the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard then you shall call and the Lord will answer you shall cry and he will say here I am there's something about fighting for those who are poor we've been blessed in this country with a ton of resource um and somebody goes well I'm not rich you're rich there are people that would literally cut their arms off to have access to your trash can um just it we live in a crazy world and there is so much need out there so much desperation and so for us to do a marriage conference just for the sake of marriage does isn't biblical it's very important that I love Lisa like Christ loves the church it's very important that she comes under my leadership like the church comes under the leadership of Christ it's very important that there is a love and a mutual humility um and we of course want them the family to be United just like we want the church family to be United um but if we just Chase those things and not the mission of God we miss out and we're being disobedient we seek first the kingdom of God and uh and we're here for a reason and and it's so fun to to realize I was made for something you know that that Jeremiah one passage just got me so excited years ago to think I'm not an accident he says he knew me before he even formed me in my mother's womb you know and me I don't know how many of you are in the same boat but I was an unwanted child you know I my mother died giving birth to me so my dad gave me up for adoption and he just didn't want me no one wanted me I was at accident and God says no no not a chance I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb and I just thought wow God you knew did you know you knew my mom was going to die but you wanted me on the earth because there's something I was going to do and maybe one of the biggest things would just motivate one person in this room to you know to think about their purpose on Earth or maybe for many of you like I don't I don't know what it's all about but it's so great to go I was designed for this and no one else is gonna do this I have a calling we have a purpose and that's what I think has made our our our marriage so and our whole family just so so rich and full and then our kids now you know once they grow up because you can fool the little ones they believe anything oh mom and dad are happily married you know um but they're going to get to an age where they start thinking back and go oh that's why this that's why that we all figured out our parents you know we all figured them out to some degree later on in life and so what's do we really think we're going to fool our kids forever they see when Mom and Dad actually sacrifice and they see like whoa we had a lot of money and they spent it on that well what is that is it hospitals is it schools is a church planter you know they they know and they'll see and they'll figure it out and so that's where I mean as much as I I I get it like yes that Bible say with your family do the devotions everything else but more important than all of that is you've got to be real they're going to know whether you love God or not and whether you were the real thing or not and whether you loved each other or not they see it we we know when people are in love we just do you know when someone's infatuated with their kid and you know when someone is really into their marriage and you know when someone is really into God himself and has a deep love for Jesus and so that's where we started where we started and it's like it has to be about you knowing him and all this is the outflowing of the holy spirit in you and and that's why even at this point I know that we're heading towards the end here but man if for any of you you're hearing some of this stuff and and and it's still like external you know it's not coming from inside okay that's what the spirit does because because what happens a lot of times in church is what a second Peter two I think it's 22. um I know you guys can't trust me anymore but it's it it's in there um where he talks about a the the dog that returns to its vomit and he talks about a pig how you can wash him off but he goes right back to the mud and he just talked about what a horrible thing that is and and I'd hate for this to be like an external washing of pigs okay where where you come in here there's nothing going on inside and your marriage is a mess and your life is a mess and so you you hear a few external tips you can do and you get kind of washed clean and you do some um interaction with each other but you know what eventually you'll run back to the mud why does a pig go back to the mud after you've washed him off because he's a pig his nature didn't change you see that's what God has to offer that's right we keep going back to the Lord he can change your nature he can make it to where suddenly you're stepping in mud because that's the old you but when you get in there you're like I don't like this like I used to I don't like the feeling of dirt I used to be okay doing this and now it's like uh that's gross and and it keeps going further and further and further you know some of us older ones will will maybe watch a movie like we watched 20 or 30 years ago and it's so offensive to us now we're like whoa that movie was horrible how did I gotta turn it off don't let the kids watch that but somehow it was like I don't know I was okay with it back then I thought it was clean you know it's it's like the sanctification why because something happened in you that changes you where you become more like Christ you really do you start taking on his humility that's why you laugh at like I remember when we used to get angry at this remember that it is you know and sure every once in a while a word will slip out of your mouth but you know it was only once but uh it's just it's still it's it's just like the sanctification process you know what I mean that's why we I keep praying I keep praying and it's not a formality thing it's not a way to end our sermon or begin a sermon it's like no God there's part of me that just wants to pray the whole time because either something Supernatural happens like we said about our daughter it's like the spirit of God came into her and it was like whoa she's acting very different but as parents we're like well let's give it a week you know and then a week passes is like whoa okay a couple more weeks a month six months a year like okay there is absolutely no other explanation and the Holy Spirit of God finally took a hold of her heart and she's no longer a pig there's a change of nature it's not a rushing back and just hearing testimony after testimony of people who have changed I think about you know Lisa's a hairdresser doesn't her hair look good but um it does uh actually it was her older hairdresser you know it tells a story about she and her husband and you know they were married and he was it came just like super alcoholic abusive where she'd come into work she was a hairdresser he was a mechanic she come with black eye broken ribs like that type of abuse big time and she would talk about how she's like gosh the Bible says I can't divorce him you know and and you know maybe I can get away maybe this or that but just dependent on the word of God but she said my prayers were God you see what's going on and I know I can't divorce him but she goes I literally would just pray God would you please kill him she goes I you see what abuse your daughter is going through and I know exactly the road that he's on right now would you have him go off the edge would you just end it and just these these these crazy then what happened that day you remember the story more like where well um basically he was coming in from a drunken night and she knew that he was coming for her um but I don't remember if she prayed right in that moment but all of a sudden there was a snap and his leg just broke like the largest bone up here and he ends up having to go to the hospital uh and was just yeah completely transformed I don't we're leaving a lot of details out yeah I don't remember it their story is amazing they were married when she was only 16 years old and now they have been married for they're in their 60s no they're set she's 70. wow yeah so they've been married how long what is the math 54 years no but they are one of the few examples in our lives of a older couple who absolutely love the Lord have taken in so many foster kids through their lifetime and and adopted them in fact when they were 60 in their 60s they adopted 10 children at once so they just kept going and so you just see this line of bikes you know and she's explained to her kids look I don't know if I'll live long enough until you guys graduate but let me tell you I mean you talk about living for the kingdom because she they were the ones that confronted me one day that well I I know you think we're radical but what what do you do with James you know what do you do with True Religion being to care for the widows and the orphans and and we take that literally and so I I mean here's a couple who was obviously an absolute mess married at 16 abusive and praying for death of the other one and then God redeeming it and and and having a mission together and now the way they talk about one another like she just like she just tell me she go past her there's no godlier man than my husband no one who is I don't know anyone on earth like him and you know to just give you hope one that you were made for something and that when that Spirit comes into you and changes your nature and then you start pursuing the mission together you can have those 50-something years of just a crazy eternally focused mission-centered lifestyle and they're so I don't know there's just such a piece about them I mean they're exhausted they're you know obviously and have gone through so much tragedy because any of you that have adopted children uh the Foster system it it never goes perfectly and often ends up in a nightmare but you just have the peace if I did everything I could and it's heartbreaking it's not like oh this glorious story and all 10 of the kids became pastors no it it's uh it's just messy but they will tell you there's nothing else I yeah I her texts are always my favorite because it always includes her love for Christ and exhortation like Lisa let's finish strong I just want to like crawl up to the throne of God at the end just use up all my energy and just be like here I am Jesus I poured it all out for you you know and so it's like she just always carries that visual like I just wanna just like crawl my way towards the throne at the end of my life and I'm like wow how amazing to have people like that speaking in to our life you know and how amazing that she prays for us um so grateful for them yeah they're like the most encouraging yes yeah um for a non-spiritual example or illustration that's the word I was thinking of his Mario Kart and now I have one but have you guys ever watched The Amazing Race um I don't know if it's very popular anymore it might just be old but I kind of got hooked on it with one of my daughters and after watching a couple of Seasons I'm like this is really interesting I'm always looking for like biblical parallels I'm totally that mother where like on our humility talk this is going to sound really crazy but I literally was thinking of the movie Cinderella the like live action version if you haven't seen it it is a precious example of humility I was like Cinderella acts so much like Jesus I can't even stand it and at the end of the movie when she looks at the has anybody watched it please okay thank you at the end when she looks up well maybe I shouldn't say this but you're probably not gonna watch it um but watch it if for those of you who have young children watch this movie with them talk about it like let's have these conversations now with our children to say look always point out humility when you see it I always try to do that look at that do you see that humility I don't care if it's a cartoon or someone at the market I want my kids to have an eye for humility like look how that person comes under and just wants to love someone and her example is amazing under such cruel treatment and she just remains faithful and gentle and quiet and loving and at the end she looks at the stepmother and you're just wanting you want her to say something like I hate you but what she says is I forgive you and it's only a movie but it makes me cry because I'm like that's powerful that's so powerful because when we forgive like that heart so it's like yes point this out okay but to The Amazing Race yeah yeah and honestly just ignore all the magic and Witchcraft in it no there wasn't oh there is the Fairy Godmother oh yeah right I forgot about that but it's just it's a parallel I'm just sensitive to Mud you know it's like [Music] true it's true it's hard to kind of say like think of the Lord mother because you really yes but there is a parallel there anyways okay every worldly example breaks down somehow but in The Amazing Race there are 12 couples and they start in like Waco Texas but then they go all around the world they're in India they're in China they're in Thailand at every stop they have roadblocks there are tasks they have to complete it's like we rip it open which one's gonna do it you're gonna do it I'm gonna do it it's teams of two it's brothers and sisters it's husbands and wives it's best friends it's moms and daughters um but after we've watched it a couple Seasons I'm like wow this is such an amazing like parallel to the scriptures like in First Corinthians 9 when it's like don't you know that in a race all the runners run but only one receives the prize right at the end it's only one team that's going to win the million dollars the first team that can make it through all these challenges all these there's so much pressure right and it's we gotta let's say we get to like our next stop which is Thailand and we complete all of our tasks but whoever comes in last is eliminated right so it's like slowly you're getting down to where there's only two teams left running for the the finish line now thankfully the Lord has said all who call on my name are welcome to come to the Finish Line we're all running this race but the picture is so beautiful because it's always the couples that are honoring to one another loving working together like our goal don't forget our goal our goal is the end like okay we can celebrate for a minute high fives we got here first but now we got to get ready tomorrow we go again it's another leg of the race we've got to keep going right so it's like that's the mindset we have to have in our marriages like okay we can celebrate we got to five years of marriage okay awesome high five now what's next let's keep going you know it's like still at 30 years we're like okay high five well we're almost at 30 but um man like no it's the it's the end it's I want to receive the crown of life I want the imperishable wreath that the Lord's gonna give like you know all those Runners wanted just the perishable oh look at me I won the Medal the wreath and we're like oh man we we want to receive that crown and then we want to throw it at the feet of Jesus because we're still so like we can't believe he's welcoming us into this amazing Kingdom um and so I just hope that you will grasp some of that mindset like yeah this is a race and we're we're met like Philippians 2 or one when it says 27. starting in 27 only let your manner of Life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come see you or am absent I may hear of you like this is what Francis and I would want to feel as we walk away like hey you guys just let your manner of Life be worthy of the calling you have received like let's not forget about the kingdom and then whether we come and see you again or we're just absent we're over in the Bay Area doing the same thing you know we can hear that you're standing firm in the gospel we want these marriages we want to know that you're standing firm in the gospel so striving with one spirit with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel and not frightened in anything by your opponents this is a clear sign to them of their destruction but of your salvation and that from God in chapter two he goes on if there's any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy complete my Joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full accordion of one mind do do you get the language here it's like you guys we need to be of one mind it's one Spirit One Faith one baptism one Lord one God and Father of all so I want to take a minute though and just say I don't know for somebody who's listening or somebody who's here where your heart is like crushed and grieving because you're thinking I am married to someone who does not want the Lord in this way and that is not God's design and I'm sorry God does want you to strive side by side for the gospel he wants you to be of the same mind but if you are in that place where it's like man I am going after the Lord but my husband or my wife just doesn't want it I'm I'm just here to encourage you like hold fast don't swerve like hold unswervingly to that Faith you profess and believe and know that you can fully honor God as a husband or as a wife who is fully committed without the spouse that is by your side but you can still bring Glory and Honor in your love for God and in your love for your spouse even while you're waiting for their salvation while you are praying and like like begging the Lord that they would come to know Christ and for you wives you're like man I would love to have a leader but if he's not just pray for him and believe that God is at work and that God can use you even without a word remember from first Peter 3 he can be won over without a word like press on keep going run your race because the Lord is fully ready to accept you at the end whether or not your spouse is right there beside you that's what we want but he's like honey I got you keep coming you know because the crown is for you and so it's it's okay you know I was I was just thinking about I mean I guess it was last night when we first got here we were a little surprised in some ways usually when we do marriage conference all like 20 year olds you know um that are just trying to figure out how to get going and um some of you don't look 20. and uh and and you know we told you Jimmy Laura were like wow there's a real mix and there's a lot of older couples in there and so it's it's different and and I'm like okay what again Lord what are you saying by this and especially hearing a message and hearing about our friends in their 70s and they're just charging it and I I I think there's something that is well I know there's something Sovereign in this because I know there's a young crowd I mean when I think of Antioch it's usually when I'm at World mandate and I'm you know where I'm running into young people around the world that are are from here and young couples and this and that and but what I hear so much is how badly they they want examples um just and I think that's a large reason why you're here some of you that maybe I get it you just get tired after a while and you want to look back and go well we had our time and it just that's not what it's about um it's about this next generation and there is a truth which Jimmy and I talk about that we're not the ones who are going to go out and Pioneer and do all this stuff but it's it's very important that we walk alongside of these younger couples and encourage their faith and show them that we're still living by faith and we're still thinking about eternity we're not just trying to stay alive we're not just trying to survive seriously I feel like so many old people that's all it is is let's see how long we can live honey it's like who cares how long you live it's like what did you do you made it to a hundred doing nothing wow that's great you didn't help anyone oh but you were healthy it's just like we don't need that and it's just like honestly I meet older people still and and then and I'm like wow you're still buying stuff like you can't even really enjoy that like it's time to start unloading you know because we're coming to the end seriously I I I look and I go I think this will be my last suit that I'll ever you know like like a few years ago I bought a suit you know because one lasted like I don't know since we were married and for 99 bucks and this one was like 129. I'm like okay I want to stay to where I can fit in this and bury me in this you know whatever you just I just start thinking I'm not going to think ooh next year I want to look even better it's like it's done I'm on the other side and now it's like I'm getting closer and closer to seeing his face and so this is the worst time to take it easy and forget I mean what are you really going to enjoy anyways it's just it's just not nothing is as fun anyways and so let's just keep Investing For The Kingdom that's the stuff that fills us up start figuring out how do I unload what I have but to accumulate or whatever else so I believe there's something in this multi-generational which I praise God for this this is not just a bunch of 20-somethings saying you know Francis and Lisa teach us but there's just this mixture of older couples that are saying God's not done with us we have something to do here on this Earth not just survive not just play with the grandkids but there's some sort of example we need to be for them and that gets me excited because this is what we haven't had as long as I've been alive there hasn't been a good baton passing you know there hasn't been a coaching there hasn't been uh in Numbers chapter 8 it talks about the Levites retiring at 50. and uh and and they're no longer allowed to serve in the temple but they're supposed to you know guard these 25 year olds that are that are now entering into that service like with our energy it's to be used to invest in that next generation and because if they're left to themselves man they're going to make all these mistakes that they don't have to make and we can keep them from some of the pitfalls that we've gone through but to just check out and just retire or whatever that can't be an option for us the desire is for the kingdom and for the light to keep going and uh I think that's kind of the phase that we're in you know Jimmy and Laura Lisa and I are just we're we're working we're thinking we're hanging out you know the house going okay how do we encourage this next Generation because there's some amazing people but they need us not to Lord it over them and control everything and even be in charge I mean one of the greatest things that happened to me was uh when we were first married and I felt like God was calling me to start a church I was 26 years old married for a few weeks and I remember finding the oldest guy I knew and he was 56 and uh and he was an elder at church I'm like man what do you this is crazy and I remember him telling me is Francis if you start a church I would go with you and I would follow you anywhere you go I'm like what not to control me not to lead me whatever he goes now I see something in you this isn't a job to you and and sure enough I mean without his support I don't know if I ever would have started that church I don't know where I'd be and he was able to walk alongside of me and now I'm going wow I'm that 55 year old guy now and I want to be that guy that's like looking for that 20-something or that group of 20-somethings and go I want to be that older guy I don't want to control this because he let me go and believed in me and and pushed me and and told me no you've got gifts quit saying you're just a preacher you've got more I know it in you and he that encouragement and it's huge in my life and to think that some of us can be that not thinking about ourselves is not to get glory for ourselves no one knows who Ron Wilson is you know but I'm telling you he was the one that came alongside of me and and did all of that and I wouldn't be here today without him and you have that opportunity and even if you failed even if you've wasted a lot of your life to now go you know what I I realize I've not been about the mission to apologize to your kids and go you know what I screwed up I kind of listened to all this other stuff I was selfish or whatever but man Mom and Dad have talked and we came to this Gathering and we're like you know what we've got some years left we've got some years left okay we're not gonna sit here and wallow in what we didn't do and how we failed That's what Satan wants us to do it's like oh man we can still think we can still kind of walk we you know let's let's uh let's do everything we can and for this next Generation because I it's a very special time we live in I am thrilled to be alive in this season like if you look at the old generation of the whole world people go oh I wish I lived in Jesus and disciples time I wish I'd lived with Moses and you know seen this this is I'm going to know I I gen I mean this like when you look at biblical prophecy and everything that's happening and I don't have time to get into all of it I'm like this is all happening in our lifetime the gospel is getting to every nation in our has never happened the word of God is being translated into every language like during our lifetime this has never happened the church in Israel are in existence again together this doesn't hasn't happened in 1900 years like this is a crazy season and meanwhile the world is in so much turret every you're just going this is it this is it and we're alive to see this like these promises uh could Christ be coming back in our lifetime like this is the culmination of everything and there's a reason and I'm excited I don't know how much longer I have on this Earth but I'm thrilled to be here and I'm thrilled to know this God and have peace with this God and be on a mission and know that there's still a purpose and uh please please walk away from here knowing that there's something that he's calling you to do and then the more you guys stare at it the mission and pursue it that's what's going to bring the unity um there'll be a lot of places you can go to get self-help things to communicate better or whatever else I'm just telling you there's something about the mission that can't be replaced it's just the way God designed us I mean even even on a sports team I I'm a Laker fan being from California sorry but um I just I still I always picture that one scene after the the Lakers won years ago where Kobe jumps into Shaq's arms and and it's like whoa you know and and it just the celebration why because they're focused on a goal they made it okay but then what happened afterwards they start bickering with each other no it's my team no it's the Diesels team and they and and Meanwhile we're all looking on like you idiots come on get over your issues there's a championship to be won and I think that's the way I feel in the church sometimes it's like okay okay yes she's miserable yeah okay he's horrible whatever you guys would you just quit fighting because people are dying there are people that are digging up Rubble right now looking for their kids and and you want to fight about this there's just a little bit of just just stop it you know like like there's something bigger going on and it's this Mission and if you would focus on that and realize this amazing season that we're in there's a natural you know jumping into each other's arms celebrating these victories in Ministry and also a running into each other's arms because of the discouragement that goes on in a Ministry and the disappointments but all the while I had no clue the unity that was being built in our family because we were just focused on the ministry and then you're looking around going man we're crazy about each other um you know we're FaceTiming our kids overseas we're constantly I mean you know family group chats just like and just every week trying to get together as much as we can you know if everyone's in town it's just but that didn't happen by trying to be this happy United Family it's about genuinely being excited that we have a mission on this Earth we have a calling on this Earth and when we do that his word is true you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be given to you it's like it was just handed to us oh you want him for a husband for your time you can have them it's just call out to me and I'll say here I am so I would love to I want to pray for the mission that each of you maybe you came in here just trying to work things out but I want to pray that God gives you an outward Focus together that you go okay what is next for us you know and that God would give you Direction I honestly I don't know what question conversation you guys have written but I would like that I'd like to pray for that that God would give you as you talk a vision for a future Ministry together that that you spend some time talking about why are we still on Earth why are we together why do we have this skill set or these resources and to pray until God show us and I want to pray over you right now Factor just receive this Lord you promise that if we ask for wisdom he would give a he would give it to us but if we doubt we won't receive anything so God I believe from heaven right now you hear me on your throne and that you are going to give wisdom all around this room wisdom on how do we live the rest of our lives what decisions do we make how do we invest our time our money our energy God grant wisdom you want to Grant wisdom please just give it all around the room right now visions of how you're going to use these couples For Your Glory visions of young couples they can pour into we believe this is going to happen in Jesus name amen

Channel: Crazy Love

Views: 64,096

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Id: 54Pdb4kRSpM

Length: 65min 37sec (3937 seconds)

Published: Mon May 22 2023