Think Hard, Stay Humble: The Life of the Mind and the Peril of Pride — Francis Chan

I love that man it's just It's humbling to be up here. I you know, I shared earlier about how the first time I I saw him at Azusa Pacific I was just giddy. 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 lunch there at the cafeteria and I'm just waiting to see what he orders, you know. Cuz I I still remember what you ate that day.

He had pepperoni pizza and. And it's what I wanted but I was scared to order it because I thought oh, 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 of the grace of God. You just look back you go. How in the world did this happen?

Salvation by Grace and the Call to Think Hard

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 it just it's it's just this whole thing just fascinates me 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 and I go, you know what?

He asked me to talk about humility. Has noelle ever asked you to talk at a women's conference and teach her about humility, you know, it's just a whole. But it's been a great topic. Honestly, it's been a great topic.

I've been given the text of first corinthians 8 verses 1 through 3. And uh, 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 8 verses 1 through 3. 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 exegeting 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's spirit.

Speak through me. God, would you just speak and encourage us by your word? And show us how to honor you through obeying 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 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 do I 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.

I'm, i'm not thinking about them. I'm not thinking about loving them. I'm just i'm just saying things. And and and i've been praying i've been saying god I I want every person I face lord help me to to look them in the eyes and really care.

Like really think about them. I really want to love them like this passage calls me to I I remember uh When I when I first started speaking At at conferences I I was um I was getting ready and and Another guy who was speaking at the same conference.

He asked me he goes. Hey francis. How do you get ready to get in front of a crowd? And how do you get how do you prepare your heart to speak? And I 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 going to face him one day and I and I picture him in the room. And I just think god I 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 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 he goes sometimes i'll just.

You know 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 serve you in a greater way.

So, please give me the words that would that would love them best. And he goes 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 ask god to help me love.

I thought wow, that's I've never thought of that. I I it 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 I even have in my bible I I have this 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 I get sidetracked. I get distracted. I start thinking about other people in the room. I start thinking about other things and especially when when I feel nervous.

Like I did earlier this afternoon. I I've told my preaching students before I go if you feel nervous. It's probably because there's 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 sometimes I get nervous. And that nervousness is usually because of sin. I remember. One of my first conferences I spoke at was at my alma mater, you know when I went back to master's college for the first time and uh.

And I was preaching in front of john macarthur and the whole faculty and uh. And and I I i'm giving this message. I still remember I preached out of psalm 139. And every joke I told I'd look over at macarthur to see if he'd let you know what i'm talking about every, you know, every time I try to go on the hebrew i'm like uh, 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?

And what are you talking about she goes you were so not yourself up there I could john macarthur was in the room. He was in the front row. And she goes here were her words. 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 I just looked at my wife. I go. You don't even know who he is. I go this guy, you know how many books he has written, you know, how how how wide his influence is.

He is one of the you know, the best expository preachers of our day. You know, and if I say anything wrong, he'll 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 at me and here's her response. She goes. Yes francis and all of his righteous deeds are his filthy rags. Thank you my helper, you know 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 I you know, I I confess, you know, there there was a nervousness earlier on, uh yesterday throughout today.

But just god in his his graciousness, you know, um I mean some of my heroes are in this room. You know, and I know some of yours are too. Men that you respect men that have caused you to fall more in love with jesus and um I'm, so thankful that even as I was preparing everything the lord really did get me focused.

Loving the People in Front of You

He got me focused and he got me thinking and. And To where I was just thinking about you even as I was preparing this over the last couple weeks and I said lord, how. Would 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 I prayed that not even just in the sessions but all around that. You would look at each other genuinely as brothers and sisters.

I mean that this is the heart of god. He wants to see his children here. Just just madly in love with each other. You know, I I was praying for that. I mean think about this. I will be looking at Some of you a hundred years from now.

Think about that. And I try to prepare in light of that. And thinking i'm gonna see your face a hundred years from now 200 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 and this this passage is is so perfect. It's 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 wrong. 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 uh, and that god wants us to have so much love for one another. And I I I prayed for you.

I hope as you're watching rick and knowing rick warren everything he's going through that you were praying for him. I was praying for him last night praying for him this morning. Every person that's speaking up there.

I just look at god. That's one of our soldiers right there. That's one of my brothers up there god use him. You know as the beat as you were as you were preaching. I was just like thanking god for you, you know.

And just going god just keep him strong. Keep him going. I just love these guys. And See first corinthians 8 verses 1 through 3 the issue here is this he talks about this food that's offered to idols and A lot of the corinthians had 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 idol.

And 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 who were more knowledgeable were just saying look 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 in their conscience they're going I can't eat that.

I feel like it's almost like a worship of that idol and I can't do it. But but these 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 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 paul's point is why would you do that? He goes why in the world would you do that to your brother? In fact, I love what paul says in the in the in verse 13 he says if if food makes my brother stumble i'll never eat meat again unless I make my brother stumble.

Paul says I I love that guy so much. He goes man. If I knew that that me eating meat him seeing me eating meat would cause him to stumble. He goes I would just stop eating meat. I'd go vegan. It's 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 he says in uh in verse 11 he says I love this if his conscience is weak. I'm, sorry.

And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed. The brother for whom christ died. He goes you're hurting your brother. From for whom christ died and then if that's not enough verse 12 He says that's sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak you sin against christ.

Paul says 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.

You ate of it yourself. You're like come on. Just eat. It's not that big a deal. He goes if I knew that I could hurt my brother doing that I would never eat meat again. I I would have just stopped it because I love him so much.

That's my brother for whom christ died. This is what I admire so much about paul. I know I know we we all admire his theology his 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. Whoever he was around probably the most shocking statement is romans 9. Right romans 9 every time I read that i'm i'm surprised by it.

Where in romans 9 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 that and i've studied it over because i'm going that's 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.

I I thought gosh, that's gotta be hyperball. That's hyper omboli. Whatever it is exaggerating. It's uh, it's it's. It's uh He can't really mean that I was trying to sound smart. Look what happens? Okay.

But. But the whole thing of him just just saying okay because I love you. But the thought of being cut off from christ, haven't you 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 passage 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. He goes 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 you love who are lost. Unceasing anguish. See and 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 believe those doctrines that we actually live out and you you look at paul's life and you go.

Yeah, I think he really did. Have that great sorrow and unceasing anguish. 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 thabiti was talking about how we care for our. 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 um.

And I sat next to a muslim guy. Just started asking him about his beliefs. He started asking me about my life. And I told him how jesus just changed my life. And he says, you know, I just he says he goes.

I just hope you're not one of those radicals. I didn't say anything. He just he just goes man. I hope you're not one of those radicals. He goes I used to wait tables and i'd have these christians that would just preach at me and i'm like, yeah those guys you know and uh.

But you you know, I i'm just praying, you know, like we were talking about you can think two things at once. So i'm listening to him 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 you know because i'm sharing my testimony everything else and he just he just was so turned off by christians and uh. A few minutes later we're talking about other things and I just thought let's talk about whatever.

And then he goes why are you going to africa? I go, you know, i'm uh. And I went there a few years ago and uh, I just saw these kids, you know these kids they had nothing they were just. You know to see them digging through trash heaps and just looking for water looking for food looking for anything.

They just there's no education. They're just dwindling away. I said it broke my heart. I went back, you know. And started 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 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. He goes. So you're one of those. That's what he says. This was this was so fascinating. He looks at me.

He goes, you know what? I prayed that I would meet someone like you. He goes I never understood. That's the one part of my life. He goes he goes 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 and suddenly 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. The bible says that he laid down his life for us and that was an example that we should lay down our lives for our brothers.

And that's why we do what we do. But it was just I I loved how it was when he saw that we loved. Things changed for him. Here were these people that 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. See when I was in high school. And I became a christian. I just started looking at all my friends differently that 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 it's just the I I still remember, you know, i'm getting conversations.

I would just forget about class. This is bigger. I remember getting my high school yearbook when I was a junior. We got our yearbooks and and I just started thinking. These seniors that are graduating in a couple weeks.

I'll never see them again. And I just got on the phone. I just started calling every single one. I knew and I go man. This is going to 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. And just start going through this. I I remember being in junior college and and and it's just my passion for my friends.

I remember trying to start a bible study on campus and you know. And just thinking i'm gonna reach this whole my whole school. I gotta say they're my friends. I love these guys. Man, I remember waiting tables.

I remember waiting tables at this restaurant and and I don't know if you guys have ever waited tables. But you get so close to the other waiters and waitresses, you know, you're just this little, you know.

Click you get together and you complain about your customers you complain about the managers you just bond and and and every uh. Every night though every night I remember they would all go out and they 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 just remember coming home and just weeping and just begging god God, you can't let these people go to hell.

I love laurie. I love harming. I love ron. You can't do them do something man. I I can't do anything for them. You know you say the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective and I want all the sin out of my life.

I want to be as righteous. I just want you to hear me. I want you to save these people. Man, i've I've felt those times of this unceasing Anguish, I'll never forget when my my grandmother was dying probably the most painful time in my life.

You you know, she'd come in from hong kong. This is the woman that raised me for for part of my life. I I 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.

And she was brain dead everything else. It was just me my brother and my grandmother in that room and I just remember getting down, you know. And just just screaming in her ear in chinese as well as I could just trying to explain the gospel and saying god.

I know I know you can't just save her, you know, you can't just let her into heaven. But but I know she's supposed to 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 her. I'm bawling. I'm just crying like a baby grabbing her hand saying grandma, please believe you know, you were wrong.

You were wrong. I'm telling you this is the way to heaven. You gotta get it. You gotta get it. And as i'm sharing i'm just hoping i'm hoping like maybe she'll she'll open an eye. Give me some sort of sign lord.

Maybe she'll squeeze my hand and just just just show me that you hear this message. And there was nothing and you just see that ekg monitor when it's going straight and it's just just just. Man I I thought I was gonna go nuts.

There's a one time I wanted to take this book and just toss it because if I believe this My grandmother was gonna suffer right then and and then that it's been 20 years and it's been suffering that whole time.

Are you kidding me? Man, and then 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 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.

Thinking Hard About Suffering and the Lost

And 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 got to give him your whole life to jesus. I you know, not just this little prayer prayer I mean you follow him you you seriously follow him.

You need to you need to turn and and uh, My brother was like gosh I thought I believed until I I saw you talking that day and I realized I don't believe I don't believe. Like you believe and as I was sharing.

He just looked at me. He goes. Okay. Okay. Okay. I'll change i'll change and and and i'm just thinking. You're you're just saying it. You're just saying, you know in my mind, but sure enough. A few weeks later.

He goes francis. I I literally everything. Um, i i've changed, you know, the girls living with you know, that's that's all over with you know, I I I. No more drinking. No partying. No nothing. He goes i'm even driving the speed limit.

You know how to go that far, you know, but it's just uh. But um, it really was that time it really was. You know and then it was a couple years later. He goes, you know what? 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's 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 intimidated and everything else. But there's at that moment you're going I don't really care. There'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 that's why paul paul's looking at these, you know, uh these believers and. And he's like I gotta tell you how much I hurt i've got this unceasing anguish and i'm just I'm, just curious.

How much do you? How much do you love. Just remember as elders we 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 what your theology isn't quite right. So why don't you 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 and 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 and you go to seminary. It's like wow I really don't know anything. And you just keep going down this this trail where I gotta know more gotta know more gotta know more gotta 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 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 gotta 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. And 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 like there's mothers just going.

I 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 while we sit in this room.

What what is it? Does it do anything? Is there a love? Man man, I I loved what al muller was talking about. He's talking about this younger generation and the way they were thinking. And the whole idea is that's what we got to think hard is 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 world view. They're not headed to this eternity with god. And does that break your heart?

Is that what motivates you? I mean, why do you learn do you learn because you love? Because you love so much and you think I gotta help them somehow. I gotta love these people somehow. And the only way is 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 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. 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 I am right there with him. As as you look around at the the people around you. I mean, is it that type of love? See because somehow we were supposed to embody that there's there's something about this verse in first john.

When it says no one's ever seen god you get you get it. No, no one here's ever seen him. Unbelievers will walk there's some of you in here. You don't you've never seen god. You you don't you don't have a relationship with god right now because you've never seen him.