Desiring God — Francis Chan

For those who haven't been here in a while You'll notice that we we've changed things around and we put communion at the center stage. Because we don't ever want this to be about a person. We want everyone coming in understanding that no, it's about this right here right.

Communion Centers the Church on Christ's Sacrifice

It's about the body and the blood of Jesus Christ. You come in here because of the body and blood of Jesus Christ I mean just taking that bread taking that cup. I hope you just go man I'm totally pure because of what he did on the cross.

He paid it all like I my sin. It was dark. It was like blood red like crimson and he washed it white as snow. And I don't know. It's just a joy to take that bread and just remember Jesus taking a piece and just breaking it.

And saying this is my body. It's broken for you. And I and I think about gosh, you know I remember after watching the passion of the Christ or watching the Son of God and and seeing you know the pain everything he went through and I I think about what was it like for Mary the first time she took of communion after That all that whole nightmare of watching that then realizing this represents his body.

You know and to take and this this represents his blood and a drink of it. And and then we get to take of that to 2 ,000 years later we're doing the exact same thing and we're connected to this body that was built upon the Prophets and the Apostles with Jesus being the cornerstone and we get to join into this man.

That's what we're here for. You know, and so that's gonna take center stage man, I Just love it. I love the fact that uh I'm clean. I'm pure. That God looks at me right now in heaven and all of his glory looks down and goes that's my son right there.

Totally pure and I can't wait to be with him. That's how we can rejoice that Rocky's dad's with him right now. I mean, I mean, can you imagine just try to. I've never seen Rocky's dad. I probably just looks like an older version of Rocky but um, I Just try to imagine try to imagine what his face is like right now.

In heaven like the joy the life. When someone who knows the Lord is with him, you know Ecclesiastes says the day of death is better than the day of birth. Now believe that I believe that and we sometimes we don't celebrate that enough as believers.

We grieve with you. We must grieve. But at the same time we must also celebrate that the day of death is better than the day of birth. You know when when we have a birth, you know. Like a baby shower all the ladies get together and cry and exchange presents get all giddy, you know.

But man, I I'm telling you some of the memorial services I've done have been the greatest celebrations of my life. Like it's just a rush to think about that person and where they're at all because of this.

You know, and that's where we go. This is Center. This is our security. This is everything so I've been praying for you this week. I've been praying that you took Eric's message to heart last week. Okay, Eric talked, you know, sometimes in church we can say okay.

The Holy Spirit Is Not Merely a Sermon Topic

The message is about the Holy Spirit and we've heard all these sermons about the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit can become like another Topic like another sermon topic and I've been praying. Oh god. I hope they get it.

I hope this isn't just another lesson to them. This is everything I Mean. I think sometimes we just forget how huge this is. The very that you and I those of us who believe in Jesus that we are the temple.

The temple of the Holy Spirit and what that means. I mean, do you understand the temple in the Old Testament the temple man that place was insane. I mean there was the Holy of Holies. I was just just surrounded by this curtain and no one would dare go behind that curtain.

Once you hear the high priest and if he did everything right could go behind that curtain inside the temple because that Signified the presence of God because if you went there in the wrong way if you dared peek behind the curtain you would die.

I Mean everyone was afraid of that place. And now the Bible says that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Man do you get that? Like somehow God's presence just like he dwelt in the temple in the Holy of Holies now.

Somehow he fills our bodies. So that I'm not just a normal person. There is so much power in here. That means any sin that I'm dealing with I can put it to death why. Because he lives inside of me. He dwells in me.

It doesn't matter how many years of addiction. It doesn't matter what pattern I grew up in there's a power greater than all of that. And it's not a power to just attend a church service and then go home.

It's a power to be as witnesses like there's a tremendous power. It's talking about death to life. Man, sometimes in church we say these terms so often they can lose their meaning. We can take communion so often that we just go.

Okay, let's take the bread. Let's take the cup. You know, let's talk about the Holy Spirit. Let's talk about Jesus and I'm gonna know this is sacred. Sacred sacred sacred stuff, and I hope I hope that this week.

You've been meditating on the truths of the Holy Spirit that Eric talked about. I see some of your faces look guilty right now. Okay. Because we develop this pattern right we hear a sermon. I remember I remember in seminary one of the first I think it was the first week of seminary.

Our president came to us and he says hey you guys be careful. Be careful you know what a dangerous dangerous thing is a very dangerous thing is if you hear the Word of God and You don't actually do anything about it.

He goes that is so deadly when you hear a message and it doesn't change you because what happens is it makes it easier for the next time to Hear a message and change nothing and then pretty soon it can become a habit.

Where you just keep hearing hearing hearing the Word of God and it doesn't do anything in your life. He says be careful of that. You don't want to go into that happen. It's one of the deadliest habits and when the world criticizes the church.

That's what it criticizes us for. Oh you guys hear these messages you go to church, but does it change you? Does it affect your week and I'm hoping you get it that those of us who have the Holy Spirit of God we've passed from death to life.

We can put to death the deeds of the flesh. We are now temples of the Holy Spirit. You got to get this we can't just move on from that topic and go to the next one because as we Talk about the vision of the church and the weeks to come if the Holy Spirit isn't in you.

Man the worst thing we could do is just make you do some good things. Okay, that's the worst thing but that's religion. We don't want to do that here. The worst thing we can do is try to make you feel guilty.

For not giving enough or make you feel guilty for not working enough if nothing in here changed. You know because it's got to come from inside. You know, you know how like like those of us who are parents, you know.

You got to force some things on your kid for some things on your kid. But when the Spirit enters into them and suddenly it's their desire. Like they actually want to fellowship with the church. You don't have to force them to wake up.

You don't have to make that suddenly. It's like no, I want him. I desire him see that's the Holy Spirit of God. When you suddenly you want these things. That's what Ezekiel was talking about in Ezekiel 36 and 37 about that vision of the valley of dry bones.

God says no there's gonna come a day and this is Old Testament. This is gonna blow your mind, but there's gonna come a day when I actually put my spirit inside a human being. Man for all those years people are going.

Are you crazy? We know about the Holy Spirit. We know about the presence of God. We know about the temple. You're gonna put that spirit inside of a human being and God says yes. The days are coming watch what I do and we're living in those days.

Man, you're not just those of you who believe you're not just a human being you're not just walking around like everyone else. There's this an insane amount of power in me, right? That's why I can get up in front of you.

Not not arrogant. Oh watch what I can do. But no watch what happens. Man I can get up here and I can teach you the Word of God and it's gonna impact you. Because that's a gift that the Holy Spirit gives me and it's gonna change you man.

It's yeah. Amen. Man, I hope you believe that. I hope you don't think you're just you just came to listen to some guy talk. But you said no. I came to hear from the Holy Spirit. I Want something real to happen?

I want the Holy Spirit of God to fall upon me in a fresh way from for the words that are living and Active sharper than a two-edged sword. I want those things that just penetrate my heart my soul every joint of my body like I want God.

God that's what I crave because that's what the Holy Spirit's put in me. That's what he's put in us. But this morning I want to talk about something else that the Holy Spirit does and you've got to get this.

Adoption as Children of God

It's in Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 verse 15. Romans chapter 8 verses 15 through 17. It says this. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoptions as sons.

By whom we cry ABBA father. The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and If children then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

What does the spirit do? He says he gave us a spirit not a spirit of slavery. That makes you fearful back into fear, but you've received a spirit of adoption as son. Look, I've been a Christian for over 30 years and I still can't explain this verse.

Perfectly. I can't Explain it to you. Because it's something internal that happens to you. The Bible says that the spirit Somehow coordinates with your spirit and lets you know that you really are a child of God and somehow from the Inside and it doesn't even matter what your background is man even if you had a terrible childhood and you never had a father figure and you never had a dad who loved you and Cherished you and just adored you that somehow the Holy Spirit can break through all of that and you'll know how to cry Daddy or Abba Father and go.

No, you know what? I know God loves me. Like I know I'm a child of God. I can't explain it to you, but everything inside knows I'm totally secure right now I'm totally good. Like he loves me. I'm good I can't explain it to you, but life is so good because he knows me.

I know him it comes for me. It's nothing my parents had to force on me. It's nothing some pastor had to cram down my throat. Just at the very core of who I am my spirit cries out Abba Father again, and I can't explain that.

Loving Christ Rather Than Merely Believing Facts

I Can't make you love him. But I remember I remember being about 16 years old and I had been going to a church and there was a youth pastor Teaching me stuff and I was believing in God, but I still I was thinking about this the other day.

I remember this one day Going into his office at the church and I just go I stand man. I was reading the Bible today I was reading the Gospels about what Jesus did on the cross and for the first time I just looked at him I go.

I love you. Like it's not just I believe in you. I Remember that moment just going gosh like everything in me I go I finally get what I love him. I Just do like everything in me loves him. It's from me.

It's not I have to do this I just love him. I just adore him and it just set me on this path where nothing No one was gonna stop me from pursuing him. I loved him. I didn't care if everyone I don't care if every kid in my high school rejected Jesus didn't matter.

I loved him now I loved him something in the core was like no, this is my father. This is my Abba father and don't talk about him that way. I don't care, you know, you don't you don't disrespect him this way.

You know, I don't talk about your mom. You don't talk about my father. You know, it was just this I love him. You know and the thing is is no one could make that happen to me. In the same way man. I've seen so many parents.

I went through it myself. You know where you're trying to make your kids love the Lord and you so you can't. You can't make anyone fall in love right. You know sometimes, you know, I've got older girl and sometimes, you know, I see a nice young man I go.

Hey, what about him? You know, like you but you you can't make anything happen, right? You just make the introduction and either happens or it doesn't you know, and in the same way, that's all we do here that's all we do, you know as As a pastor I just come to you.

I go look. There's this being in heaven. Who there's angels Covering themselves up screaming out his holiness. There's just being up there right now. Who's Allowing you to live right now. He created everything on this earth.

And and he loved you so much that instead of punishing you for your sin, which he should and he can and it would be right for him to. He loved you so much that that God watched his one and only son take the form of a man and And had him die in a cross.

Oh, look look how much I love you. I'm gonna watch my own son suffer on that cross for you. He's gonna pay for everything and that God is saying to you. Look I want you. It's because I want a relationship with you.

Will you accept me? Will you take me as your Lord and your Savior man? Will you trust in the body and blood of my son? Do you believe that he died and rose again? He goes I can enter into you. No I'll make you a temple of mine.

Where my spirit will enter into you and give you the desire for the things that are right. Give you the power for the things that are right, but you need to die to yourself. You need to turn from your own ways and thinking you're this good person.

You're gonna figure out go. I don't get it. I can't make it and you need to enter the waters of baptism. Just die to yourself. Just go. I'm done. I'm done. I'm done with the old me. I understand how great he is.

I understand what he's done and I love him. I want him. I'm ready to follow him. Man, we can make the introduction and tell you what he is like and what he has offered you. But what we can't do is Change this heart in here.

That's just something either God does or or it's hopeless. The Bible says it's like raising the dead. That we are dead in our trespasses and sins Ephesians 2 and we're just walking around doing the things we want the things that we desire and then God somehow makes us alive in Christ and When that happens everything in you just screams out Abba father like he's my daddy.

I don't I don't care what you think about me anymore. Doesn't matter that much. I'm loved by God. It's cool, what do you what do you think about me? I don't it doesn't matter. What do you think about my message?

No, whatever. I'm in love with God. He's in love with me. We're gonna be together forever Abba father, you know like that's. You know too often in church. We try to force that and make that happen. And if you don't get it, you don't get it.

Hearing and Responding to the Gospel

Jesus used to just say, you know what? He who has ears let him hear because he goes some people are deaf. They're gonna hear this and go out go have a pizza and forget about it. Others are gonna hear it and they're gonna get it.

They just have ears to hear. So I Wanted to give this message about loving God about you. Desiring him wanting him. Because like I said, we don't want to be about do this do this do this do this. It's about a heart that changes because you understand the love of God and then you suddenly Desire these things and we just kind of channel those desires.

We're gonna help you serve and love one another because that's in your heart. We're gonna help you go and share with your neighbors your friends about Jesus because that's already in your heart. We're gonna help you break away from the sin in your life because that's already what you want to do.

That's those are the things that the Spirit does and so now the sheep listen to his voice. They hear him because now you have ears to hear. You know in Deuteronomy chapter 6 again the the great command.

This is the command they used to put in little boxes and and and tape on to their foreheads. You know. They would they would put them on their doorposts the great Shema Shema to hear in Deuteronomy 6 verse verse 4 here.

Oh Israel the Lord our God. The Lord is one you shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your might. Okay, this is the great command ever since the beginning. He's telling Israel.

You know what the great command is. It's not go to church. It's not make a sacrifice. It's not do this do this do this. It's like here Oh Israel. Understand the great command is to love to love to in your heart just go.

I just love him. Okay, it's not I love this concept of God. I love the concept of a being being up there, you know who looks no I love him. I love him with all my heart all my soul all my might. That's the great command Jesus in Matthew 22.

Remember when he was asked teacher, what's the greatest command? What does he say? Love love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul all your mind all your strength. This is the greatest commandment.

Man, it's crazy in church. Sometimes we can make it about other things. But my question to you today is can you honestly say I love him. I Love him. Where you desire you just want us. I remember when I first fell in love with my wife.

Desire for God Produces Loving Obedience

You know, I just I just remember I mean just this girl. She was just out of my league, you know. Man who is that? She was a former miss teen, California. I'm going dang, you know, she's just out there right and she loves the Lord.

She's singing everything, you know. I'm just gonna man this girl this girl, you know and I remember when we just you know first started dating and I remember just Asking if I could borrow her car and the whole reason was I gonna put new tires on.

I was gonna wash a detail. And everything I mean that wasn't like oh, I better do this to earn her. No, it's just like I want to do something just to show my it's this desire. See, that's what we want in this relationship with God.

It's like man. Why am I here yet in my free time coming here? I want to I just want a piece of serving him like God if this is my gift I want to use it for you like it's desire desire desires like I love the Lord my God.

Man, is this what it's about for you today? I sure hope you don't show up going. Okay, if I show up to church, this will make up for what I did this week. You know because a lot of people with that mindset seriously.

It's like man if I don't miss church for a month, you know. That'll save up some holiness for when I screw up next, you know, it's this weird weird mentality. Versus it's just like this is where I want to be.

I want to be with the people of God. I want to break bread remember what he did on that cross for me. I want to just come together and worship him and tell him how great he is. And sing with the people of God pray with the people of God hear from the Word of God this is so important you guys that in Revelation chapter 2 there was that church in Ephesus, you know, I mean this this was a pretty Pretty incredible church.

I mean if you just read it and you compare it to what we see nowadays Revelation 2. In verse 2 it says I know your works listen to this church your toil and your patient Endurance and how you cannot bear with those who are evil.

But have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not and you found them to be false. I Know you are enduring patiently bearing up for my name's sake and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you.

You've abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I Will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.

Really studying that for the first time. I'm going wait a second. Are you kidding me? I Look at what it says. He says you're you. I know your works your toil and your patient endurance. That means this church the people they didn't just show up for a service.

They toiled they worked like man. I'm gonna work. I'm gonna serve my Lord. He goes and how you cannot bear with those who are evil. That means it wasn't a church where everyone came to church Sunday and did the church thing and then went and did their own thing.

The rest of the week he goes man. I know how you guys don't put up with evil. You don't like evil in your own life. You don't like it in the church. You want this to be a holy sin? That's awesome. So you guys are hard workers pursuing holiness.

He goes they've listen to this. They have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not and found them to be false. That not only that but they knew the Word of God. They're going man false teachers don't come in here.

Because we as elders man, we make sure we know the word we don't put up with false teaching. We don't put up with sin. We don't put up with laziness. They do all of these things and and then it continues he goes I know how you're enduring patiently and bearing up for my namesake and have not grown weary.

They were being persecuted by the rest of the world and they go we're not backing down. We're not backing down. We're not putting up with false teaching. We're not putting up with sin. We're not putting up with laziness.

We are here to serve the Lord and Then God says but there's one thing. You guys don't love me. Like it's it's it isn't it wasn't it's not from here anymore. Like you don't love me and he says if you don't repent.

He goes I'm just gonna remove that lampstand. The lampstand was the representative of the church. Do you understand what God's saying he goes man, that's great that you. That you you put up with the persecution.

It's great that you get rid of the false teachers. It's great that you get rid of the sin in the church. It's it's great that you're working and serving me, but you don't love me. And if you don't love me, then I just don't even want you there.

I'm just gonna remove the church. I'm going whoa. This is serious. See this is the great command love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind Jesus this is the greatest command love the Lord. In Revelation, he goes you don't love me.

I'll just remove you. Why would I want a church that doesn't love me? I mean, I just remember I remember when my older girls were young and and and I remember this just every time I would open the garage door like I loved the end of the day because I I'd roll up and We never parked in the garage because there's too much junk in there.

But you open the garage door and I just remember my kids, you know I remember Rachel especially when she's just like four or five and she would just come running the moment she heard that garage door she would just run out and I'd open the car door.

She'd jump sit on my lap and not just kiss me. She was like suck on my cheek and just you know, and just wrap her arms around. It's like ah. That moment of coming home to love right? I mean, it's great that she obeyed me.

It was great that she listened to what I had to say was pretty good kid, you know til junior high and then I'm kidding I'm not and I Mean all the obedience and stuff was good. But there's nothing compared to that moment right that love that affection as a father and where they just jump on your laugh.

It's like oh, I love you. Daddy. I love you. It's like that's what you love about being a dad and. And I remember one time I just I made the ultimate sacrifice for her. I bought her a cat. Because I can't stand a man and I I just thought you know, I'm gonna do this.

I don't like cats you like cats. Um, I grabbed this cat and and I'm just coming home and and hey, honey. Look what I got you and she's chomping like she was so excited hugging me and you know. Quickly grabs the cat goes in a room starts putting clothes on it.

Like it was just it was you know, I'm just feeling like super dad. I just gave her this cat. Look at her I just made her day. She loves me. I love her. She loves the cat, you know, it's just good day good times and You know the cat bugged me, you know, but I put up with it cuz I loved her and I remember one day.

You know driving home click the garage door open, you know, and no one comes running out and I'm like, well, maybe she didn't hear it. Sometimes she doesn't hear us. I open the garage, you know, I walk in the house, honey.

It's daddy, you know. Nothing, you know and I go where is she? I walk. I'm like, honey, where are you? And she's in her room. She goes on back here playing with my cat. Okay, I never liked the cat. But now it's like are you kidding me and I ended up getting rid of the cat.

I Mean there were other reasons but it's just but. It was just one of those moments where you're going man I gave you that cat because I love you. And now all you want to do is play with your cat. What about me, you know and so often in life God blesses us, right?

He blesses our lives and gives us these things and we get so into our job so into our family so into everything else. His gifts that we just don't go running into his arms. I go God is still you that I love.

You know. You're the one that I want to be with that's what God wants from us is this desire this longing for him. I got a call from one of my mentors. He is my mentor on this earth. There's a pastor in India and Man, he said like two million people to the Lord.

Knowing God Personally Instead of Through Religious Intermediaries

I mean just hardcore believers. This guy just knows knows Jesus and and he called a couple months ago and he was crying on the phone. And he's crying and and you know because another pastor in America had fallen.

He's just crying but the statement he made is he goes he goes Francis. I don't get it. He goes a lot of times I meet pastors in your country. I meet pastors in America and after talking to him I mean they some of them are very established very well-known a lot of influence.

He goes sometimes I walk away and I just go Jesus. I wish that man knew you. He wasn't judging. He was crying. He just goes how come it doesn't seem like people really want to know him. He goes it seems like the people in America are happy to meet Moses.

Don't they know they can go up the mountain themselves? But that statement stuck with me. He says they're content to just take a selfie with Moses or hear a message from Moses. Hey, what was it? Like when you went up the mountain?

He goes, why don't they want to go up themselves? Don't they know they can stand before the burning bush? I mean think of that picture you just want to hear from someone who's been with God. That's enough for you.

Don't be so easily satisfied. Go up the mountain go up the mountain and go. No, I've got to have him. I I love him. I want to be alone with him. Man is that the desire of your heart? You remember Moses in Exodus 33 when God says, you know what here exodus 33 go go Moses.

Go to the promised land you the people of Israel you guys go. Okay here you can have it. I'll even send an angel ahead of you. He'll drive everyone else out all the other enemies. They'll go just just go he goes.

I'm not gonna go with you because I might kill you. But you guys go ahead go to the promised land and what does Moses say? He has no way Is if your presence does not go up with us. I'm not going anywhere.

I Don't care about the promised land. You're the promised land God. I just want to be wherever you are. Don't you get it? I love you. I don't care about a land flowing with milk and honey. That's kind of weird.

Anyways, you know what? What does that mean? You know, I Got me all that stuff. It's like it's you I just I don't care. I'd rather be with you and and I don't want to go on the promised land without you.

So if your presence doesn't go I'll stay in the desert. Because you it's like you're the one thing that I want. See, that's that's you know, sometimes in our culture, especially out here in the Silicon Valley.

There's all these wants that we have. Oh, I want a healthy family. I want my kids to love me. I want them to go to a good school. You know, I want to have financial security. I want to be right with Jesus.

I want to have a good mayor and he just gets lumped in with everything. We can't do that. He's not added to a wish list. He's look you gotta love me more than your father mother wife kids, man. If you love me more than life itself, and if not, you can't be my disciple.

Discipleship Requires Loving Christ Above Every Other Desire

You gotta understand He's so far that was Moses. I don't know what your promised land is. Like what's your promised land? What's your happily ever after to have your nice little family financially secure loving each.

I mean, that's a great thing. But it's not your promised land and and you just came here saying maybe God will help me get here. Because that's not what this is about. When you understand what God did for you you just go God.

I just want you. I Just want you the security of knowing that you are my Abba father. I can put up with anything. You can take it all away. I'll still love you with all my heart all my soul all my mind.

You know pastor Zach Poonen whom you guys love here we had we had lunch about two months ago and He said something to me on the way out. He made the comment. Those don't know he's also a pastor in India, but he said He says Francis.

I've been studying movements of God. I don't know if he's ever shared this with you. He goes I've been studying movements of God like great movements of God. He goes, you know how great movements start.

He said it's when the founder of the movement really really knows Jesus. Like he knows him deeply. He says, you know how movements die. He says it's when the followers only know the founder. See Jesus says if you abide in me you're gonna bear fruit fruit that will last.

But he says I want your fruit. He goes. I chose you to bear fruit fruit that would abide. See it's not enough for me as a Moses type to come and teach people. My job is to say hey, okay. I was up there go.

You got to go up there. You got to go up there. You've got to know him. It's not see that's the thing is at some point like when my youth pastor was discipling me. It's like Francis you you've got to have your own walk with God.

See, that's what I'm saying to all of you, man. I hope you don't just come here to hear from one person up here who's been with the Lord. Because all I'm saying to you is I hope you were up on that mountain this week.