~Francis Chan
This morning I had a long break between two of my classes so I listened to a podcast from Cornerstone Church called Living a Life that Matters-"Living to Display the Gospel." Everytime I hear Francis Chan speak or I read something he has written I get excited for the Kingdom. This man is truly a servant of God. He started off his sermon by talking about these Christian law agencies that travel to Asian countries closing down brothels, and then put these women into Christian provided homes and shelters where they can hear the gospel. Francis Chan talks about a missionary he spoke to who witnessed the closing down of one of these brothels. How there were women from ages 8 to 20 in bondage to this place. Dave, the missionary, shared what it felt like just being there, talking to a 10 year old who was in that brothel for several years. He had all the men in tears. I was even starting to cry sitting in the Reitz Union hearing about these people who live in these conditions, and then hearing about some that are being rescued and hearing the gospel. That is fulfilling. Rescuing people is fulfilling. "When do I look more like Christ than when I'm rescuing people?" Christ came to the world to rescue us, and we are called to imitate him.
Before Francis Chan started talking about this though he brought up Philippians 3:20-4:1. That our citizenship is in heaven, and that we should stand firm in the Lord. We aren't living for this world, but for our life in the next. That whole attitude is what enables us to "sacrifice" our resources to rescue people. I put sacrifice in quotes, because is it really a sacrifice if it is fulfilling us to see these people being rescued from whatever they are suffering from? To me there is no greater joy than this. It's suffering and sacrifice to the world, but our citizenship is not here.
The main sermon was on Isaiah 58, and it was powerful. Francis Chan is always intense, and he started off his main point by saying God isn't always listening to us. It's scary to hear that. But when you start reading Isaiah 58 you realize it's Biblical and true. God is having Isaiah tell his people He isn't blessing them, because they are seeking themselves. Isaiah 58:4 "Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers." These people are seeking to know God, but they are merely going through the motions. There hearts are in the wrong place. Isaiah 58:6-12 though tells of the fast the Lord chooses, and explains to these people what they can do to be hear the Lord's answer.
6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 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?
8 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.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.
So that's all fine and dandy, but how does that look for us? How do we suffer for the sake of the gospel, focus on eternity, how are we led by the Spirit? God leads each of us in our own way, and it starts with Biblical conviction. Francis Chan shared amazing and inspiring stories of people in his church inviting homeless people into their homes, downsizing houses to give away more money, ordinary people taking in foster children that have been neglected. It was some crazy stuff, and then Francis Chan started sharing about his own life. Sharing not to brag, but to invite people to follow Christ with him like Paul did in his letters. Francis Chan doesn't receive a salary from Cornerstone Church. That blew my mind. He preaches and serves there, because he loves the people and wants to offer up his gift of teaching. He also doesn't recieve royalties from his book Crazy Love. The royalties were estimated to be half a million dollars, but he signed them all over. I really encourage you to listen to this podcast, and hear first hand all of the stuff going on his congregation.
Listening to all this I was convicted. The Pharisees were the ones who just talked and did nothing. I don't want to live like a Pharisee. Christ devoted his life to rescuing people, and I want to do the same. I am blessed beyond belief, but none of this is mine. 1 Timothy 6:7 "for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world." I bring nothing to the table, but I tend to live a life trying to hold on to everything I have when in reality it's not even mine to begin with. Psalm 24:1 "The earh is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein." All this stuff is God's and should be used to further his kingdom and spread the gospel.
Today I read "The Weight of Glory," by C.S. Lewis and there were definitely some striking similarities between both of these sermons. The first point Lewis makes is that Love not Unselfishness. "The New Testament has a lot to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end to itself." Self-denial is necessary so that we can be filled up with Christ and then love the world as Christ did. He ends this first paragraph with the famous "we are far too easily pleased," section and it goes hand in hand with Francis Chan talking about rescuing people and our citizenship in heaven. We know there are places that aren't here. Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." We know using our resources for the Lord satisfies us, but many times we are far too easily pleased "making mudpies in a slum." Living for God isn't a burden it is the ultimate pleasure, but until we humble ourselves to Christ we cannot and do not see it this way.
People suffering around the world matter. And they matters to us, because we are called to be like Christ. Christ "so loved the world." We are also called to love the world. To rescue these people thinking not only about our citizenship and eternity, but taking the time to think about their eternity. It doesn't always look like closing down a brothel on the other side of the world. There are people around us who are in need not only physically, but spiritually we just have to look. On top of that Lewis says "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." Through Christ and all that he has blessed us with we have the opportunity and ability to reach people with the good news, so that they may also spend eternity in heaven. After I heard this message all throughout today I have been brainstorming ideas of ways I can give and use my resources for God's kingdom to reach more people. I want to encourage everybody who reads this to do the same. It hit me hard today that nothing I have is mine, and that all of it should be used for the kingdom. We have been blessed so that we may bless others.
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