Loving Others More Than Yourself (The Holy Spirit Series, Pt. 7) | Francis Chan

Last weekend we prayed for the fruit of the spirit in our lives. We we begged God. Remember that said God make me loving. That's the first thing. Love, right? My question is did it work or did that last slide reflect you where you came in and you're not loving?

You're just thinking about yourself. I mean, did it work when we pray and go, God, make me loving. Make me loving. Make me loving. Because I believe in prayer. I'm going, okay, as you prayed and said, 'God, make me a loving person. My question is, did it work?

Did you actually walk in here thinking about someone other than yourself? And when you read when you read those statements, some some people in here are depressed, some people are lost. What did that do to you? Do you go, "Oh, well, bummer." Or in your heart, did did you just well up with love going, "Man, that might be the person next to me, so I I love so much and I've got this love coming out of me.

I'm going to actually ask them how they're doing and and find out. I'm actually going to see if there's anything I can pray for them about. Did that even cross your mind to love someone as you walked into the room today? I hope so. I hope that our prayers are being answered.

I hope that all week long you're saying, "God, make me loving. Make me loving. Make me loving." And then he answers your prayer so you walk into a room and you actually love. you actually care about someone maybe even more than yourself. Cuz I I get bummed out.

I get bummed out when I and when I know some of the difficulties that you guys are going through and I get sad for you because I know some of you had some real rough weeks and I get sad for you. But honestly, I get more sad for those who come in selfishly and only thinking about themselves.

I'm sad because that's never going to lead you to a life of fulfillment. you're never going to be happy. And it's like, oh gosh, I wish you knew how good it is to love. I love loving. It It's just there's nothing more fulfilling on this earth than to take your mind off of yourself and actually to come in and I mean, did you even consider this morning going up to someone and and saying those three words, how are you in such a way? and and to where you really wanted to know the answer.

Did anyone do that? Where you you just actually thought, okay, I'm going to ask someone how they are and I really want to know if there's problems in their lives. In fact, I want I want to be part of the solution. You see, cuz God's affected me so much and the spirit is so alive in my life and I've been praying so much this week.

Make me loving. Make me loving. Make me loving. And he's doing it. I'm walking in the room and I'm actually caring about what other people think. I'm actually wanting to be part of the solution. I'll actually sit down next to one and say, "You know what? Really, how are you doing?

How can I help? What can I do? Did it happen for you?" See, that's what we got to keep praying for because that's what's going to make us come alive as individuals. And that's why I get so sad for the people who don't know the joy in loving.

It feels so good to love. Last night I I got up here to teach and I was an absolute basket case. 9:00 wasn't much different. Um so you'll be real excited to hear me today. I I I just I'm just telling you right now it's it's I don't know what is going on with me.

I don't know if it's a good thing, bad thing, but I am just an emotional wreck. Um, and so last night it was just like, you know, just all this stuff coming out of my mouth. It started on Wednesday. Wednesday, I had dinner with some other pastors. I'm in Atlanta speaking at a conference and I'm with these other pastors and speakers.

And the guy on my left is one of the leaders on this planet in the fight against human trafficking. Okay? Human trafficking. If if you don't aren't aware, there are about 27 million slaves right now. And many of most of those are kids. And when we say slaves, we're not just talking about labor.

We're talking about them being sold and stolen and forced to do things that are so disgusting. He's telling me about this stuff and we're having this discussion over dinner. Um and uh you know then I had some other things to do that night kind of settle down in the hotel room and lay in bed and I just start thinking about it all.

See that's what love does to you. You don't just hear something and it just like, oh, it stinks to be you. I just start I just started crying. I started crying. I I I cried for hours, literal hours in my pillow, just sobbing. Couldn't sleep. Just put my face in the pillow and just started sobbing.

Sobbing. Because the Bible says in uh 1 Corinthians 12 that as a body, if one part suffers, we should all suffer with it. The Bible also teaches in in uh in Romans chapter 12 that I should mourn with those who mourn. You know how I mourn with those who mourn?

Like like if I'm doing a funeral and I'm I'm counseling a family and and I go, gosh, Lord, I want to mourn with them. I try to put myself in their shoes. If one of their child's children dies, I I think to myself, okay, what if that was one of my girls?

What would I be going through right now? If it's a spouse that died, I try to think, "Oh man, if thou release and I get my head, that's the only way I know how to mourn with those who mourn is I put myself in their position." And and so so when I I'm thinking about this child trafficking thing and this human trafficking and I'm laying in bed, I'm thinking, "Wow, what would I do if it were one of my kids?"

Okay, I went there. I went there. And that's why I couldn't stop crying because I'll just tell you right now, I I'm crazy about my kids. It's ridiculous how much I love my kids. You know, I'm traveling all the time and I don't know there's ever been a trip where I've been on where I'm not just constantly thinking about my kids.

My kids I love. And that's not because I'm such a good Christian, okay? That has nothing to do with Christianity, okay? It's not like unbelievers don't love their kids, okay? So, so don't pat your back. Oo, I'm a good Christian cuz I love my kids. No, that that means you're human.

Okay, it's inhumane not to love your kids. Okay, you love your kids not because you're a good Christian. You love your your kids because you're human. And so this isn't Oh, look, Francis loves his kids. Duh. How How do you not, you know? And and I am crazy.

I'm nuts about my kids. And a lot of you can relate cuz that's what comes naturally to us. And so I'm in bed and I'm going there with my kids. I mean, I've got four kids and one on the way. We got number five is on the way.

So, you know, and I like kids, you know, everyone, you know, people like, "Oh, when are you going to stop?" I go, "Man, when I have one that I don't like, you know, maybe, you know, but they're I'm like, gosh, I'm just going to let God do his thing, you know, and so far, it's been great.

I love everyone. I can't imagine life without any of them." And and so I go, "Okay, God, let me just go there for a moment. Let me just try to picture someone taking one of my kids. Okay, what would I do? What would I do if and I started just one at a time going through each one of my kids?

What if it were Rachel? What if she's somewhere on the earth? I don't know where. And someone just taking her and they're doing all these things to her. What would I do? What would I physically do? What would I feel? What were the emotions? And you get all these pictures in my head and and I'm seeing her taken away.

I go, I'm going to I I will find her. I will do everything to get to her. I will do that. I will devote my life to this. I'm going to quit everything else. I got to find her. Well, what if it was Mercy? Yeah, same thing. What if it's Ellie?

And I'm just picturing each of their personalities and each of their innocence and and and them being forced to do these. I'm just going, "Oh, this is driving me crazy. This is driving me crazy." I'm just sobbing, sobbing, sobbing, sobbing, going, "Gosh, what would I do? What would I do?

Would I even come to church? Would I go preach a sermon? No. And I'd run up here and the only Yeah, I probably would show up and I'd probably show up and saying, "Come on, you guys. They They took one of my kids. You Some of you guys are brilliant.

You've got influence. Go get them. Do something. Do something. You got to help me get my kids." That's what I was doing. I'm picturing myself coming up here and getting so angry. And for those who are just apathetic, sucks to be you. I would just be in your face just swearing whatever to get your attention.

Seriously, just going, "Man, are you kidding me? This is my kid. We got to get her. We got to get him." That's what I would do. And that's what you would do as I as I share that. And if you are willing to go there sometime this week and try to picture your kid being abducted and being forced to do things, I know you guys.

I know the way you love your kids. You men, the things you would do, the things you would fight for, just that intense attitude of just I I'm going to figure this out. If it's the last thing I do, I will die finding him, finding her. And I am just crying, crying, crying, thinking about this.

And the Lord's saying to me, Francis, I want you to love these other kids as though they're your own. That's the way you ought to act toward these others. Or as scripture say, love your neighbor as yourself. And so then now I'm just sobbing for kids. I don't even know their faces.

I'm just picturing kids and just what's going on with them. And I'm just going, "Okay, I got to do something. I got to do something." And I'm just crying, crying, crying, crying, crying. And so, yeah, I'm a little bit of a basket case right now. Yesterday afternoon, I'm sitting in my office 3:00, couple hours before service, and I'm just saying, "God, the last thing I feel like doing is getting up in front of a group and talking.

Just tired of talking, tired of preaching." Say, "Hey, let's look at a few more verses. Everything in me just wanted to do do something. Let's just go. Let's just do something." thing and I'm trying to figure out. I mean, I'm seriously looking and seeing, is there something we can do?

Cuz I know there's a ton of junk going on in the valley right now, the child pornography, everything. Is there a place where I'm just going to get up on stage and say, "Everyone get in your cars. Let's go to this address and let's just do something, you know?

I don't know. But I want to do something. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about Jesus. I want to be Jesus. I want to go and rescue and help those who are helpless just like he did for me. And it didn't help that I was reading this story too on the internet of this this this this lady in uh in in uh Thailand, this this lady named Krun Nam.

Krun Nam. I just, you know, I was just typing in different things and just researching on my own and I'm I'm reading about this lady Krun Nam. She uh she was an artist and she was just talking to different kids and as she talked to them, she she was painting things.

They asked her to paint. Then she started hearing about their stories, realized some of them had been shipped in, had been imported, sold by their parents, others were abducted. She started seeing this problem. And these kids are sold to these brothel over there and some to these karaoke bars and it just made her sick to her stomach.

And she began to cry and so she she went through the sadness and everything else. So, you know what she did? You know what she did? This woman? She She just She'd sneak in to these brothel, grab as many kids as she could and run and run and just steal them.

She'd run in these karaoke bars and find these little kids, just grab them and run. this lady people started finding out about her and started getting she started getting death threats said I'll find you and I'll find those kids and so then she started running for her life with these kids getting these kids to safety and now she's in northern Thailand with these kids she's rescued 125 of them 125 kids.

And I'm looking at that and I'm going, "Man, that's what I want to do. I want to do something. Can you imagine? Can you imagine?" See, this isn't like this bummer. Oh, we should love people. Yeah, I guess I will. I'm going, man, I bet you that is a woman who is alive.

I bet you that is a woman who is fulfilled. Can you imagine? Just try to picture yourself waking up, looking out, and seeing 125 kids that you rescued. Can you imagine how fulfilling your life would be? Isn't that just in your soul? Don't just go, "Oh, that would be great.

That would be I would feel so great. That would be so much more fulfilling to look at 125 kids in my living room than to see a giant living room. I mean, what are you after in life? See, I get sad when when I mean, you guys, why why all this stuff about caring for the poor and caring for the needy?

Yes, I love the needy. I love all of them, but I love you. And I'm going, man, if you would have this vision to look outside of yourself, that's when you're going to come alive. That's the way God designed us. It's so fulfilling to love. You think God's trying to ruin your life?

He's saying, "No, you will love loving the fruit of the spirit of love, joy, pe. You'll love being joyful. You'll love having peace and seeing, you know, just the fruit of your I mean, it just it just brings peace. I don't mean to embarrass you, but I I just heard your story right before service today.

I know your friend invited you cuz he was at service last week. you you got to be so fulfilled. That's got to be the killer killer life. I'm like I'm like jealous of you. I I shared the story last service and and I don't even know your name.

Matt, who cares? Um no, I'm kidding. Matt hears the story. He goes, "I can't believe that." He goes, "My best friend, my best friend, uh lives in Thailand, and she does the same thing, but she buys them. She buys these kids out of slavery and she's just here raising support for her ministry and she's got like 50 60 kids that she just buys out of there.

And I go, "Man, this is a killer life. What else you want to do with your life, man?" You know, and so I'm just like this wreck, man. That's all I want to do. I want to do something. I want to stop talking. I just want to I want to do I want to do.

And that's why every week, you guys know me, man. You know, we bring someone from India and the kids are drinking out of the sewer and playing there. I'm like, "We got to do something. We got to do something." Talking to my buddy who who just a friend of mine, new friend of mine who just he just was back from uh El Salvador.

El Salvador. Why? Because he was helping this whole village get water and he created this whole water system because that's the way his mind works. And he he's getting fresh water to these different villages and and getting them through the church to bring glory to the name of Jesus.

And and he he while he was out there though and he got all this water to this place and one day he's driving, you know, his wife, kids, everything else. He's that they're down there with her. He's driving and he got mistaken for someone else because of his car and a guy came out with a gun.

Bam, bam, bam, bam. Just hit man to take him out. Five shots right through the window. One went right through his neck. He was dying. Laying on the road. bullet through his neck. They're like, "Come on, you know, get back to America. We'll rehab him." He goes, "No, no, no.

Just do it here because I I don't know if we go back to America. It was hard enough to get my family over here. They might not come back. I'll take my chances. Rehab me out here. We got to stay. We got to keep the mission going." And I'm having lunch with him a few weeks ago.

Big scar across his neck. Everything was fine. He's like, "It's been awesome, man. just what God's done and we're still out there. I'm like, right on, man. What a life. What a life, man. You guys hear that story about that woman and in Shang Mai and and you can't tell me that in your soul you don't think about yourself going, I want to do that, right?

Don't you didn't when I said that, didn't you picture yourself running through there? You did. Why? Because it's it's it's in us. That's it. That's that's the very heart of Christ. Christ who didn't look at the the world and go, "Wow, look at all these people. They're doomed to hell.

Sucks to be them." No, he goes, "Man, I'm going to go rescue them. I'm going to empty I I, you know, I'm not going to consider this equality with God here in heaven something to be held on to, but I'll empty myself of everything. I'll take the very form of a man, the form of a servant.

I'll be nailed to a cross and I will pay I will pay for all of their crimes. I'll suffer for them so that I can set them free. I will rescue them as Galatians 1 says that he rescued us from this present darkness. I'm going to go down there.

I'm going to help the helpless. I'm going to rescue them. And what does he tell us to do? He goes, "Now Christians, become like who? Christ. You just like I laid down my life for you. Why don't you consider laying down what you have for someone else who is helpless?

And I love it because it's starting to happen in churches. A movement's going on that's just absolutely nuts right now where people are going, you know what? I'm done. I'm done with just attending church and listening to sermons. Let's be the church. Let's go out. Let's help. And it's happening, man. this next generation that's rising up, these college students, these 20somes, they are so sick of churches that just sit around and talk theology and blog about, hey, I think this it just it just they're they're sick of it.

They're going, I want to be a part of someone that a body that's actually doing something. And it's exciting. It's going, yeah, that's the way it's supposed to be. Because that's something we've known in our hearts. You know what I love? I love that there's there's old guys.

There's old people right now. there. I I this is new to me. I'm learning about uh old people that uh that uh oh there's this there's this movement going on. See, at first I thought, okay, I'm working with the the the college students, you know, I'm working with the 20somes, but no, there's this generation of people that they're in their their late 50s, early 60s.

There are the people who were saved during the Jesus movement and there's a whole bunch of them that are going, "Man, I remember how I used to be." You got these old people going around, I remember how I used to be when I was just so in love with Jesus and I was just going around telling people I didn't care about all this stuff.

Man, it was the Jesus movement and all we cared about was Jesus. But they're going, "But now look at me. I became the very thing I hated. I'm all about security, safety, me, me, me. Acquire more and more for me, me, me. And they're all going, "I'm done.

I I want to go back." And they're writing books about it. You're going, "Let's go get them." You know, it's it's just this, no offense, I I think it's cute. It's just this I just go, "Man, that's that's great, man." Cuz they're going, "Look, I just wasted my life.

I just stinking wasted my life building up all this security for myself. For what? Some of them are retiring going, "Well, this stinks. This isn't what I thought I was going to be. So now I just live for myself." And they're realizing this was all a lie. How was I deceived?

And they're going, "Man, I'm going to end my life with a bang." Going, "Oh, that's so cool." There's this generation, young and old, that are saying,"I want to do something for the Lord." And they're going out and they're doing it. Now, the people in between, my age, there's a little more of a struggle there.

Honestly, still stuck in the safety thing. And I'm going, "No, come on, man. Let's let's listen to their stories." I uh do you guys remember um you remember when that guy uh again remember I'm basket case this morning so I'm just gonna go all over. Remember uh that guy that was here Blake who was from Tom Shoes.

Remember you guys a lot of you guys bought Tom's shoes here you know and the whole buy a pair give a pair away. When he was here I I told him about Mossyoot. You guys remember Mossyoot? You know I thought you know what you're a shoe company. You're about getting food.

Yeah, that's Mossifoot. Okay, those are the people in Ethiopia who uh about 600,000 of them. 600,000 of them that have this condition of elephantasis in the feet because of the soils in the ground and these these things getting into their feet and then they get this and then suddenly they can't work.

Suddenly no one wants to be around them. It's like little leper colonies with these people with mossy foot. And there was a guy whose whose daughter went to our church, Nathan Barlo, who was a doctor and for 60 years, 60 years was in Ethiopia treating these people. And then he passed away a couple years ago.

And his his daughter and son-in-law are keeping the ministry going. And I'm I'm going, Blake, have you heard about this? And evidently some other people in the church made that same connection and said, Blake, have you heard about this? But that was it. I didn't hear anything from him.

And then I'm speaking in Atlanta after me, a couple other speakers. And then this kid gets up there. It's Blake. Blake gets up in front of everyone and he starts talking about Ethiopia. I'm going look at my wife. That's the Mossy foot thing. He's doing something with it.

And he starts talking about how how he has every worker every worker in his company now has a picture of mossy food on their desk because he wants it in their face. And and afterwards, you know, we come he comes up, we give each other a big hug and I'm going, "You're talking Mossy foot?

I didn't even know you kept thinking about it or whatever. He goes he goes, "Oh, no, no, no. I'm I'm going to kill this thing. I'm going to kill this thing." He He goes He goes, "We're setting up a base in Ethiopia now. We're actually going to start a little little base right there to to get shoes to these people, you know, all 600,000 of them.

We're we're starting May and we're we got about 100,000, you know, that that we're going to start taking care of. We He He's He's just so fired up. He can't even contain himself. He's just He just talks mile a minute." And he he goes, "Man, man, Francis, the other night I was having dinner.

I was explaining this to Bill Clinton." I'm like, "What?" And then he goes, "I was talking to Nelson Mandela. I'm explaining Mossifoot to these people. I'm getting the ears of all these people. I'm going to kill this thing. I'm going to kill this thing." I go, "I believe you, man."

And it's just we're going to do this. We're going to do this. And and and and it's all about these people now that are saying, "You know what? America's not going to do it. the United Nations, they're not going to fix these problems. These were meant for the church.

These were God-sized problems that David needs to rise up and slay. And and and it's this idea that wait, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. And and I just want to be a part of this thing.

Man, I get so fired up about people just wanting to do this. And I and I know some of you guys going, "Wait a second, Francis. you. It says on the bulletin you're going to teach 1 Corinthians 12 through14. I came here for an exegetical sermon on 1 Corinthians 12-14.

Well, you know what? I believe that's what I'm doing right now. See, in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul was addressing the issue of spiritual gifts. People said, "Well, you know what about all these spiritual gifts we're supposed to get from the Holy Spirit?" And the Corinthian church was so screwed up.

So screwed up. I mean, remember these are the people that are getting drunk at communion. It's not a good thing. Okay, he has just gotten done confronting that. And so when he gets to spiritual gifts, he goes, "Man, you guys are such a mess. You got people standing up in service, tons of you standing up going, whoa, look, I'm speaking in tongues."

He goes, "How does that help anyone? How does that help anyone?" And he says in in in verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 12, he says to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. He goes, "Help me out here. How does it help anyone for you guys all to stand up and speak in foreign languages?

How do you get how do you how does that help anyone? Let's say you do have the gift." Great. How does that help me? He goes, "In church, I'd rather speak five words in a language that actually helps people." And he's going, "I'm not denying that you have this gift like an Acts two type of gift."

Remember in Acts two when they were filled with the Holy Spirit and suddenly they start speaking in these different languages and then these people from other countries are going, "Wait a second, he's talking my language. How's he doing that? It was an amazing power." That's why in chapter 14, he says, "Man, if you have that gift, it was meant to be a sign for unbelievers.

That's a great gift. So go find some unbelievers and display this gift to them. Man, that would help us so much. But in the church, this isn't doing any good. You're just showing off. You're just going, "Hey, look what I can do." And everyone's saying, "Hey, look what I can do.

Look, I think I have the gift of prophecy. Look, I know a lot. I'm knowledgeable." And everyone's just, he goes, "That's not what gifts were for." Gifts were for the common good. And that's why I got to ask because okay my question this morning is not would you love to have the Holy Spirit come into your life and give you a supernatural gift.

Wouldn't you love that? I don't have to ask that question. You'd love it. Wouldn't you just love to know that you have the power to do something that is so beyond you? It's not just a physical natural talent, but you got this stinking stinking you've got this uh amazing supernatural Holy Spirit gift that no one else can explain going and everyone's like, "Wow, we all want that, right?

Who doesn't want that? Who doesn't want to be supernaturally filled with the spirit to accomplish things?" My question this morning is not, "Do you want it?" My question is, why? Honestly, why would you want that gift? That's the point of 1 Corinthians 12-14. The point is is do you want a gift?

Because when you walk in this room, you are so in love with the people in this room. You are so burdened that there are people in here their marriages are falling apart and that just makes me cry at night. So God, would you give me a supernatural gift that you know because it's killing me and I want to be able to counsel these people.

Do you walk in with so much love that you're going and finding those people and just talking and asking for prayer? You're so filled with love. That was the point of the spiritual gifts was for the common good, not for your good. So you'd feel good like, "Wow, look at all I'm doing for the kingdom."

No, but it came out of a heart of love. That's why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, right after that, he says, "Look," he goes, "I don't care. I don't really care if you spoke every single language in the world. He goes, if I spoke every language in the world supernaturally, in fact, I could even speak to angels.

But if I didn't love, he goes, then I'm just a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. He goes, then I'm just making a lot of noise. The word in the Greek there is the word alazison. It's anamanopia. Remember allison? And he goes, he goes, "If if I if I could speak every language in the world, but I didn't really love the people I was speaking to, I would just be going la, I might as well just do that and annoy the heck out of everyone."

He goes, "That's what you guys are doing. You're just walking up going." He go, "You don't care." And and he goes on, he goes, "I don't care if you have other gifts." He he he goes, he goes, "I don't care if you have the gift of prophecy and you can fathom all mysteries."

He goes, "I don't care if you have all knowledge. Let's say you know everything. Let's say, man, you know this book backwards and forwards, Hebrew, Greek, and you'll come up to me after service and go, "Well, Francis, it's actually also which later became alizo, you know, it just he goes, I don't care.

I don't care how much you know. Show me some love. I want to know. Did you come in and talk to anyone? love anyone today? That's what I want to know. Because he says, even if you have all knowledge, even if you had faith that could move mountains, but if you have not love, if I have love, then I if I don't have love, I am nothing.

Hear that? You're nothing. I don't care how much you know. I don't I don't know. I don't care how many verses you've memorized. If you don't love, you're worthless. You're pointless. You shouldn't even exist. Please don't call yourself Christian. You're meaningless. Your whole life's meaningless. You're an annoyance.

You just talk talk talk. La I I I can't stand it. That's what Paul says. Oh, but I know a lot. And I blog my friends on the chess club, you know, and we talk about that's great. That's great. Ah, you know, so much. Why don't you try loving someone?

That was Paul's point, man. I am preaching 1 Corinthians 12 through14 because they asked about gifts and Paul's answer was love. And his answer was, "Okay, you want to be supernaturally filled." Why? Because if it's not for love's sake, then you're wasting time. You're just going to annoy everyone in this room.

He goes, "But if you love, oh, if you love, if you love, man, love's patient. Love's kind." You know, everything else is going to pass away. These three remain, but the greatest of these is love. Love. There's no there's no answer for that, you guys. This is what the world wants to see.

This this is what we've got to be pursuing as a church. We're going to take communion a little bit here. And I love the fact that we're taking communion today because I want to remind you that this is what we're supposed to be about. We're going to pass a bread and cup around.

And when you when you break the bread, Jesus says, "I want you to remember my body that was broken for you." See, I I want I want us to reflect Jesus. I mean, that's what we all want, right? We want to be like Jesus to the world. Jesus says, "I my body was broken for you."

He says, "My blood was shed for you." When you take of that cup, you remember that room is the that's the shed blood of Jesus. You see, you understand why why I want to do so many things for the world and why we're like, let's just give half the money away.

Let's just give, you know, let's let's just let's meet outside rather than build a big building. Let's just meet outside, you know, because I think, wow, that'd be so cool. Every time I sweat, I think, I know why I'm sweating. so that Jesus could be fed overseas or so we could rescue another kid.

I I seriously I I find pleasure and joy over the fact of thinking maybe one day I'll be preaching in the rain and you'll be sitting in the rain. I go man wouldn't that be a rush just to go wow it's it's because we wanted to give the millions to these other people.

Like I just think see I find joy in that. I don't see that as a burden. And I go man that's a reflection of Jesus. It's people that are willing to lay down their lives for their brothers just like Jesus did for us. See, I I get I I get emails when when you hear about these ideas of mine and people go, "Well, I'm all for caring for the poor."

One specifically said, "I'm all for caring for the poor, but not at the expense of my own health. Not at the expense of my own health." I don't even know where to start with that one. Is that what Jesus said? I'm all for helping you guys, but not at the expense of my own health.

But secondly, what are you going to die by sitting outside for an hour? Does that happen a lot? Maybe I maybe I'm missing it, you know? But it's just this whole But I I it's just it's more than this. It's about this heart that just goes, man, when I go to church, it doesn't make sense to me.

It doesn't make sense to me to go and not love. I I I just We're going to be so much more fulfilled if we're constantly thinking about other people. man, that's just the way God made us. I'm just going to I'll be happiest when I'm given the most and thinking about others the most.

That's just the way he made us to where we just find so much fulfillment and loving. I've seen over the years some of you just come alive. You've just come alive and I love it. Some of you are pre Well, you're probably not here if you're preaching in the prisons.

There's a bunch of us that are in the prison systems preaching right now and it's like, wow, that's awesome. they're just coming alive. Other others, you know, a couple in our church who just said, "You know what? It'd be so cool if um rather than just giving money to these people in Africa, why don't we teach them how to farm?"

And so, they just said, "You know what? We don't need you, friends. We'll just buy a bunch of acres and get some friends of ours, we'll buy a bunch of acres in Africa and teach them how to plant and farm." And now there's all these acres of vegetables and fruit and over there in Africa because just some couple in the church got all fired up about it.

And what I love is seeing how fired up they are. They came alive. I I love another couple in our church who just said, you know, these pastors, they have no way to get around the jungle. Maybe if we just get people to donate bikes and we'll get the bikes over there.

And they started this company called Jungle Ride, you know, and now they've got hundreds thousands of bikes going overseas and they're teaching people how to fix them and work on them. Just they didn't ask me. They just started doing it. Just start doing it. Just You guys are smart.

Some of you guys are brilliant in your businesses and everything else. And I'm just saying, gosh, is there a way you can leverage those gifts for the kingdom now and let's go and rescue. Let's love these people. Let's weep for these people. So much so that we can't we can't we can't rest until we do something.

Let's run in. Let's steal them. Let's buy them. Let's do whatever. But we can't just leave them hanging. We have to love them like our own children. It's it's a whole another tangent, but we're going to take communion now. I'm going to have the worship team come up and uh as they pass the bread and cup around, only take this if you have accepted what Jesus Christ did on that cross for you.

If you are here today and go, "Man, I'm still checking this out. Man, I'm so glad you're here." Then keep checking it out. And and hopefully someday you'll walk in here and not just hear about Jesus, but you'll see him by the way that we live. And hopefully someday you'll believe this message that God loved you so much that rather than you paying for your crimes, he had his son pay for your crimes and he rose again. and and then you would see a life that's so attractive the life of Christ that you want to live that way and be a rescuer like he was and is.

And uh maybe today you go, you know what, I want to follow him. You want to get baptized and and you're saying, you know what, I believe he died on that cross. I'm I'm ready to follow. Then then come forward and we'll baptize you right after these songs.

But only take of the bread and the cup if you really believe that Jesus died for you. Otherwise, just pass and observe what we do because the Bible says it's also our way of proclaiming to you the death of Christ until he comes. It's it's supposed to be for you to see.

So, you get a picture of, oh, Jesus died for my sins. He helped me when I was helpless. And then when you're ready and you thank God for pursuing you and you thank him for the blood that was shed for you, then take of the bread, take of the cup when you're ready in your own time.

For some of you, it's time for you just to reflect on the words of the song. Some of you, you need to sing them. Some of you, you need some prayer. You need some counseling. You need some love. Some of you, you need to get baptized. Just do as the Lord has led you to do.

And uh if you need some help, there'll be people up here by the prayer room to pray with