Killing the “Moses Mentality” | Francis Chan

Man, I I just want to echo what Andy said earlier. Like this is very unusual what's going on here. Um tonight, you know, I I had dinner um with Pastor Alex and he was asking, "Hey, how how often do you do this kind of thing?" And I realized every single week, like several times a week, I do events like this.

And he's like, "Well, what have you seen out there?" And I'm like kind of the same old thing. Like it it feels like I'd love to say, "Oh, revival is spread." But I go, "Honestly, it feels like year after year, event after event." Um it's kind of the same old thing.

And and I've been getting these requests every day. I get a request to speak somewhere. Every day, literally. And and it's just like and and and they sound similar. Will you come to our city? Will you come to our church? Our church needs to be lit on fire.

Would you come and light us on fire? We see what what what you know what what you say, your message. Our city needs your message. And so I'm I'm happy. You know, I I I I go every once in a while and I pray and I go, God, please, please, please do something through me.

I would love to be that vehicle. Can you can you use me? Will you light me on fire? Can I can I spread something to these people? I feel like tonight is completely different. >> Okay. I really do. I mean, one, I know it's different because this church here is in the middle of a 21-day fast. >> Okay.

So immediately right there, you know, it's not a bunch of people passively coming and saying, "Change me." >> But it's people that are pursuing God. And I just really believe that tonight is not about Francis Chan coming and lighting a fire anywhere. >> It is about we together experiencing him together. that we together as a body are saying we are hungry for you, God, and we want to experience you and we won't stop until we see it. >> We won't stop.

I will be singing that all night long. Man, that was just such a word for me. How many times have I prayed God knows how many times I'm in a green room and I'm on my knees like, "Well, God, this time can I experience you? Can I go out there, man?"

I read this book and I see the things you do. I see fire come down. Please, could it be this time? Can it happen? Can I Can it happen? And honestly, I I have stopped beating those arrows, man. That that was a word for me. God, God, I got I gave up cuz I wanted to see it. and you get discouraged.

And it was just to bring that back and go, "No, I'm not going to stop. >> I'm going to die pursuing this." And now, don't get me wrong, I love what I do. I praise God. In fact, I I was Thank you, pastor, for He gave me an incredible gift after dinner.

He says, "You know, I'm going to let you have a room by yourself for an hour." And it was like, "Are you serious? No one is going to talk to me for an hour and I can come into the presence of God and just seek him." Oh, seriously, that was such a gift to me.

I loved every minute of it. I loved being in his presence. I believe he spoke some things to me through the scriptures that I am so excited about. I feel like I'm already experiencing God. >> I You see, I love I I love what I I've loved my life.

I I I can't imagine a better life. Um and I I I think about Moses. This is what was coming to me. And and I was thinking about how Moses in in in Exodus 19, this is one of those passages I love where it says in verse 16, it says, "On the morning of the third day, there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast so that all the people in the camp trembled.

Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. And they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Si was wrapped in smoke cuz the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln.

And the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in thunder. And the Lord came down on Mount Si to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain.

And Moses went up. What a scene, right? What a scene. I love that scene. Come on, you guys. It's going to be God. You You You can only get up to the base of this mountain, though. you go go any further, you'll die. And then God calls Moses up there.

Can you imagine? I mean, you're you're seeing Moses speaking to God and God answering him. And God says, "I'm going to do this for you because I want the people to respect you. I want them to know that you know me. And then I'm going to call you up on this mountain and I'm just going to talk to you."

I love that scene. I love that scene. And I just imagine all the people waiting, waiting and and and Moses coming out, you know? I mean, I would have just been, okay, what did he say? What did he say? What did he say? Right. >> Love it. I'm used to playing the part of Moses in many churches, many conferences, many retreats, many gatherings.

And the Lord revealed something to me tonight just a couple hours ago. He says, "Francis, you're not supposed to be Moses. You're not supposed to go up on that mountaintop and have everyone come back and go, "Hey, what did he say? What'd he say? What'd he say?" >> See, something happened at the crucifixion.

The veil was torn. Okay. The veil was torn. So now everyone had access to the Holy of Holies. Everyone has access to that mountaintop. >> I ain't your Moses. >> I'm not your Moses. I'm I can't come down and Oh, what did he say? What do he say?

You've been with him. You've been with him. No. Why haven't you been with him? I man I've been dreaming I've been dreaming of a gathering where everyone's been up the mountain and then we all come together. Man, by the sounds of it, some of you been on that mountaintop.

Some of you have gone through the veil into the Holy of Holies and you're alone with God and you're going, "Whoa, this is intense. I'm hearing from him. I'm alone with his word. I'm alone with his spirit. Jesus, I love you. I love you. I love you." You come out of there and you are just overflowing because the Lord is your shepherd and you're not wanting and needy and dry coming here and saying, "Francis, will you feed me?

No, your cup's overflowing cuz you came down from that mountaintop. >> And now a gathering where everyone has been there and we come together and we're saying, "We now want more of you. We want more and we won't stop. We won't stop until we see it. We won't stop."

Man, you guys, pastors, those of you who are here, it's not your job to be Moses anymore. Okay. There are too many people that expect you to be Moses. We're in the New Testament now. Okay. And I've God revealed to me, Francis, you've been trying to be everyone's Moses.

And that is not the New Testament. And you've allowed people to think that you failed >> because you didn't give them that experience. You didn't come and bring God to them when they were supposed to go there themselves. I can't do that for you. >> What if that was church >> where believers were filled because of their time with the Lord because the Lord was their shepherd and they did not want And we all came to give and we all came to seek God together. >> And it really was the cry of our hearts.

We won't stop >> until we see it. And we are proclaiming and singing that to God. It's God showing me some of the error of my way where he's like, "You're backstage saying, God, I demand it. I demand it. I demand it." Then people are are looking at you and they want something from you.

And you can't ever fill that. They need to get that from him. And then when we gather together, we all collectively are together saying, "God, we have to have more of you." Don't get me I loved being led by worship led in worship by you, brother. I I had to go up to him afterwards and go, I have not been led like that in worship in so long by a godly seasoned man.

You can just tell who knows the word of God is teaching me the word of God. You know, that was a beautiful, beautiful thing. And I I think too often, you know, the younger people, you know, they're just better at music and they, you know, sometimes sing better, whatever else.

But you know what? They're not going to have the depth of a person who's walked with the Lord and has shepherded other people and now is shephering them into the presence of God again. So, I just praise God for that. And I'm not saying that there are not gifted people in the body of Christ um who are to lead us in certain ways, but you know what?

This whole era of celebrity pastors has to die. Okay? And the only way to kill this modernday Moses mentality is when the people of God demand more. When the people of God actually come into the presence of God on their own and then they gather together and say, "I'm not happy with just, you know, Pastor McDow leading us in singing, I'm not happy with Francis Chan just coming and giving a sermon." >> It's not bad.

I think you're a godly man. I think I'm a godly man. And if you came here to hear from godly men, well, okay, that's that's not a bad thing. >> But we need people who actually want to hear from God himself. And when the church becomes hungry for that, that's when something's going to happen.

That's what the church was meant to be. That was New Testament Christianity. That's what it meant to be a follower of Christ. I was looking at um Acts chapter 4 a few minutes ago and I I was noticing like when they prayed in in in verse 24 of Acts 4, it says when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord who made the heaven and the earth and sea and everything."

So, so they together like it was it was like a choir. It it was exactly what we're doing earlier. Like I I could just see it in your face. I could hear it in your voices. It was we were all with one voice crying out, "We won't stop."

Like it it was not enough for you. It wasn't one person going, "God, please." You know, no, it's everyone together. There is something about that unified voice that is saying, God, we've all been with you by ourselves and now when we gather together, can we just have Would you do something in that place?

Can we experience you together? I don't want to experience a Francis Chan sermon. I can go on YouTube and do that. Okay, that's not enough for me. That's not enough for me. I want to hear from you. I want to experience you and I won't stop pursuing that until we see that in the church week after week, day after day, people who are in love with Jesus and long for him.

Later on in in that same chapter in and I love the phrase in verse 32, now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul. It was not one guy trying to drag a bunch of people or a few dozen people trying to drag a crowd.

It was a group of people. The the whole the full number who believed were of one heart and soul. And no one I was looking at that verse just a couple hours ago. No one no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own.

But they had everything in common. Later there was not a needy person among them. For as many as were owners of lands or or houses sold them and brought them to proceeds of what was was sold. Like wait no one. Every believer was of one heart and soul and there wasn't a single person there who actually believed that his house belonged to him. >> Wait, no one?

Really, Lord? No one. No wonder when they prayed, verse 31, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continue to speak the word of God with boldness. We always go, God, how come that doesn't happen? How come we never have the ground shake?

The bigger question is, how come we we can maybe find one or two people in the church that don't believe that their belongings are their own? Maybe if we were of one mind, one heart, one soul, and we could care less about the things of this world. >> And we all agreed in this room.

You know what? I'm done. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. But we're all wanting this one guy to be an example to us and for him to feed us. And we've put so much pressure on pastors all across this country going, "How come you didn't feed me enough?"

You know, the reason why I'm not walking with God today is because of what you you what you you couldn't do. I'm looking on the internet. I'm listening to some of these guys teach. You don't teach like him. You don't lead like this guy. You can't sing like that guy.

You can't do this. You can't. And and some of the leaders, man, they take on that burden. and they're going, "Oh man, yeah, I'm not doing it, man. I'm not I'm not being the Moses that they need." You're not supposed to be the Moses. And pastors need to be honest and get real and loving with their people and say, "Look, I'm not the reason why you're not close to Jesus."

You know, it's not my sermon. It's not my sermon. I'm not saying we don't take responsibility, study the word, and come in the presence of God and and come out with a message for the people, but that's that's that's not going to do it. Okay? It's to tell the people to be honest with them, it's you.

It's you. You You suck. No, really. You come and you suck all the life out of me. You come and you suck and you suck from everyone around here because the Lord is not your shepherd. If the Lord was your shepherd, you would be overflowing. It says your cup overflows.

But instead, you come hungry, thirsty every week, and I've got a bottle feed you. you suck on this bottle every single week when you should be feeding other people. It's time to tell people they suck. And we all want a church that doesn't suck anymore, right? I dream of a church that does not suck.

And I won't stop until I see it. Why do I feel black right now? I feel like I'm in a Man, you got me going. I don't normally preach like this. I don't preach like this. No, no, no. That's why I need you in my life, man. I never preach like this.

This is great. I like it. Okay. ((applause)) ((music playing)) This is the way I want to live my life, right? Don't we all? It's this is joy. This is the truth of God's word. Listen you guys, it says in second Peter chapter 1, okay, for those who still are looking for a Moses or whatever else, he says, second Peter 1:1, Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

What is Peter saying to you? >> You have a faith that's equal to his. >> Peter, >> he's saying you you you you're an equal standing with us. Do you believe that? See, if we believe that, then we wouldn't be looking and running to these celebrities and wanting selfies with them and this and like I'm on equal standing with Peter.

I'm right there with him. Equal standing. And look what he says in in uh he goes, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." Look at verse three. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

See what he says his God's divine power has granted God just gave you something. He granted to you what? all things that pertain to life and godliness. So if you are not filled with life, if you're not a godly man or woman, that is not your pastor's fault.

God has granted you everything. Everything you need that I I've never been a blamer. Oh, well, I'm this way because of him. I'm this way because she didn't do this. He no, God gave me everything I need. He's granted all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him.

You got to know him who called us to his own glory. Oh my gosh. called us to his own glory and excellence by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature. He gave you these very precious promises so that you would be partakers of the divine nature.

Paul says we'd be filled with the fullness of God. You're going to blame a preacher, a church, a staff >> when God says, "I'm making you a partaker of the divine nature." >> So, I'm not flesh and I don't know if you thought you just came to hear a man speak.

I'm not flesh and blood up here. I'm a partaker of the divine nature. I have the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through me. >> Do you believe that about yourself? >> You're in equal standing with Peter. >> You've been granted everything that pertains to life and godliness and made you through his promises. is if you read his promises and if you believe in his promise, I hope you're people of his promises and you're in this book yourself and you're longing for him every day.

Let me learn something else about whoa, you gave me everything that pertains to life and godliness. You made me a partaker of the divine. I hope you're doing this >> every day having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. You escape the corruption of the world.

You can't blame the world. Well, the world's just getting more evil and this is this and you should see what they say at work. They You've escaped that. >> You've got the Holy Spirit in you. A partaker of the divine nature. You got power over that. >> But then listen to this.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge. and knowledge with self-control. And self-control with steadfastness, steadfastness with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, brotherly affection with what does he say? For because you've been given all this, this is the weird part.

Because you've been given all this, make every effort. Wait, I have to do something. I thought I was just given something. Make every effort to supplement your faith. This is something we strive, we fight for. We make every effort to add to our faith virtue. Man, it's it's work to become a virtuous person.

It's work to to to have knowledge. It's work to have self-control. It's work to have steadfast. It's work to be godly. It's it's it's work to have brotherly affection. It's work to be to be loving. And we have to make every effort. See, this is the problem. Too many people come into a room passively and they're like, "Pastor, do something to me.

I'm dry. Worship team, make me feel something." And then they walk out of the room going, "It didn't do it for me." You guys, this is not a passive faith. People say, "Well, how come I I don't feel close to God?" You're probably not making every effort to something.

Awtoer said, "Every man's as close to God as he wants to be. >> I'm not close to him right now because you don't want to be." >> If you want it bad enough, you got to make every effort. I can't buy you a treadmill for Christmas and a year later you sell it cuz you're like it didn't work.

((applause)) You get on it, you guys. It's It's not a passive thing that happens. It's this we strive strive strive. And then verse eight, if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. See, if we're striving for these things, we're growing in these things, which we can do because we're partakers of the divine nature.

And as we strive for that, he goes, "I promise you there's going to be fruit in your life." >> You see, we can't just jump to, okay, I'm going to go to the sand and I'm going to save all the No, I'm going to pursue this divine nature and these qualities with everything I have.

And God made me a promise that as I pursue these things, I will not live an unfruitful life. I will not be ineffective. And maybe if you're ineffective right now, you've got to look at that list and go, am I pursuing these things? Am I believing these promises or am I passively going from event to event hoping someone does something to me?

So I praise God that that is not the feel I get from this room. >> But it's all of us in pursuit with one heart and one soul saying, "God, we want this. We want this. We want to see this in this city. We want to see it in this country.

We want to see it now because times are changing. >> We don't have time for another gathering >> and doing things they've the way we've always done them. Okay, back in the day, like when I was graduating high school, I was a new believer. We kind of just were pursuing the American dream.

We assumed tomorrow is going to be like today. Next year is going to be like this year. 5 years from now is going to be like that. And so we can afford to do church the same way. We'll just do another service. Okay, another pizza party for the youth.

Another another puppet show for the kids. Let's just do it because everything's the same anyways. Well, times have changed. Okay, I don't think anyone's graduating college thinking five years from now the world will be just as it is now. >> No one thinks that. We all know five years from now we don't know what in the world this country is going to look like.

And so we can't afford to just keep going about business as usual. >> It's time for us. Seriously, this is why the send was birthed. It was time for something new. We couldn't do another call. Okay? We don't have time for that. We've got to get to these last people groups.

We've got to get out because we want to be found serving when he returns. It really could be any time. Seriously. And so let us just make clear the send is not a gathering where people passively come and people bring their f understand this is not a Christian rally where ah I feel dry.

I feel dead. I'll go to the send. Oh man, they've got a bunch of speakers there and man I hope they fill me up. It's not what this is about. >> This is actually a gathering of people who've been in the presence of God and have said, "I'm ready to die to myself and spend the rest of my life going wherever he calls me to go.

And I'm going to this place with like-minded people. And we are going to beg God, would you send us? Would you send us? Would you change the trajectory of our lives? We're all asking for that. We don't want to try to save our lives anymore. What are we going to save?

We're ready to lose our lives. Please God, would you send us out? That's what this is about. >> And I'm praying for this. >> I'm believing for this. We want to see it happen. I just want us to spend some time now like collectively with one heart, one soul saying, "God, being honest with your fears.

I've got fears. I'm not I'm not up here pretending. I'm not scared of anything. Then I'm not scared to lose my life. I'm not scared to be tortured. I'm But I can say I'm more scared of wasting my life. I'm more scared of doing things the way I've always done them.

I need to have more. I'm scared though. Why do you think those believers in Acts four gathered together to pray for courage? That's what they did. It says that Peter and John came out of that that jail, you know, they they were beaten. They were everything. And it says that they were the most people were astonished by their boldness.

And yet they got together with the believers and prayed for more courage. >> Look, this was not a time where we point our finger at everyone else. We confess our fears to God. And can we just all agree on that and all with one heart and mind start confessing to God the things we're afraid of and asking God Almighty?

We need to be courageous again. We have congregations of people all across this country where 99% of those people never share the gospel on a given week with an unbeliever. They're afraid. Many of you in this room have not shared the gospel in weeks, months, maybe years because you're afraid.

Just admit it. There were times when I could preach in front of a crowd, but I couldn't talk to the person next to me on the airplane about Jesus. This was easy in a room full of people who agreed with you. I needed courage. Sometimes I was too scared to even admit it to the church because I wanted to look strong in front of them.

But this is a time I'd love for us with one mind, one heart, one soul, saying, "God, I don't want to be a coward. Take these fears. You didn't give me the spirit of fear." We collectively are saying, "God, make us courageous." We want to be filled with that divine nature, filled with the fullness of God.

Just bow your heads right now and just start pleading with God. saying, "God, I'm not going to stop until you give me more courage. I'm not going to stop asking for this. I want to be fearless. I'm going to make every effort. Just pray. Just start confessing and asking.