The Key to True Transformation | Francis Chan

I I'd like to start this service a little different. Um I would like to pray because sometimes I know as a pastor if the first service went well, the second service went well, then you just expect to do the same thing again. Um but we always have to be dependent on God. >> Nothing will happen unless God moves. right now.

I could give the same sermon. I could do everything exactly the same and nothing changes. Everything depends on him. And I need to remind myself of that. And that's that's why Pastor Peter and I was when I was sharing with the pastors yesterday, I had to remind the pastors, look, even though we have decades in ministry, >> we have to be we have to stay like little children.

We have to be completely dependent because so many people in the Bible started well and they depended on God but once they had some success they start depending on themselves their resources their abilities and that's when they get destroyed >> and so I do not want that to happen in my life in pastors Peter's life not I don't even want it to happen in this service if we just rely on the momentum of the last two services and assume God will move right now, nothing will happen.

So, let's come before his throne in heaven and beg him to show up in this room today. Father, we picture you in heaven right now with the angels are screaming out how holy you are. All of the saints and angels are saying, "Worthy is the Lamb." There is lightning and thunder and fire coming from your throne.

You are a holy God who dwells in unapproachable light. We are only living and breathing because you allow us to live today. >> All things are in your hands. And God, we believe that nothing will happen in this room unless you pour your grace on us. No preacher, no musician, no videos, no energy, nothing changes hearts but you.

Come Holy Spirit. You know what everyone needs in this room. Come Holy Spirit. Change us. Make us like Jesus. It's in the name of the resurrected King Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Well, I want to thank you because I want to thank God because my whole life was changed when I came to Uganda.

The whole trajectory of my life. I I tried to think earlier on I was thinking what would my life have been like if I never came to Uganda? Because you need to understand I'm I'm a very selfish person. I'm a self-centered person. I'm a proud person. And even when I came to Uganda the first time, it was not with good motives.

I heard all these famous pastors were coming and they invited me. I thought, "Oh, I can meet all these famous pastors." And so I came and none of those pastors showed up. And it was just me and some simple pastors that no one knew. But God brought me here because something changed in my heart when I came into this room.

It wasn't like this. >> But there were these kids in a kids choir, the Monzaga, how do you mangaza uh children's choir and I thought I just remember smiling the whole time. They're so beautiful. But then I began to visit them in their huts and the places they lived and it broke my heart.

And then I remember seeing two little girls on a pile of trash and they were just digging trying to find anything to eat. And I remember thinking, "Wow, I have two little girls at home." And and I remember the verses, you know, that the Bible says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

And I thought, "What if those were my two children looking for anything to eat?" What would I want some American to do for me and my children? So I went home and and I I was just so amazed by what I experienced here. I remember going through Bethany Village before.

It was a village. It was just a forest. And all these kids were coming out and and they had no clothes. They they were skinny. Their hair was changing color because they had no vitamins. They're malnourished. I I I remember that's when I met Pastor Peter. He was just showing me the the the place out there before there was Bethany Village.

I remember there was a rainstorm and and so Pastor Peter just grabbed me and took me into some lady's hut. I'd never been in a mud hut. And we're sitting there and chickens are jumping on us. You got to understand this is all new to me. Everything was new to me.

I remember meeting Irene and she had a bag of grasshoppers and she was eating them. I never saw a person eat a grasshopper. This was all new. I mean, we usually avoid grasshoppers or kick them. We don't think to bite them, you know. But she was so happy.

I I need to try one on this trip. But um anyone have any in their pocket? Uh but I remember all of these emotions I felt. And when I came home, I told my wife, I I said, "I don't know what happened to me, but these children were so beautiful, and they have needs, and I can't stop thinking about them."

And I began to look at my house and I said, I'm looking at all the things we have and it it makes me sad because we don't need all of these things. And I asked her, I go, "Can we sell our house and maybe we can live in a trailer and give the money to the children of Uganda?"

And I remember my wife looked at me surprised like she goes, "I don't know what you're talking about." She goes, "I did not go to Africa with you. I don't feel what you feel. I actually really like our house." But if you believe this is what God wants us to do, then let's sell our house.

And that afternoon, we just went out and looked for the cheapest way to live in our city so we could give more. And I started telling our church, I go, "Look, we need to start sacrificing. These are our brothers and sisters." and they began sponsoring kids. Hundreds of kids.

Our our people in our church, even the young people, they started to some of them stopped living in their apartments and they lived in their cars so they could give more to Uganda. And they just said, "Okay, well, I can always go to my friend's house to take a shower and I'll just live in my car so I can give more." families started moving out of their houses and living in their trailer so that they they could rent their house out and give more money to Uganda.

I mean, this is our church just became obsessed with loving you and loving these children. But it was the happiest time of our church. I I remember when when I told them uh I said, 'I walk around your houses and they're so nice and all around your house are these beautiful pictures of all of your children.

I said, "All you do is stare at your children and your own family and you get these bigger houses." I said, I said, "Here's what I'm going to do." I began to print pictures of the children of Uganda and I put them in frames and I said, "I want you to start hanging pictures of them around your house because they are your family."

Okay? And I want you to buy these pictures from me for $100 each US. And so they began buying these pictures so that we could give all the money to Uganda. And so they would be reminded every day that we're family. >> Yes, we are. >> God looks at us as family. >> And I wanted them to see your family is not just the ones you gave birth to in God's economy.

This is our family. >> We were we were in the middle of uh building a we were going to build a building, $20 million building. Back then that was a lot. It's still a lot of money, but back then it was a crazy amount. and I didn't have peace.

I said, "How can we build such a nice building when people don't even have a place to live or food to eat?" And I told the church, "Let's let's meet outside. We can just meet in a field and give the money to the poor." And when I announced that, um, a lot of people left the church, but that's okay.

God brought other people with a heart to give. I said, "We need to become like Jesus." That's right. >> And we need to get you need to understand this was I'm not saying this to boast about anything. I'm saying that was the happiest time. We we changed our whole church budget.

I I said, you know, the Bible says we're just to love our neighbors as ourselves. So from now on, 50% of all the money that comes in goes out. We have to change about if we love them like our we love ourselves. Why do we spend everything on ourselves?

Uh-huh. >> I mean, it was an exciting time where we were able to give millions of dollars to all of these places. And God blessed our church. We were so happy. And that's why I wanted to bring my children here and to Ethiopia. I wanted them to see what happens when you give that it lasts. and you become happier and happier and happier compared to what the world teaches which is get more money to spend on yourself and selfishness will destroy you.

Selfishness is a curse when all you can think about is yourself and you keep trying to get more things and you're never happy. You'll never have enough. But then Jesus says, "But I can change your heart and make you a giver just like me. I loved you so much.

I sent my I gave my only son. And it is more blessed to give than to receive. I want to show my kids. I don't know how much longer I have on this earth." I wanted them to see how mom and dad lived and how we have no regrets for everything we've given because it's a blessing.

And I wanted them to follow in in in our example, not because I want to leave a legacy. It's because I want them to find the joy in the Lord. I want them to see that there's nothing like knowing him. And and then money doesn't matter. >> I mean, we were Lisa and I were relatively poor when we came here the first time.

I had no idea that as we gave what we could that God would end up blessing us and giving us millions of dollars. And but the blessing was not that we got the money. The blessing was that we didn't spend it on ourselves. We really didn't care. We were already happy.

And I always told God, if you gave me money, I'll give it away because I'm so happy. Just knowing that the God of the universe listens to me and knows my name. Money is not going to make me happier. If you give it to me, I'll give it away.

And and then I'll be even happier. And God says, "One day I'll give you a hundred times that." >> If we believe in eternity, and some of us are getting older, >> Yes, sir. It's time to let go >> and go, God, I I want to end this well.

And as my children start their life, I want them to start well. But I was thinking about a lot of my friends who sponsor children and gave and everything else. And sadly, many of them are not walking with the Lord anymore. Um, that's why it was so good to see Pastor Peter still being faithful to his wife.

Yeah. Amen. Still feeding her grasshoppers, you know. I It's so good to see that he still loves the church, still loves the word of God and stands on the word of God. You know, I don't have many friends that have made it. And I convinced a lot of people in my church to give, but I'm realizing now it really wasn't coming from their heart.

I want to share a passage with you because I think it's very important today in Gabba in second Peter chapter 2 verse 22. Second Peter 2 verse 22 says this. What the true proverb says has happened to them. The dog returns to its vomit and the sa after washing herself returns to wallow in the meer.

He it's he goes this is a proverb Peter says and it's true. He goes, "Sometimes a dog will vomit because something is making him sick and he'll walk away, but sometimes he'll walk back to his vomit and start eating it again. It's disgusting." >> And he says, "And a pig is similar.

You can wash off a pig, but then what does it do? It runs back to the mud." Wait, why? He's so clean. Why would a pig run back to the mud after he's been cleansed? Because he's a pig. Just because you wash him off doesn't mean that he you've changed his nature.

He's still a pig. This is what happens in a lot of churches. >> You hear a sermon, you get convicted, we wash you off, you repent, but then what do you do? You go running right back to your sin. >> Why? Because your nature didn't change. And I used to put so much pressure on myself when I would preach, thinking, "Oh, I've got to have a great message because I want to see people get on their knees, repent, get baptized, or what?"

And I kept thinking, if I if I say it right, if I tell enough jokes, if I tell enough stories, if I raise my voice at the right time, you know, I if I tell a sad story, whatever it is, if I can teach the word of God, you know, powerfully, then this will And what I realize is a lot of times people respond just out of emotion, but it doesn't last because only God can change your nature. >> I can wash you off like a pig, but you'll go right back to your sin.

Unless something is born of the Holy Spirit, then it lasts. Then it's your whole life. So you don't just give to a couple of poor people and then feel better and go back to your mansion. No. When God changes your heart, you just keep growing in grace. It's a gift from God.

No one earns that. God, he says, "I'll put my spirit in you so that you will no longer be a slave to sin. You'll be a slave to righteousness." That that's why even after God changes your heart like the pig, you you you may see the mud. It could still be tempting your sin.

But once you start stepping in the mud, something doesn't feel right. >> You feel the shame. You feel this guilt. You go, "This is not who I am." Why? Because the spirit is in you. And now you want what is right. So you can't just come here after looking at pornography, after committing adultery, and just feel fine.

No, you feel dirty cuz your nature was changed. And if you can continue on your sin, then you really have to look in the mirror and wonder if God really changed your nature. We can't be satisfied with just external decisions. We need the miracle to happen in our hearts. >> So, here's what I believe God wants me to share with the this third service.

I was watching the videos announcements and I was looking at the advertisement for tonight and I was seeing the beautiful worship music out here and there was a part of me that got a little concerned because in America we started doing programs so well and we did music so well.

We know how to get people up clapping, screaming and we feel good. We knew how to create events that were exciting and we knew how how I knew how to speak in such a way to move people and keep their attention. But pretty soon we became satisfied with a good service.

We became satisfied going, "Oh, the preacher was good. The music was good. That was a good day." Even if the Holy Spirit didn't show up, you can still give the appearance of life rather than saying, "God, we are so dependent on you." See, we can create the energy rather than the Holy Spirit. >> My prayer is that you never become satisfied with the external. where every time I mean why would you be satisfied if I just came up here and gave a good sermon and you had a good singing time or did you come here saying God I will not be satisfied unless your Holy Spirit from heaven comes and changes who I am from the inside.

I need the miracle God. I need a miracle. Change me. See what happened in America. We got satisfied with fun nights and fun programs and fun services. And pretty soon everyone's okay as long as the preacher was entertaining, as long as our kids had a good time, as long as the music was good.

I remember one time I was preaching at a big event in in Texas and uh my mentor is a was a guy from India. He is with the Lord now. But I remember him. He drove me to the gathering. And outside there were horses, they had donkeys, they had chariots going through the the auditorium.

The band was going, the lights were going, and and I remember my mentor just looked at me and he just laughed. He says, "Wow, you Americans are so funny." He goes, "No one will come if there's not a great speaker. No one will show up if there's not a great band."

He goes, "In India, when the people hear that we are about to have communion, they get so excited and rush to the place where we're going to break bread and remember the body and blood of Jesus." And I remember hearing that, thinking, "Wow, no one in America would want to go to that.

We need the energy. We need the excitement. We need everything else." But in pursuing that, we lost the presence of God. >> And my prayer is that you don't lose that. >> That you never become satisfied because you have a good media department or a good preacher or a good worship team.

That every time you come hungry and go, God, I don't I don't care if anyone is in that room as long as I can take of the bread and take of the cup and remember the body and blood of Jesus. As long as the Holy Spirit comes and changes me because I'm a pig and I need that changing.

I need you to change who I am. Is that still your heart? Please don't forget where you came from. >> It was a simple time. It was a beautiful time. You didn't need all of this. I'm not saying this is wrong. I'm just saying be very careful >> because we can become satisfied with external things and external decisions.

And even me as a pastor, I was happy that there were thousands of people and they were giving to the people in Uganda and and they were sacrificing, but their hearts didn't change. And many of them once I left, they were like the dog that went right back to their vomit or the pig that went right back to the mud.

I want to pray for a miracle this morning cuz that's the only thing that satisfies me. I've been doing this too long. I know I could give a sermon that would make you cry and make you feel bad or feel good or whatever I want you to feel.

It doesn't last. But if God Almighty comes into this room >> and decides to have grace on you and change your heart, that changes everything. Here's what I want to pray for this morning. I want to pray Jeremiah 32 over you. There is a wonderful blessing in Jeremiah 32 that I think many, many people miss.

It was God's promise to the people of Israel when they were taken away by Babylon. He says, "No, there's going to come a day. I promise you, there's going to come a day and look what I'm going to do." In Jeremiah chapter 32, if you can put it on the screen, starting in verse uh 38, this is what God says.

They shall be my people and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me forever for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant that I will not turn away from doing good to them. and I will put the fear of me in their hearts that they may not turn from me.

God says there's going to come a day where I'm going to do something where where it it's not an outside washing. It's not spraying you off like a pig. I'm actually going to put the fear of God in your heart that you may not turn away from me.

When I read that, I thought, "Oh, that's what God did for me." I remember I was in my early 20s. I was a hypocrite. I was in my sin and and God was exposing and humbling me. But then he I remember the first time I studied Isaiah chapter 6.

It was right after seminary and I thought, "Whoa, that's God in all of his holiness." So right now there's a God on his throne and even the angels are screaming out his holiness. I remember reading Revelation 4 and and seeing the throne and going, "Wow, there's lightning, there's thunder, there's fire, there's angels with eyes all over their bodies, and they're screaming out, "Holy, holy, holy."

And that's who I pray to. Suddenly, when I prayed, I start to envision God. And I couldn't just casually talk to him. I would get on my knees and think about who I'm talking to. God opened my eyes that that I realized that was a gift from God.

He may not give me another breath. He gave me another one. There's no guarantee he's giving me another breath. I'm totally at his mercy to live through the rest of this sermon. There's no guarantee all of us are going to live for the next five minutes. It's all in his hands.

And suddenly when I preach, I start thinking, I don't care what you think of me. I think about God >> and and I might face him today. And so I have to preach in such a way that he gets all the glory. I did nothing. I was selfish.

I was a sinner. And God poured his grace on me and began to change my nature. I didn't do that. It wasn't because I heard a good sermon. I don't remember ever hearing good sermons from my youth pastor. It was the power of God. Yes, sir. >> And God put a fear in me.

And he says, "That's a gift because when I put my fear in you, you can't turn away from me." Amen. >> You start to go even if you're tempted and the fear takes over and you go, "No, I know who I'm facing." >> That's a gift. >> Too often in the world, we look at the fear of God like it's a bad thing.

I go, "No, that's our blessing. The fear of the Lord's the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord leads to life. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." He says, "Let's worship God with reverence and awe because our God is a consuming fire."

These are all good things. The fear of God is a good thing. And I want you to pray today that God puts the fear of God in your heart. The other um the other passage Do you guys believe that there is an enemy and he is powerful and he will always try to distract us whenever God wants to speak to us.

God is talking about something so serious, a miracle. Some of you, you are still in your sin because God has not put a fear of him in your heart. Your parents taught you to fear God. Your pastor teaches you to fear God. You know you should fear God, but you don't.

It's not coming from the inside. And we're not satisfied with that this morning because that won't last until it's you and you personally fear God. The other thing I want to point out is Romans 5:5. In Romans 5:5, he talks about something else. He says, 'Hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Just like God has to put a fear in your heart, the Bible says that God's love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That means I can't make you love God. I can't make you believe that God loves you. You may say, "Oh, no. I believe it's it's in your head still."

But the Bible says a miracle can happen where the Holy Spirit puts it in your heart where you just know, "Wow, that holy God in heaven with the lightning, the thunder, the fire, the angels, he loves me." Like I know it. I can look through my whole life and go, "Wow, he loves me.

He loves me. He loves me. He's always loved me." >> Now, how does that happen? Because for many years, I wrestled with the love of God. You see, when I was born, my mother died giving birth to me. So, my dad did not want me. He says, "That baby killed my wife.

I don't want him. He gave me up for adoption. So, I was born on the earth and no one wanted me. And and my grandmother ended up taking me away before he could put give me to the woman who was going to adopt me. But then when my grandmother got too old, she brought me back to the United States and told my dad, "You have to take him."

But he didn't want me. I was five. He never talked to me. He died when I was 12. And I was so glad because the way he used to punish me, the way he would beat me, the way he was always disappointed. No matter what I did, I was never good enough for him.

And when he would get angry, I remember one time he he tied me with a rope to a tree to where I couldn't move. And then he just started grabbing the the sticks, the branches from the tree and just hitting me till they would break. And I'm screaming till pretty soon, I don't know, you ever cried so much that that pretty soon no noise comes out and you're just you can hardly breathe and I'm just begging, "Stop, stop, stop."

And he just kept going. And then he just leaves me out there and it's getting dark and I don't know if I'm allowed in my house. So when my dad died, there was some sadness, but most of me was like, "Oh, I'm so glad I never have to see him again."

Years later, I become a Christian and the Bible talks about God being a loving father. How am I supposed to understand that? I I my my father hated me and now you're telling me there's a holy God in heaven and he's crazy about me and he loves me.

Gosh, I struggled with that. I kept thinking, "No, I got to do more. Oh no, I sinned. He's probably disappointed in me. Oh, he's going to punish me. I better do this. I better do that. I better do everything right cuz I want to earn his love somehow.

And God was showing me that you don't really believe I love you. Even as a pastor for many years, I think a lot of the things I did, maybe even helping the kids here, maybe it was just insecurity. I'm just trying to do more. I want to please him.

But God showed me. He did a miracle. I told my friends, "Pray for me because I'm still insecure after all these years." And then I read Romans 5:5. I thought, "Wow." So he can do a miracle and have me know that I'm loved. not for anything I do that I'm truly forgiven and he loves me.

He had to pour it into my heart cuz I had so much baggage in my mind. All I've known is trying to earn people's approval by doing more and hoping they're pleased and God saying, "Now, I love you." But he had to do that miracle and put it in my heart.

Every day I say, "God, just remind me of two things every day of my life. Remind me that you are holy and that you love me. Because if I fear you and know that I'm loved by you, I can make it through anything." That's right. >> And I'm getting towards the end of my life.

And I say, Lord, it's been a great life. >> But it's all because you did miracles in my heart. Nothing of me. It was you. Thank you. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for changing me. My life was headed in a bad direction and you changed everything. and he used my time here in Uganda and my relationship with Pastor Peter and it put me on a different path.

It wasn't Uganda, it was the Holy Spirit here. And the Holy Spirit changed me. And now all I want to do is pray the same thing for you right now. >> I I don't need you to make any grand proclamation of anything. I just want to ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with a fear of him and for God to pour the love of God into you so that you go through your life with this peace that I now have.

I fear the Lord and I'm loved by him and that comes from inside. No one has to talk me into these things. It's who I am now. I'm no longer a slave to fear. >> I'm a child of God. >> I want to pray that if you want God to do that in your heart this morning, then receive this prayer.

Believe. Believe that God hears me from his throne and his spirit really will move around this room and change hearts. Father, we are helpless. We are like infants. We can't survive on our own. on our own we will go to sin and sin leads to death. Our flesh just keeps taking us towards evil.

But we believe you can save us. You are our only hope. God, you promised in Jeremiah that a day would come when you would put a fear of you in our hearts that it would be for our good and for the good of our children. So God, we are asking you, make us fear you from our hearts. put a fear of you in our hearts so we never turn from you.

And God, there are people in this room who believe your holiness and your power, but they don't truly know your love. We were rejected from our own dads. We look at our failures constantly and we doubt your love for us. Holy Spirit, would you come into this room and pour the love of God into our hearts?

Another sermon isn't going to change us. Your spirit must pour the love of God into our hearts that we know there's nothing to fear because a holy God loves us. I pray for any man or woman who doubts the love of God. that today you would change them internally, miraculously where they fear you and they know that they're loved by you and they begin to love others because it becomes natural, supernatural, because you've made us like your son who gave everything.

So, God of grace, I come before your throne of grace and ask that you pour your grace upon Gaba Community Church. May we not forget where we've come from. May we not be satisfied by externals. change our hearts almighty God in Jesus' name we pray.