Expect the Mysterious | Francis Chan

I love this. I love just being in with you guys, worshiping, staring at the trees, the sun, everything else, and just worshiping him. I hope this never gets old to you. Seriously, it's so easy to let things become routine in your life where you lose the thrill of it.

Um, I mean, one of the things that one of the things that really bothers me, um, is when something very sacred becomes common and even boring. Uh, and we just kind of shrug our shoulders like, "Oh, no big deal." I I was very convicted by a verse of scripture.

In fact, again, even as I'm worshiping, I'm like, "Lord, am I trembling at your word? Am I trembling at these words? because this comes from you. In 1 Corinthians 4:1, it says this. This is Paul speaking and he says, "This is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."

So the Apostle Paul who wrote like 13 books of the New Testament, he goes, "This is all I want to be known for is just a servant of Christ. Like I just want you to know that all I do, nothing special about me. I'm just a servant of Christ."

You know, so often in ministry in the US, it's like we can lift people up like there's something special. And here's Paul going, "Man, this is all I want to be known for. I just want to be known as a servant just like like the rest of you.

We're all just servants of him, the one who died for us." But then he says, "And stewards of the mysteries of God." That is such an important phrase. Stewards. Think about this. Steward. My job as a leader is to steward the mysteries of God. See, so often when you come to a gathering like this, and this is what I'm convicted of.

It's like, am I am I showing you? Are you are you uh in your head going wow I am coming to this gathering and something mysterious is going to happen like did you did you come here today thinking okay this is going to be crazy this is going to be mysterious there is something spiritual unique that's about to happen because this is not the mindset of the average church attender in the US average church attender in the US is okay.

I just got to show up. Let me just get there. 10:30. Let me just try to get there by 10:45. Let me just get there. Let me just show up. And then the mindset is it's kind of the job of the people up front, the worship team, our little little worship team here, like their job is to like get you fired up and and motivate you to worship.

And then the speaker comes up, maybe reads a verse, and then his job is to get us excited about the word of God. And so if you have a good worship team, if you have a good speaker, then it's going to be a good Sunday. There's nothing mysterious about that.

You You get a good speaker, he's going to motivate you. Get good music going, it's going to move you. That's Where's the mystery in that? We can we the world can do that. Get a get a comedian up here and he'll get us laughing and joying. Bring a secular Bad Bunny, you know, whoever.

Like, hey, you know, K-pop demon hunters, get get, you know, get up here and they'll move us with the music, with the speaking. Zero mystery. See, a lot of us when we show up to something like this, we're not looking for mystery. We're looking for information. Teach me something.

Tell me something I don't know. Come on. You went to seminary. Throw some Greek out there. Throw some Hebrew out there. Show me some insight you find that I couldn't find on my own. We want explanation. We want information. But I'm saying, come on, you guys. Don't you want more than that?

Don't you want mystery? Don't you just go, "No, I want to go to that gathering because they offer something the world could never offer, something mysterious. I don't want to just connect with a bunch of human beings on a fleshly level, you know, exchange information, you know, hang out.

No, I want something deeper like could I seriously interact with the person of God, my creator? Could something happen in my spirit that isn't just information, that isn't just flesh and blood? See, Paul says, "This is my job is to steward mystery." And I I just fear that we've lost the idea of mystery in the church.

And then I go, "Well, then what's the point? What's the point?" That's why each week we open up the word of God. Hebrews chapter 4:12. You guys should know this verse. The word of God, the word of God is living. There's something mysterious about these words. They're living.

Now, most, you know, I'm a writer. I've written some pretty good ones. Um, nothing I've written is living except when I quote this book. Some of you guys write. I'm sure it's fine. But I you've never written anything that's living, that's alive. That's what's crazy about this book.

He says, "No, these words, there's something about these words cuz they came from God, and they're living and active, and they're sharper than any two-edged sword, and they they they kind of pierce through you into the division of your soul and your spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Well, that's crazy. How do words, it seems like this is an external thing and yet it somehow discerns your thoughts and intentions of your heart. There's something about these words that they get into you and it's almost like the Bible is reading you. It's discerning you. It's not this thing that we just put under a microscope and we look at it, but somehow it's alive and it's looking at us.

This is like nothing. That's that's mysterious. So, do you come here going, "Oh, when they open that book and when they read, I can't wait because those words are living." And I understand this. We're almost at a disadvantage nowadays in the 21st century because most of you can read and we almost all of you have a Bible and so it's like okay the Bible the Bible the Bible oh what's the Bible reading today I'm going to have to get up and read again and it can become this common thing versus back in the day when people couldn't read and you'd show up to a gathering go Someone's going to read from that book and these are going to be the very words of God.

Oh man, I don't get to hear the words of God. I I you know, all I hear is all this garbage from everyone else, but now I'm going to go to this place and there's going to be someone who can read a scribe and they're going to read the very words of God and I'm going to hear his words that are living and active and they can actually change my soul.

It's mysterious. There's something about this book. But somehow in the 21st century because we can all read then now the pastor's job is not just to read the word but make it exciting to you. I mean this is just the way I was raised. I I worked hard at trying to be a great communicator.

You know, they taught us, okay, in those first 30 seconds, really grab their attention. Do this, this, this, then jump into a story that that you know, be because in the first minute, 2 minutes, that introduction, you've got to grab them. Make them want to hear what else you have to say, and then you do this, and then you do this, and then you do this.

This is how you teach the word of God. Oh, then your conclusion. Okay, you got to bring it, you know, just bring it down. Get them to a point where they do And it's like really and then if you do that well, you get a bunch of views on YouTube and Instagram followers.

Have we just lost our minds? These are the words of God. And you need someone to pump you up about them. In Isaiah 66:es 1 and 2, thus says the Lord, heaven is my throne, the earth is my foottool. What is the house that you would build for me and what is the place of my rest?

All these things my hand has made. And so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look. He who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. There is a being in heaven right now. He says, "See, all of heaven, that's my throne.

And the earth, it's like my foottool. This whole planet, it's like I'm just resting my feet on it." He goes, "Do you think I actually need you to build a temple for me? Do you think I do Do you think God in heaven needs anything from us? He goes, I I don't need anything.

I don't need you to build a home for me. He goes, but this is the one I'll look to. He who's humble, contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. trembles at my word. See, I I I was during worship thinking about even the first verse I shared like, wow, I'm a steward of the mysteries of God.

And I'm thinking, oh, God, you said that that I'm I'm supposed to be a servant and a a steward of your mysteries. And I'm just like, gosh, that came out of your mouth. God, I haven't been doing that. I'm so sorry. Sometimes I think about myself more highly than I should and and and I I expect this this this rather really coming as a servant to you and I haven't done a great job stewarding of the mysteries.

God help me cuz that's your word. See, I want to tremble at it. I don't want to preach it. I just want to be a co- trembler with you. and go, "Oh, if God says this is who he looks to, those who are humble, then I go, God, then I come here with some pride because I want you to see me.

I want you to look to me. I want you to go, okay, there's my servant." I mean, don't you want that? Don't you go, gosh, I want to be the one that God looks at. And so, I need to be humble, contrite in spirit, and I need to tremble at his word. not just look it as information like a textbook.

I want to tremble at it. See, again, what we are accustomed to in our country is you pick a church based upon how well they teach the word of God. And that that's not a bad thing. Of course, you want them to be accurate, teach the word of God, but it's just it's gotten to a weird place where you just get the best communicator and he'll draw the biggest crowd.

And my prayer is that something new would emerge. And a lot of younger people here like in your generation where you just you start looking for a place where they tremble at the word of God that you look for a leader not because he's good at delivering the word of God but because you know his life and he actually trembles at the word of God and you go I want to be under that leader. leadership.

That guy trembles at the word of God. Yeah, he's not a great speaker. Doesn't really entertain me. Doesn't captivate me, but I know he trembles at the word of God. I know he takes it seriously. Unless we get to that point as congregation members, nothing's going to change. will keep.

Some of the best sermons I've heard on purity were from guys who were cheating on their wives. Oh, they nailed their sermons though. See, somehow we can deliver it well without trembling at it ourselves. That's what I'm saying that the lead pastor needs to be the lead trembler, not the greatest communicator.

Like I want to know humble contrite trembling at his word cuz this is mysterious. Something happens. It reads you. the word of God. Were you looking forward to the mystery that takes place when when we get together? See, the Bible says when we get together, something supernatural happens.

It's like in 1 Corinthians 14 when it talks about the gifts. In verse 24, it says, "If all prophesy and an unbeliever outsider enters, he is convicted by all. He is called to account by all. The secrets of his heart are disclosed. And so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Okay, that's mysterious, right? Like it's it's saying like you there's probably some of you here who don't believe in God. You don't know Jesus. You don't truly believe that there's a God in heaven who's keeping you alive right now that you have to stand before at the end of your life. you've never truly come before him and just confess, God, I know I've done like terrible things in my life that are offensive to you, but I believe that Jesus, you're you sent your son to die on a cross for me.

And he paid for all of my sin on that cross, and I need that forgiveness. And I want your spirit to enter into me so I can put to death all those things that you hate. that maybe there's some of you that you've never truly done that in your heart and maybe you're just visiting.

The hope according to first Corinthians 14 is that God says something mysterious happens when we come together in love. Okay? When you actually show up, not just going, I got to get there by 10:30, but in your head going, I want to show up and love people deeply.

I want to show up this morning, God, show me people that I'm supposed to love. And then God according to your word you mysteriously holy spirit will give me to each one will be given these gifts like supernatural gifts where suddenly I may show up and God may give me a word for Jason or Noel where it's like they're going how did you know that where Noel just freaks out like you couldn't have known that you h how did that happen that I I might I might read a verse to Jerel and Jerel's like what I just had a dream about that verse what whatever it might be but it's it's like do you come with that type of hope of mystery like okay God I love and understand those gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 what's at the center of it 1 Corinthians 13 the passage about love this is not about oh God I want to do a trick show me a miracle you know oh god give me a word a prophecy that'd be cool I'd love to come and you just give me a word well the key is do you come in love because the Point is not that you do something supernatural.

The point is you so you look around you and go, "Oh, I love these people. Oh man, I love these people. I've been praying for these people." And then God says, "Okay, just like for me, I go, God, I love these people. Can you give me a word to bless them with?

Can you do some sort of mystery through me where you give me words and then it gets to their soul? Like did you come with that? See, it's mystery. You got to come with this anticipation. And then there's the the Lord's supper, which we do every week, you guys.

I really don't want this to ever get old in my life. I mean, do you understand that according to 1 Corinthians 11 and 12 that we somehow and I it's a mystery somehow my flesh and my blood is about to fellowship with the flesh and blood of Jesus.

Did you come here this morning thrilled about that? Like, okay, there's something that happens when we gather together in love and then when that bread is broken and I take of the bread and I take of the cup, like some mysterious grace is going to be imparted to me.

Like somehow my flesh and blood is going to intermingle with the flesh and blood of Jesus. And I don't know how that works. somehow eating his flesh, drinking his blood. Is that why you came today? Like, oh man, I wouldn't miss that for the world. Like, are you kidding me?

Like, some sort of supernatural heavenly thing's going to happen where his flesh and blood literally it's it's going to somehow fellowship with my flesh and blood. What what do you want to experience that's bigger than that? You got something better to do this morning than have your flesh and blood somehow intermingle with the flesh and blood of Christ?

I go, "Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'm going to get together with the body of Christ. And somehow, it's like that passage in Matthew in Luke 24, you guys know the story. It's this about the two strangers that are walking with Jesus on the road to Emmas.

And uh Jesus is walking with these two guys. This is after Jesus rose from the dead. And these two guys are just talking to Jesus like explain to Jesus what happened. And Jesus like, "Yeah, what happened? What happened?" And they're like, "You haven't heard?" No. Like Jesus, the son of God, he died on the cross.

And then people are saying they've seen him like like he's walking and talking like the disciples ARE SAYING THEY SAW him and spoke with him. And Jesus like, "Oh, really? Tell me more." And they're just walk. They have no idea they're with Jesus. But then it says in uh Luke 24, "Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

And he said to them, "Oh foolish ones and slow of heart to believe, all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures all the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them, and their eyes were open, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight.

And they said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the 11 and those who are with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon."

Then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. So Jesus was preaching to them. Imagine walking with Jesus. I don't know how long it was, but he's preaching to them. They have no clue. They're standing by Jesus, but then they sit down and Jesus does this and immediately they go, "It's Jesus."

And he vanished. Wait. So, you walked with him. You heard him preach a sermon. You had no clue you were with him. And he breaks bread. He broke a piece of bread. And at that moment, you your eyes are open. You're like going, "That's Jesus." And then he vanishes.

So, what what is it about this? What is it about this act with the breaking of bread and the coming together that that some sort of grace is imparted to us that's mysterious? I hope that's why you came on God. Will my eyes be open in the breaking of the bread?

Will you reveal Jesus to me in some mysterious way today? Are you going to impart something from heaven just because I take of this bread and this cup as they bless it? And then what about our prayers? We started off this morning and we said the Lord's prayer.

First of all, were you excited to pray the Lord's Prayer? I love praying the Lord's Prayer because I think, whoa, these words came out of Jesus's mouth and I'm saying the exact word, you know, different language, but exact words 2,000 years later. This is different from me just praying whatever comes to my mind.

It's like I am praying the words of Jesus. Let me ask you something. When we prayed that this morning, did you pray that with an expectation like something's going to change because I prayed this? Our father in heaven, hallow it. That means sacred be your name. Now, do you believe that as you are praying that you are bringing like a sacredness to his name here on earth?

When you're praying saying, "God, your kingdom come, Were you actually believing that something was going to happen and that heaven was going to come down to earth?" You know, we're we even saying it afterward. Let heaven come, thy kingdom. We want things here, right here. So, we're actually praying asking for something and we're asking for his forgiveness and we're asking him to keep us away from temptation to deliver us from evil.

Were you praying with a sense of mystery like he's actually going to deliver me from temptation? He's going to deliver me from evil because we are praying that and we're telling him we want that or are you just reciting it? There's no mystery. You know, I was looking at that passage.

You know that song we sing, their children and their children and their children and their children. That blessing. Look at this passage in number six. This is where it comes from. It says, "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel and I will bless them. Okay, what does that mean? So I'm going to close with this is he says, "Hey priests, when you get together, I want you to say this, pray this.

The Lord bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. He says, "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them." What does that mean?

I don't totally know. But somehow if I pray this for Sarah and Dali, somehow God from heaven puts his name on you. What does that mean? Fisher Lane. Like what is that like for God? like like when if I pray this over you right now, do you go, "Please, please do that.

Do that. I want his name upon me. I want his blessing." And and I come here kind of, you know, like like like Esau going bless me. Bless me. Give this to me. I show up not because I want to hear a message. I show up not because I want to sing some songs.

I'm hoping you'll actually pray and put God's name upon me. That these words literally do something mysterious like this is prayer. Like James says, the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Like this isn't just a token thing. Oh, he'll probably end the sermon with a prayer.

No, I hope you go, "Oh, I hope he prays over us. I hope that I don't know. God just told the priest like, "Look, do this and I'll put my name on the people and I'll bless them." Is there anything you want more than that than the Lord to bless you and to keep you and to make his face shine upon you?

For him to be gracious to you, to lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Please tell me that's why you came today. These are the things. These are mysteries. The word of God, the way that the church fellowships and loves and blesses one another, the breaking of bread, the prayers.

Now you understand why the early church in Acts 2:42 says they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching to the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to the prayers cuz they're saying I want this mystery. This is why we don't forsake the gathering together of the saints. It's mysterious and you won't find this anywhere else.

But my prayer is this. That all of us come prepared, anxious, anticipating like we don't just show up, but every week you show up and you go, "This is this is my gift to the body. I'm gonna show up expectant, trembling at the word of God, loving my brothers and sisters with spiritual gifts, expecting to receive grace from the body and blood of Jesus and expecting to receive blessing from the prayers And let's not just show up, church.

Let's be the church and let's steward these mysteries.