The Most Dangerous Kind of Christian | Francis Chan

Man, I I tell you, every time I hang out with Ray, I like him more, you know? You know how some people it's like as you get to know him, it's like, you know, but uh I don't know. I just every time we talk back there, it's like, gosh, I I love this guy.

Um but, you know, I I I come here tonight like Whoops. Let's start over. I come here today. The video I'm not supposed to say tonight because they're watching it tomorrow. And uh so we'll just pretend we started all over. Hey, it's good to see you guys. All right, ((applause)) it's good to be back with you.

Um, in all seriousness, it it's been a crazy week, right? I mean, just absolutely crazy crazy week. And it's it's it's just you can never get used to seeing how life changes in one second, right? I I mean whether you're working in a fertilizer plant in Texas or watching a marathon or even today I read about that earthquake big earthquake in China and just every and you think about all the people that are impacted and and and and we can get in this mode where it's like okay see you next week as as though next Sunday this this week's going to be normal and yet we know that everything can change in one second and we also know that the world, especially our country, is just getting more and more, you see more and more desperate people, right?

That just feel hopeless that just go, I don't even care anymore. I'm just going to do something stupid. And and and you just you just don't know anymore. And and and I'm not trying to be this alarmist. I I'm just saying that as as believers, I don't think we should just stick our head in the sand and go, "Oh, no.

It's not happening. Everything's going to be fine. The world's going to turn around and we're going to all start loving Jesus, and you know, the economy is going to bounce." No, just let's just be real with it. And yet at the same time, what the Bible teaches is we're not supposed to be afraid of it.

Like there at the same time, there's this peace this in fact, I love the way Jesus says it in uh in Luke Luke 21 when he's talking about the end. When he's talking about the end times and and how crazy the world's going to get, he makes this statement.

He says, you know, in in uh chapter 21 26, he says, "People fainting with fear and with foroding of what is coming on the world." He says, "There'll be people that'll just they'll be so terrified, so stressed out, they'll just pass out because they're so terrified of these end time events.

But then he says, he goes, "When you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near." I love that. He says, "OKAY, PEOPLE BE SO TERRIFIED, STRESSED THAT THEY'LL pass out." He goes, "But not you." He goes, "When you see that happen," he goes, "Straighten up and lift up your head because your redemption is drawing near."

Like there's just this sense of don't you be afraid though. You straighten up. You don't you go cowering worrying about because okay so let's say the economy collapsed. We don't care. We can be content with nothing. We're content with relationships with each other with God. It it's going to be fine.

Our quality of life may even be better. We're we're okay with that. We know the secret of being content. You know if we die we die. For us to live is Christ and to die is gain. And he says no. No matter what happens, you straighten up. You lift your head up there because you know how the story ends.

And there's a that's how we become a light to the world is we know how it ends. Focus on eternity. Understand there's nothing for us to fear. It it reminds me of uh a few years ago I was watching this TV show. remember that show uh 24, you know, with Jack Bower, you know, for those who didn't watch it, he had 24 hours to save the world like eight times.

And uh [laughter] and it happened like over several seasons, too. Um what a coincidence. But uh we we didn't have TV, you know, we don't have cable. So someone gave us uh season two, you know, we watched season 1, then they gave us season two, and meanwhile everyone else is on three or four, and we're we're watching season two.

And I just remember that was the most intense show, you know, and you couldn't watch it at night cuz it's like, oh, let's watch the next episode. Okay, watch the next one, you know, when you end up in your room for 24 hours. And uh [laughter] but I remember like there was this one time and it was so intense because these terrorists had uh had uh kidnapped our secretary of defense and and his daughter who happened to be Jack Bower's girlfriend.

And no one in the world knew where they were, you know, and they were streaming this video, you know, to these terrorists going, "We're about to kill your secretary of defense and his daughter, you know, and no one knows where they're filming from." And then Jack finds them, right?

Oh, he figured out every clue. And I mean, it was it was awesome. He he figures out where they are and and he sees them, you know, and knows the location. So he calls into headquarters, you know, hey, I found the location. Send back up. And they're like, okay, we'll be there in five minutes.

We don't have 5 minutes. They'll be dead in 5 minutes. I'm going in alone. AND I'M GOING, "NO, JACK. THERE'S SO I KNOW THERE'S LIKE A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT." BUT HE DIDN'T CARE. HE HAD TO SAVE US. And he goes in, right?

And you know, your heart starts pounding like, "Oh man, there's a guy there. There's five there. What's he going to do?" You know, you know, shoots the first guy, keeps going. And and as I'm watching this and getting more and more just just terrified, I realize this is season two.

[laughter] Everyone else is watching season 4. and he just signed a contract to do three more seasons. It's like, "Oh, he's good." You know, and and so it's weird how, you know, it's that mind game. Suddenly, like my heart was like, "This is cool." And, you know, and it took away some of the thrill um just knowing he's going to be fine.

Okay, save your girlfriend. You know, and uh you just kind of know and it's still fun to watch. You still get a little tense, but it's just different cuz you know how it ends. You guys, that's the way we're supposed to live life. Because for us, we know there's a season 3.

We know there's a season 3,000 3 million. And so, we go, you know what? What's going to happen? It's going to be okay. There's going to come a time, right? ((applause)) So, we go through life just going, man, there's going to come this day. You don't get it. There's a day when there's going to be no more death, no more sickness, no more worry about any of this stuff.

And we're going to walk side by side with our creator who sent his son to die for us forever and ever and ever. And so, yeah, things will happen in this life, but we kind of know how it ends. And so, yeah, it'll get intense. Yeah, it'll get exciting, but ultimately, we know how it ends.

So, we live life differently. We straighten up. We lift up our heads and go, you know what? Our redemption is drawing near and yes it's painful and yes we're going to weep and yes there will be difficult times on this earth but we have a different perspective it's an eternal one man see when I look at the way the world is and I I look at just how man everything can change in a second I go so what really matters I mean this this is this is why in high school when I became a Christian man I just started looking at everything differently and I just go, "Wow, life could end tomorrow.

I I don't know that I have tomorrow." And those who know my life know that my mom and dad were dead by the time I was 12. And so you just go, "I don't know what I I don't know what's going to happen." So you just think about things in light of eternity.

In fact, that's why I got into ministry. Seriously, when I was in high school, I'm thinking, wait, if all of this can end at any moment, then all I want to do is tell people about eternity. like nothing else really seems to matter to me. And I didn't understand how people could get so into stuff and this and that when I go that can end tomorrow and it's over tomorrow.

Our life's a vapor and and and and again it's not to be this alarmist. It's it's actually quite the opposite to say it's fine. It's really not that big a deal. But shouldn't we be focused on eternal things? And that's why I started going into ministry. I go, you know, I just want to talk to people about what happens afterwards because to me that just seems like all that matters.

That's just in my mind, that's simple logic to me. And and yet once I got into ministry and once I started teaching people and the more I studied this book, an interesting thing happened. I became more concerned, or maybe I should say equally concerned, with people who attend church every Sunday.

It It wasn't just people out there going, "Oh, you know, I hate Jesus. You know, your morality, your law, one way, that's a bunch of trash, this that always lead to heaven." You know, of course, I don't believe that. But I was just as concerned as pe with people that I saw sitting in seats every weekend.

Um and and and the reason why I say that is because what the Bible taught what I saw about what Jesus taught was yes, salvation is through him and him alone. Salvation is because of what he did on the cross that I understood when I read that book there's there was nothing I could do to earn my way up there. and I needed Jesus.

And the person who's going to heaven is the person that puts all of their trust in Jesus, not on themselves, but going, "Man, it's on Jesus. It's on Jesus. What he did on the cross, he was paying for my crimes. He paid it all." You know, and and so it's that trust.

But what I also see in this book is that if a person truly does put all of his trust in Jesus, his or her life is going to change radically. that that they they're not going to be the same person. And you know, at one point they were dead and now they're alive.

One point they did not have God dwelling inside of them and then suddenly they do and things change. In fact, Paul tells the Thessalonians, he goes, "I know he called you because I can tell by your life. I saw the way you turned from your idols and all that junk.

You turn to God. He just the way you talk about I can tell it it was obvious. There were there were signs of that. The Bible says that that if you're a good tree, you're going to produce good fruit. And I got so concerned because I would get to know the people in these quote unquote churches.

And I'd look at their lives and go, "Are you serious?" And and I know there people say, "Well, not everyone changes. You know, maybe you become a believer and nothing really changes for years and then, you know, maybe there's a little fruit you don't recognize." And I'm like, "Are you kidding me? you got that from this book?

Like I look and I go, "No, it should be different." You know why the world criticizes the church and they do it rightly? I just go, "Yeah, that a lot of times there's no difference." And I became very concerned. In fact, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say, "Man, this this this one verse just terrified me." in in Matthew 7, really that whole chapter, but when Jesus says in Matthew 7 21, he says, "Not everyone who says to me,"Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.

But the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven, on that day many will say to me,"Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, do many mighty works in your name?" And then I will declare to them, I never knew you.

Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. I read that I go, man. So there are people at the end on judgment day, they die, you know, they sing the songs in church, everything. They show up, they see Jesus, and they go, "Lord, Lord," and Jesus say, "I I never knew you."

These people in their mind, they actually think, they believe they're going to go to heaven. And they go, ' Lord, Lord, here I am. And hey, didn't I do this? Didn't I do that? And Jesus says, 'depart from me. I never knew you, you workers of lawlessness. Not everyone who says to me and just calls me Lord is going to get into the kingdom of heaven.

It's him who does the will of my father who is in heaven. And I just started getting scared. [clears throat] I go, well, I was just taught that as long as you pray this prayer and, you know, or raise your hand or something like that, you're going to heaven. you're good.

I I And then I started looking for the pray the prayer verse and raise your hand verse and I'm going that's not in there. This is what Jesus said. He talks [clears throat] about denying yourself picking you. I started getting concerned going man is this the real thing? And and and honestly as I'm driving here you know man I love Bayside.

I love hanging out. I love when I can just come have a good time. will get fired up about something and walk out. But as I'm driving, my heart's just heavy going, gosh, Lord, I think you're asking me to deliver pretty heavy message today about wondering, man, I I just want to know if you're for real.

Like, not that I can know, but I I want, you know, because he says there's those they do stuff. They may fill up a shopping bag and and bring it and do these works. Go, man. Don't you remember, God? I brought that big old bag full of canned goods and I did two of them.

You know, I did this, I did that, I tithed. And then he says, "You know what? I never knew you." Like like like do you know him? Like you think about this. This isn't for me to judge or anything else. I'm just concerned like do you know him?

Like the Bible talks about when the Holy Spirit comes into your life, there's this relationship where your your very spirit cries out, "Daddy, like aba father, like I know you know me. I know you love me and I love you and and we talk and I I love those times when I'm alone with you and there's no one else around.

Like I'm in love with you and I know you're in love with me." It's like, do you have that? Do you see the fruit in your life where it's like, wow, you know, look at look at who I was, man. And look at how Christ has changed me and look at this new joy and this peace that fearlessness like I know I'm good.

Like, is that you? Or is it just like I go to church and [sighs] I don't know. It's just I I look at these passages and I I get concerned because these are this is Jesus speaking. It's not me speaking. This is Jesus speaking. And and and and here's the thing is sometimes we almost feel confident um when we're a part of the majority.

You know how you know there's strength in numbers. You know that old saying. And and yet I look at scripture and look what Jesus says just a few verses earlier in verse 13. He says, "Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

[snorts] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." So those who would say, "Oh, Francis, you're just getting all, you know, this or that." Look, you know, most of us are like this. We we don't really we just kind of show up to church and we do a few good things. and you feel comfortable because well this is what everyone does.

And my question to you is when has everyone been right? Can you name one time in the Bible when the majority was right? Seriously, think of one time in human history when the majority was right. No. And and then Jesus's very words are, you know what? There there's a narrow road that leads to life and few will find it.

Yet there's this wide easy one that everyone's going to go down. That's why, man, I know some people want to do the popular thing. Whenever I do something that's popular, I get nervous. [snorts] I do cuz I go, man, when has the right thing ever been popular? And he says, 'Look, if there's a narrow road and few will find it, and yet everyone is striving after this fame or you being accepted by all these people.

And I look at that verse and I go, man, Jesus said that the gates's wide, it's easy. That leads to destruction. And yet that road is not marked hell. That road's marked heaven, right? You know, it's like, you know, when you watch uh, you know, Tom and Jerry or something and they're in a race and they change the sign from, you know, broken bridge to this is where you should run, you know, and and uh it's it's it's almost, you know, like someone said, they just they switch the signs.

They just put this wide easy road. This leads to heaven. Everyone goes to heaven. You ever been doing a memorial service where the guy didn't go to heaven? We all go there, right? You know, everyone's in a better place. It's easy. It's wide. We're all going there. And yet, what does Jesus say?

He goes, "No, no, no, no. There's a narrow road that leads to life and few will find it." And I'm going, "Jesus, this is serious stuff. This is all that matters." And there's a lot of people going to church today, this weekend, next weekend. There just tons of people go to these services.

And I get concerned because I read the scriptures and I go, man, it's so hard not to just go with the flow and the general teaching today. You know, in uh in the book of Revelation, there are these letters and I and I thought about this one time.

I thought, man, what if I live in one of these cities? See, there were certain churches that Jesus wrote to in Revelation 2 and 3. He wrote personal letters to specific churches. I mean, can you imagine if Bayside Church got a personal letter from Jesus to say, "You want the truth about what I think about that church?

You want the truth about what I like and what I don't like?" Like, like, "Do you would you even want to know?" You know, like someone's like, "Ah, you know, like it would be intriguing to say the least." Well, here these churches, they each got a letter from Jesus and Jesus would talk about what he liked, what he didn't like.

And there were some churches where he says, "Man, everyone's so fake there." Goes, "But there's a few of you. There's a few of you that are holding on." And then other churches, one of the one of the phrases that that really hit me the last two weeks, I feel like God's been just repeating it in my ear is is Revelation 3 about the church in uh Sardis where he says uh he says, "Strengthen what remains and is about to die."

Like that phrase has been in my head because if I'm honest, there are areas in my life that have grown that I go, God, thank you. I've changed changed for the good. But I also see areas in my life that have been slipping, you know, and I've been hearing this phrase, strengthen what remains and is about to die.

I I I see this side of me where, man, I used to be fearless in what I would say and just lay it out there like I don't care, you know? I would just go and there was like this faith and like no, I I I can't die, you know, until it's my time.

Like and and I started seeing doubt and I started seeing this fear and this concern about criticism and wanting to be liked and and yet it was still in there, this fire. And I just felt like God was saying, just like he said, that church star, strengthen that back up.

It's about to die. Don't you let it die, Francis. Don't you let it die. You know, and and so that's what he's been speaking to me. That's why I don't think these are just letters for back then. I go, no, these are messages for today. And I think about this church in Leotaa and I go, gosh, that feels a lot like our country.

And having traveled the world and seeing how believers act in other places, I read about Leodysa and go, "Ooh, that feels very American in some ways." And not to be down or negative, whatever. I'm just out of concern. It's this church. And he says to them, he he says, "I know your deeds.

You are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Okay. What does that do? like you've got a a word from Jesus saying, "Hey, I know your deeds.

You're not hot, like just on fire for me, and you're not anti-Jesus and oh, we hate everything about you're just lukewarm." And he is because you're lukewarm, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth. And I thought, "Wow, what if I lived in that city? What if you lived in that city of Leodysa and everyone was just lukewarm?

Everyone in the church was just lukewarm. Everyone was just like, "Well, yeah, we love Jesus. Yeah, he's good." And we do a few things here and there. Like, how would you know that you're lukewarm? You know, in some ways, like if you don't have that, you know, other than looking at the word, but but everyone around you kind of like the same thing kind of that wide easy road.

Oh, we're all just kind of floating along. I go, man, what if I was there? Would I know enough to look at the word and go, no, I see where everyone else is going. I'm not going there. You know, I'm not going to be spit out of his mouth.

And I started thinking, gosh, you know what? Could this be it? It's kind of like I mean, I've shared this before, but it's it's like when I went to Hong Kong and and and you know, years ago and and my grandma would would take me to all of her our relatives and and everyone that saw me would say, "Wow, you know, I know."

And uh but uh [laughter] but what it means what everyone was saying when they would take one look at me was wow he's so big. Okay. Look at me. Okay. And I didn't have the heart to say it's not that I so big, you know. you so rto, you know, you guys are all so tiny, you know, and it makes me think about this church in Leotaa, you know.

See, that's what I go. I go, man, if everyone's kind of lukewarm and you just do a little bit more, suddenly, oh, you're such a spiritual giant. >> But what if you're living in Leosa? You know, it's not it's not that you're doing anything great. It's just that everyone else is so blah.

And that started to freak me out because I look at scripture, I go, you know what? I don't want to get caught up in this thing. This that that's a terrifying verse. I don't see why people don't get concerned about some of these passages where it says, "You're not hot or cold.

I'm going to spit you out of my mouth." And I hear people say, "Oh yeah, I'm lukewarm." And I'm like, "What? Are you kidding me? You You can just kind of casually say that I'm a lukewarm Christian." First of all, I don't believe there's such a thing as a lukewarm Christian according to this passage. >> And this whole idea of being spit out of the mouth of God, are Christians spit out of the mouth of God.

I mean, this spit is like this gagging like you disgust. Ah, it's like getting a drink. You think it's hot, you know, or you think it's cold coffee and it's just it's just like this little that's not what I was expecting. It's that idea of oh, this is disgusting to me.

I'm going to spit you out of my mouth. In fact, he goes on and he says, uh, "For you say, "Oh, I'm rich. I've prospered. I need nothing." Not realizing you're wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. He goes, "You're not rich. You're not doing fine." He goes, "I I WANT TO SPIT YOU OUT of my mouth cuz you're wretched."

He goes, "Is that how he talks to believers? Is that what he calls me? Is he goes, "Oh, there's Francis. that wretched, pitiable, you know, blind, naked, oh, but he's my son. No, that's not the words he uses for believers. We don't say, "I once was blind. I'm still blind."

You know, it's that's not what we sing about. It's about the fact that we've been changed. And that's why he says to this group of people, he goes, "I counseledled you to buy from me gold refined by the fire so that you may be rich and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Those whom I love I reprove and discipline. So be zealous and repent." See, he's saying to these people, he goes, "Look, you don't get it. You're in this lukewarm state. I'm about to spit you out of my mouth. You're disgusting to me. You're wretched. You're pitiable. You You're just so casual.

Don't you understand what Jesus says? When someone gets it, when someone understands the kingdom of God and understands the value of God, he says, it's like they found this great treasure and it was so great they just with great joy goes, "Here, have everything I have. I could care less.

I want this treasure." >> He goes, "When you get that, that's when you get me. That's when you get it. You realize, "Oh man, I can have God. I can sit on his throne. He and I, forever and ever. This stuff is so lame. Just take it all.

It's all rubbish." He goes, "That's the person who gets it." And that's why he says to this people, "You're not hot. You're not cold. You're lukewarm. I'm going to spit you out of my mouth, but I'm telling you." He goes, "But I love you." And that's why I'm saying these words to you is I want you to turn.

And he goes, "And I can actually make you rich, you know, give you true riches." says, "It's not just about finances. You're I'll make you truly rich." He goes, "I'll I'll I'll clean out your eyes so you can actually see. I'll give you a white garment to wear so you can walk in all purity.

I will change all of this." In fact, I love the phrase when he says in verse 20, he says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens a door, I'll come into him and I'll eat with him and he with me, the one who conquers, I'll grant him to sit with me on my throne as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne.

This isn't about I I don't want you to think, oh yeah, I'm kind of lukewarm. I'm going to go out. I'm going to grab five bags, you know, I'm going to go do this. I'm going to do that. It's not about you going, okay, I'm going to earn this thing.

I'm going to work harder. No, this is about God saying, "You don't get it. You don't get it. The heart change hasn't happened. I haven't come into your life yet. That's why you're just like this lukewarm. You're not hot, cold. You're He" He goes, "But I'm knocking right now."

Uh he goes, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Can you hear my voice right now? Can you hear my voice to say, you know what? You've never had a real love relationship with me. It's been religion. and you're trying to mass this, mass that, and do a few good works here or there, but you've never really known me.

But I'm knocking on the door. I want to come into your life. I want to change everything. I want to open your eyes. I want to give you this power where you start putting to death the deeds of the flesh where it's no longer, oh, I got to pray.

It's that time of day. But it's like this love where it's like, ah, daddy, yaba, father, I love you more than anyone. Who else would I want to be with? And earth has nothing for me. It's all about you. He goes, I want to come into your life and I'm knocking at the door.

Are you going to let me in because I'll change everything. Everything. And the very last phrase he says is, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches." Jesus is the only one in scripture that uses that phrase. He who has an ear, let him hear.

Because he's explained in other places that not everyone's going to hear the message, you know, just go in one ear, out the other. People will hear it and go, "Yeah, yeah, I'm still lukewarm." Like you I go, "How can you just casually say you're lukewarm? Like you're just casually, yeah, I'm going to get spit out at the end."

It's like, how can you do that? But not everyone hears the message. And that's why Jesus would just say, "He who has ears, let him hear." He didn't try to convince someone, talk them into something. But he did know [snorts] that sometimes God sets things up, not coincidentally. Acts 17 says he's very purposeful in the exact time that he puts you in a certain place because he's drawing you to himself.

And it says, "So that you might feel your way toward him and actually find him." And I believe there's some people in this room, I'm hoping, I'm praying, I've been praying that there's some of you in this room that go, I heard what he said and he was talking about me.

I've gone to church, maybe grew up in church. I'm not in love with Jesus. It's not everything to me. There's so many things I've been holding on to that I I just don't not ready to let go. But I heard the message today and I get it now.

And if Jesus Christ really did die on that cross for me and really does offer for me to repent, to turn from my ways and follow him and he's going to come into my life and I want that. I want that. Then I I would say to you the same thing that Peter said years ago, 2,000 years ago after his first sermon, it says people were cut to the heart and said, "What do I need to do?"

Like they were so like they heard, they had ears to hear. They go, "Okay, what do I need to do?" And Peter said, "Repent, turn from your way of life, be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins." You just saw the video on baptism if you got here on time. you know, be baptized.

He says, "And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." This promise is for you, your children, and those who are far off, those who will be listening 2,000 years from now. You repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the Holy Spirit.

And maybe there's some of you today who just say, "You know what? I'm ready for that. No more games. I don't really know him. I'm not ready to face him. I'm not at peace with where the world's at. I I got to get right with him. And if that's you, we're going to give you an opportunity to to tell someone today about your decision.

But I I want to pray for you right now. And in fact, would you just bow your heads right now? And those of you who already believe in God, just start praying for the ones who don't. Those of you who know you're secure in Jesus, you love him.

He has changed you. Start praying for the people he hasn't changed. God, I ask that you would move right now. God, please, please just draw people to yourself. Help them to see how beautiful you are. Help them to see that nothing else matters. Not that they would just add you to their pile of stuff, but they would see that you are better than everything and you're all that matters.

That they would just realize that they can follow you, they could get you. So, some of you who who believe that God's calling you today and he's knocking on the door, maybe you can even just pray to him right now and say, "God, I I want you in my life.

Let him know, I I know. I know I've sinned against you. I know I've rebelled against you. And I believe that Jesus died on that cross for me. I believe it. And tell him, I want you to enter in and and have relationship with me to where everything changes because I don't want this sin in my life.

Father, I pray that people really do come to know you today and fall in love with you today so that they will be with you forever. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.