POR QUE EU ORO? - Francis Chan (Legendado)

okay it's my job now to really make you be quiet and to gather your attention because in uh 60 seconds Francis Chan's going to be out here and it would be good for you to be ready to listen to him Francis Chan was the founding Pastor is the founding Pastor is the founding founder of Cornerstone Church for 16 years he was there and founded eternity Bible College step back from that Ministry last April and is moving into partly an unknown and partly unknown dream of ministering in discipleship and mentoring in an urban center maybe he'll

tell you more um traveled with his family overseas to be exposed to God's work in the lives of people in other places is now in San Francisco and most of you perhaps know him in large measure because of the book Crazy Love which has been of course crazy successful and which probably has made him crazy frightened because success of that nature is a dangerous thing he's married to Lisa and has four children and you can pray about an adoption that's in the offing I'm sure he would appreciate and the reason he's here is because um

at least from my side it's because last fall at our Desiring God National Conference in his talk which maybe one of the most listened to watched talks Desiring God has ever put up he alluded to and gave some expression of his own personal uh prayer walk meaning walking daily in a helpless cry to God and just gave an experience or two and I I wrote him and I said you just want to flesh that out for us want to finish that talk and uh so whatever he wants to do with that will be okay with

me as long as God is in it and I'm sure he will be so welcome Francis Chan to speak to us thank you John have a good time thank you Pastor John gave me the topic of prayer as a way of Walking In Love a personal journey and I love that topic prayer as a way of Walking In Love I love it because prayer Rivals I want to be careful how I say this in my life prayer has even rivaled the scriptures in um and stirring my affections toward god um the way God answers my

prayers I you know as as a kid I sang that song Jesus Loves Me This I know because the Bible tells me so and and still absolutely does that happen yet there are days I'll read something and I just go God I I can't believe that you you like me that much you you love me that much are you kidding me and I'll get that and I know Jesus loves me because the Bible tells me so but but I I got to say there there's at this point in my life I could I could also

s Jesus loves me because the way he answers my prayers just it it it shows me so I I've seen it there's so many times when I I'll just break down and cry I mean just five minutes ago I'm just back there as I'm I'm getting ready to talk to you guys I'm going God Is there is there any way I can communicate what we've had for these these 40 years or you know that I've been alive I I I feel like ever since I was a kid the way you listen to to me the

way you hear me it's it's it's unreal I I love you so much and I just want these guys I want anyone who doesn't does doesn't experience that or know that I want them to have that but how can I how can I share this this personal Journey how can I share everything that God and I have been through together for all of these years I mean I I there there are times I really question and I and I look I go God do you love everyone this much I mean the way you answer my

prayer this is unbelievable I love you I love you I love you I don't know what more you could do to show me your love I see it in the scriptures but I've also see in the way you answer my prayers I mean silly things little things the tiny things I I you know times when my wife and I will just look at each other we'll just start crying and because we're going God how can you care about even that I understand the big things I understand the spiritual things but sometimes even little silly things

I I remember one time just driving and and and just talking to the Lord you know just silently in my mind I'm going God I'm struggling with something right now I go there's no answer to it I'm just telling you my struggle I I said every time we have money in the bank I I want to just give it to someone who's in Greater need than we are and I go I'm struggling cuz I kind of want to take my family on vacation but every time I think about that I think I can't spend it

on a vacation you know there are people who are in need I got to give it to them and I told God God I'm not complaining I'm not I'm not even asking for anything I just you just tell me to tell you my desires that's just what I'm feeling right now few days later my wife calls me you know I'm in the office and she just says hey honey we got this weird check in the mail and I go really why she goes it's a cashier's check cashier's check has been sent to us and for

$22,000 I'm like really man that's a lot of money $2,000 we don't know who it came from I go there's no letter with it there's no explanation she goes yeah there's a sticky note and uh it's taped to it and it just says Francis spend this on your family and I go honey you know I'm in my office just go you know beside myself go honey you don't even know what I prayed a few days ago I go honey I I I just prayed I go God there's no answer to this one cuz there was

no physical answer like no if you give me money I'm going to spend it on someone else but no God said no I'm going to give you a check and you'll feel guilty if you don't spend it on your family because that's what this not will say and and I just go honey why does he even care about that just the the the little things the the the silly things I I shared the Desiring God con conference about about the time I was just bothered cuz I was playing golf with my friends and they were

out driving me cuz they all got new drivers those big ones and and and I hated that I had this little tiny thing and and even my friends that were terrible out driving me and I thought I'm going to buy a driver I'm going to I got to buy one I got to save up money or I got to ask for it for Christmas I can't do that no Lord you know that's that's that's a that's a waste not not that if you did that that was wrong with you but you know I was just

like Lord I I I don't feel good about that you know oh man but oh well the next morning I'm speaking at a church this little Church Plant and they said you know we heard that you know a lot of times you won't take a an honorarium you know if it's a little church I mean I'll take one from this but but you know and uh but uh so he said uh so this is what the guy says he goes so we didn't get you in honorarium we bought you this driver the very next morning

I mean I'm driving home I still remember that that Ry home just go just laughing like God this is this is silliness this is ridiculous you don't get a driver for an honorarium the day after the day after you just struggled with all of these thoughts I I mean it's just everything in our lives just just this crazy super Supernatural I I I don't know I mean my my life just does not make any any sense and and even a few years ago my wife looked at me she goes honey you know I love my

life she goes I love being married to you I love the Simplicity of Our Lives she go I'm happy living off of whatever God gives me gives us you know I'm happy to live humbly I'm happy to have nothing she goes the one thing I always wish though she goes I always wish we were generous I always wish we could be generous ever since I was a kid I thought gosh I would love to be the person that could just write checks you know like oh you're a need here let me write you something I

go well that's that's awesome honey but that'll never be us you know but that's a that's a great desire you know but that's that's going to be for other people I mean I'm a pastor you know and and this is the way we're going to live and that's just awesome that you think that way and and then even a couple years ago I I prayed and I I was praying for the wealthy and I said Lord you I a lot of wealthy people in the church have wealthy friends and God I I I pray that

somehow like I I see them give but I think man they got a lot and uh and you know they're 10% I don't know just just in my mind I go God could you just raise up some new wealthy people you know people that that really don't care about their stuff you know I mean it's like it's one thing to have a little and say I'll give it all the Lord Lord but God raise up people have a lot and go I really don't care I just love Jesus and and so the stop here just

have it all and and God I I said I said God and if you're not going to do that make me Rich make me Rich seriously you know make my friends Rich that that that that that don't care about stuff having no clue what God was going to do as as Pastor John said yeah crazy love has been crazy successful and I had no idea no desire to make money off of it um and so even said you know what I don't even want to touch the money if it comes in it it goes straight

into a charitable gift fund and I I I don't want that Temptation in my life and so if it comes in then I can write checks to Charities but I I can't touch it myself and and uh man just last year we made about $2 million off the thing and I'm just looking at my wife going are you kidding me this is what you always wanted to do wasn't it just to be able to write checks and oh you're in need here this this ministry is in need here I God this is this is ridiculous

my life is ridiculous the way you answer these prayers God my life makes it makes no sense I'm coming on the stage I'm I'm just thinking through my childhood I'm thinking about everything in my life and go none of this makes sense why am I walking on this stage why are people listening to me why do you just shower me with all of this stuff and all of these opportunities and just your presence the way you answer my prayers and so prayer is a way of walking in love man I love God so much more

because of these these prayers answered prayers some prayers you know he he didn't answer you know like Joel said last night how God will will give us you know exactly what we pray for or exactly what we should have prayed for um at the times when we pray the wrong thing in fact my wife we you know we recently moved to San Francisco and so you know we pack everything up and we're cleaning up these boxes and and she finds this old Journal of mine from when I was in high schooling in laughter in the

other room it was a a prayer Journal my youth pastor had taught me you know just just write down your prayers in one side and then write down when he aners them and then you have something to look back on and go no way cuz you'll forget you just forget you know I'm just throwing out a few things I remember but you just do forget but my wife was just laughing hysterically she even calls my oldest daughter come in here look at what Dad prayed when he was your age and and uh I I am

kind of embarrassed to even share what some of that was but um but we do we thank God right we thank God he didn't answer some of those prayers um or a lot of us would have married fah faucet um we uh just just it's it's it's it's it's that growing though as a as a child like oh okay that's not really what you asked for you you know different things but isn't when you look at scripture isn't isn't prayer the thing that differentiates us from the rest of the world right our God listens to

us right wasn't that the story of Elijah where he could just mock the prophets of baale go ahead cut yourselves scream out no one's listening no one answers now watch what happens when I pray let me show you what happens when I pray it's always shown look the god of Abraham Isaac Jacob he he's the one that listens he's the Living God he's not a block of wood that you made up that's not going to answer you my God answers me he listens to me I I was telling you about that prayer Journal but back

my very first prayer you know was was for this uh you know I told the Lord I was going to start going to church early I was I was like 15 years old I go there's a park across the street I just want to tell these people about Jesus and and so you know let me let me share with some people you know as I go out there and play basketball and and just hang out with them and you know and then I wrote down he I met this guy named squeaky you know it's a

name he went by you know I'm praying for squeaky you know save him Lord save him Lord use me to you know and then and then I and then I look on the answered prayer and and on the answered prayer it talks about how yeah weird thing I was walking up to the youth group today and I I heard a bunch of screaming and swearing downstairs so I look over the edge and they're squeaky and he's surrounded by these guys and they're about to get into this you know big old gang fight thing and I

go running down the stairs and I just you know just just kid going squeaky what are you doing man you goes man this guy said this about my brother I'm gonna tear him up you know and all these people I'm like just just let's just leave all of this forget all this come upstairs with me we're having a Bible study we're having a youth group you know let's let's go and and he he literally does he walks up the steps with me goes to this Bible study youth pastor speaking gives his life to the Lord

and I just write that down on my prayer list you know and and just just just thinking through the prayers as I prayed for people in Ministry I I remember um one time just praying for this gal uh because I I was leading a college Ministry and and uh and and we had this gathering on a Friday night and and there was this one girl that wasn't there and I just thought ah man I I think she's drifting away from you God and I just I I just remember leaving the Gathering and just walking around

the block to pray for her I go God you know I I I just lift her up to you I lift up J to you right now would you would would you just get her attention somehow right now right now God right now get her attention cuz I want her to love you I get a phone call the next morning Jen's in the hospital she goes Francis you you'll never guess what happened she go I've been praying all night she she goes I I was driving I was driving last night you know and and suddenly

my gas pedal got stuck I don't know why it just the accelerator got stuck and I ended up running into a house into the living room of a house and and and I and I I I live but all night I kept thinking I kept thinking God man I heard these messages and I I just don't know if I had died I don't know if I would have gone to heaven I don't know if you I I've never really f as the Lord of my life she goes I was so scared I've just been praying

all night all night all night I don't even know what happened how could my gas pedal get stuck I go Jen um man I prayed for you last night right then and she goes she goes well it works she goes all I've been doing is praying all night long here in the hospital bed I go man that's awesome then her mom called me and yelled at me she she got so mad how do you pray that and I was just learning my theology I go well I don't think he would do it unless it was

right I mean you know I mean he's Sovereign he's in control but it was it was that same thing you were talking about last night it's almost like wow this this is this is this is a serious power we have here a serious serious power here I mean times I I remember being in Colorado and I had to rent a car I was at you know at a friend's house house and so I'm looking through the phone book and and there I don't know if it was Enterprise or someone that they send a guy out

and and I said oh great could you send him over to my house I put the phone down I said Lord I just got on my knees I go I don't know who this guy is coming to pick me up to take me to the car lot would you just Amaze him with your grace would you just show him your power would you just give me an opportunity to tell him how great you are comes picks me up at this house I I no exaggeration I would say within one minute this man was balling his

eyes out just weeping just looked at him and said how are you doing he just started crying and telling about his life falling apart and I let's sit down let's forget about the car end up going to Coffee the next day hanging out with them talking about a relationship with God took him to a church service the very next day just some local church that I found out there I go God see this is this is the stuff that's got to happen and we're cleaning out my garage one day and going Lord this is not

Eternal there's nothing Eternal about cleaning my garage I hate that I'm going to be spending like two hours doing something that has no Eternal value but I feel like I got to do it otherwise I'm a bad testimony or something you know I I just got to just just but I want to do something Eternal I don't want to just sweep and clean and move boxes and as I'm doing it my neighbor across the street comes over with tears in his eyes just going guy that I've been wanting to talk to for so long and

and and he just says will you pray for me I'm going God this is this is ridiculous this ridiculous just just it's the ministry opportunities everything I I I ask for just just can I can I be a part of something that you're doing maybe the the craziest one there's all so many but there's this one time you ever um you ever dream about someone and you have a bad dream like you got in a fight with them or and then you see them in the morning and you're like angry with them and you're not

even sure why and then it occurs to you see it happened to me at my church one time with W with one of my staff I I I saw him one morning walk by the office and I just had these negative feelings toward him and I was like Lord what was that why am I bothered what what what happened yesterday what did we do then I realized oh it was just a dream and and so I go over to him you know I go wow weirdest thing just happened you know when you walk by my

office I was like totally angry at you um and I'm thinking God why why am I angry at him and I go I realize I go I had a dream about you last night I dreamt that you were a homosexual and and that you were arguing for it and you were fighting against me and you're trying to persuade people to go that direction I mean that the stupidest thing and so when I saw your face I was just mad that was so weird and he just kind of and he just walks away he comes back

the next week and he goes remember that dream you had that was from God I said' what do you mean I said no he goes Francis you scared me so bad when you when you said those words to me I knew at that moment okay God you're trying to say something to me he says you had no clue I had no clue whatso it would be like me coming up to any one of you I mean it was the farthest thing from truth that's why I could joke about it and and bring it before you

and he goes that that's that is the struggle of my life and I feel like I'm going to head the other direction and I was just about to enter into this he goes that was a prophecy and I remember just walking you know just just in just stunned by what he said in the office and going home and just looking at my wife going honey you'll never believe what just happened you know those moments where you just go God I I thought I I I I know I know you're a powerful God but every time

I experience that answered prayer it just makes me in awe of you again Ask go God what is why do I do anything other than pray you know I I just just in awe going God what are you doing these these Supernatural things then I then after a while I'm like you know cuz my wife is stunned I'm stunned and then I go gosh what what is that verse it says the old men will dream dreams the young men will have visions I go wait which one is it is it the old men that have

visions and wait is it was that a dream or a vision then yeah you know we got all off track but but it's it's still it's just this uh see when I when I share with someone every time I share with someone and and you know a stranger on the plane or whatever I just I say to God I go God the only thing that's going to differentiate me from the Jehovah's Witness or the Mormon or the Unitarian or the you know the the Muslim or whoever it is it's it's it's this time right now

man I I got to pray you got to do something otherwise I'm going to sound like just some other some religious freak some some fanatic some cult leader like you've got to make it known to them that that that that my God is you are the real God the god of Abraham Isaac Jacob Peter Paul Jesus that Jesus is Lord somehow you've got to do that in their their lives and so I depend on this prayer every time I talk I go God you got to speak to them or they're going to walk away and

go ah sounds like that guy or that guy or that guy no God when I speak there better be a power it's not my job to convince them it's it's not I can't change their heart it's it's like going to going to a a cemetery and say come on get up get up get up it's just it's just pointless no speech is going to do that God you have have to do something you got to show them your power you know as I as I present the gospel to them there needs to be a power

in that where they hear that message and go wow that's like nothing I've ever heard I mean think about this when unbelievers come to your service picture someone try to put yourself in the in this in the shoes of a of an unbeliever who's who's maybe seeking or something and he comes to one of your services what what what's he looking for what do you think he wants to see up there on the stage does you want to see a you know a polished speech maybe you know that's helpful you know a brainiac that just

can can just you know show them that you're more intelligent than him you know a comedian to show him man look look I got a great personality I mean what what does that person want to see don't don't don't they want to walk in and and hear a guy and go man that that that that person person's connected to God he has something I don't have is it's like God listens to God doesn't listen to me like that there's something about that guy I can't explain it but he had a connection with God and I

want that he he he knows this God that I don't know I know there's something there but man when I heard that guy speak I was convinced he knows this God and I want that I mean isn't that what they're after and and when they hear you teach up there is that what they see is there this jealousness of oh man see that guy I want what he has I've been um attending different services on Sunday mornings and I I or just throughout the week just going to different churches different services and and and sometimes

I sit there and just try to imagine myself as an unbeliever and I try to think if I was searching for God would I find him here you know what would be my impression here when I when I look up there and go oh my gosh that guy that guy knows him I I got to get with him woo these people here in this room they know this God they have something that I don't have and I understand the gospel is powerful and God could use an unbeliever to preach the gospel CU there's power in

the gospel itself I understand that and I understand God is a sovereign God and he is going to draw people to himself but I also see in scripture we have a responsibility and and it's not even necessarily just a responsibility isn't it a desire I mean don't you want to be that guy right don't you want to be that guy that that people go wow you've got a connection with him you you your God listens to you uh he doesn't listen to me like that do you still believe that was the final point of uh

Joel's message last night you know still believing that God answers prayer and I I love the childlike faith that Paul was talking about is that still you I mean how many of you guys grew up in church grew up going to Sunday school Church wow wow okay when you were a kid in Sunday school what was your favorite story Jah Jonah okay yeah that's cuz it was every other week but what what what else what what other uh now you got to get to cut out the whale and what what what else well we're some

try to think back David and Goliath right what what else Mount Carmel Elijah I know I love that one what else Daniel and the Lions then yeah you can still see the pictures on the felt what what else what else Jero Jericho yeah yeah yeah yeah we marching around blowing the the trumpets what what else The Exodus The Exodus FY furnace fiery furnace D Mighty David's mighty man yeah just killing everyone but but okay but think about this don't you remember man as kids remember when you would walk out of Sunday school it's like my

God could do anything and we're just so amazed by the power we see it in our kids now right when they walk out of church just going yeah my God can do anything and you just love hearing that and somehow it changes somehow I I don't know there's this weirdness that sometimes I felt awkward preaching some of those Old Testament passages and stories as though it was too childish like well that's what we did when we were kids you know and we used to walk around as kids Amazed by these stories Amazed by The Miracles

of this almighty God but then as we get older we're no longer Amazed by those stories we're amazed when someone up front you know says hop Haw legina like w oh did you hear that you know did you hear him the way he Parts you know and it's just like it changes and we're Amazed by intellect we're Amazed by a communication style we're Amazed by these different things and and it's like what happened to those days when we were just stunned by God himself like man God maybe we need to start preaching David and Goliath

more often maybe we do have to preach Jonah every other week maybe we got to get back to Shadrach mesach and abedo and just just look at our people and go man our God is a mighty God it's always been about this it's always about him answering our prayers and how that's real today and to give every day illustrations going man that's still my God that's still my God my God can do anything that childlike Faith to believe like children do you still believe I mean we know right James 1 says you doubt that that's

why you don't receive it you're not going to receive anything you're a double-minded man unstable in all that you do have we lost the faith in our God that can do anything you know James 5 was mentioned last night too my that's my favorite favorite verse is James 5:17 I never really even knew never even understood it but it was my favorite you know I didn't realize that I I never saw that the the the the the praying the the the way you mention I can't even explain it now but that idea I just always

loved that thought that Elijah was a man just like us Elijah was a man with a nature just like us see as a kid I I I lifted up David I lifted up Elijah I lifted up Moses as these superheroes and that's why I fell in love with that verse I go wait he's a man just like me I I I love that that means Elijah has nothing on me and I'm going to pray like that that see see I I believe if Elijah were in this room some of you would just be in awe

like wow you you you know you're you're the Prophet Elijah and and for me to say well big deal I'm I'm Francis chance you know he's just a man I'm just a man we we've got the exact same nature but the way he prayed he had this fervency about it and I I could pray like that I'm I'm I've got a nature just like his you could pray like that let's quit putting these guys up on a pedestal that's why that verse is there he prayed fervently that's why that's why it didn't rain I had

a friend call me in tears one time because he prayed for rain in Southern California in the middle of August and it rained and he's on the phone as the waters he I didn't know what what was wrong with him he's just you know just he couldn't even talk Amazed by the grace of God he could you never believe what I prayed last night because of this fire and everything that's going on he just he I got to tell you the whole story later I just can't even believe it the the water that's hitting my

windshield and it's not in the forecast this isn't supposed to happen why did he hear this I'm just amazed wow even now he's just a man just like us do you believe that I mean honestly you got to really look in your soul and go okay do I really believe that I could pray and if if need be if I were in that situation I could just call down fire from heaven could I have that type of confidence God that that if David was here it's like no big deal he's just a man with a

nature just like mine in fact I could I could maybe even argue that I have one up on him with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit I mean we say we believe you know that that whoever believes in him will have eternal life but do we also believe that when he says you know whoever believes in me will do the things that I do and even greater things than these I because it comes back down to that belief man is it still there when you pray I mean there are times now when I'll pray for

someone who's sick and I'm just blown away because I go God I don't get it why didn't you heal them wait how come you didn't hear that one I I think I I think I confessed everything I think he confessed everything I think we did where now I'm just so I'm getting more and more just used to him answering prayer that when something doesn't get answered I go that is really weird I'm going to really have to think about that one Lord do you believe believe in the prayers I mean it's true the Bible says

there are times when you know maybe it's doubt other times you know like James 4 uh you know that was mentioned earlier today how maybe I'm praying with the wrong motives and it's there's a selfishness there I'm praying in the wrong way you know maybe it's a first Peter 3 thing that I'm not honoring my wife as a fellow heir of the grace of life so so so that my prayers may not be hindered and I go gosh have I been treating Lisa okay you know I'll call her hey I love you you know let

me go pray again let me let me I I want to I want to think these things through but but I I want to I want to point something out to you I know you're familiar with Isaiah 58 um where where where God you know because the Bible says sometimes your prayer and fasting is a waste of time right he just I'm not listening to that your motives are wrong whatever else you're not treating your wife the right way you're you're doubting um um Isaiah 58 it's like you you're not caring for the poor you

know you have there in Isaiah 58 um verse five is is such the fast that I chose I choose a day for a person to Humble himself is it to bow down his head like a reed and to spread sackcloth and Ashes under him will you call this a fast a day acceptable to the Lord is not this the fast that I choose to loose the bonds of wickedness to undo the straps of the Yoke to let the oppressed go Go free and to break every yoke is it not to share your bread with the

hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house when you see the naked to cover him and not to hide yourself from your own flesh then shall your light Break Forth like the Dawn and your healing shall spring up speedily your righteousness shall go before you the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard I love verse 9 this is what I want to point out then you shall call and the Lord will answer you shall cry and he'll say here I am there were people who were pleading with God for certain things but

because of their disregard for his commands is Con to have this concern for the poor God say I'm not even listening to that in fact you're oppressing the poor of course I'm not going to listen to you but then he says you know when you start doing these things it's it's it's like he says I'll just here I am here I am it's like this this quick response and and I I I look at this passage and I I got to say there are times when I Marvel at the Lord because I say God I

I don't pray as hard as some people I know people that'll spend hours in prayer and and got almost feel bad but it's like I'll just throw something up there or I'll just say something in passing or sometimes I don't even have to pray it and you just answer you just do and I I feel spoiled and then I look at this passage and and then I look back I go wow it is the times when it it's it's like when we just pour ourselves out and just just obedience and go gosh I I see

this in your word I'm going to go after this and God says gosh when I see you doing that you just say the word and I'll say here I am here I am what what did you want you just cry out to me I I'll take care of it it it's very similar to uh John John 15 uh verse 5 when he says I am the vine you are the branches if a man abides in me he will bear much fruit you just abide in me and you're going to Bear a bunch of fruit verse

7 when he says if if you abide in me I abide in you ask whatever you wish and it'll it'll be given to you it's it it's again it's this idea that it's not necessarily because I'm the one that prayed the hardest it's because when I when you're abiding in Jesus when you're just you know pouring yourself out for the poor there's just this sense in which what do you need what do you want cuz you're you're you're abiding in me my words abide in you and and as a pastor I will have to say

that this has probably been my biggest failure times when uh I get so busy in Ministry and uh those times when a million thoughts come into your mind at once and you have so many good ideas of what you can do for the Lord that immediately your prayer life goes to okay God do this God do this God do this God do this okay bless this bless this bless this bless this rather than that that that uh relationship that's just abiding in him rather than me just pursuing God himself I'm pursuing these things and these

actions and Jesus says you just just abide in me you want to Bear a lot of fruit just abide in me it takes Faith though huh it takes Faith to say I'm just going to sit here I'm just going to abide in God and so many of my prayers 90% at times are just God do this do this do of course For Your Glory but do this do this do this and I neglect the most important thing which is prayer as a way of walking in love and just communing with my God and just being

with him and abiding with him and and just just uh just saying God you're so good look at everything you do for me look at my life look at who you are you're wonderful you're wonderful you know you couldn't pay me enough to stop speaking to you you know as we learned last night it just I I I no amount of money I I just I love just being close to you my guess is many of you guys struggle so focused on the work of God that you neglect the person of God um so much

pressure so much criticism and there's periods we forget that you know in in this pursuit of all of this fruit we forget that if I would abide in him it's a guarantee there I'm going to Bear much fruit but it takes Faith because it does feel like it was mentioned earlier like I'm doing nothing when I just pray and yet look at your ministry look at your life the greatest things that have happened did you really plan those out was that your strategic planning and those hours and hours of planning that you put into it

or were they just something fell in your lap right and you just go well I couldn't have done that but then you'll write a book about it and pretend you came up with it but but you you know but it but the truth is gosh Lord I I didn't know what I was doing just abiding in you trying to be faithful look what you did Supernatural one of the greatest things in your life you know unplanned by you and the greatest things in your ministry were unplanned by you just abide in him I've been camping

out on this one verse the last couple of weeks Psalm 27:4 one thing have I asked of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple someone have a Kleenex I'm sorry I'm getting too emotional up here thank you turn my mic off for a second all right I'm good PSAL 27:4 one thing have I asked of the Lord what's the one thing you keep asking of the Lord

if I could read a transcript of your prayers for the last few weeks what would I see as the one thing that you just keep asking for would it be God just let me dwell in the house of your lord all the days of my life let me just gaze upon your beauty and inquire in your temple let me just meditate in your temple let me just gaze upon your beauty God it's you is that what your transcripts would say to me I I love the quote I I forgot who you quoted last night Joel

but when you said you want to Humble a man ask him about his prayer life you know let's let's look at these transcripts what what have you been praying the last few weeks one thing one thing have I asked the Lord that will I seek after the last couple weeks I've been saying okay let me just try this for a week can I do this can I just pray for this one thing can I just desire this this this being in your presence this gazing upon your being God can you just let me see how

beautiful you are today can you can you can you show me more of your beauty I just want to stare at your beauty I just want to brag about your beauty I just want to sit here and adore you for your Bea that's all I really want that's that's the one thing I ask for that I will seek after I'm just going to ask for it I'm going to pursue this I'm going to go after this God here's this one thing it's just that that I would dwell in the house of the Lord all the

days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple and and and when you look at this verse in context it's in the context of danger it's in the context of a man living a Crazy Life at that moment and this is his one request see the enemy wants us to get afraid he he wants us to start looking at all the things around us and and all the things that might scare us and all the things we have to do to take away our peace he wants

us anxious about the future be because uh um I I believe one reason is because in Philippians uh 1 verse 28 he says uh not frightened in anything by your opponents this is a clear to them of their destruction but of your salvation and that from God he says when we're not frightened in anything by our opponents this is a clear sign to them of their destruction but of your salvation and that from God see when we can walk around striving side by side for the gospel un unafraid just not frightened by anything he says

then the out there they're going to know wow you really are saved and I really am going to be destroyed so if Satan can get us fearful anxious worried about the things around us guess what it's not much of a testimony to anyone and so he that's why I want you guys striving side by side together for this gospel and I don't want you to be afraid of anything okay your God's that's that's the context of of of Psalm 274 that's the context is is is is verse one the Lord is my light and my

salvation Whom Shall I Fear the Lord is the strong hold of my life of whom shall I be afraid he says he's my stronghold and I got to ask you is is he the stronghold of your life is is that where all your confidence is is you can look back in your life and go God you've always been there for me you've taken me through so many ridiculous situations there's nothing I have to be afraid of because I found that at other times maybe maybe my staff becomes my stronghold of okay we can pull this

off cuz I got a strong staff I I we can pull this off we had a good offering we we've got a good budget and Other Things become our stronghold or oh man I'm feeling weak right now but I I got a day off coming up there's my stronghold or or or or you know what I'm I'm going to I'm going to have a a vacation showing up in a couple weeks I'm going to go to Hawaii and everything you know and these things become our stronghold rather than God himself or or maybe it's even

this conference it's like okay I'm getting worn down but Desiring God's coming up man and I do have a and I want to be careful on how I say this but I I get concerned that sometimes maybe maybe you come here not really Desiring God but Desiring Desiring God it's a danger or maybe you're Desiring Piper I mean if I told you wow you know what you could have lunch with him today you'd be like really no way it it would just be this this I mean honest I mean I used to be that way

now I've had lunch with him it's really not that great it it just it's fine but it just it's this but I I've been in those situations where I'll get Reliant and my stronghold will be in other things and my excitement will be in other things and and they're good things they're fine things I mean I enjoy the fellowship I enjoy people praying for me I get encouraged by these things I get encouraged by the messages I've heard but you guys nothing compares to like when you you're alone with God and and and you and

you you just bear your soul to him and you just enjoy being in his presence and you just say to him I don't want to leave here I I just want to be here and and and there's a fearlessness when you look back in life and go God you took me through that so what am I going to be afraid of you're my light you're my salvation Whom Shall I Fear the Lord's a stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid I love verse two he says when evildoers assail me to eat up

my flesh my adversaries and foes it is they who will stumble and fall he goes people going try to tear me up they're the ones that going get T it's it's just it's a great fun he just goes you know what you it's kind of that go ahead make my day type of attitude you're going to come against me go ahead come against me it's but it's going to be ridiculous cuz my God's protecting me you can't do anything to me my God God he he's always taken care of me and even when it gets

worse verse three though an army encamp around me my heart shall not fear though War rise against me yet I will be confident why it's in that context that he says one thing I've asked of the Lord why why because he because of the one thing he keeps asking of the Lord just I could be in his presence that I that I would just dwell in his house cuz there's safety there as I'm just gazing upon him he's not going to let anything happen to me I'm in the house of the Lord I'm I'm in

his presence you're going to try to attack me while I'm communing with the Lord are you crazy you know get me apart from him yeah then attack me but really you're going to try to attack me as I'm communing with the Lord right now you're ridiculous you're you're going to come up against us that's why he says Lord just let me dwell with you I I mean it's simplistic isn't it he just says God I just need to be with you and everything will be fine it's simplistic but do you see the obviousness in it

like well of course if I believe that there is only one Sovereign being like right now I believe in existence on this planet there's one being who is in charge of everything everything the only ruler the only Sovereign then isn't it obvious that as long as I am close with him abiding in him that's all I really need to do the fruit will come the protection will come everything else will happen it's obvious but it takes a faith doesn't it okay let me just get close to him let me just get close to him see

we believe in his sovereignty I love that Circle drawing you did I mean we would say we believe in the sovereign of God this is the Desiring God Pastor conference right we believe in the sovereignty of God we believe in one being who's in control of everything the question is is how does that flesh out in your life does it give you a peace that surpasses all comprehension because you go you know what so so come against me my God is Sovereign does it flesh out I mean that's so sad to to see that that

stab 90% it doesn't flesh out to that point where you go okay I believe in the sovereignty of God okay but what does that look like in your life does does that mean that you have this peace that surpasses comprehension and people go man I want to have what you have you're so sure just because of God that's it doesn't seem like you got anything else going for you go man that's all I need I mean I've seen what my God's done in my life and so you know what I I'm just going to sit

here I'm going to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life you ever have those moments when you just don't want to leave you have that intimate time with God just just just just a couple of days ago you know I'm sitting it doesn't have to be at the beach or on a mountain toop or anywhere else the other day I was alone at IHOP just having pancakes just there with my Bible just studying reading and praying and I just didn't I was there for probably 2 hours and just going

God I don't want to go anywhere else I know they need this table um can't eat any more pancakes that's all you can eat too but that's not why I stayed I just had one helping but but you know you know those moments where you go God I don't want to leave the spot I'm having these impulses I'm enjoying this time with you I love your word I just want to stay here so so I I look at this verse I go yeah that's what he's talking about I just want to dwell in your house

Lord I just want to sit here and gaze upon your beauty that's what I meant by the the time the word of God disturbs my affections and you just go wow God you're so beautiful you're so wonderful how could I how could I love anything else why do I why do I long for these other things I have those moments you know moments where I remember one time just just a couple months ago where I'm I'm praying in the middle of the night and I'm I'm thinking about uh uh 1 Timothy 6 where where it

talks about how how God is the only Sovereign as we talked about and the the one the the only Immortal and how every breath comes from him and I and I just I I couldn't sleep so I just started breathing and going I started breathing I I was I was uh that always helps me sleep I I I started I started counting my breaths with every breath I go God thank you for that one wow there's a being in heaven that gave me that God you gave me that that wouldn't happened without you God thank

you you're in total control God you gave me that one too and just started thinking and just realizing how in the grasp of someone's you know in someone's grasp my life is and just thanking him and then I start thinking and you love me and you're the one that answers my prayers you're the you know I start looking at life and I go wow we're in love with each other you and I we're I'm in love with God I'm in love with God and and I felt those giddy feelings I used to feel when I

first met my wife you know when you first feel in love and you can't even sleep cuz you're inside yourself I can't believe this person loves me and I start feeling that toward God I go God this is wonderful I want to be giddy the rest of my life I I I I want to just gaze upon you and just go I'm In Love With Jesus Christ now Jesus Christ is in love with me right now I mean the god of the Universe I mean isn't it just the most amazing thing when when he answers

prayer and you just think I just spoke to God God just listen to me and he answered me is there anything better than that on this Earth man what's better than that like I this little human this little screw up this one that doesn't even pray as hard as the other guys the one that doesn't know as much theology as some of these guys I'm trying everything else but I I fail and I fail and I fail but then God you heard me you listen to me you love [Music] me so the one thing I

ask guys there's so much pressure to perform as many of you know and as Pastor John mentioned I I really believe the Lord was um wanting me to move on from my Ministry in SEI Valley last last May I I really believed he wanted me to go to another city and just start another work and and let the elders who were there you know take the church and godly Godly men and and I I thought you know what this this could even cause people to focus more on God than Francis and so this could be

good for the church it could be good for whatever new work the Lord is leading me into and three weeks ago I moved to San Francisco believing that's where the Lord wanted me um and everyone has been [Music] asking so what are you doing there what's what Ministry you doing there what's what's next for Francis Chan not one person has asked about my prayer life not one and I have a I have a guess of why I think people assume of course you pray be silly to ask that of course I don't need to ask

you know of course you're not going to start a Ministry without walking the streets and praying and begging God to direct you and Lead You So I I don't need to ask that see so then suddenly because all the questions are like what are you doing did you do this yet did you do that you got you got a church you got a building you got this you got that and then suddenly you start feeling this pressure oh man so I'm 3 weeks I better have a building I I I better have a pretty serious

Ministry going on cuz everyone's expecting this I I guess I I wish more people would just go I hope you haven't started anything yet without seriously praying but I I don't mean I don't think that's a I think a lot of it is because they assume that I am and and people may feel silly at asking the author of Crazy Love whether he prays and seeks God and is still seeking God but I know better than to assume of people we've done that right of congregation members that we just assumed they're doing fine and then

you're shocked aren't you you have assum assumed it of Staff people you've assumed it of Elders and in hindsight you go why did I not probe why did I not get into his life deeper and really ask these questions why did I not share my own struggles and say come on let's let's let's do this and so this morning I assume nothing of you I know this is the Desiring God pastor's conference I don't assume you're walking with the Lord I don't assume that you know of this love that I'm talking about in fact I'm

just praying back there going God please I want them to know how good it is to walk with you that they don't find their strength in being a part of a conference a denomination having the right theology but that their boast would be a knowing you understanding you their boast that they would just that they would just be dwelling in your house gazing upon your beauty meditating in your temple so are you about him and do people see that in you that you're a man or a woman who you just can't get enough of God

or have all the expectations the criticisms and all those pressures that we've I feel like we're a broken record saying it over and over again we've got all those things coming around us and they're there to distract us and get us afraid get us discouraged and we think the answer is working harder and faster and hiring the right people and everything else and it takes so much faith to just dwell in the house of the Lord just to abide in him just to walk in love and say Jesus I'm just going to abide in you

and pour myself out for those who are in need and fruit everything else you're going to have to take care of that and to trust that and to believe in that amen man I'm just praying that you you get there because that's what people want to see when they come to your church they don't care how slick your message is they don't care how intelligent you are maybe some of them a little bit here or there bottom line people want to walk in and they want to see a man of God that's connected I mean

wouldn't you love to talk to Elijah wouldn't that be cool I mean just to say how how are you so confident you just knew you knew the whole time you don't you just want to talk to him don't you want to talk to Moses and go man okay tell me okay what was that like on that mountain you got to be kidding me see we want people to react that way to us okay help me understand something you talk to God and he just does these things you know yeah I let me help you with

my journey I want to be one of those men Elijah was a man just like you just like me let me pray for us God again right now I acknowledge that I am breathing and speaking only because of you you are sovereign God all Mighty God the only Immortal one the only true ruler you dwell in unapproachable light that no one has ever seen or can see help us Lord to see the foolishness of our running and stirring apart from you help us to see the Brilliance of abiding in you and just dwelling in your

temple and not wanting to leave of gazing at your beauty God it's our foolishness that causes us to look at these other things we just gave at you right now father you're so beautiful you are so wonderful you're all powerful merciful loving the angels are adoring you you sent your son he left all of that Glory came down here emptied himself made himself nothing for us kind of God is that you are amazing and you're going to return one day in all of your glory with all of your angels to judge this world and I'm

speaking to you right now God you are beautiful Majestic wonderful may you be the stronghold our light our Salvation that we would fear nothing help us to strive side by side together not afraid of anything what do we have to be afraid of we're talking to you right now as we rest in you help us to abide in you may your words abide in us have this all sink in Lord stir our affections for you in Jesus name amen [Music]