Holy Spirit Empowered Generosity

0:00 It's good to be here. And I feel like last service I was rushed, because I was rushed. And because I had flown in and I got here just in time. Service was already 45 minutes into it and I get in the room and we're just... And God used it, great things, but I just... I've been doing this long enough to where you there are times when you really believe God is speaking through you and then other times when you're just going through a script not that I ever have a script but it just wasn't all there and God still uses it because anytime you read from this book it's living, it's active it does things Anyone can come up here and read from this book and it will impact you.

0:58 Okay, so that's always our safety. But there's something that I think is so great when I really can die to myself and really believe almost like a demon-possessed person, you know, where they're not speaking but something else is speaking through them, to be a Holy Spirit-possessed person, where it's like, oh, God, I believe you're speaking these things through me, always grounded from this book, always tested from this book. But there are times when I just really sense God is speaking to me and leading me through his word and revealing things from this book, even as I am speaking. and so I just think this this reason why I say this is I feel like even during in between services even during worship I just feel like God was just showing me things and revealing things from his word to me and so this service is I believe is going to be a lot different as great as the last one was God God doesn't just duplicate things right he creates something new and there's a different experience for you.

2:12 It might come along some of the same lines, but I'm saying, God, because you didn't come here for a human being. I hope, this isn't what you're hoping. I hope he comes and gives a great speech and he talks me into something, right? And I really didn't come here to come and prepare, you know, and give you this script and for you to walk away and go, oh, that was really good. It was real convicting. You know, when it's just all the, like you came because you wanted to experience something miraculous. Something that was between you and God. It wasn't just this. It was like God doing something inside of you. Because that's the stuff that lasts. I know over the years, I have talked people into doing stuff. That's just, you know, I thought that was my job, you know. And so I would, you know, make them feel guilty.

3:07 whatever and and you just realize over the years it doesn't last maybe a week maybe a month maybe even years but i've been doing this for 30 years now and uh and you start realizing sometimes things can last for a few years um but then there are those things that last through a lifetime because it wasn't just a bunch of rallying, you know, me convincing you, but God actually did something in your heart and it was actually him and he changed you and it was you and him. And this is the stuff that lasts and the older I get, the more, that's all that matters to me. It's not, oh, that was great. It's like, whatever. You know, the question is, Did something really, did an interaction take place with you and God Almighty?

4:06 Because that is different. That is different. There's too much external going on in churches today where a clever speaker talks you into something, ends with an emotional story. You come, you cry, and then we huddle people around you, and they make sure you keep that commitment, and they follow up on you. And this is all good stuff, But it's almost like if all of that left, was there anything that happened inside? Because I know when I fell in love with Jesus, something happened inside of me to where you couldn't stop me. I didn't need 100 people around me holding my hand and begging me to keep going, oh, don't you? No, something happened inside. And that's why 35 years later, I'm still walking with him. You know, I did a funeral yesterday, and it was a friend of mine from high school, and it was actually her husband, and there was just this small group that was there that when we were teenagers, 35 years ago, we decided to follow Jesus and to see them there in love with him, more joy, more everything, and we're just sharing experiences because there were hundreds of us, but where are they now? And it's those ones at last that, like, that's what we're interested in. And I was praying, I was praying for you and thinking, okay, what kind of mindset do they come in here? And here's the thought, here's the thought. I feel like this is, because I know earlier, Darren just asked for those who are in need and need prayer, and that's so awesome.

5:54 And I feel like this is what a lot of us do. You know how you have your phone on selfie mode? You know, like we don't have mirrors anymore. We just look at the phone and go, you know, and you can. So here's what I believe a lot of people do is they come to church because they're like, oh, I see something in me that needs fixing. It might be my family in this picture. It might be my health. It might be just, look, you're not happy. Look at you. You know, you're just like, and so you come here, and you grab like Darren and stuff. Hey, come here. Look at this. Look at this. Does that look like a happy guy to you?

6:40 And this is what we do. We're like, this is what's wrong with me. This is what's wrong with me. This is what's wrong with me. And you keep gathering people around to look at you. and what i'm hoping you understand is that well yeah we'll come and we'll take a look but really the best thing you could do to fix this is push it off of selfie mode and just look at him take yourself out of the picture like it seems counterintuitive where you think, wait, no, I've got a problem. Look at me. And the reason why we gather here is we're saying, no, there's a solution. And it's not looking in the mirror. It's like looking at this being in heaven and go, are you kidding me? You are my creator?

7:32 Wait, you love me, you'll forgive me, you have this eternal. It's not looking at self. It's actually taking it off of yourself. Those are the happiest, most joyful, most blessed people are the ones that can take themselves off of selfie mode. And then pretty soon, you're actually just looking at other people. And you're actually looking at them and wondering, how can I give? How can I serve her? How can I serve him? It's not always this with your face in the middle of everything. That that's what God can save you from, is taking your eyes off of self. And I've just seen it too many times as a pastor for all these years where people come and they're like, oh, I wasn't loved well. I wasn't loved well. I wasn't loved well. And you go from church to church blaming the church. And they're not doing this for me, for me, for me. But the best thing I could do for you is not stare at you and have you stare at yourself, but just to push that button and have you look. There's something much bigger going on than you and your issues. Not that those are not important. I'm just saying, just try it.

8:54 Try to take your eyes off of yourself, to try to look at him, because this is what has changed my life, is when I stopped looking at me and trying to figure out if I can bring satisfaction to myself but when I stare at him it just takes me in another world and I understand his power his holiness and I'm just like I cannot believe I'm here with you I was noticing this week, okay, on, I think it was Friday, I was reading through the book of Revelation, and then I went on a walk, and I just, you know, put my phone on read the Bible mode, whatever, and where it just read the book of Revelation to me, and I'm just going and listening to the whole book of Revelation, just talking about how the world's going to end.

9:53 And, you know, you can't read the book of Revelation and be like looking at yourself. You're just like, oh, my gosh. Why have I been so fixated on these little things, right? But as I was reading Revelation, and there's a couple of chapters, most of you know this, chapters two and three, where he writes letters to the churches in existence. And it was talking about, you know, in those letters, Jesus is telling the churches these seven different churches he goes here's what i like about you then he go to another church here's what i like about you here's what i like about you here's what i don't like about you and then he'll say and if you don't change that he threatens things like i'll come wage war with you with the sword of my mouth i'll you know he just goes on and on and it's like man i'll come like a thief in the night and you won't even know what hits you if you don't change but then after that He says, but if you do overcome, here's what I'll give you.

10:58 And with each church, it's a different thing. But I was looking at all these because I never paid that much attention to these things. Okay, so really last week where I'm going, whoa, how come I don't think about this? So in chapter two, he says to the church in Ephesus, to the one who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. To the church in Smyrna, he says, Be faithful even unto death, and I'll give you the crown of life. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. To the church in Pergamum, he says, To the one who conquers, I'll give him some of the hidden manna, and I'll give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.

11:55 the church in Thyatira he says the one who conquers and keeps my words until the end to him I'll give authority over the nations he will rule them with a rod of iron as when earth and pots are broken in pieces even as I myself have received authority from my father and I will give him the morning star to the church in Sardis he says the one who conquers will be clothed in white garments I'll receive, I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my father and the holy angels. To the church in Philadelphia, he says, the one who conquers, I'll make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it. And I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven and my own new name. and then the church in Laodicea says 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 so I'm reading those as a lot of some of you have read this and I'm going God I don't think about this stuff Thank you.

13:14 like this isn't usually what motivates me. So he's writing this letter to these churches and some of them being persecuted to where like they're going to die. They're going to be killed for their faith. And the way he motivates them is with these eternal things.

13:38 And I go, God, I am so sorry. I never, I rarely get excited about this. Something's wrong. You know, when's the last time you thought, man, I can't wait to have some hidden manna, right? Like you just kind of read through this stuff and you're like, oh, that stone, give me that stone. Like, right? I mean, let's just, let's just be honest right now. It's kind of like, yeah, I like rocks. You know, you don't, like, it's not like this thrill, but you've got to understand, okay, because this is like new stuff for me this week, where I started to picture this, you know, and stop looking at like some fairy tale or something that's not really going to happen, and I try to imagine like God, the God of the universe, okay, every one of us is going to be so stunned when we see this being, okay, I don't even have a category I can't describe. It's just like, ah, we're just going to collapse. I don't know what we're going to do. When the Bible describes him, everyone like falls apart when they see him. They faint, they fall on their face like they're dead. They're just like, I don't know what to do when they get a glimpse of him. And now this being, imagine you see him. It's like, and what if he comes to you and says, I've got something for you. This is just for you.

15:11 This is just for you. No one else, like the personal, like I, this is for you. Whatever it is, that being to hand you anything. And then for that person, almighty God, to say, you see him on this massive throne. In fact, it describes it in chapters four and five, where there's lightning coming from the throne, thunder coming from the throne, fire all around the throne. You know, these beings that are screaming out his holy hands, a hundred million angels all bowing down to this throne. And imagine that being on there that is everyone screaming, you're so holy, you're so holy, you're so holy. And then he looks at me and he goes, Francis, come sit on this throne with me. Are you kidding me? He says, the one who overcomes, he's going to sit on the throne with me.

16:11 I'm going to write my name on you. He's going to make you a pillar in this temple here. And you're never going to leave my side. The most powerful, by a long shot, being in all of existence, our creator. They say, I want to sit next to you. You know, I was supposed to talk about generosity today, but really, I believe, no, seriously, I got this on the plane this morning. I'll get to it. No, no, I actually wrote it down. No, it was yesterday. I wrote it down. I had texted myself after I took some pictures of myself. And because I felt like it was of the Lord, just reminding me that generosity is a byproduct of understanding the value of God.

17:10 Okay? When I, see, when I get in that world where I'm thinking, forever sitting on the throne with Jesus and him telling me and confessing me before the father and the holy angels and handing me this stone with something that is just personal for me from him. And I'm sitting on the throne and everything else. You think I'm in that world and I'm thinking about money?

17:43 You think I care about a car? or a house, when my world is, I'm getting this vision of who God is and what's coming to me. That's why I say, when you understand that the byproduct of this, this stuff here, here, you can have it here. I don't care. Like I'm going to be sitting on the throne. I'm going to be with the creator. He's got things just for me. He's going to confess Francis Chan before the holy angels and say, he's mine. You think I care about stuff? Now, the people that care about stuff are the people that don't get that. Okay? Generosity is not something where, come on, you guys, just give another dollar. It's now, when you get it, this changes everything.

18:38 See, there's this passage in 1 John, and I just want to read a few verses from it. Okay, this is the word of God, reverence. 1 John 3 says this, verse 6. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil. For the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

19:33 no one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him. And he cannot keep on sinning because he's been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God. nor is the one who does not love his brother. Wow. And look it up for yourself. I'm not making this, this is not my opinion. It's not, oh, here's what I think. It's just, just read it. What does it say? It says, if you're an ongoing sin, you can just stay in your sin. And he goes, you haven't seen him yet. You don't get it. You don't get him. You don't know him. Oh, but I remember that one time I said, and I went forward, I even got back. It doesn't matter. He says, little children, don't let anyone deceive you. The one who practices. You know why? Because he says, the person who has God's seed abide inside of him, he can't keep sinning. See, something happened inside of me where when God's Holy Spirit entered me, this was not a sermon where someone talked me into making a decision. It was like something between me and God where it's like, I need you. I want you.

21:11 I want you in my life. And then he enters into you. And now it's this process in life where the things that you used to love and the sin that you could walk freely in, suddenly it's like, I can't do that anymore. For some reason, it's still attractive to me. But every once, once I started heading that direction, it's like, I can't do it. Why? Because my DNA changed. Something inside of me, Jesus is in me now. And that's when, you know, we want to talk generosity. What he says just a few verses later, in verse 16, he says, by this we know love, he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? See what he's saying? He's saying, look, God's seed dwells in you. That means Jesus is inside of me.

22:19 And so all these Jesus characteristics keep coming out. His seed, his DNA is in me. And that's why he's saying, so if he's in you, you're saying he's in you, yet you walk by your brothers who are in need, and you know you could help, but you just, you feel nothing, you do nothing, you just keep walking. He's like, really? How could the love of God abide in you? That should be a sign to you that you're like, wow, you're just staring at yourself still. Maybe you didn't see this, and maybe he never entered into you because you sure are a lot about yourself all the time. See, it's about this gift that's given you. It's almost like generosity is given to you because it's in your DNA now.

23:21 Okay, here's what I mean. Okay, I've got seven children. I know it's a lot it's great to be here no it's but when my second daughter my kids are awesome and I love them and it is hard traveling, going places just like I think about them all the time but I remember when my second daughter was born When my first daughter was born, I was like, oh my God, you know, just so much excitement. And I remember when my second daughter came out, I think I might have literally like went, oh. because when she came out, her face looked exactly like mine. And I'm not kidding where it, I literally gasped because I thought, oh, no, no, no.

24:23 Like it just, you know, and then people say, oh, she looks just like you. I go, I know it's not, it's not funny, you know, and because you just think, I mean, And it's not enough for a guy. You know, I can't imagine a woman with this face. You know, I seriously, I'm not exaggerating this. It was like I was concerned. And it was so much so when she was growing up, it's, you know, like she'd be five, six years old and people would look at her, same response, like, you look exactly like your dad. And honestly, she would burst out in tears. She really would. I know. She would just start crying and I'd have to comfort her. I know.

25:12 my seed is in you and you can get all the plastic surgery, whatever. We'll work on that later. You know, like, but no matter what you do, I think I'm going to burst through. Like that's just, I'm, I'm you. Like I'm a part of you. And in fact, okay. Okay, everyone, I'm going to try and exercise. I never know anything like this either. But she's actually in the room. Okay? So, yeah, you're looking around. Okay. And Mercy, wherever you are, keep a poker face. Those who know her, keep a poker face. Look around and see if you can. It's kind of funny, huh? Okay. You can stand up, look around, see. if you think my daughter is sitting by you. Okay, and just try to look around and go, okay, if I had to pick, sorry for all the Asian girls in the room.

26:11 You're just like, no, I'm not. No, but don't, just keep a poker face, okay? Chinese girls, keep a poker face. We're gonna try to figure out. Like, look around, okay? Look at my face. You see me? Where am I? Okay, cover up some of this. Cover it up. Look around.

26:32 If you had to guess, do you think you might have an idea? I mean, obviously not everyone's going to be able to see her. Okay. Do some of you have in your mind, like, you think you found her? Yeah? How many of you think you see her? Don't be ashamed. Just go, I got a pretty good idea. Just raise your hand. No one, huh? Just you? Who do you think it is? Yeah. I'm still wrong. What? Her? No, that's not her. Yeah. Now you made her feel bad. I look like him. Okay. It's kind of funny, right? I mean, it's hard. It's dark in here and everything. But Mercy, where are you actually? Okay, she's back there. Hi, Mercy. Hi, mini-me. Sorry to embarrass you, honey. I'm glad you came. Okay.

27:25 Okay, anyways, you guys can grieve with her later. But no, look, she actually turned out pretty cute, I think, but I'm your dad. Okay, here's my point. I don't know if that worked or not. The point is, okay, those that are sitting around her, did you kind of think you did? Okay, yeah, you kind of thought, but you're scared. Like, that's a weird thing to just accuse someone of.

27:53 But you see that? It's just this idea that, like at work, at school, if they said, hey, someone in this room is a follower of Jesus, people should be able to go, it's you. It's you. I see. It's the way that I just noticed, the way you don't think about yourself. You're like Jesus. You know, like in 1 John 3, where he says he laid down his life for us, and we should lay down our life for others. And I just see that in you. Like, it's very natural for you to just give and sacrifice. Like, they should be able to point you out. Because that DNA keeps coming out. That's why when his seed is in you, that's why this isn't like, man, I'm going to become more.

28:49 No, it's like when his spirit, his seed abides in you, John says, you can't keep sinning because you naturally gravitate to become more and more like him because his seed abides in you. That's what the Holy Spirit does. That's why when you think about generosity, I think about my favorite passage about that is 2 Corinthians 8 when he's talking about these churches, the Macedonian churches. In 2 Corinthians 8, listen to what he says. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

29:48 for they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. He goes, I got to tell you about these people. He goes, okay, they were extremely poor, extremely poor, but they had this abundant joy and they were actually begging us to give. Like, please, come on, I know we're poor and you're looking at us like we have nothing. Can we please give?

30:32 But Paul isn't saying, look at these awesome people. What is he saying in verse one? He goes, I want you to know about the grace of God that has been given. He goes, I'm not talking about, oh, look at these people. They're poor. They're full of joy. They're begging me to give. You should applaud them. He goes, I want to tell you about the grace of God. I want to tell you about a gift that God gave some people. I want to talk to you about God because God made this group generous. That was a gift from him. He goes, how else do you explain it? They're dirt poor, but they're the most joyful people. And on their own, they're begging us, please let us give. Because that's something God gave them. See, that's the spirit of God. God gave them his DNA and now they're generous.

31:27 They're so generous that even when they have nothing, they're trying to give away what little they have and they're begging us. That's the grace of God inside of them. And what Paul didn't say, yeah, I went over there. I told him the sad story about the saints in Jerusalem, you know. And no, because they're begging us. That's the grace of God. If you're generous today, that's nothing to brag about. It's just like, whoa, God made me generous. This is awesome. This is the best. This is the best. Like, it's natural for me. I have the DNA of Jesus. Like, I actually look at other people. you guys, this is a gift because I remember, I remember before when I used to look at people and I would think to myself consciously or subconsciously, what can I get from him? What can I get from her? And if someone had, you know, a lot of possessions, you know, to kind of, you know, buddy, buddy with them because I might get something from them. Or if they have connections somewhere. Oh, he works at the movie theater. Oh, maybe I can get some free tickets. Just little things, whatever. But I was a taker. You guys, it's a miserable life. It's a miserable life doing this and going, man, who can contribute to this? Think about the most self-centered person you know.

32:58 And now think about the most generous person you know. Okay? Something I've learned in life, self-centered people are miserable. and have you ever met an angry, generous person? Yeah, it's almost funny, right? You're like, come on, yeah, right, yeah. Yeah, that's my point.

33:36 That's why, Jesus, it's more blessed to give than to receive those givers in your life. See, my hope today was not to make you feel guilty that you're not generous. My hope was to make you feel envious. I'm not. And I'm miserable because I keep thinking about myself and how I never have enough and I'm hoarding myself. And to be envious, why can't I be like these Macedonian churches? Why can't I be like those people who had nothing, but they had this abundance of joy and they're anxious to give? And where you go, I want that, I want that, I want that. and I'm telling you that's found in Jesus Christ. When his seed comes into you,

34:23 it's like the natural response, a supernatural response, where you stop looking at yourself and you realize everything you have that's coming for you and you're just like, yeah, whatever. I just want you to see him. If it takes my resources to get you to see what I just saw and what I possess, if there's any way I can get you in this world. I mean, really, that's what 1 John was written for. Remember in the beginning of 1 John, he goes, I write this to make our joy complete. You know, it's like, I want you to be so joyful and this would make me joyful is if you had fellowship with us and our fellowship is with the Father. And that's why he says, look, if you're just sinning, then you don't get this. and I want that to change in you.

35:16 I want his seed to enter into you so you can experience what I'm experiencing. Okay? So that you would look in and go, man, I'm envious of that. And I'm actually concerned because I just go on in my sin and everything else. And so do you get what I'm saying? It's like the goal today was not give a little bit more. I could care less. I really could care less.

35:44 It really is for you to look at your own life and go, is that DNA in me? Is this seed in me? And you may look and go, I don't think so. You know, a few, I don't know, a month or two ago, I was in Dallas, and I was doing this big event in the Texas Speedway, and I was praying for the event, and I'm just going, God, what do you want me to say to like 50,000 people? Like, what do you want to say? And I got this image of like this giant, like that whole speedway was just filled with water, like a giant pool, and everyone in all 50,000 people had life jackets, and they're bobbing around, you know? And so I'm looking at all of these people and going, I wonder who knows how to swim.

36:43 I can't really tell because everyone's got a life jacket on. and I thought, there's so many people that can be artificially propped up in the church, where you get enough people around you, get the right situation, put you in a Christian home, Christian school, that'll keep you afloat, but take that thing off. There's the Spirit inside of you, because all that stuff helps me, but I can swim. the spirit is in me when i'm alone i actually cry out abba father i don't need to come to a room and have the just the right songs that i like and a certain level of energy my soul cries out to worship him my soul cries out abba father i don't need 18 accountability partners to call me and text me every 15 minutes hey did you do this did you look at a girl you know like it's like there's something inside of me that's like, I can't do that anymore. And I just wonder how many of you need to be artificially, because the Bible describes a certain type of person. He says, you throw the seed out there and some lands on rocky soil where something springs up, but there's no root. It didn't really take root. And so they said, you got to kind of cover it.

38:07 And you know, because the moment the wind blows or the tiniest heat hits it, it's gone because there's no root there. It wasn't really in them. It was superficially. It's like some topsoil came on and, and you know, Ooh, there's growth. It's like, no, it's not in you. And yet the Bible there says there's good soil where the seed enters in and it says it starts producing fruit like 30, a hundred fold. And that's why, you know, I could look at this tiny group of people from 35 years ago and go, it was real for you too, huh? Yeah, because I haven't seen you in 20, 30 years and you're more in life, yeah, yeah, yeah. And you've gone through some crazy things in life, haven't you? Yeah, yep, yep. But something real happened back then. That's the only thing I care about anymore.

39:03 I don't care if you like a thing I said. I'm just praying that something supernatural would happen today where you open your eyes and you kind of just go wow I don't look like what I see and God you don't even like what you see but the Bible says you'll change me like you'll wash me clean and you still love me and you'll make me white as snow you'll make me like Christ Do you understand that was the point of the cross? Is that God is saying, look, you're dirty, okay? Do you want us to show on that screen the worst, 10 top 10 worst moments of your life? No, you don't. He goes, you're guilty. You deserve punishment.

39:56 But I still love you. And that's why my son went to the cross. He was paying for everything you should have paid for. The Bible says he made him who knew no sin. He did nothing wrong. He became sin on your behalf so that you through him might become the righteousness of God. God says you can switch places.

40:21 And see, this is the beginning of our faith where we go, you're kidding me. So everything can be wiped clean and you will look at me like you look at your own son and you will put your spirit in me and give me your DNA to where I actually practice and speak like your son, to where people can point me out in a room because I have so much of the DNA of your son coming out. I want that. I want Francis to die, and I want Jesus to live through me. I'm done with me. I want him to change me. I'm tired of staring at myself. I want to stare at you for the rest of my life and for all of eternity, and you're telling me that can happen right now, that it's a free gift. and that's what we want to invite you into today again this is not a time to take from you i sure hope i'm not a guy that sounds like he's trying to take your money no i want to give to you this joy that i've had and when you get it that's when stuff doesn't matter anymore the byproduct of that will be generosity it'll be love it'll be walking in this room with like you're giving kind of like what that illustration darren says you got money in your hand it's like man here here here here that's a picture of something deeper that you just look at people and you're here to give to them you have something in your hand to give not you're not doing this come on take take take take look at me don't doesn't it look like i need a bunch of, no, it's just, I've been given so much. I'm like overflowing with love, joy, whatever.

42:08 That's, it's, it's, it's such a great way to live. Like I said, try to think of miserable, generous people. It's pretty hard to find, you know, this is what Christ is leading us into. And I am so grateful for the grace of God and nothing to brag about. Francis needed to die so that Christ could start living through him.