Staff Talks with Francis: The Fight Against Individualism

0:00 Yeah, just some things I was thinking about recently. it's it's it it's so hard to um work with people it just seems to get increasingly harder i think the individualism and uh of just we're just so used to doing things quickly and on our own and we have that capability now with this with ai you can just create do your own thing and it's it just feels very much like okay now i don't have to deal with people and yet i i you can't shake biblically i can't shake biblically the clear teaching of first corinthians 12 of i am a part of the body, like a very specific part. And I have to work together. I have to fight for the unity of the body, which feels very impossible as we get more individualistic. And just thinking about how much easier it is to go, well, I could just make videos by myself, share my opinion.

1:23 it's so easy to do that and it's very tempting versus trying to look at people and go oh no I need you I need you according to the Bible I this is necessary and I'm just trying to look at people who I disagree on quite a few things, and yet I'm convinced that they are believers, not just because of their words and saying they believe these things of the scripture, but seeing in their lifestyle and the fruit of the spirit and going, okay, I need that person biblically, so I must fight for that. Because we live in a very, I don't need you type of a Christian environment and Christian culture today and just realizing, gosh, I'm going to be judged for what I believe about this word and how I've applied this word, which means I have to keep looking at true believers and saying, I need you and you're a necessary part. And this is kind of what I preached on yesterday or actually two days ago now since it's Tuesday at the gathering

2:45 we have to work together. We don't have a right to just do our own thing. This is what God wants. And so I want to spend the rest of my life believing that the other parts of the body are necessary and that I am just one part and I will fail or have a pretty pointless existence. Now, it may look like fruit. You know, I could jump online and create a bunch of followers just by making videos of myself on my own. And that looks very successful, but at the end, I stand before God. And how much of that is wood, hay, and stubble? How much of that actually was destructive, a destructive example for other people to follow.

3:46 And so my followers end up almost being my judgment in some ways. It's like, wow, you got a lot of people to follow your example of being one guy that's telling everyone else, here's my interpretation of the word, and here's how I think we should do things. And I just want to have that. I need you and look at the kingdom rather than my own personal kingdom. And what I preached about was, you know, we just read through Joshua, you know, as we are a church, everyone except for San Francisco. And, you know, that Joshua, because I was asked Friday to preach last Friday at the and to preach about courage. And so, you know, that Joshua 1.9 comes to mind.

4:43 But that was God speaking to Joshua. Be strong and courageous. I'm going to be with you. What to me was so unique was when all of the people look at Joshua. You know, the Gad, the Reubenites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, when they answered Joshua and said, all that you've commanded us, we will do. And wherever you send us, we will go just as we obeyed Moses in all things. So we will obey you. Only may the Lord, your God, be with you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous. and to me that stood out to me because I go that is so weird today for people to look at a leader and say I'll follow you just be strong and courageous when's the last time you saw that when's the last time you said that to someone and yet if you're thinking kingdom it's the only way it works there has to be leadership there has to be someone or one group in the lead and then the mass is going I'm going to pray for you I'm going to follow you I trust God put you in that position just lead us in a courageous way like when's the last time someone encouraged you to lead and just again that word and courage it's like people giving you courage and i was sharing how those early days really all the days at cornerstone um when i was there it was a powerful movement, I do believe.

6:50 And it doesn't mean we didn't have our faults or whatever else, but I was telling the church, you know, what set me apart and caused me to thrive and the church to thrive, I say number one was Lisa, who believed in me and supported me and encouraged me to lead. rather than questioning everything I did. And then I had people who loved me and prayed for me and encouraged me to lead. It was like, keep on going. And I hate to believe that that was just a cultural thing or a season of time where people used to be more encouraging of leaders and those days are done.

7:42 because I go, man, that's when the kingdom really went forward. That was Joshua taking the land and he had this group of people. But then you read in the next book of Judges where everyone does what's right in his own eyes, which really is our culture today. Everyone throw out your opinion. So a leader gets up, she says, hey, here's where we're going to go. Here's what we're going to do. And now it's everyone texting their friend or, you know, Instagram oh my gosh this guy said this there's no way I'm going to follow that I'm only marching around the city six times follow me you know I got a better idea let's just not march at all let's you know it's just there's there's no like and so I just think about leaders uh all of you just understanding this is what we're facing is we are in a judge's time which leads to decline and somehow Now, we got to believe that there's got to be something in the Spirit that will enable us to strive side by side, that are eager for the unity of the Spirit.

8:59 Like I, I love, I don't know about you, but I love the thought of finding a godly leader. And Joshua was a godly leader. I'm sure he wasn't perfect or whatever else, but he was one of the ones that had faith. Like, no, God can do anything. And I don't care if those giants are over there. You know, he's one of the two good spies that survived. And now he's going to be leading them in the promised land. And Caleb's by his side. And I just think, wow, that's cool. I would love to be a nobody on the side going, yeah, go Joshua. I'll follow you too. Man, I saw how the people that rebelled against Moses, man, they got swallowed up. And Joshua, just be bold. Isn't there anything in you that goes, I want to stand behind someone and go, my method will be very different from yours. But I trust the anointing upon you. And that's kind of what I was sharing at the gathering yesterday. I'm very excited to stand behind Pete and Rob.

10:20 that excites me to pray for them and encourage them and just go no you tell me you want me at the outreach you don't want me there you want me at the spanish thing you want me living on the you know just just be strong you know like i'll move out of the house i at least not get an apartment now so i'll do whatever like wow this feels good uh and to believe that god has called Rob and to look at the integrity of Pete and go no I think there's great days ahead for you and I'll come under that like I'm just enjoying this season. And we've got to get away from this, the easier route, which is do your own thing.

11:15 And everyone do what's right in their own eyes and create your own following. Because I'm just looking biblically and going, that's not biblical. And we can get faint-hearted And I repent of individualism. And I was sharing with someone yesterday.

11:39 You know, when I left Cornerstone, one of the elders said, you know, if I'm honest. I feel like you and Lisa made a decision and then you told the elders afterwards what you were going to do. Even though we had some discussion or whatever.

12:03 And at the time I really was like, yeah, but if my wife and I feel something, I can't let elders stop. I mean, some of my mindset was I can't let the elders stop it. I was kind of, I don't know. I look back with regret and he was right. Yeah, the right thing to do if I really believe in elder authority would have been like, hey, you guys, let me throw this guy at you. And I respect Justin, you know, when he was leaving or thinking about Nashville, he came to us and was like, Look, I'm not going unless you guys, I have your approval. So, that was good. That was good.

12:53 And. I think we need to keep fighting for that. And then looking at some people with differing on certain beliefs. How far do we go on that? And those are good questions to ask, things to wrestle through. But I really believe there are truths that are so high. like when we say the holy spirit is in a human being we can say that so quickly and flippantly but we're talking about a member of the trinity and going holy god is in her and not be so quick to yeah but she does this and this and this and this it's just like i just mentioned a member of the trinity being present in a human being i want to be slow to say but you know like we jump to that so quickly rather than okay therefore i need her and there is something some part of the body and how we work that through is going to be messy and difficult but i need to fight for that and uh it all goes you know i just sorry i'm a little scattered but i it goes back to uh i just remember being in uganda and and uh we were just talking i I was talking with this pastor, Peter, and this is like 20 something years ago.

14:37 And I think close to 30 years ago. And he said, there's an old African proverb. If you want to go fast, go by yourself. If you want to go far, let's go together. And yeah, that's good. You know, it's, it is, it's, we don't really have a choice though. That's what first Corinthians 12 tells me. It's like the reason why I keep fighting for unity and we continue with this unity project and until unity and everything else is, I don't think I've been given an option. You know, just like Joshua and Caleb, they're like, God said it. I don't really have an option.

15:29 so I'm not going to doubt him and if I see a member of the Trinity in another human being I'm not going to be so quick to just slander them say don't follow them stay away from them I want to be more quick to say I love you and I need you biblically doesn't mean I don't confront you on things at times and love and you know let's work those things through but i'm just having more of a desire to come under leadership i just want unity and if that means i never lead anything that's fine with me my hunger for being a part of the body is greater than any desire to lead I really think I say that with integrity because I'm looking for people to support.

16:31 And that reminds me of Ron Wilson. It was the old guy that told me, you know, when I was 26 and he was 56. He says, Anna, if you start this church, I'll follow you. It's like, wow, that was awesome. That gave me courage to lead. Wow, this old guy believes in me, you know? I mean, now I don't see him as old at that time. I go, wow, he's young. But I just go, wow, this old guy believes in me and really means it. And he showed it by his life that he was going to follow me. and so I feel like I'm looking for young people to say that to and I think the older you get you realize this being that young voice it's just not going to take you anywhere we have to work together and so just to encourage you guys as leaders and any other leaders that are listening like man be strong and courageous but also being strong and courageous sometimes is being like the people in joshua's day that was very courageous of them to say i'll follow you you know just be strong and courageous that takes a lot of courage we always want to you know all of us when we get the key chain that says be strong and courageous about me speaking my mind and it's like no uh maybe we should have those other verses where they're saying hey you be strong and courageous because that's what everyone else was saying and if we all think we're joshua we're dead that's what the judges period was so