Evangelist Francis Chan told pastors this week they must set aside their own personal agendas and allow Jesus to lead their churches.
Chan spoke at the Exponential Conference Tuesday at First Baptist in Orlando, Florida, the Christian Post reports.
“I realize that a lot of times I don’t act like He’s the head of the Church,” Chan admitted. “I don’t act like I’m just like an arm. And I don’t really humble myself, ‘Lord, You’re the head of the Church. What do You want me to do?’ The arm doesn’t do anything unless the head tells him to do it.”
“If it was up to this mind to build a church, if it was up to this mind to keep a church together, Lord I’ll just create something that this mind wants. And what I like, what I enjoy. God, I need you as head over the church. We need You as head over the church,” he said.
The evangelist warned against the dangers of making church like a “wave pool” at a water park – fun, but “so different from real surfing.”
“I can create a wave. I can make a wave start at 9:20. And I can have a peak at 9:30. And then it will die out at 9:50 so we can get the kids out of child care. I can make a wave where everyone is having a blast and then we walk away and we go, ‘whoa God moved!’ Eh, I think it was man-made this week,” explained Chan.
“As long as we’re OK in the wave pool and create a little bit of excitement, we’re not going to get to see the things we see in (the Bible).”
Chan, who has planted many churches and is an internationally-renowned minister, is often critical of how modern churches treat the gospel.
Last year, he released a documentary under his “Letters to the Church” series on YouTube calling out Christians for their “consumerism” mentality.
“One of our elders called it pastoral malpractice… we are actually ruining people by making them consumers. Because you’re supposed to be turning them into servants,” Chan says in the documentary. “We don’t come to be served. We serve and give our lives as a ransom for many. It’s at the core of what we understand it means to follow Jesus Christ. And we’ve twisted it and it’s evil.”
Chan believes the church can change by repenting and honoring God.
Courtesy of CBN News
Why is it more remarkable to be able to see past worldly excitement to the Real as a teenager than at any other point of life?
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It isn’t more remarkable to be able to see past worldly excitement to the ‘real’ as a teenager than at any other point of life. It’s remarkable at any age – and only possible because God makes it possible.
My point is not that it’s more remarkable than at any other age, but that most teenagers don’t want to be in church to begin with and go only because their parents make them. The worldly excitement has become a smokescreen to capture their attention and keep them in church. So much so, that it’s become uncommon to find very many committed, spiritual-eyes-open teenagers in the American Church that can or even care to see past the smokescreen.
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When I was a teenager I stopped going to youth group, because all we did was go skating and bowling. If I wanted entertainment, I could get it numerous places, but I was hungry for God. I’m so blessed now to belong to a church that seves one another, prays for one another, and spreads the gospel at every opportunity.
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That’s a perfect example of what this article is about. Thankfully, in your case, your hunger for God was stronger than “the wave”. It’s remarkable that even as a teenager you were able to see past all that and leave the church for something more.
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The reason I left a large church and now go to one with about 70-80 people. We do as much real ministry (more) for our size as the large ones do, and have a lot more heart and accountability. I do admit, however, the large shows have robbed the small churches of their young people. Almost always with bribes, showmanship and peer pressure. Sad.
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Yes, it is sad. It’s promoting a form of foundation-less Christianity and quite possibly one without salvation.
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So good and so true! Thank you for sharing his message!
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Agreed. You’re welcome!
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