Francis Chan (3:37)

Them and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accordance to it, but they have stubbornly followed their own hearts. So Jeremiah is crying and he's like, gosh. He goes, God, I can't stand this.

Sam Chan (3:52)

He goes, I actually want to leave. I wish I could just leave this place, go off in the desert somewhere. Because it breaks my heart when I see people disobey you. And rather than following what's clearly written, they go with what's in their heart. They stubbornly follow their own hearts. But I made the comment last time, like, hey, we can't be people that.

Francis Chan (4:13)

Just confront sin without crying over people.

Sam Chan (4:17)

And I said it. But then afterwards, I'm like, man, when's the last time I cried for someone's the last time? Like, sin didn't just annoy me, but.

Francis Chan (4:31)

It broke my heart because I knew how much God hated it and how.

Sam Chan (4:35)

Much it broke his heart. And.

Francis Chan (4:40)

I've been. It's been bugging me, so I just had to throw it out there and let you know, like, I'm not.

Sam Chan (4:47)

I'm struggling.

Francis Chan (4:48)

It's bugging me to this day. This last month, I've been praying for this. You know that song we used to sing, Hosanna? And there's that. There's a bridge in it where it goes, Break my heart for what breaks yours. I've just been singing that nonstop, like, the last month. I just have that one bridge in my.

Sam Chan (5:09)

Break my heart for what breaks yours.

Francis Chan (5:13)

It's just.

Sam Chan (5:14)

I just kept singing. I'm like, God, because my heart isn't broken for the things that break your heart. I mean, first of all, my heart.

Francis Chan (5:24)

Doesn'T break that much, you know?

Sam Chan (5:26)

Like, I just don't.

Francis Chan (5:27)

My family's like, yeah, I mean, I just.

Sam Chan (5:30)

I don't let things bug me. I just try to let everything roll off.

Francis Chan (5:33)

And I'm not going to cry about everything. But there's a bad side to it, is there are things that should make us cry. There are things that should break our hearts. And I've just been bothered by God. When I do have my heart broken. Sometimes it's not even things you care about. Then the things that you do care about don't break my heart. And that's not good.

Sam Chan (5:58)

I go, God, I want your heart.

Francis Chan (6:00)

I want to care about the things you care about and not care about the things you don't really care about. You know, you can tell a lot about a person by what gets them emotional, what gets them riled up, what makes them angry and what makes them cry, right?

Sam Chan (6:21)

You find out what they love. That's the barometer. You go, what does this guy care about? Well, what makes him sad, what makes him angry, what gets him emotional? What gets her so fired up? What is it? What makes you weep? Are they the things of God? The things that God weeps over? And I just realized, wow, God, I.

Francis Chan (6:41)

Still have a very selfish heart, a very self centered heart. A few weeks ago, I went to my first warriors game. I'd never been to a Warriors game and it was game seven of the finals. That was a good one to start.

Sam Chan (6:57)

With, but I've never paid for a game.

Francis Chan (7:02)

I just. I just can't do it, you know, but someone will invite me and I'm.

Sam Chan (7:05)

Like, yeah, sure, Game seven, Where are the seeds?

Francis Chan (7:08)

You know, because I want to make sure it's down low enough to where I'd rather, you know, go there than watch on tv. But. But I went, you know, it was good seats, everything else, and obviously it was the wrong outcome is just awful, evil.

Sam Chan (7:24)

But what was crazy was watching people's.

Francis Chan (7:28)

Reaction after the game.

Sam Chan (7:31)

Okay, when the warriors lost, I mean, my heart sunk because we just didn't expect it. That didn't make sense, you know, And.

Francis Chan (7:41)

But, you know, we're walking out, everyone's kind of in this somber mood, but I'm watching. People are holding each other, sobbing. Okay, the guy in front of me.

Sam Chan (7:50)

Is just ready to fight anyone with a Cavs jersey. He was just ready. He was just getting in everyone's face, trying to start a fight. And then I start walking from my seat out to where the concessions are and everything, and I see something fall in front of me. Like right by where Tony is, I see something and I realize It's a person's body from the second floor, that he'd been thrown over the edge or he committed suicide. I don't know. And I just. I've never seen anything like that, right? I mean, it's just chaos. People are crying, people are fighting. And then I see a body thrown over and it just landed. You know that I've never heard that sound. I'm just sick. As, as, as, as. I don't mean to be too cr. But it just. It's just like in the movies where it's just blood coming out everywhere in this pool and people are taking pictures of him. Meanwhile, people are fighting, and I'm sick to my stomach. And I'm just walking outside. I'm going, God, it's a basketball game. You weren't even playing. You know, like, it just made me sad. It's like, this is your whole life. This is what you'll cry over. This is what you'll fight over. This is what you'll kill for. And you learn a lot from a person by man, what gets you emotional? And then I just looked at my own life and I'm going, God, what are the things I care about? I mean, I'll be honest, I was a little embarrassed as I was, you know, and the warriors lost, and I'm sick. It's like, ugh. And it's like, God, why do I care that much? And how come that makes me sad? And then I pass people all day long that rebel against God, and they're going to face him one day. And how come it's not killing me? Why am I not emotional over that? And what Jeremiah was emotional about wasn't just the people out there that were living a certain way. No, what God fired up was the people inside, the people of Israel and going, God, this kills me. Look at your own people. They're supposed to be your people. You showed them so much, and this is how they live. I just want to get out of here. When I see the sin.

Francis Chan (10:16)

What breaks.

Sam Chan (10:17)

Your heart.

Francis Chan (10:19)

Man, I remember I was thinking back to the early days, before I was even married. I bought this Mustang, you know, it was like only two years old, convertible. You know, everything GT is just, wow. And after like a week, I ran into a pole. And I remember just being sick, you know, just sick to my stomach.

Sam Chan (10:46)

Like I'd never bought a nice car.

Francis Chan (10:48)

I never. And I just crashed into a pole and just.

Sam Chan (10:53)

Ah. It was just this grieving and people are trying to cheer me up, and it's just the car and I'm like, oh, man, it just.

Francis Chan (11:00)

That's what I cared about back then. Or think about relationships, you know, girls and just relationships that would break. And just like, ah, the devastation in my. And it's like, wow, that's. That's it for you. And so I've been praying. I'm going, God, I know I've changed in so many ways, but my heart isn't broken for the things that break your heart. Did you know that God grieves? He grieves over sin. I mean, in Genesis 6, he was grieved that he even made man because he looked at sin that was so bad. He's like, oh, why did I even make them? Look at the way they rebel against me.

Sam Chan (11:45)

The Bible talks about, this is crazy. We can actually grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

Francis Chan (11:53)

I think some of us as men, it's like, you know, I mean, I don't think it's right to cry over everything. It's like, okay, man up. I don't think you're supposed to cry over everything. But sometimes we can look at this emotion or sadness or even crying as a weakness. And then you gotta go, okay, well, then you're saying that God is weak for grieving, Jesus was weak for weeping, and something screwed up when we're not crying at the right times. And I'm just confessing to you, I'm praying for this because something screwed up in me, and you can pray for me. My heart isn't broken for the things that break the heart of God. I even said God, I. I don't even really want to preach about this today because I feel like a hypocrite. But it's your word. And so it's just something we're going to have to work on together and pray for each other.

Sam Chan (12:48)

Because as I'm looking at that also. Okay, so that was Jeremiah 9.

Francis Chan (12:52)

Then we start reading Ezekiel.

Sam Chan (12:54)

And I don't know if you noticed.

Francis Chan (12:55)

In Ezekiel, chapter nine.

Sam Chan (12:58)

Ezekiel, chapter nine was weird. I never noticed this.

Francis Chan (13:04)

I should have, but just going to share all my failures today.

Sam Chan (13:08)

Ezekiel 9, okay? God's going to destroy, right? He's going to judge the city. But before he judges the city, look at what he says. The Lord tells this guy, in chapter nine, verse four, he calls this man clothed in linen, verse four. The Lord said to him, pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads.

Francis Chan (13:37)

So it's good for those of us.

Sam Chan (13:38)

Who have big foreheads. Put a mark on the foreheads of men who sigh and groan. Over all the abominations that are committed in it. And to the others he said in my hearing, pass through the city after him and strike your eyes shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. Kill old men outright, young men, maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark.

Francis Chan (14:10)

And begin at my sanctuary.

Sam Chan (14:14)

That weird passage, he goes, I'm going to destroy all these people. He goes, and I mean all of these people. But he goes, first go through and mark on the foreheads certain people that I'm not going to destroy. But what blew me away was it put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it. So I was already convicted about this from Jeremiah 9.

Francis Chan (14:46)

Then I read Ezekiel 9, and you.

Sam Chan (14:48)

Realize, man, God loves those who weep.

Francis Chan (14:51)

Over the things that he weeps over.

Sam Chan (14:54)

Those who don't just look at the.

Francis Chan (14:56)

Sin around us and go, oh, no big deal.

Sam Chan (14:58)

Or, oh, that's horrible. Or get angry or judgmental.

Francis Chan (15:02)

But those who actually sigh and groan.

Sam Chan (15:04)

And go, oh, God, this isn't what yout made us for. This is not how youw made us to live. You create us to live a certain way. Your law makes it clear. Forget what's in my heart, man. I want to obey youy law.

Francis Chan (15:17)

But to sigh and groan, I go.

Sam Chan (15:19)

God, if youf went through the city.

Francis Chan (15:20)

Right now, would I be one of the guys you mark? Because I sigh and I groan over the abominations, even in the church.

Sam Chan (15:33)

So then, after Ezekiel, we start reading Ezra. And in Ezra, chapter nine. Okay, this is pretty weird. This is just the stuff we've been reading the last week. Ezra, chapter nine. When Ezra sees the sin, what does he Do? Ezra 9, verse 3. As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the word of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned, exiles gathered around me while I sat until evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord, my God, saying, oh, my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads.

Francis Chan (16:40)

Our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. And if you read on like in chapter 10, verse 1, then Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a great assembly of men Women and children gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly.

Sam Chan (17:04)

Again, this is the sign of those who were lovers of God. Followers of God is we weep over.

Francis Chan (17:12)

The things he weeps over.

Sam Chan (17:15)

They were so sad over the sin.

Francis Chan (17:17)

Of the people because they knew God hated it. Then yesterday, what did we read yesterday?

Sam Chan (17:26)

Daniel, chapter nine. Okay. Just bizarre. I don't think there's anything in it.

Francis Chan (17:33)

It's just weird that it's easy to.

Sam Chan (17:36)

Remember at least chapter nine. What is Daniel doing yesterday? In verse three, he goes, I turn my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy. With fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession. O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments. We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commands and rules. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets who spoke in your name.

Francis Chan (18:16)

To our kings, our princes, our fathers, to all the people of the land. So again, we see it in Jeremiah, we see it in Ezekiel, we see it in Ezra, we see it in Daniel, we read about it in Nehemiah. Remember Nehemiah, chapter what now? 2.

Sam Chan (18:38)

But didn't fit perfectly. But you know, it was the same thing, right? But you think about it. This is when Jeremiah, I mean, what's his name, Nehemiah, was the cup bearer to the king. So he was fine. He's in the king's palace, like, here, have some more wine, he said, but what is he weeping over? He's going, man, the city, God, the city you care about. Look at Jerusalem, it's in ruin. He's crying, not because his own situation, situation is bad, but he knew how much God loved Israel. He knew how much God wanted his name in that city.

Francis Chan (19:14)

And he's weeping over that.

Sam Chan (19:18)

Break my heart for what breaks yours. Tomorrow, those of us who are doing the reading, you'll be reading the Book of Haggai. Now, in the Book of Haggai, if you read chapter one, God says to the people, hey, you keep trying to make money. And. And he goes, and you keep losing it. You know why he goes? Because you're trying to put money in purses with holes in it. He goes, you know why you've got holes in your purse?

Francis Chan (19:42)

Because I put them there.

Sam Chan (19:43)

You know why put the holes in your purse? Because you live in a nice paneled house while the house of the Lord lives in ruins. Because I'm destroying everything that you try to create because all you care about is your little house. And so you sit there and go, oh, nice, look at my house. I think I'm going to redecorate. I'm going to redo my kitchen. Meanwhile, look at the house of the Lord. See, you care about your stuff. Your stuff breaks your heart. And the stuff of God doesn't break your heart. And that's why Jesus, look, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Francis Chan (20:21)

And all these things shall be added unto you. And so I've just been praying. I'm going, God, I care too much about certain things on the earth, and I care too little about what's going on in heaven and what you're thinking. Break my heart for what breaks yours. And as I thought about this, I realized. I think I realized why I don't mourn for the things that God mourns for. Okay, and here it is. Every prophet read it. We're reading all the prophets.

Sam Chan (21:08)

Every prophet, every man or woman of.

Francis Chan (21:10)

God, but specifically the prophets, were given two jobs. Every prophet, without fail, was given two tasks from God.

Sam Chan (21:23)

One, tell the people of all the great rewards that are coming their way.

Francis Chan (21:31)

If they obey my commands.

Sam Chan (21:34)

Second job, tell the people of all.

Francis Chan (21:38)

The curses and the punishment that are coming their way if they don't obey the word of God. That's it.

Sam Chan (21:47)

Promise the people reward for following me and warn the people of punishment if they disobey me. That's it. Two jobs. And so you see it over and over and over. I mean, even the Israelites, this is very important to God. And so it's like, hey, here's the promise if you follow, here's the punishment if you don't. Over and over and over.

Francis Chan (22:09)

You see it with Pharaoh.

Sam Chan (22:10)

You see it. You even see it when Israel is going into the promised land. He goes, hey, I want you to split the people up. Put half of them on this mountain. So take half the people, put them on Mount Gerizim, and take the other half and put them on Mount Ebal. And so here's what you're going to do. Those from this mountain, like, it's like if we split up and say, you guys go on this side, you guys go on this side, you guys scream out the blessings of. If we follow the Lord, read these out. If we follow him, he's going to do this. If we follow him, he's going to do this. Because then you guys scream out the curses. If we don't follow him, he's going to do this. If we don't follow him. He's going to do this. This is what. This is the way it's always been, from the beginning of time all the way to the book of Revelation, where you go, man. If we hold fast and follow through, we're going to be in a place where there's no more tears. No more weeping, no more pain. If we take the mark of the beast, if we decide to go with the majority, well, here's your punishment. Same as the devil.

Francis Chan (23:12)

You can follow Jesus up there, you can follow the Devil down there.

Sam Chan (23:16)

It's the same thing over and over.

Francis Chan (23:19)

And now I get to why I feel like I don't weep. It's because we live in a time where we only do half the job. We live in an era here in America where people will tell you the promises all day long. Do this and you'll receive life. Do this, you'll receive life. But we don't dare talk about judgment, because that's offensive. And we want to fit in, and we don't want to be rejected. No one wants to believe in hell anymore. No one wants to believe in the end where I'm guilty. I like to read about the New Jerusalem. I love that part. That's fun. I love reading Revelation 21. I don't like reading Revelation 20. I love the sheep and goat judgment. That part about the sheep. Hey, I was hungry. You fed me. I was thirsty. You gave me something to drink. And they just.

Sam Chan (24:27)

They just go and they get this reward.

Francis Chan (24:30)

But I don't want to read the other part. And we live in a time when people tell us not to read the other part. And because we don't believe in a God who is a God of wrath, just as he's a God of mercy, he's a God of justice, just as he's a God of love. We don't want to know the whole counsel of God's word, but when we neglect our job and only do half of it, we're not going to weep. And it's hard. I get exhausted from it. There have been a couple times in my life when I've allowed my mind to go there, where I think about someone I love and imagine them, you know, facing that. Revelation 20 where he says, anyone's name who was not written in the Book of Life was thrown to the lake of fire. And earlier, he talks about the Devil, the false prophet, thrown in the lake of fire to be tormented day and night, forever and ever. Then he says, if your name's not written the Book of Life, you're going to be thrown there. And only a couple times have I let my mind go there. And I just start bawling. I remember waiting tables with people, and I love them. And I just came home one night after waiting tables and I just started thinking, man, your word is so serious about what happens. Those who have not been forgiven and those in their arrogance just believe they're good people and they're going to get there. It's like, that's not what your word says. And it's not just, hey, everyone goes to heaven.

Sam Chan (26:32)

It's not like at every funeral you.

Francis Chan (26:33)

Go to where they always say, oh, he's in a better place.

Sam Chan (26:36)

That's why Jeremiah was weeping. He goes, man, all these false prophets are saying, peace, peace when there is no peace. He goes, I know what's coming, and it's killing me. And it was killing me. And I remember just going to bed that night, just crying, crying, crying.

Francis Chan (26:55)

I was thinking this morning about when Rachel wasn't following the Lord and just waking up at three in the morning.

Sam Chan (27:05)

And going, this is my daughter, man. I said, you can have anything of mine. I'll do whatever, but just have my kids follow you, man, this is the one thing I asked for. I don't care about anything else. I mean, I don't care if they're happy. I don't care if they're rich. I don't care if they look good or smart. I don't care if they're dumb. I just want them to know you. That's it. This is the one thing I ask for. God, I'm just crying, crying, crying because I want to spend eternity with her.

Francis Chan (27:40)

Go, God, I want a break. I go.

Sam Chan (27:42)

Even as I'm teaching, I prayed for.

Francis Chan (27:45)

This moment right here.

Sam Chan (27:49)

Because there's some of you here that.

Francis Chan (27:52)

Are part of the church, or at least you attend our gatherings. And it's not like I'm wanting to judge anyone.

Sam Chan (28:02)

It's not.

Francis Chan (28:03)

It's not like I'm mad at anyone.

Sam Chan (28:05)

It's just that I get scared because I look at your life and I'm like, do you love him? Like, do you in your heart know him? Or are you just kind of following the crowd? Or is this in you, man? Or you just keep going back to your sins? I mean, you guys in our programs, it's like, once you're gone, what are you going to do? Is it in you where it's like, man, I can't walk away from God. I can't continue in my sin because this is in me. I love him. Man, this isn't me judging you. It's me caring about you. I was like, God, why don't I. I even ask God, I go, God, I believe this to be true. And why doesn't it break my heart more? And it's. It's not like this is what I want. It's not like this is just stuff I come up with and go, here's what I want to believe. Because if it were up to me, I wouldn't have a hell.

Francis Chan (29:03)

I don't know, that's probably wrong, but.

Sam Chan (29:04)

I'm just thinking in my head, I.

Francis Chan (29:06)

Don'T want anyone to get punished, but.

Sam Chan (29:10)

I also believe that's the heart of God, in the sense that he didn't.

Francis Chan (29:12)

Desire for anyone to perish.

Sam Chan (29:15)

God says, I don't delight in the death of the wicked. You think I like that? But I'm a just God. He goes, now, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of one of his saints. 116, verse 15, Psalm 116.

Francis Chan (29:29)

But he goes, but I don't delight in the death of the wicked. That's why he's always warning, don't go there. Don't go there. Don't walk away from me. Don't go with your heart.

Sam Chan (29:37)

Don't go with what you think.

Francis Chan (29:40)

Go with me. Trust me, man, I just read stuff. First. John 3 says this. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning and practices lawlessness also practices lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness, verse 6.

Sam Chan (30:02)

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 who is. For the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 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 has 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.

Francis Chan (30:56)

Does not love his brother.

Sam Chan (30:59)

Again, these aren't my thoughts. I just read and I go, ah, it doesn't matter if you're here saying, I believe in Jesus, I got baptized, I did this, I did that. The Bible says, well, if that's true, and God's seed abides in you, you can't keep on sinning. It'll drive you insane. Some of you guys know exactly what I'm talking about. I can't keep sinning, man. I start going down that road, and it drives me nuts. Why? Because God's spirit's in me, and I got to turn from. And I just have to practice righteousness. Like the Bible says. When the spirit came into me, I became a slave to righteousness. My concern is that there's some of you. And again, man, I just got to ask, Is it in you? Are you okay with just continuing on in your sin and going, well, I hope he forgives me at the end if that's the case, I go, man, I am so scared that you don't get it. I am so concerned for you, man. I see some of you, you get in arguments with each other, and it's like, don't you see that God hates that? Isn't there everything in you that goes, I got to make peace. I got to make peace because this grieves the heart of God. This is what grieves the Holy Spirit. When there's division, man, if any of you calls on the name of Jesus, I mean, Isaiah, like, if you had something against me or I had something against you, it's like, man, let's get that right. Let's just fix this. Let's change this. Why? Because it's breaking his heart. Break my heart for what? Breaks yours? Any of you that are sleeping with someone who's not your husband or not your wife, he says, man, you've got the spirit of God in you. And he goes, how dare you take the spirit of God and enter into a prostitute. You can take Christ and force him into a sexual relationship that he wants nothing of. He just makes it so gross. And so if you can continue in it, it's like, wow, you've got the spirit of God and you're okay with that? No conviction. That just scares me.

Francis Chan (33:13)

That's all. Because we can all go to church, we can all say we believe in Jesus. But over and over, the Bible's saying, look, if you say you know him, but you're okay hating your brother, he goes, then you don't really know him. If you say you know him, but you can just keep going on in your sin, man, how could God's seed abide in you? I sure hope you understand my heart.

Sam Chan (33:36)

It's like, I don't care. You go, do what you want to do.

Francis Chan (33:40)

Whatever you think.

Sam Chan (33:41)

It's not about me. It's about me.

Francis Chan (33:43)

Going, you're really going to face him one day. This is no joke. And I'm sorry that the tears aren't there.

Sam Chan (33:51)

I'm not going to fake them.

Francis Chan (33:53)

I wish they were because it's so real to me. And I'm saying, God, make it even more real, because I'm not mourning over your church. I believe God is sad when he sees places called church that are supposed to be his children. And there's fighting, there's all sorts of sexual immorality. No one's really serious about him. I'm just seeing more and more. It breaks his heart. And that's why we're trying so hard to say, guys, let's give him something different. Let's be a church that actually really loves each other, where we open up our houses to each other, open up our wallets to each other. We serve each other. We serve each other's kids. We don't care if you're black, white, Asian, Hispanic. Look at this place. This is beautiful.

Sam Chan (34:45)

I love it. You know, it's like, no, we're not like the world.

Francis Chan (34:50)

We look inside and we see Jesus and we say, man, what's mine is yours. Like, that's what God wants. So that's what we're after. And I love. I love that so many of you sacrifice your time, your money, your effort, your heart. And you care for each other, you weep for each other. And we try to care for the needs around the world, man. It's an awesome thing. And the reason why we do this is not so because we like it necessarily. It's like, no, this. God is what you asked for. And you weep over places that call themselves Christian and church, and yet they live like the world. And I'm just saying, God, I don't want that. I don't want that here. So I'm praying for you guys. I ask that you pray for me because I just want to care about the things God cares about. And let's just call each other on that and say, hey, I think you care about that too much. You know, about this or that. And because when we have too many things we care about, we don't have enough left in the tank for the things that matter.

Podcast Host (35:58)

Thank you for listening to the Crazy Love podcast. Join us next time for a new episode. But until then, for more resources from Crazy Love Ministries or to support the work of Crazy Love, please visit our website@crazylove.org.

Sam Chan (36:14)

Sam.