Expect the Mysterious | Francis Chan

Summary

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Crazy Love Podcast: Expect the Mysterious | Francis Chan

Date: March 16, 2026
Host: Crazy Love Ministries
Guest: Francis Chan

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Overview

In this episode, Francis Chan challenges listeners to recover the sense of sacred mystery in church gatherings. Drawing on the Apostle Paul’s exhortation that church leaders are "stewards of the mysteries of God," Chan urges modern believers to move beyond mere routine, information, and polished presentations. Instead, he calls the church to gather expectantly for supernatural encounters with God through community, Scripture, prayer, communion, and love.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Losing the Sacredness and Mystery

• Routine vs. Sacredness: Chan laments how worship and church can become routine, losing their sacredness and awe.
  • Quote:

  "It's so easy to let things become routine in your life where you lose the thrill of it. One of the things that really bothers me is when something very sacred becomes common and even boring." (00:41, Francis Chan)

• Conviction from Scripture: He reflects on his own heart, questioning whether he truly "trembles" at God's word (01:29).

2. Paul’s Model: Servants and Stewards of Mystery

• Servanthood over Celebrity: Paul wanted to be known only as a “servant of Christ,” not a celebrity or expert (01:53–02:27).
  • Quote:

  "This is all I want to be known for, is just a servant of Christ...we're all just servants of him, the one who died for us." (01:53–02:27)

• Stewardship of Mystery: Church leaders are not just teachers, but stewards of the mysteries of God (02:29–02:37).

3. Modern Church Lacks Expectation of Mystery

• Consumer Mentality: Many attend church expecting good music and teaching, but not mystery or transformation (03:06–04:32).
  • Quote:

  "Where's the mystery in that? The world can do that." (04:32)

• Information vs. Transformation: The aim is often to learn something new, rather than encounter the living God (05:12).

4. The Living Word

• Uniqueness of Scripture: Chan contrasts human writings with the Bible, which he insists is "living and active" (Hebrews 4:12) and capable of discerning hearts (06:59–07:40).
  • Quote:

  "Nothing I've written is living except when I quote this book...but you've never written anything that's living, that's alive." (07:03)

  • Notable Illustration:

  "It's almost like the Bible is reading you, it's discerning you...somehow it's alive and it's looking at us." (07:40)

• Scripture Familiarity: He notes that easy access to Scripture may make us lose reverence for it (08:51–09:21).

5. Church Culture: Performance over Trembling

• Leadership as Performance: Chan critiques the focus on communication skills over spiritual trembling (10:18–11:01).
  • Quote:

  "These are the words of God, and you need someone to pump you up about them?" (11:01)

• God’s Gaze on the Humble: He points to Isaiah 66:1-2, highlighting that God looks to those "humble, contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word" (11:50–12:34).

6. A Call for Leaders to Tremble at the Word

• Transformation over Technique: Chan wishes more pastors were "lead tremblers" than "great communicators" (14:08–16:04).
  • Quote:

  "Some of the best sermons I've heard on purity were from guys who were cheating on their wives...the lead pastor needs to be the lead trembler, not the greatest communicator." (16:04)

7. Supernatural Fellowship and Spiritual Gifts

• Mysterious Encounters in Gathering: He insists that when the church gathers in love, the Spirit can move in supernatural, mysterious ways (16:41–19:27).
  • Scripture:

  1 Corinthians 14:24–25—unbelievers’ secrets revealed, leading them to declare "God is really among you."

• Gifts Centered in Love: Spiritual gifts are to be exercised within a context of love (20:13).
  • Quote:

  "The point is...you look around, you go, oh, I love these people. I've been praying for these people. And then God says, okay...can you give me a word to bless them with? Can you do some sort of mystery through me?" (20:32–21:07)

8. The Mystery of Communion

• Union With Christ: Chan explores the mysterious nature of the Lord’s Supper, where believers’ flesh and blood join with Christ’s (21:09–22:22).
  • Quote:

  "Some mysterious grace is going to be imparted to me. Like, somehow my flesh and blood is going to intermingle with the flesh and blood of Jesus. And I don't know how that works." (22:25–23:31)

• Emmaus Road Illustration:

  Luke 24 story—only in the "breaking of the bread" are the disciples’ eyes opened to Jesus’ presence (24:01–26:34).

  • Quote:

  "He broke a piece of bread. And at that moment, your eyes are open, you're like, that's Jesus. And then he vanishes...That's mysterious." (26:29–27:10)

9. Prayer as Mystery and Power

• Expectation in Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer and benedictions like Numbers 6 should be prayed with anticipation of tangible blessing and change (27:10–29:39).

  • Quote:

  "Do you believe that as you are praying, that you are bringing, like, a sacredness to his name here on earth?" (28:09)

• Blessing over the People: When blessings are spoken over others, God’s name is placed on them in some mysterious way (29:46–32:33).

  • Quote:

  "If I pray this for Sarah and Delali, somehow God from heaven puts his name on you. What does that mean...I want his name upon me. I want his blessing." (31:06–32:33)

10. Acts 2:42 Model: Devotion to the Mysteries

• Devoted to the Mysteries: The early church devoted themselves not just for community but for the mysterious power in teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers (32:33–34:45).
  • Quote:

  "My prayer is that all of us come prepared, anxious, anticipating...trembling at the word of God, loving my brothers and sisters with spiritual gifts, expecting to receive grace from the body and blood of Jesus and expecting to receive blessing from the prayers." (34:00–34:45)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "When something very sacred becomes common and even boring...that really bothers me." (00:41, Francis Chan)
• "This is all I want to be known for...as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (01:53–02:37)
• "We're not looking for mystery. We're looking for information. Teach me something...We want explanation. But I'm saying...don't you want more than that?" (05:06–05:12)
• "These are the words of God, and you need someone to pump you up about them?" (11:01)
• "He who's humble, contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. Trembles at my word." (12:34)
• "The lead pastor needs to be the lead trembler, not the greatest communicator." (16:04)
• "Somehow...my flesh and blood is going to intermingle with the flesh and blood of Jesus...And I don't know how that works." (22:25–23:31)
• "He broke a piece of bread. And at that moment, your eyes are open...That's mysterious." (26:29–27:10)
• "These are mysteries: the word of God, the way that the church fellowships and loves and blesses one another, the breaking of bread, the prayers." (32:33–34:45)

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Notable Timestamps

• Stewards of the mysteries – 01:33–02:37
• Routine vs. mystery in church – 03:06–04:32
• The Living Word—uniqueness of Scripture – 06:59–07:40
• Leadership as performance, critique – 10:18–11:01
• Isaiah 66: trembling at God's word – 11:50–12:34
• Lead trembler, not lead speaker – 16:04
• The mystery of spiritual gifts/community – 19:09–21:09
• The Lord’s Supper—mystery of union with Christ – 22:16–23:31
• Emmaus road story, breaking of bread – 24:01–27:10
• Powerful prayer and blessing – 28:09–32:33
• Acts 2:42 and devotion to the mysteries – 33:47–34:45

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Final Takeaways

Francis Chan’s message is a passionate call for the church to return to an expectant, trembling approach to God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, and the sacraments. He challenges listeners to seek not just information or emotional moments, but real encounters with the living God—expecting the mysterious every time the church gathers.

"Let's not just show up, church. Let's be the church and let's steward these mysteries." (34:45, Francis Chan)

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Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Crazy Love Podcast. The Apostle Paul once said that leaders in the church are simply servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. But what happens when the mysteries disappear? Today, Francis Chan challenges the modern church to recover the sacredness of gathering together. Not to chase good speakers or emotional moments, but to come expecting God himself to move through. Through his Word, through prayer, communion, and through the love of his people.

[B]

I love this. I love just being with you guys, worshiping, staring at the trees, the sun, everything else, and just worshiping Him. I hope this never gets old to you. Seriously, it's so easy to let things become routine in your life where you lose the thrill of it. One of the things that really bothers me is when something very sacred becomes common and even boring, and we just kind of shrug our shoulders, like, oh, no big deal. I was very convicted by a verse of Scripture. In fact, again, even as I'm worshiping, I'm like, lord, am I trembling at your word?

[C]

Am I trembling at these words? Because this comes from you.

[B]

In First Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 1, it says this. This is Paul speaking.

[C]

And he says, this is how one

[B]

should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

[C]

So the Apostle Paul, who wrote like 13 books of the New Testament, he goes, this is all I want to known for, is just a servant of Christ. Like, I just want you to know that all I do, nothing special about me. I'm just a servant of Christ. You know, so often in ministry in the U.S. it's like we can lift people up, like there's something special. And here's Paul going, man, this is all I want to be known for. I just want to be known as a servant. Just like, like the rest of you, we're all just servants of him, the

[B]

one who died for us.

[C]

But then he says, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

[B]

That is such an important phrase. Stewards think about this. So my job as a leader is to steward the mysteries of God. See, so often, often when you come to a gathering like this, and this is what I'm convicted of, it's like, am I showing you?

[C]

Are you in your head going, wow, I am coming to this gathering and something mysterious is going to happen. Like, did you come here today thinking, okay, this is going to be crazy. This is going to be mysterious. There is something spiritual, unique that's about to happen. Because this is not the mindset of the average church attender in the U.S. average church attender in the U.S. is, okay, I just got to show up. Let me just get there.

[B]

10:30, let me just try to get there by 10:45. Let me just get there.

[C]

Let me just show up. And then the mindset is it's kind of the job of the people up front, the worship team, our little worship team here. Like, their job is to, like, get you fired up and motivate you to worship. And then the speaker comes up, maybe reads a verse, and then his job is to get us excited about the word of God. And so if you have a good worship team, if you have a good speaker, then it's going to be a good Sunday. There's nothing mysterious about that. You get a good speaker, he's going to motivate you, get good music going. It's going to move you.

[A]

That's.

[C]

Where's the mystery in that? We can wait. The world can do that. Get it. Get a comedian up here and he'll get us laughing, enjoying. Bring a secular bad bunny, you know, whoever, like, hey, you know, K pop demon hunters. Get, get, you know, get up and they'll move us with the music, with the speaking. Zero mystery. See, a lot of us when we

[B]

show up to something like this, we're

[C]

not looking for mystery. We're looking for information.

[B]

Teach me something. Tell me something I don't know. Come on, you went to seminary. Throw some Greek out there, throw some Hebrew out there. Show me some insight you find that I couldn't find on my own. We want explanation. We want information. But I'm saying, come on, you guys, don't you want more than that? Don't you want mystery? Don't you just go? No, I want to go to that gathering because they offer something the world could never offer, something mysterious. I don't want to just connect with a bunch of human beings on a fleshly level, you know, exchange information, you know, hang out. No, I want something deeper.

[C]

Like, could I seriously interact with the person of God, my creator? Could something happen in my spirit that isn't just information? That isn't just flesh and blood? See, Paul says this is my job, is to steward mystery.

[B]

And. I just fear that we've lost the idea of mystery in the church. And then I go, well, then what's the point? What's the point? That's why each week we open up the word of God. Hebrews 4:12. You guys should know this verse, the Word of God. The word of God is living.

[C]

There's something mysterious about these words.

[B]

They're living. Now, most of you know I'm a Writer. I've written some pretty good ones. Nothing I've written is living except when I quote this book. Some of you guys write, I'm sure it's fine, but you've never written anything that's living, that's alive. That's what's crazy about this book. He says, no, these words, there's something

[C]

about these words because they came from God and they're living and active and they're sharper than any two edged sword and they kind of pierce through you into the division of your soul and your spirit, of joints and marrow and discerning the things, thoughts and intentions of the heart. That's crazy. How do words. It seems like this is an external thing and yet it somehow discerns your thoughts and intentions of your heart. There's something about these words that they get into you and it's almost like the Bible is reading you, it's discerning you. It's not this thing that we just put under a microscope and we look at it, but somehow it's alive and it's looking at us. This is like nothing that's mysterious. So do you come here going, oh, when they open that book and when they read, I can't wait. Because those words are living. And I understand this.

[B]

We're almost at a disadvantage nowadays in

[C]

the 21st century because most of you can read and we, almost all of you have a Bible. And so it's like, okay, the Bible,

[B]

the Bible, the Bible. Oh, what's the Bible reading today? I'm going to have to get up and read again and it can become this common thing versus back in the day when people couldn't read and you'd show up to a gathering and go,

[C]

someone's gonna read from that book and these are gonna be the very words of God. Oh man, I don't get to hear the words of God. You know, all I hear is all this garbage from everyone else. But now I'm gonna go to this place and there's gonna be someone who can read, a scribe, and they're gonna read the very words of God and I'm going to hear his wor active and they can actually change my soul. It's mysterious. There's something about this book. But somehow in the 21st century, because we can all read

[B]

then.

[C]

Now the pastor's job is not just to read the word but make it exciting to you.

[B]

I mean, this is just the way I was raised. I worked hard at trying to be a great communicator. You know, they taught us okay, in those first 30 seconds, really grab their attention. Do this, this, this, then jump into a story that.

[C]

That, you know. Because in the first minute, two minutes, that introduction, you've got to grab them, make them want to hear what else you have to say. And then you do this, and then you do this and do this. This is how you teach the word of God.

[B]

Oh.

[C]

Then your conclusion, okay, you got to

[B]

bring it, you know, just bring it down. Get them to a point where they do. And it's like, really?

[C]

And then if you do that, well,

[B]

you get a bunch of views on YouTube and Instagram. Follow. Have we just lost our minds? These are the words of God, and you need someone to pump you up about them. In Isaiah, chapter 66, verses 1 and 2, thus says, the heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool. What is the house that you would build for me? And what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made. And so all these things came to be, declares the Lord, but this is

[C]

the one to whom I will look. He who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. There is a being in heaven right now. He says, see all of heaven?

[B]

That's my throne and the earth. It's like my footstool. This whole planet. It's like I'm just resting my feet on it.

[C]

He goes, do you think I actually need you to build a temple for me? Do you think God in heaven needs anything from us? He goes, I don't need anything. I don't need you to build a home for me.

[B]

He goes, but this is the one I'll look to. He who's humble, contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. Trembles at my word. See, I was during worship thinking about even the first verse I shared, like, wow, I'm a steward of the mysteries of God. And I'm thinking, oh, God, you said

[C]

that I'm supposed to be a servant and a steward of your mysteries. And I'm just like, gosh, that came out of your mouth, God, I haven't been doing that. I'm so sorry. Sometimes I think about myself more highly than I should, and I expect this rather really coming as a servant to you. And I haven't done a great job stewarding the mysteries. God help me, because that's your word. See, I want to tremble at it. I don't want to preach it. I just want to be a co trembler with you and go, oh, if God says, this is who he looks to Those who are humble. Then I go, God, then I come here with some pride because I want you to see me, I want you to look to me. I want you to go, okay, there's my servant. I mean, don't you want that? Don't you go, gosh, I want to be the one that God looks at. And so I need to be humble,

[B]

contrite in spirit, and I need to tremble at his word, not just look at it as information, like a textbook. I want to tremble at it. See, again, what we are accustomed to in our country is you pick a church based upon how well they teach the word of God. And that's not a bad thing. Of course you want them to be accurate. Teach the word of God. But it's just. It's gotten to a weird place where you just get the best communicator and he'll draw the biggest crowd. And my prayer is that something new would emerge. And a lot of younger people here, like in your generation, where you just. You start looking for a place where they tremble at the word of God, that you look for a leader, not because he's good at delivering the word of God, but because, you know, his life. And he actually trembles at the word of God. And you go, I want to be under that leadership. That guy trembles at the word of God. Yeah, he's not a great speaker. He doesn't really entertain me. He doesn't captivate me. But I know he trembles at the word of God. I know he takes it seriously. Unless we get to that point as congregation members, nothing's going to change.

[C]

Some of the best sermons I've heard on purity were from guys who were cheating on their wives. Oh, they nailed their sermons, though. See, somehow we can deliver it well without trembling at it ourselves. That's what I'm saying, that the lead pastor needs to be the lead trembler, not the greatest communicator, like I want to know. Humble, contrite, trembling at his word.

[B]

Because this is mysterious. Something happens. It reads you the word of God. Were you looking forward to the mystery of that takes place when we get together. See, the Bible says when we get together, something supernatural happens. It's like in First Corinthians 14 when it talks about the gifts. In verse 24, it says, if all prophesy and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all. He is called to account by. By all the secrets of his heart are disclosed.

[C]

And so falling on his face, he

[B]

will worship God and declare that God is Really among you. Okay, that's mysterious, right? Like, it's saying, like, you know, there's probably some of you here who don't believe in God. You don't know Jesus.

[C]

You don't truly believe that there's a

[B]

God in heaven who's keeping you alive right now, that you have to stand before at the end of your life.

[C]

You've never truly come before him and just confess. God, I know I've done, like, terrible things in my life that are offensive to you, but I believe that Jesus, you sent your son to die on a cross for me, and he paid for all of my sin on that cross. And I need that forgiveness. And I want your spirit to enter into me so I can put to death all those things that you hate. Then maybe there's some of you that you've never truly done that in your

[B]

heart, and maybe you're just visiting.

[C]

The Hope according to 1st Corinthians 14 is that God says something mysterious happens when we come together in love.

[B]

Okay?

[C]

When you actually show up, not just going, I gotta get there by 10:30, but in your head going, I want

[B]

to show up and love people deeply. I want to show up this morning. God, show me people that I'm supposed to love.

[C]

And then God, according to your Word, you mysteriously, Holy Spirit will give me to. Each one will be given these gifts, like supernatural gifts, where suddenly I may show up and God may give me

[B]

a word for Jason or Noel, where it's like, they're going, how did you know that? Where Noel just freaks out. Like, you couldn't have known that. You. How did that happen? That I might read a verse to Jerrel and Jerrell's, like, what? I just had a dream about that

[C]

verse, whatever it might be. But it's like, do you come with that type of hope, of mystery?

[B]

Like, okay, God, I love and understand those gifts.

[C]

In First Corinthians 12 and 14, what's

[B]

at the center of it? First Corinthians 13, the passage about love.

[C]

This is not about, oh, God, I want to do a trick. Show me a miracle, you know, oh, God, give me a word, a prophecy. That'd be cool. I'd love to come. And you just give me a word.

[B]

Well, the key is, do you come in love? Because the point is not that you do something supernatural. The point is you. So you look around, you go, oh, I love these people. Oh, man, I love these people. I've been praying for these people. And then God says, okay. Just like for me, I go, God, I Love these people. Can you give me a word to bless them with? Can you do some sort of mystery

[C]

through me where you give me words

[B]

and then it gets to their soul? Like, did you come with that? See, it's mystery. You gotta come with this anticipation. And then there's the Lord's Supper, which we do every week. You guys, I really don't want this to ever get old in my life. I mean, do you understand that according to 1 Corinthians 11 and 12, that we somehow. And it's a mystery, somehow my flesh and my blood is about to fellowship with the flesh and blood of Jesus.

[C]

Did you come here this morning thrilled about that?

[B]

Like, okay, there's something that happens when

[C]

we gather together in love. And then when that bread is broken and I take of the bread and I take of the cup, like some mysterious grace is going to be imparted to me. Like, somehow my flesh and blood is going to intermingle with the flesh and blood of Jesus. And I don't know how that works. Somehow I'm eating his flesh, drinking his blood. Is that why you came today? Like, oh, man, I wouldn't miss that for the world. Like, are you kidding me? Like, some sort of supernatural, heavenly things going to happen where his flesh and blood, literally, it's going to somehow fellowship with my flesh and blood. What do you want to experience that's bigger than that? You got something better to do this morning than have your flesh and blood somehow intermingle with the flesh and blood of Christ?

[B]

I go, oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'm going to get together with the body of Christ. And somehow it's like that passage in Luke 24. You guys know this story. It's about the two strangers that are walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. And Jesus is walking with these two guys. This is after Jesus rose from the dead. And these two guys are just talking to Jesus.

[C]

Like, explain to Jesus what happened.

[B]

And Jesus like, yeah, what happened? What happened? And they're like, you haven't heard?

[C]

No. Like, Jesus, the son of God, he died on the cross. And then people are saying they've seen him. Like, like he's walking and talking. Like, the disciples are saying they saw him and spoke with him. And Jesus is like, oh, really? Tell me more. And they're just walking. They have no idea they're with Jesus. But then it says in Luke 24, some of those who were with us

[B]

went to the tomb and found it, just as the women had said. But him, they did not see. And he said to them, o foolish ones and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures all the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, saying, stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. And they said to each other, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures? And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the 11. And those who are with them gathered together, saying, the Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. Then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. So Jesus was preaching to them. Imagine walking with Jesus. I don't know how long it was, but he's preaching to them. They have no clue they're standing by Jesus. But then they sit down and Jesus does this.

[C]

And immediately they go, it's Jesus.

[B]

And he vanished.

[C]

Wait, so you walked with him, you heard him preach a sermon, you had no clue you were with him. And he breaks bread. He broke a piece of bread. And at that moment, your eyes are open, you're like, that's Jesus. And then he vanishes. So what is it about this? What is it about this act with the breaking of bread and the coming together that some sort of grace is imparted to us? That's mysterious.

[B]

I hope that's why you came. Oh, God, will my eyes be open in the breaking of the bread? Will you reveal Jesus to me in some mysterious way today? Are you going to impart something from heaven? Just because I take of this bread and this cup as they bless it. And then what about our prayers? We started off this morning and we said the Lord's Prayer. First of all, were you excited to pray the Lord's Prayer? I love praying the Lord's Prayer because I think, whoa, these words came out of Jesus mouth. And I'm saying the exact word. You know, different language, but exact words. 2000 years later.

[C]

This is different from me just praying

[B]

whatever comes to my mind. It's like, I am praying the words of Jesus. Let me ask you something. When we prayed that this morning, did you pray that with an expectation, like, something's going to change? Because I prayed this. Our Father in heaven hallowed. That means sacred be your name. Now, do you believe that as you are praying, that you are bringing, like, a sacredness to his name here on earth? When you're praying, saying, God, your kingdom come, were you actually believing that something was going to happen and that heaven was going to come down to earth? You know, we even sang it after, let heaven come, thy kingdom.

[C]

We want things here, right here. So we're actually praying, asking for something, and we're asking for his forgiveness, and we're asking him to keep us away from temptation, to deliver us from evil. Were you praying with a sense of mystery? Like, he's actually going to deliver me from temptation. He's going to deliver me from evil? Because we are praying that and we're telling we want that, or are you just reciting it? There's no mystery. You know, I was looking at that passage.

[B]

You know that song we sing Their

[C]

children and their children and their children and their children. That blessing.

[B]

Look at this passage in numbers 6 is where it comes from. It says, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them. Okay, what does that mean? So I'm going to close with this. He says, hey, priests, when you get together, I want you to say this. Pray this. The Lord bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. He says, so shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

[C]

What does that mean?

[B]

I don't totally know. But somehow, if I pray this for Sarah and Delali, somehow God from heaven puts his name on you. What does that mean, Fisher Lane? Like, what is that, like, for God? Like.

[C]

Like, what if I pray this over you right now? Do you go, please, please, do that, do that. I want his name upon me. I want his blessing. And. And I come here kind of, you know, like. Like. Like, Esau, bless me, Bless me. Give this to me. I show up not because I want to hear a message. I show up not because I want to sing some songs. I'm hoping you'll actually pray and put God's name upon me that these words literally do something mysterious. Like, this is prayer. Like James says, the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Like, this isn't just a token thing. Oh, he'll probably end the sermon with a prayer.

[B]

No, I hope you go, oh, I hope he prays over us. I hope that. I don't know, God just told the priest, like, look, do this and I'll put my name on the people and I'll bless them. Is there anything you want more than that? Than the Lord to bless you and to keep you and to make his face shine upon you, for him to be gracious to you, to lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Please tell me that's why you came today. These are the things. These are mysteries, the word of God, the way that the church fellowships and loves and blesses one another, the breaking of bread, the prayers. Now you understand why the early church in Acts 2:42, says they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Because they're saying, I want this mystery. This is why we don't forsake the gathering together of the saints. It's mysterious. And you won't find this anywhere else. But my prayer is that all of us calm, prepared, anxious, anticipating. Like, we don't just show up, but every week you show up and you go, this is my gift to the body. I'm going to show up expectant, trembling at the word of God, loving my brothers and sisters with spiritual gifts, expecting to receive grace from the body and blood of Jesus and expecting to receive blessing from the prayers. And let's not just show up church, let's be the church and let's steward these mysteries.

[A]

Thank you for listening to the Crazy Love podcast. Join us next week 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 [e-mail].

[B]

Sa.