Only God Can Do the Work of God

Francis Chan:

We mess things up sometimes by trying too hard to convince people to do something. Because what I see Jesus do, is, he who has ears, let him hear. So this way, if the person’s heart has really been changed and you present the Word to them, they’re going to have ears to hear and do it.

And I think sometimes by, “Come on, you guys, we got to do this,” then we talk people into doing exactly what you’re saying, maybe one quick action or something when their heart really hasn’t been changed. I’ve been thinking about that lately.

It’s like, “God, I don’t want to…” In my zeal, I don’t want to be talking people into something to make them feel a little bit better than they did a little action here because of the way I communicate or because I get so excited about it. And should it be more of a, “He who has ears, let him hear. Here’s what the Word of God says”? But we do live in a time where someone can read a scripture and unless a dynamic communicator comes along and explains it really well, when they already knew what it said, that maybe… I don’t know, maybe I overthink things.

David Platt:

No, man, I think that’s right on, I think. And where that leaves me is in just complete and total dependence on the Spirit to create that, the hearing, and to create the heart change that has to happen there. And instead of trying to manufacture it, instead of trying to use all the means, okay, how can we make this happen? How can we cajole somebody? How can we persuade somebody?

Now, obviously, when I share the gospel with somebody individually or when I preach the gospel, I want to urgently persuade people to trust in Christ. But at the same time, yeah, I want to trust that the Spirit will do that work. And I can’t manufacture that. I can’t make that happen.

Only God Can Do the Work of God

Francis Chan:

That’s a good word. It just drives back to something we’ve talked about a good bit, but just the need for prayer in this whole picture, for God to do what only God can do. Because we can’t make disciples. We can’t make disciple-makers. What did Augustine say? “Only God can do the work of God.” It’s true. And if we’re not careful, we do, I think, we spend time trying to manufacture that, and it just results in a fleshly picture that is-

David Platt:

Yeah, and it’s not this love.

Francis Chan:

… powerless. Yeah.

David Platt:

It’s not love.

Francis Chan:

Loveless, powerless.

David Platt:

Yeah. At the end of the day, are you in love with Jesus Christ? I can’t make that happen. I can’t create that. I can convince someone to do something here or there. But when you talk about the great command, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. You could never make that happen. As Jesus says, it’s the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is of no help at all. And to try to remember that and to keep the focus on loving Jesus, loving Jesus. This is all an outflow of “because I’m so in love with him,” versus a “do this, do this, do this or you’re going to hell.”

Francis Chan:

I don’t ever want to come across that way. And I fear sometimes I do that. And at the core of it’s got to be love. And it’s got to come from a response to this gospel and understanding it and just loving the gospel and loving this God who did that for you. It’s like, I’d gladly trust you. I’d gladly follow you. I want that so badly. And yet some of Jesus’ words too, though, you go, “Gosh, he was hard. He was very hard, harder than I am.” And I want to be careful not to step over that.

The Love of Jesus

David Platt:

You and I have talked a good bit about John 15 along those lines. And I remember you and I were at a conference where you were preaching John 15. But wow, just when Jesus commands his disciples, “Remain in my love.” What a beautiful command. “Abide in my love. Just stay there. If you keep my commandments, you’ll abide in my love just as I’ve kept my Father’s commitments and abide in his love.”

When we know his love, his love for us, when we are filled with love for him, this is the spring from which obedience flows. It’s love and joy, full joy. Like, the other day I was in these verses again and just freshly reminded of, I’m commanded to remain in this love and to find joy in his love for me, and a responsive love to him that is in obedience to him. This is-

Francis Chan:

Yeah. It’s got to be that. I just stop you and just-

David Platt:

Go ahead.

Francis Chan:

… one last thought because I’m going to forget it. But I think even as we move forward in this, everything we do has to be about love, has to be about because I just love God and I want to experience him, and I want to enjoy him. Because what I was sharing with my guys the other morning is like I realized that revival had become an idol where I would get frustrated that, man, how come all the people in this apartment building aren’t falling in love with Jesus?

Come on. Something’s wrong. And I’ve wanted that revival so much, even though God… I would see supernatural things so regularly and be so amazed by it. But then there’d be this bummer. Oh man, but this isn’t happening. I thought there’d be hundreds getting saved. I thought people were going to repent and this and that. And just reminding myself that Jesus never promised that revival.

In fact, Paul told Timothy, “Look, in the last days, people are going to reject this.” And our joy needs to be Matthew 28, “I’ll be with you always.” And I was telling the guys, “Look what we’ve seen so far.” None of us can deny that Jesus has been answering our prayers, walking alongside us. We’ve seen the power of the Holy Spirit. But these people, they still haven’t repented. Look, even if someone rose from the dead and they saw that, they still wouldn’t repent.

So the guarantee of this is I’m going to walk closely with the Lord. He’s going to be with me. I’m going to experience him. This is the one thing that I ask. This is the one thing I seek. I just want his presence. I just love Jesus even more than I love revival, even more than I’d love to see other people repent. I want that. I’d love that. But I want this to be about Jesus.

And even as we go forward, it’s like, I want to experience Jesus. I want a fellowship with him. And through this, I don’t want to force something, say, “Oh, it happened. Look at all the people that showed up. Look at all the people that are a part of multiplying it.” Do you know?

David Platt:

Yeah, that misses the whole point.

Francis Chan:

Yeah.

David Platt:

Yeah. It’s empty. But yeah, I don’t think I have anything to add to that. May it be so. May just that love for Christ and experience of Christ’s love just permeate our lives as disciples of Jesus and-

Francis Chan:

Amen.

David Platt:

… disciple-makers and more and more and more people knowing his love and remaining in his love and experiencing the power and intimacy of his presence in that way. May it be so.