Francis Chan: I'm In Love (Part 1)

Sermon Summary

Main Message

This message is about the importance of genuine, heartfelt love for God, which leads to a deeper understanding and experience of His presence in our lives. We often reduce prayer to a task or transaction with God, but true prayer is an expression of our love for Him, where we simply want to be in conversation with the One we adore. The speaker emphasizes that praying is not about getting things done through God, but about experiencing Him and allowing Him to work in us.

Key Scripture References

• Proverbs 29:18 - This verse is often misquoted as saying "without Vision the people perish," but in context, it's actually talking about the importance of God's revelation and law in our lives. The correct translation is "where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint" (KJV), highlighting the need for guidance from God to live a life of obedience.
• Acts 2:42-47 - This passage describes the early church's devotion to prayer, fellowship, and the breaking of bread. They were filled with awe and miraculous signs were done by the apostles as they prayed together daily. The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
• James 5:16 - This verse encourages us to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other, emphasizing the importance of community in prayer.
• Proverbs 28:26 - This passage teaches that without a revelation from God, people will live however they want to live. But where there is a revelation from God, people are blessed because they keep His law.
• Psalm 119:18-19 - These verses express the longing for God's presence and guidance in prayer, as we seek to understand His ways and be led by Him.
• Matthew 6:10 - This verse reminds us that our prayers should start with God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven, rather than just asking for things from Him.

Main Point

The main point of this message is that true prayer is not about getting things done through God, but about experiencing Him and allowing Him to work in us. We need to approach prayer with a heart of love and surrender, seeking to experience the presence of God in our lives.

Application

The speaker encourages us to reflect on our own lives and ask ourselves if we truly want to be part of a movement like the early church, where people were consumed with God's presence. We need to be willing to surrender our own plans and desires to God, and simply seek His will in our lives.

Conclusion

The speaker concludes by emphasizing that anything great starts with prayer, where we come before God not telling Him what to do, but really just coming before Him and saying "God, I don't know what your plan is, but I want whatever brings you most glory." We need to be completely surrendered to God's will in our lives, and seek His presence above all else.