Francis Chan: We Are Church - Church Together, January 2017

Sermon Summary

This is not an addition

God wants us addicted to him, not just added to our lives as a blessing or a good thing. He's not looking for people who are willing to accept Him and live their lives in a way that's slightly better because of it. No, God wants us consumed by Him, obsessed with the person of Jesus Christ.

Obsession is different from addition

Addition is when you take something and add it to your life as an extra thing. Obsession is when something becomes the central focus of your life, the thing that consumes you and drives every decision you make. When someone is obsessed with their child, for example, they can't stop talking about them or thinking about them. They're not just adding their child to their life; they're consumed by a desire to love and care for them.

God wants us obsessed with Him

He wants us to be like David, who said, "My soul thirsts for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water." He's not talking about being thirsty for a drink of water; he's talking about being thirsty for God. Paul says the same thing: "For me to live is Christ." That's obsession.

Our goal should be to be addicted to Jesus

We shouldn't just aim to do good things or resist sin or care for the poor. We should strive to fall in love with Jesus, to be obsessed with Him and consumed by a desire to know and love Him more deeply. That's what God wants of us.

Relationship, not performance

God is looking for people who are addicted to Him, not just those who are trying to do the right things or avoid doing the wrong things. He wants us to have a relationship with Him, not just to perform certain actions or follow certain rules.

The church has been preaching addition, not obsession

For years, churches have been teaching people to add Jesus to their lives as an extra thing, rather than teaching them to be obsessed with Him. But that's not what God wants. He wants us to be consumed by a desire to love and know Him more deeply.

Let's aim for obsession

So let's aim to be like Moses, who said, "I don't want the promised land without you." Let's strive to be obsessed with Jesus, to be addicted to Him and consumed by a desire to love and know Him more deeply. That's what God wants of us.

This is not just about feelings

Being obsessed with Jesus isn't just about feeling happy or joyful all the time. It's about being driven by a deep desire to love and know Him, even when things get tough. It's about being willing to sacrifice everything for Him, because He's worth it.

This is not just about me

Being obsessed with Jesus isn't just about what I want or feel; it's about what God wants from me. It's about surrendering my life to Him and allowing Him to consume me with His love.

Let's aim for obsession, not addition

So let's aim to be addicted to Jesus, consumed by a desire to love and know Him more deeply. Let's strive to be obsessed with Him, not just added to our lives as an extra thing. That's what God wants of us.

Conclusion

God wants us addicted to Him, not just added to our lives as an extra thing. He's looking for people who are obsessed with Jesus, consumed by a desire to love and know Him more deeply. Let's aim for obsession, not addition.