I like Francis Chan. I’m about to read his book, “Crazy Love.” I have watched a few youtube clips of him speaking in recent months. But I have only listened to a couple of his podcasts. And this past week, I was driving to work and was going through my list of podcasts, which I listen to from time to time. And I listened to one by Francis Chan from a couple of weeks ago and this is only my second or third sermon of his that I have listened to and I was surprised to hear that he was going to step down from Cornerstone.
I was surprised, but I am also encouraged by how God is speaking to me and will continue to speak to me as I observe Francis Chan’s step of faith and learn from the way he is struggling and taking concrete steps to discern the will of God and respond to his inner restlessness. I pray that this article will encourage you to do the same.
Here are the details.
Popular preacher and sought-after speaker Francis Chan announced on Sunday that he will be leaving his church in Simi Valley, Calif., to go on a new adventure God is calling him to.
Chan made clear that his decision to depart wasn’t prompted by immorality, discipline or disputes within the church. Rather, he has long felt a restlessness and stirring to let go of the church he founded 16 years ago to “do something different.”
“I’m excited about it,” Chan told members and visitors at Cornerstone Church. “I’m sad about it. At moments, I’m afraid of it.”
Though a difficult decision, the teaching pastor said he trusts God and is willing to forsake everything for Him.
The elders at Cornerstone and Chan’s family have affirmed his decision.
Chan, author of Crazy Love, has been wrestling with the calling for a couple of years and moreso in the last couple of months, he said in an interview with Catalyst.
“I started to just feel too much like this earth was my home in some ways – you know you just get your roots in and get comfortable. And then I started feeling this call and there’s all sorts of fears,” he said.
“It’s just a really crazy time in my life right now.”
Just five years ago, Chan was struggling with whether he was willing to completely surrender himself to God. He realized he was and was willing to go anywhere for God.
At that time, his calling was with Cornerstone Church. Today, he’s feeling a tug somewhere else.
The well-known preacher is still unsure of what his next adventure will be or where God is calling him to though he’s feeling drawn toward Los Angeles. Part of him wants to go somewhere where he is unknown, he said. He also has a sense that he’s being called to do church differently, not necessarily with formal Sunday services.
“I’ve really tried to search my heart on this because when you feel led by the Lord you have to first look at the Scriptures and make sure you’re going because of the Scriptures,” he stressed.
Checking his motives, Chan said money wasn’t drawing him, nor was fame or comfort. In fact, he believes he’s being led to greater obscurity and to lift other people into the limelight, and he expects there to be more difficulty and pain wherever he’s going.
His wife, Lisa, has come alongside Chan. She, too, has been sensing a calling and has been rocked by Scriptures that exhort her to deny herself and take up the cross.
“God is asking … ‘are you willing to lay down your own life … for me?'” she said Sunday.
Even though she wants to remain in the safety and comfort of Cornerstone Church and Simi Valley, she said she can’t deny that God is calling her and her husband out.
“What kind of leaders would we be if we heard the voice of the Lord leading us and didn’t obey?” she raised.
Francis Chan also believes he would be hypocritical if he didn’t go.
Chan will preach at Cornerstone through the end of May and participate in speaking engagements over the summer. He then plans to take his family to a third world country – possibly Thailand – where they will care for victims of the slave trade and orphans while spending time seeking the Lord.
After a few months overseas, Chan plans to launch something new at the beginning of next year. While fearful, he expressed full trust in God.
“There’s no fear in going out … off with the Lord,” he said. “He’s proven to me that He’s with me; He loves me; I love Him.”
Chan challenged his congregation to also take a giant step of faith.
“My hope is that maybe even as I jump and make this transition, I really believe there are many of you in this room that have felt an uneasiness about your life … this tension like there’s something more the Lord’s leading you to,” he said. “It’s scary to let go … [but] we’re talking about God who’s giving us every breath, who loved us so much that he willingly gave His one and only son and now I’m not going to trust Him?”
“We’re looking at Jesus and we’re going ‘he’s worth it.'”
Pastor Chan’s story is very affirming to where God is taking me. Wherever God is taking me, He is already empowering me to follow, filling me with true faith and enthusiasm! Thanks a lot Truth Brother! -Israel
hi israel, i am glad that pastor francis’ testimony has encouraged you, as it has for me. ray
My brother and I recently were forced back together as God began His work of removing all our earthly securities so we would have nothing left but Him, and finally listen to His Call.
Jesus’ gospel is not the gospel being preached from most pulpits today. Jesus said “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24). Jesus’ gospel says we must give up everything to gain the kingdom, but the false gospel says come to Jesus and get- get forgiveness, get eternal life, and sadly some even say “get healthy and wealthy”. Just say a “sinners prayer” and give up a few sins like drinking, drugging, smoking, swearing and illicit sex. Go to church, put a few bucks in the offering plate and you’ll be fine.
Churches to day are looking for converts, because converts fill up pews and offering plates, but Jesus doesn’t want converts, He wants disciples. The Great Commission is to “Go and make disciples” not converts. As the rich young ruler learned to his dismay, eternal life isn’t something you can just “add to your portfolio”, like buying the right insurance. The reality is that you have to give up the portfolio to get it. Jesus saw in this young man the gods he really worshiped- the gods of self and wealth. We all know Jesus was clear, “A man cannot serve two masters” And herein lies the crux of the matter. Jesus told this young man to deny the god of wealth by selling everything he had, and then deny the god of self by giving all the proceeds to the poor. American “Christians” worship these same gods, and cannot understand why they are not free to serve the True and Only God. The answer is simple, but hard. We must die to live, and lose it all to gain it all. “He is no fool, who would surrender that which he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot loose”
My prayer is that God opens all our eyes to see the “true gospel”.
thanks for sharing, peter!