Jentezen Franklin - I Refuse to Be a Professional - Part 2
I'm reading from Judges 17, I'll begin reading with verse 6. Judges 17, "In those days there were no kings in Israel everyone did what was right in his own eyes". That's a dangerous time in a nation, when everybody does what was right and we don't have a king named Jesus. And, "now there was a young man from Bethlehem, in Judah, of the family of Judah..." Notice it mentions his family. He was a Levite, which means he's in the lineage of priests and he started staying there. "The man departed from the city of Bethlehem to Judah to stay wherever they could find a place and then he came to the mountains of Ephraim and the house of Micah, as he journeyed," or some translations say, "So journeyed". That's an interesting word.
"And Micah said to him, 'Where do you come from?' She said to him, 'I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. And I am on my way somewhere else,' is what he's saying, 'to find a place to stay.' Micah said to him, 'Dwell with me. Dwell with me and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes and your substance.' Shelter, food. So the Levite when in. The Levite, notice the big word was, "content". He was content to dwell with a man. And the young man became like one of his sons to him. So Micah consecrated the Levite and the young man became the priest and lived in the house of Micah. Then Micah said, 'Now I know that the Lord will be good to me since I have a Levite as a priest.'"
You read the next chapter and he sets up a idol in his house. Started worshipping it and he said, "It will be alright. It will be alright. I've got me a hired priest. It doesn't matter how I worship or who I worship or what I worship". And in that moment, this man had to make a decision, was he going to, was he going to basically sell out his faith that he knew was right to worship another god? For contentment, for security for ten shekels of silver per year, a change of clothes? And in some Bibles, it says over that section, when the priest became a professional.
And I'm preaching today on, "I refuse to be a professional". Because we're New Testament priests, you are and I am. You think the preacher is the only one that's a priest, but the Bible said in the book of Revelation, "We're all kings and priests under our God". And sooner or later, you're gonna have to make the same decision that this young man had to make. Who are you going to serve and who are you going to love? And is your faith in God, is it... are you a professional? Meaning, when I say professional, I don't mean that he was a cut above like a professional athlete. In that moment, he decided it would become a profession for him, not a passion. It would become a job for him, not a joy. It would become a life, not the life. It would become something that was taught, but it would not be really, really treasured all week long. You'd come hear a little teaching and then go back and forget about it.
Are you one of those Christians that's become a professional Christian? You do your duty? You've become content? Where's the passion? Where's the longing? Where's the yearning? Where's that move of God that matters more than silver or gold? It's casual Christianity being a professional Christian? "Come on kids, get into church. Hurry up, hurry up. And when we get over, let's get outta here. And then, it's right back to turn the radio to blankedy, blank boom, boom, boom". What is wrong with us? We need a revival. We need young people to see the glory of God. We need the Holy Ghost to fall on the house until they are filled with the spirit and so filled with the vision of God for their life that culture can't turn them around.
And I don't know who I'm preaching to, but I wanna know, are there any Christians listening to me who refuse to be a professional? I want passion. I want fire. I want anointing. I want love of God above all! He turns off the road and he says, "I want my bucket list. I'mma party so much. I'mma sleep with every girl I wanna sleep with. I'mma drink, drink till I'm drunk. I'm gon' get high. I'm gon' do it all and then on Sunday, I'm gon' light a little something another and walk in there for an idol. And then I'm gon', I'm gon' just act real religious. I'll be professional, I'm a career guy". And that's what we've reduced Christianity to. I'm not mad, I'm not mean, I'm a nice guy. Just telling you the truth today 'cause we're all headed, headed into eternity here. It's kinda important that we not be deceived in the last days over ten shekels of silver.
The prodigal son, I wish I could tell you that, you know, if you go out and you start going in that other way that you won't get the stuff you want. You'll get your bucket list probably. The prodigal son look at him. He got the friends, the popular friends. You'll be popular. He got the friends but he didn't keep the friends, did he? He got to go to exciting places, not like no boring Bethlehem Judah. I want some excitement. And he got it, he got the friends the popularity, but he didn't keep it. He got the places, but he didn't keep it. He got the money, but he didn't keep it. Cause sin takes and takes and takes. You know what they did study of super wealthy families that I read about not too long ago? And they said that usually wealth in a family doesn't last but three generations because what starts out as a passion then becomes I kinda like it, I kinda like it.
And then by the third generations it's dead, cold and dead. Same is true in our walk with God, it's a passion when we first get started and if we don't watch it the children just kinda, "I kinda like it". And then the next generation of grandchildren, are like, "I don't even wanna go, I don't care nothing about that". That's why... do you understand what I'm preaching? Is that happening in your family? Is that happening in generation after generation? The Levite said, "I just wanna be normal".
I just, I remember that my parents were pretty strict. And I remember thinking that thought. I thought about it in this message, you know, like I remember having those thoughts, "I wish my parents weren't," you know, "why can't they be like other parents"? They by the keg. "Why can't I have normal parents? Why do my parent have to always push Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus"? 'Cause they're saved. Let's be honest. I tired of... can you tell I'm tired of apologizing for the gospel? I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus, I love this book. I love it! I love the do's, I love the don'ts, I love the thou shall be blessed and I love the thou shall not touch. "What is wrong with you pastor"?
I don't know. But I'm not a professional. Bless God, I still will shout at the drop of a hat and I'll drop the hat. God has been too good to this boy. He has brought me too far to become a professional worshipper. "Praise the Lord. I'm meditating in my heart". Gimme a hundred fanatics. Clap your hands and praise God. Gimme a hundred dads. Gimme a hundred moms, who are thankful that they're from Bethlehem Judah! Judah! That stuff gets in you. That's stuff you can't shake it off. You'll never be normal. Sit down a minute, I'm almost done. You know what the Bible said about him? "He was content".
But you know what the Bible said about us? The Bible said in the book of Exodus 2 that, Moses was no ordinary child. We wanna be normal but Moses was no ordinary child. If you've got the touch of God in your family. If you got people, parents, grandparents, someone in your family who honors God. I hate to break the news to you darling. But you will never fit in with the rest of the crowd like you want to. You are messed up. They get high and they see pink elephants. You get high and you see the four horses of the apocalypse. They get high and they see psychedelic colors, you get high and you start crying about, "I wonder if the rapture is fixing to take place"?
Why are you thinking about that? You see Moses and Elijah, they see mushroom trips. And you try mushroom and you see the old testament, the new testament and Jesus riding on a white horse. Oh this stuff works. I want every parent to shout, "It works". They can try to go a different route but if you ever got a seed in that child. God's gonna bring 'em home, wooo! Somebody shout with me. This is part of it. It's not just the preaching it's the shouting. Heyyy! Its gonna be alright. It is well with my family. It is well with my children. It is well with my grandchildren. It's gonna be alright and He's got him in His hand. Ohh Hallelujah! We are not to be normal and ordinary. You are a peculiar people. A little weird. Weird is back. Hallelujah!
Anybody not ashamed of the Holy Ghost and talking in tongues? Anybody not ashamed of the gifts of the spirit? Anybody not ashamed of prophesy, prophesy, prophesy? I'm tired of the witches and the demons, and the false prophets getting all the attention. We need a move of the Holy spirit in our lives again. Not professionals. I offer you more than Sunday morning religion today. If you're running from God. If you're more worried about getting out of the parking lot than you are of your soul and your family, something's wrong. Something's wrong. Jesus did not bleed, and die, and carry a cross to play church. Every now and then we need to do a heart check. We need to do what David said, "Search and try me. See if there's wickedness in me". I wanna announce today that I refuse to be a professional Christian and professional preacher. I need thee. Oh, I need thee.
Every head bowed, every eye closed. In all of our campuses wherever you're watching me. Overflow, whoever you are. The presence of the Lord is in this place. It's time to seek the Lord. It's time to turn to Him with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength this half way stuff doesn't work. What are you gonna sell out to Jesus for? Ten shekels of suit and some contentment, and normalcy? I'd rather fight devils and demons all the way to glory than have a peaceful, easy ride to hell. If you're lost, if you're backslidden, if you know you're in sin, if you need a change in your life.
"Pastor, I know I'm not right with God and I need to get right. Pray for me". If that's you boldly, lift your hands as high as you can get it under the sound of my voice at every campus. Do it high and lift it up and unashamed. Hands, hands, hands, hands, hands. Great, great, great, great, great. Everyone of you that have your hand, I'll like to do this. I like old fashioned altar calls, get out your seat, walk down the aisle. Don't do it in a corner. Don't do it. Just where you are. There's something that breaks off of people I found when they get out and they humble, there's a big word. Humble yourself. Here they come.
Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. Come home, come home, come home, come home, come home. You're weary. Sin will make you weary. Sin, sin will make you wanna just end it. Sin will show you darkness. Sin, thrills and then it kills. Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. They're coming, they're coming. Clap your hands church. Chains are breaking, chains are breaking, chains right now, right now. They're gonna sing it one more time and you're sitting, standing there and the Lord says, "Move. The water is troubled, move. Get out of your seat and humble yourself". Walk down that aisle and watch God show you who He is. Ye who are weary. You tried it. It left you empty and broken. "Softly and tenderly. Jesus is calling. Calling Oh sinner, come home".
If you're watching me by television. And you don't even know why you're watching. And you're a backslid preacher's kid. You used to sing in the choir. It's been years and years, I see you sitting in a chair. And you strayed so far and you can't believe how far you've gone. But God loves you. Jesus died for you. And this is your moment to come home. And I can count on one hand the times I've stopped a live service for somebody watching by television, but when I bow my head the Lord showed me a TV set and He showed me a person, a man sitting in front of that TV set.
And the Lord said, "This is the day of salvation for you". Someone in your family. They may not even be alive but somebody in your family got a prayer through. And that's the only reason you're still alive and it's to come home. Dial the number that's on the screen. Somebody will be waiting to pray with you right now. Everybody in this room, everybody who's come forward, everybody under the sound of my voice this is a moment of great destiny for your life. There's an angel that will write you name in the book of life if you pray this and mean it. And I know you do because you came forward, so let's pray together everybody:
Lord Jesus, I give you my life. I surrender. I've journeyed in the wrong direction. I'm so sorry. I need you. I wanna put you in your rightful place. I receive forgiveness. I receive total cleansing. You said, "I even I, will blot out your transgressions to remember them no more". Thank you for a brand new beginning. I'm free, I'm washed, I'm cleansed, in the name of Jesus, fill me with the Holy Spirit. Show me who you are and let me walk in truth. In the mighty name of Jesus.
Say that, "In the mighty name of Jesus". Now, the first words in your new life ought to be, "Praise the Lord! Thank you Jesus! Hallelujah, I'm not a professional".