United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Renowned Pastor and NY Times Bestselling Author, Francis Chan, recently delivered what may be the most important sermon of the year.  A sermon which was not merely an agreeable prescription for pew-fellows, but every one of us.  

Francis Chan's Sermon at IHOP, July 2021. The introduction to Francis’ sermon begins at 1:17:30.

After decades of strongly criticizing certain church leaders, some of whom were in the room that night, and separating himself from their differing theological views, Francis repentantly vowed allegiance with them.  But why?

A major impetus of this realignment came on the heels of his entire family having been deeply and peculiarly blessed in ways indescribable — ways only the Spirit of God could have accomplished.  Resultantly, he willingly crossed fault lines, set differences in their proper place, and said; 

There is a cost to unity.  The moment we unite with someone, we inherit all their enemies.  Seriously, think about this.  

~Francis Chan, July 10, 2021.

We will look at the context of this statement in a moment, but I must first say how deeply blessed I am to have been in the room that night at IHOP Kansas City when he delivered this legendary message. 

While the concept of division was never divinely breathed into our eternal natures, our dusty flesh has been tragically trained by the dualistic systems of this world to not only choose a tribe but emphatically declare that all other tribes but mine may likely be:  The enemy.  

Grievously, this is another case where the church should be informing and transforming the culture, but instead, the church tends to imitate culture — a culture that is infected by our splintered social and political landscapes.

We are being conditioned to believe the path to unity can only be achieved by creating and fostering fierce division.  How you may ask?  Just listen to the plethora of dominating voices as they consistently bloviate who the enemy is, eliminate their ability to influence, and create deep separation along tectonic fault lines.  

All the while, being careful to not let anyone consider that this seemingly commanding majority of our country is actually; a dimming minority.  

The catastrophe of this losing proposition is that far too large a segment of our citizenry has not only become unwittingly agreeable but has accepted the roles of active players in this pernicious script.

Today’s political mural is wholly antithetical to any attempt at unification.  It has to be.  The aging oligarchs, who have their withering hands on our societal dials, suffer from the very virus they falsely accuse all of us as having contracted;  the Novel Misinformation Virus.  

You see, in their quest to partition and silence competing viewpoints, they have become deaf, dumb, and blind to their own malignant infection.  They believe, to gain the power they so desperately long for, they must first divide the tribes. 

Their plan of attack is well underway; turn rich against poor, blue against red, black against white, wife against husband, daughter against father, believer against nihilist, vaccinated against unvaccinated — and finally, world power can be achieved.

Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?  

Same thing we do every night, Pinky:  Try to take over the world!

~ Pinky and the Brain

Many say Trump is a deeply divisive figure to our nation.  Those who say this comprise about half our country.  Likewise, many others say Biden is even more divisive.  Those who say this comprise the other half. 

Canadian Professor, Jordan Peterson, famously addressed this point on Bill Maher’s show, Real Time, back in 2018.  He vehemently tried to get the left-leaning panel and audience to ascertain the fact; it is societal suicide to dismiss the reasons why half the country supports one party over the other.

It looks to me, as an outsider, your country is polarizing in a way that's not good.  You may think the people who voted for Trump are not very bright and backward, but you need to have respect for the rest of your citizens or your country will pull apart.

Jordan painted a billboard for our country that elevated the conversation far above what cable news and corporate media are constrained to feed us.  In a quest to energize the base and shame a foe, few stop to consider that roughly the same number of combatants are straining with all their might on each end of our fraying, national rope.  

This game of Tug is called War for a reason.

I am watching marriages and entire families permanently pull apart over the 2020 election.  I have friends of different races who, while having been close for decades, are now embittered toward one another because of the unrelenting, national obsession with skin color.  I am watching long-time friends pull apart from one other over the topic of Covid vaccination.  

Tragically, my sense is; you are not only watching similar divisions but are high-stepping your way through some of these very same tripwires.

What’s worse, the triumvirate of tyranny (our prejudiced corporate media, polarized political system, and biased big tech) has doubled down on its fierce censorship and silencing crusades under the guise of Anti-misinformation campaigns.

E Pluribus Unum means:  Out of Many, One. 

But today’s dimwitted definition seems to be:  Silence the Many and Pretend One.

There is nothing new under the sun.  Meaning, if you think we are living in a uniquely unprecedented time, consider revisiting the repeating patterns of history.  This devilish playbook has been pulled out and dusted off over and over again, looking for a generation who will take the bait.  When you feel the tasty, shiny hook in your mouth:  Spit it out for all of our sakes.

What does any of this have to do with Francis’ brilliant sermon?  Everything.

There was a day when the people and message coming out from the church could transform and renovate the entire culture.  Peruse the Great Awakenings here in New England or the Great Welsh Revival:  The only knees being taken were by sinners, crumpled on sidewalks beholding a holy God.  

For those who read my prior piece on my visit to IHOP,  you will know why I am still deeply processing all that happened there and how Francis was a key person in the middle of it all.  I rejoiced that Saturday night as he unrelentingly wrung every drop of honesty and truth out from his bulging heart as he urged everyone to consider:  The reward of unity always outweighs the cost of unity. 

Francis whole-heartedly confessed how he had genuinely believed for decades why his tribe was right and the others were wrong.  It was that same assuredness that enabled him to confidently separate from the people in those other tribes.

The first church knew about this all too well.  The only way to operate in transformational, holy power is by esteeming unity at all cost — the kind of unity that Christ can pull up a chair and sit joyfully in the midst of.  

Many signs and wonders were being done through the Apostles' hands as they were all of one mind together…

~ The Acts of the Apostles

They lived this way because the alternative is catastrophic:

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

~Jesus

For those who feel justified in unforgiveness, judgment, and separation from your spouse, children, parents, friends, and co-workers over a political, social, or theological thought — consider the power of unity in contrast with the destruction of division.

Once we’ve become numb to division, we’ve become numb to our shared humanity.

As Francis pledged allegiance with Mike Bickle, founder and visionary pastor of the International House of Prayer in K.C., he said something profound:  

When I say, ‘I love Mike Bickle’, I inherit all Mike’s enemies

Think about it.  If you were to post on social media that you voted for Joe Biden, how many friends would viciously attack you?  Likewise, for Donald Trump?  

If you similarly posted that you will never take the Covid vaccines, how many family members and neighbors would stop inviting you to their home?  You may even get fired from your job.

If you proudly posted, All Lives Matter, what would that fall-out look like for you?

In Francis’ case, it was a matter of:  Does the Holy Spirit of God still perform the miracles and gifts today as stated in the Bible?  Before visiting IHOP, he was convinced the answer was; no.

For him to now post that he believes and practices things like Prophecy, Tongues, Healing, and Words of Knowledge, he willfully just inherited a boatload of enemies.

Francis went on to say that those few weeks of getting to know Mike Bickle, his family, and his staff were deeply transformational.  He furthered explained how his wife and children were so deeply and lovingly blessed with immeasurable signs and wonders from God, this acclaimed pastor could only say; 

I’ve never experienced anything like this in my entire life.

But he didn’t just leave us with a Kumbaya moment.  As he finished pledging his unifying affection with these other leaders, he solemnly charged:

So, don’t let me down.

Meaning, if Francis was going to pay the price with his fans, colleagues, and community back home by pledging unity, these guys ought not to fall into calamitous sin like so many other national leaders tend to do.  Because in the realm of unity; when one falls, all fall.

Likewise, Francis vowed to do the same.

The scriptures hold a profoundly beautiful word for unity.  Too often, we confuse unity with uniformity or unanimity.  But, when the scriptures speak of the first church being united and of one mind (homothymadon in the original language), the best word picture we have describes this trait as a symphonic orchestra. 

While each instrument, musician, and parts of the score are distinct and uniquely different, the combined sum of the parts creates a glorious, transcendently harmonic, and soul-moving sound that could never be produced save each piece is seated in its’ proper place.

As I watch the social feeds and comment sections, it astounds me how discussion and debate inevitably erode to personal insult and labeling - particularly among people of faith. Who knew heaven had so many press secretary’s willing to step up to the mic and speak on the King’s behalf, only for us to soon realize they have not had audience with the King for quite some time on these topics. 

For me to insult and silence someone over a differing position is like the Bassoonist demanding the Violinists leave the stage. Or, how would the Piccolo effect a crescendo if the Tympani had long been removed?  And how could half the instruments play if the Bass Clef was banned and only the Treble Clef was allowed?

Let me close with a famous prayer Jesus prayed for us:

May they all may be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray they will be in us…

~Jesus

What prayer of Jesus could ever remain unanswered?

Thank you, Francis.