Francis Chan addresses some hot-button issues that Christians find themselves divided over. Things like what is appropriate to wear to church, how other people parent, whether it’s OK to use birth control or not, and the list goes on. He even talks about his personal convictions on drinking alcohol, the wrath of God, and about judging others.
If you’ve heard Chan speak before, you might have noticed the personal approach he brings to understanding Scripture. In the sermon below, he starts by reading Colossians 2:13-14. The context of the passage he’s about to go into is that in that church, there was a Jewish sect that would go to extremes to avoid being gluttonous or sinful. They would do things like only eat plain-tasting food or only eat one meal a day. Additionally, they were very judgmental toward people who did not adhere to these extra-Scriptural rules.
Starting at [5:35], Chan addresses hell as “the undiluted wrath of God,” and goes on to explain how God not only bore the punishment that should be ours, but also freed us from judging others. Colossians 2:16 essentially says Jesus died for you, so don’t let others judge you based on rival thinks like eating habits or how you celebrate or how you spend your Sundays.
This is where Chan starts to hit a little closer to home. He gives an example of a time in his life when he would judge people for not wearing nice clothing to church. He talks about judging people based on their parenting before he had children of his own.
