This is “The Three Chairs.” To hear more inspiring messages from Jentezen Franklin, visit http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/watch & subscribe to this channel: http://goo.gl/yfkXHy
the following program is sponsored by
friends and partners of Kingdom
connection I love you enough to get
right in your face and tell you the only
thing at stake is your family the only
thing at stake is your marriage and when
you move into this seat it’s a dangerous
place for believers if you have your
Bibles I would like for you to open them
with me to Joshua chapter 24 in verse 15
and if it seems evil to you to serve the
Lord choose for yourselves this day whom
you will serve whether the gods which
your father’s served that we’re on the
other side of the river or the gods of
Amma writes in whose land you dwell
hears Joshua now but as for me in my
house we will serve the Lord
obviously today there’s some props with
what I’m going to preach there are three
chairs on the platform there are three
chairs because the three chairs
represent the three kinds of people that
are listening to me right now at every
campus and by television there are three
kinds of people in your one you’re in
one of these three chairs the first
chair this chair represents people of
commitment they’re fully committed to
Jesus Christ they have completely sold
out and they live to serve and honor the
Lord Jesus Christ they have a spiritual
nature that leads them and guides them
and they have come under the authority
of that spirit and then there’s the
second chair it’s people of compromise
people who who they have been born-again
they have given their heart to Jesus
Christ they go to church some it’s not
really consistent but they would be glad
to tell you that they’re a Christian and
they are and they attend church some
but they live a distant life from the
Lord Jesus Christ if they were to be
totally honest they would say Jesus is
more of an acquaintance than he is a
relationship that I have an acquaintance
with him once every week or maybe once
every two weeks I’ll go to church I’ll
think about him hear about him but
that’s pretty much it that’s about all
that we have the second chair is the
chair of compromise the first chair is
the chair of commitment the first chair
is the chair of commitment and it’s the
person in it has spiritual nature but
the second person in the second chair
the chair of compromise has a carnal
nature the Apostle Paul said in first
Corinthians 2 and then lastly there’s
the person in the third chair and this
is the seat of the conflict the people
of conflict they are unsaved they’re
unchurched listen and they’re
uninterested in God the Bible said
they’re in a natural state Paul uses all
three of these just to describe people’s
spiritual carnal fleshly worldly and
then natural meaning they’ve only been
born once they have never been born
again they are unchurched they are
unsaved they’re uninterested in God they
believe there’s a god somewhere out
there their worldview is one of that is
humanistic and maybe even a Fiat atheist
or you know they they don’t have any
feelings or they believe that all
religions lead to heaven and all
religions are the same and all the gods
that people worship it’s all one and it
doesn’t matter what path you take to get
there so I want you to get it now every
person setting in this room is sitting
in one of these chairs the first chair
is people who are dedicated their
spiritual
they are committed to God they are
committed to the church the second chair
is people who have been born again and
encountered God they know the word but
they don’t necessarily want to live the
word so they live a life of compromise
and then there’s people that I’m
preaching to today that are hearing me
that are absolutely in conflict with the
Word of God their lifestyle everything
about them is void of God that second
person knows the Bible but there’s a
difference between the first chair and
the second chair because they’re not
committed to living the Bible the third
chair does not confess to be a Christian
the person in that chair doesn’t walk in
a relationship with God they’re in a
natural state there’s a spiritual state
a carnal state and a natural state and
you’re in one of three of these chairs
when I think about these chairs and
every one of you that are hearing me
including myself I couldn’t help but
think of Joshua and how committed he was
to the Lord the Bible said that Joshua
this day stood before the people and he
said I have wholly committed myself to
the Lord he said I have wholly followed
after the Lord with all of my heart I
have completely I used to preach a
sermon when I was an Avenger there
somewhere in Joshua where he says the
Bible says of Joshua he left nothing
undone that God told him to do there was
something about him that was so
committed he was sitting in a seat of
commitment and he left nothing undone
that God told him to do completely
obedient completely intimate and walking
in a committed relationship to Jesus
Christ but then you move over and he
said to the people that day you
choose who you will follow but as for me
in my house we’re gonna serve the Lord
and the next generation looked at him
and gave verbage yes we will follow the
Lord like you but when he died the Bible
said they didn’t do what God told them
to do they didn’t drive the enemy out of
the land they coexisted with the enemy
they intermarried with the enemy thereby
taking on their gods and their idols and
suddenly they moved from the first seat
of a generation that’s committed to God
consecrated to God to a second seat of a
generation that is compromising mixing a
little of this in that and suddenly you
have idols the Bible actually says that
they were serving idols and feared the
Lord and then you move into Judges
chapter 2 and this is all the same
family and it says and there arose
another generation that knew not God nor
the works of God they were sitting in
the seat of conflict this can happen to
our families if we’re not careful that’s
why it’s so important that we set the
pace of our family and be committed to
God and it happened to Joshua they
struck a compromise they moved from
commitment to compromise they recall
God’s people but they were not in a
relationship with him he was an
acquaintance I wonder how many people
I’m preaching to today I’m not naive I
understand that there’s a battle for our
souls and our minds and the enemy would
love for you to just sit in this seat
the rest of your Christian experience
and compromise more and more and more
but understand that it affects
generations you see when you understand
what I’m preaching it will become clear
to you that if you were truthful
truthful of
your relationship with Jesus Christ many
I’m afraid would describe it as an
acquaintance not as a living vital
intimate relationship and then I think
about this third seat there’s no God in
the house this describes this generation
they get up on Sunday morning and it
never crosses their mind we should even
go to church do you know how many people
will get up today and Sunday is not even
considered the Lord’s Day it’s
considered cut the grass day or be good
to yourself day or go to the grocery
store day or gods nothing to them now
listen to this these three chairs speak
of how each person in each chair relates
to the world the person sitting in the
first chair of commitment has a value
system that is at odds many times with
the world they find themselves feeling
almost different and well no doubt
different and and and and almost
outdated because you feel at odds with
the way the world talks the fields of
the songs that they uncleanness thee
there’s no modesty there’s nothing and
you find yourself when you’re committed
to God many times at odds with the
values of the world and by the way if
you don’t ever feel this if you fit in
with that whole nasty world out there
and you never feel it odds something’s
wrong truth and morality matter to you
if you’re in that first seat they’re
saved they love the Lord they’re
committed but the person in the second
chair the chair of compromise they know
the Bible but they care their career is
more
or tit than their calling if you talk to
them they never talk about the Lord they
never talk about God they talk about
their money as they talk about material
things they talk about going here and
doing that but it’s never really a heart
that’s captured and committed it’s just
compromised they love the Lord but
they’re living a compromised carnal life
the person in the third chair is that
odds with God they fit right in with a
culture that says gay marriage is right
they fit right in with a culture that
says abortion even in the ninth month
late term abortion they cheer and they
laugh how do we get this way in a
generation and if you click if you’re
scared to count clap I’ll clap for you
you pitiful food if we can’t speak up
for a baby what have we come to what
have we come to a living breathing baby
in the ninth month I will not be silent
nor will this sparks be silent we must
speak up it’s not a political issue it
is a Bible issue and God’s Word is right
and I will not be in the seat of
conflict on this issue
[Applause]
but we have a generation that is and we
have churches that have moved from
commitment to compromise to little mousy
preachers who sit real quiet and won’t
say one thing when the Bible is so clear
proverbs 6:6 things God hates he that
sheds innocent blood is one of them
clamp now and I’ll keep preaching he
loves people who’ve had an abortion he
forgives he cleanses but we must not
ever feel something in us that can sit
without any conflict with murder a
babies now watch this when you’re living
a life of commitment God is your closest
friend you’re in a relationship you
serve him first the person sitting in
this seat serves him first in self
second but when you’re sitting in the
second chair you’re living a life of
compromise you know God as an
acquaintance not in an intimate
relationship it’s a responsibility to go
to church almost a drudgery to go to
church that’s why you don’t do it
consistently I love y’all I dressed up
in the suit so I’d look sweet while I do
this I love you enough to get right in
your face and tell you the only thing at
stake is your family the only thing at
stake is your marriage the only thing is
and when you move into this seat it’s a
dangerous place for a believer because
all of the sudden when the enemy comes
after your home if you’re not pray
if you’re not seeing through spiritual
eyes whoa-whoa-whoa wake up wake up I
need a revival in my so I can’t believe
that I did that I thought that I
entertained that that’s what’s gonna
happen and something begins to bother
the person who’s had an encounter with
Jesus sooner or later this person wakes
up and they realized something’s going
on with my kids I mean the little
flicker of fire is still there it’s not
like it used to be when they were here
but there’s a little godliness in them
little discernment in them something’s
going on with my kids and I’ve noticed
that that my kids have more
non-christian friends than Christian
friends and I noticed that I have to
drag them screaming and kick into church
now that they’re 16 and 17 and old you
know I really secretly I suspect that
that they’re becoming sexually active it
just scents it I feel funny about that
boy she’s with something’s not right but
I want to wink I want to look the other
way because I’m carnal and I compromise
and I don’t want to have to confront it
either I just I’ll just let them and I
know they came in from that party and
went straight to the bedroom and I
probably ought to go back and see why
their eyes are bloodshot and get all in
their business and but but you know I’m
a compromising parent sometimes you just
want peace at any cost because I’m
carnal now oh well you know the times
we’re living in kids will be kids just
have safe sex it’s just too plain but
when you’re committed
it matters somebody almost fell out of
the seat right then on that part just
preaching the truth then there’s that
person who’s listening to me right now
you’re sitting in that seat of conflict
you got to build your career above all
your God is your career and if she likes
her boyfriend she doesn’t have to marry
him just move in with him the difference
does it make
marriage is just a piece of paper what
difference does it make
you’re living in conflict with the Word
of God she thinks about having children
someday but I want intellectual kids I
want popular kids
I won’t cheerleading Beta Club nothing
wrong with those things but is that the
highest thing that it never crosses this
person’s mind I want my kids in church I
want my family raised in the fear of the
Lord it never crosses this person’s mind
to get up and go to church
it’s there now the question that I want
to propose to you in closing this
morning is simply this parents of the
first chair percentage-wise will have a
mass majority of children voluntarily
serve the Lord Jew parents of the second
chair will almost always have a majority
of children who will not follow the Lord
and of course there’s not much hope
barring a miracle of God for the third
chair parents thing that I’m preaching
to you today is if I were to give out a
secret card and I were to say to your
children you can check the card that mom
and dad what seat do they sit in you can
check that off would it be seat number
one are they committed it’s the secret
it’s a secret check I won’t tell mom and
dad what do you think they would say
would they say moms committed would they
say moms the compromiser if you’re
sitting in this seat and I sense many
are wouldn’t you like to move from this
seat to that seat Joshua said I’m gonna
tell you what to do about it
choose you
this day who you will serve and if
you’re not gonna sit in that seat for
yourself sit in it for your children sit
in it for your grandchildren you say you
love them but if you’re not giving them
Jesus all the money in the world won’t
be in the forum you must give them Jesus
my word to you today is simple strive
for that number one chair not just for
you before your children and your
children’s children where are you
leading your family as I described that
second chair this morning many of you
felt pricked in your heart because if
you were to be totally honest this
morning you would say Jesus is an
acquaintance
he’s not really a intimate relationship
partner of my life I talk to him all the
time he talks to me a lot I worship in
my car he’s in my house he’s in my life
he’s he’s he’s a part of my thought
process he’s number one
[Music]
I gotta get in that first year God’s
calling us all out of the second chair
and the third chair and those of you who
are lost and indifferent and far from
God you haven’t gone so far that Jesus
cannot reach you but you must choose
this day who you will serve some of you
young people must choose this day which
see you’re gonna sit in because God’s
plan for your life will not allow you to
capture it if you’re sitting in this
seat it’s going to require total
commitment and this is the day
I love what he said choose you this day
I put it plain because I’m preaching to
dying people who are headed for eternity
and you better know what seats you’re in
here and now choose you this day I love
what Joshua said he said I can’t I can’t
decide for you but I can for me as for
me starts with me
I’m getting my rear end out of this
chair and I’m moving it over that it as
for me and then he makes a powerful
statement as for me and my house we will
serve the Lord now this guy hears this
attitude as for me in my house we tried
and it’s not up to God it’s up to
YouTube’s choose life
[Music]
life doesn’t always turn out the way you
plan it for me my plan was to leave my
home in Guatemala and I was to move to
the United States and with my mother I
just found out that I was pregnant and I
wanted to give birth to my daughter in
the United States but like I said plans
don’t always work out the way you want
them to
I went into labor while traveling
through Mexico and ended up in the
United States with a beautiful 1 week
old daughter many people have asked me
if I was scared traveling so far and so
late in my pregnancy and I tell them I
wasn’t afraid because all that I could
think about was that I wanted a better
future for my daughter I knew that God
was going to take care of me and I was
sure that he was with me the entire way
it’s boys like after we were detained at
the border we arrived here at youth for
tomorrow we have everything that we need
and they have taken care of all of our
medical expenses
my faith has increased by being
surrounded by so much support I want my
daughter to have an easier life in I’ve
lived I want her to study have a career
and to try up in life but the most
important goal I have for her is for her
to know Jesus Christ as her personal
Savior
my name is Gloria and I know all of this
is possible but only to the support of
youth for tomorrow
[Music]
in our closing moments today I am so
excited to share with you about a brand
new project we have just begun we’re
partnering with youth for tomorrow an
incredible Christ centered ministry that
is feeding and sheltering unaccompanied
minors you’re seeing in the news the big
debate about our border situation but
the bottom line is we need to be the
body of Christ as I heard the stories
firsthand of these children it broke my
heart and I knew that we had to do
something I spoke with one young girl
who arrived in the United States
pregnant she had been raped there are
thousands of stories of girls thousands
of stories of children that whose lives
have been changed for the glory of God
as they came to this campus and we’re
building a new home there we need your
help we need your support I want you to
pray about sewing a special seed and is
that this is the very heartbeat of God
James put it like this the book of James
he said an undefiled pure religion is to
look after the widows and the orphans
Wow and that is exactly what we are
doing will you join me I’m asking for
2000 people today to sow a seed maybe
you can’t so a thousand could you sow a
gift of 300 to preach the gospel and
provide the critical care to children in
desperate need here’s my announcer to
tell you how you can be a part of this
miracle house this year over 700,000
children and young people entered the
United States with no parents sent to be
trafficked or worse pushed across the
borders with nowhere to turn and nobody
to turn to but we know that our God is a
father to the fatherless and we believe
as the church we have been called to the
frontline to help these children in the
most desperate need that’s why we’re
partnering with youth for tomorrow to
provide residential educational and
outpatient services to these fatherless
children at Kingdom Connection we
believe that we are commanded to care
for those in desperate need
and when we do God promises to bless the
work of our hands
you can join Jensen Franklin in building
this brand-new dorm by sowing your best
gift of $30.00 or more when you do
you’ll receive the newly released
restart your heart 21 day devotional for
those who sew a special $1,000 seed to
complete this project and leave a
lasting legacy you’ll receive Jenson
Franklin’s best-selling book love like
you’ve never been hurt
with the restart your heart companion
devotional or name will also appear on
the legacy wall of faith and you’ll
receive a legacy certificate
commemorating your generosity this month
as an exclusive bonus you’ll receive the
Jenson Franklin Legacy Bible with over
300 thousand words of commentary and
over 150 articles from decades of
messages the legacy Bible will remind
you and your family of God’s
faithfulness for generations to come
visit us online to extend a hand of
grace to these fatherless children in
desperate need this program has been
sponsored by friends and partners of
Kingdom connection
[Music]