Real Fans / Jentezen Franklin

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrHQW1H6FBw

<Part1~2 on the Video>

The Bible said in psalms chapter 42:

“Shout unto God with the voice of triumph, clap your hands all you people of Israel, Clap your hands and shout unto God.”

Sometime ago I have the privilege to going to a football game and the NFL, the land of Falcons were playing and I noticed how enthusiastic the fans were. Tonight I’m going to preach to you about real fans. Tonight I’m going to preach to you about something that I believe is critical to your life and God’s plan for your life.

You see the word enthusiasm is the word that comes from God’s name. Do you know that God in the Greek language, the language the New Testament was written, is the word “THEOS” from which we get enthusiasm? In other words, enthusiasm has its base and its core in God himself. God when he wanted to describe who He was put in His name, enthusiasm. And if anybody ought to be in fuse, if anybody oath to be fired up, if anybody oath to be excited it ought to be people who know Jesus Christ, they ought to be enthusiastic.

I’m tired of a bunch of worn out torn up from the floor up, beat up, Christians. I believe that we ought to let our friends in the world that God is real and were enthusiastic about Him. You don’t have to make me go to church. You don’t have to make me love God. I love Him all by myself. And so as I was sitting at this ball game I begin to notice the fans. How many of you like sports?

As I was sitting there watching these fans and maybe in one, I begin to see some parallels about how we oath to be about God and lessons from sports events that we can learn. I want to go to real quick then I’m going to get to the heart of my message and some illustrations. But I want to go through real quick what real fan is because if anybody ought to be a fan it ought to be those who know Jesus Christ and we ought to be fans of the Lord like nobody.

◑1. And so first of all I want to tell you that real fans arrive early. Real fans don’t show up the third quarter. Real fans don’t show up half way through the game. If you’re real fan you have a tail gate party. If your real fan you start talking about it before you ever get there. If you’re a real fan you can’t wait till it starts. You know what we need? We need a generation of young people who are fan of the church and fans of Jesus Christ and they don’t want to be dragged to church but they can’t wait to go to church.

Some months ago I was in California preaching in Los Ageless. And I went down the walk of stars there, Hollywood Boulevard and I noticed people camp down in tents. And I asked them what are you doing? They said their waiting for tickets. I said tickets for what? They said they’ve been here for almost three days waiting to get tickets to hear the rolling stones. Now imagine waiting and living in the sidewalk for three days to hear a sixty five years old man in spandex singing 'I can get no satisfaction.' But they were real fans and real fans arrive early.

◑2. Number two real fans don’t care when they get home. They love it when the game goes in to extra innings. They love it when the game goes in to overtime. They’re not standing back there saying my feet are tired and my legs are getting tired, and I know this praise and worship is too long. How many bands are they going to have, and how long is this service going to last. I tell you what; I’ve got to go to sleep. You can’t sleep anytime, real fans will overtime. Come on, real fan will love it when you’re going to extended game. Real fans never miss a game. Real fans come in any kind of weather. And you know I was thinking about this.

One of the most famous game ever played in the history of sports was something called the Ice Ball. And it happened in 20 degree weather. Fans, not an empty seat, they sat and they listen and they watch the ball game in 20 degrees in weather. But some Christians they’re like an old whale. They dry up in the summer and they freeze up in the winter. But real fans are saved in any kind of weather. You know in the fall you’re going to go back to school and I’m glad you’re fired up in here. But real fans live it when you go back to school on fall. Real fans live it on the beach on spring break. Come on, real fans can go to the beach and not get drunk and lose their virginity. Real fans of Jesus Christ live it there in the summer, there in the spring, there in the winter there in the fall. Do I have real fans up in the balcony anyway? I am a fan of Jesus Christ. Real fans want the best seats in the house.

I’ve got to preach right here. See I’ve got a dream that when this conference is over young people will go back to their church and they won’t come sachet in the end of that 20 minutes late, flat down on from the father’s seat from pulpit. Pull out there iPod and listens to it, or test message their friends in the sermon and talk about the latest whatever. I’ve got a dream that young people are going to move from the balcony to the front of their church and say we’re here to take over, we’re here to step up, and we’re here to get in it. We are here to get in it.

(Guys I want you to take that down off of that. Take my name down, I don’t like that. It doesn’t belong up there. If we are going to put somebody’s name, put Jesus out there so we can really shout. Come on, come on, and come on. God’s going to do something in this place tonight. We need some real fans. I’m tire of bashful Christians, I’m tired of ashamed Christians, and I’m tired of a weak Christians, real fans.)

Do you know that the green bay packers are the only in a fail team that is not own by corporation they’re owned by the city of green bag. Do you know that if see a season pass to the green bay packers you’ve got to get in a line that is 70 thousand people in front of you and they haven’t had a season passed for sale since 1998 because there are real fans. And real fans don’t want to sit somewhere in the back. But real fans, I think you want to get so close. What would happen if every pastor look down next Sunday and saw instead of a bunch of old worn out people, who’ve been through a ballet, they saw a bunch of crazy teen agers that says, “I love Jesus”. And I’m going to root your own pastor. Come on we’ve got to change the mindset. We don’t belong in the back we belong in the front. We are the head and not the tail.

(Touch somebody and say I’m a real fan watch me shout. Come on. I don’t care if you’re a Baptist, I don’t care if you’re a Methodist, I don’t care if you’re a Pentecostal, are you a fan of Jesus Christ? He’s worthy of our praise, He is worthy of our enthusiasm, He is worthy of our shout. I hope you keep that shout because you’re going to need it on the next point.)

◑3. Real fans pay. Do you know when I was 15 years old I use to work in a Chinese restaurant dusting tables but my daddy told me to tithe. By that I mean he said give me 10% it’s going to God, I didn’t have a choice. Do you know you’re not too young to start worshiping God with your tithe and your offering? Every youth group ought to get a mission. A mission kid, or orphanage kid, or some foreign mission work oversees, and you ought to start giving to it. God has blessed Jentezen Franklin

(preacher) more than he could ever give. His blessed me financially but I don’t believe this is because I’m such a good guy. I believe that God saw me at 15 years of age begin to tithe and to give and he said that’s somebody I can trust with resources. And I want to tell you, real fans don’t sit back.

You know the prizes go up every year. See I told you, you would get quite. But I’m ready for some or two teenagers. I’m tired of just trying to get you out of sex and getting drunk all the time. It’s time to step up in to maturity and say I’m taking over the church. I’m called, I’m anointed, and I’m chosen. It’s my turn, turn to somebody and say it’s our turn.

Michael Vic is our quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons(Team) and nobody sits outside of the parking lot and says “I’m not going to give because I don’t like the kind of car Michael Vic drives”. Real fans pay and shout out and there’re just glad there in the game.

(Two more, I’ve got to preach about it.)

◑4. Real fans memorize statistics. Real fans can tell you how many are bias. What there average score in is, they can tell you it’s a golfer, how far the guy can drive the ball, they can tell you how fast the pitcher can throw, and they memorize statistics. If you’re a real fan of Jesus Christ, you ought to know something about His book. I’m amazed at what you guys can remember. I’m amazed that you know every movie star and who they are dating and what they have been doing. You know everything about Paris Hilton, you know everything about her, and you know everything about this woman that one. I even thought I’d make my point right here to see if you guys can memorize because I know you say, “I just can’t memorize the Bible” but let’s see if your mind can memorize. I’m going to say a line and I want you to repeat the second part.

(“Meet me at the mall.” Oh that’s ok.

Let’s try another one. “I’m not saying she’s a gold digger”. Don’t say that last word. “Your beautiful, yes its true” sing it “I saw you’re face”.)

Amazing you know how many words! Do you know that this is a time when we need to do more, than sitting here a preacher preach but this book is on a assault. The Da Vinci Code says it’s is a bunch of lies and you’ve got to do more and say I believe in the Bible. You’ve got to know some of these scriptures. Do I have any real fans that are in to the word? Then they are going to start reading the word, and then are going to start reading the game book.

(This is my last point before I’m going to move on in transition.)

◑5. I’m going to tell you what I noticed. Real fans are vocal. When our team will score a football touch down, a real fan doesn’t sit there and say, “I’m rejoicing in my heart.” You didn’t see any real fans like looking around to see if anybody thought they were weird for clapping for their hands. You didn’t see them so bound up. You didn’t see any hot shot boys that were so cool that they couldn’t get any into raising their voice. They were screaming, they were jumping, they were shouting, they were shouting. Real fans are vocal. Real fans don’t sit back during praise and worship because they are too cool for it. Real fans don’t sit back during the time when it’s time to give God praise. Real fans shout unto God with the voice of triumph. If you love Him you’ll praise Him, if you honor him, if you know him you’re not shamed. Real fans are vocal.

Some of you guys are afraid that somebody is going to found out you’re saved. But real fans are vocal. If your friends don’t know that you’re born again, check your self you’re probably not born again. If they don’t apologize for cursing around you it’s a sign you’re just like them. At some point you’ve got to get vocal and say, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ro.1:16, I’ll tell my school, I’ll tell my friends, I’ll tell my world about Jesus”. Get vocal!

(Come on give Him a shout of praise let the real fans praise Him. Come on, he deserves better than that. He’s real champion.) The devils are afraid of that. The devil wants you to be quite, wants you to be casual, and wants you to be silent.

<Part3~5 on the Video>

I’m praying that many of you get loose in your praise. I’m praying that before this thing is over, if you’ve never raised your hands your hand are going to go up. If you’ve never said halleluiah out loud and praise God that before this night is over, you’re going to become such a fan, you’re going to become vocal. Here is your chance give Him praise.

(One more praise, one more time! Let’s get to the floor, in our feet and praise Him.) His worthy, he died for you he shed his blood for you. He’s coming back for you. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. Holy is the Lord. Holy is the Lord. We praise you Jesus. I want everybody to say, “In Jesus Name, I’ll never be silent again, I’m a real fan and I will be vocal in my praise. And with my testimony I give Him one more praise and I’ll move on. I feel the Lord in this place. I feel the Lord in this place.)

Somehow we’ve got to move you from a fan understanding because once you become a fan it’s a matter of time before you become a player in the field. I know some of you think you’re a player but I believe God is going to call many of you off of the stand, under the field and say, I’ve got my hand to own your life. How long are you going to run from me how long are you going to run from my call? How long are you going to silence my purpose in your life? So I want to transition you from a fan to a player above the realm.

◑ I want to give you four lessons from this basketball that can change your life. Four shots that you’ve got to have if God’s going to use you and His will is going to be done in your life.

(Can I get one of you, come up here, jump up here, can you get up here? Now I know what we’re going to do. It looks like we’re going to have a game.)

(Can you do a lay-up? There are a lot of people out there. The first shot you’re going to have, everyone will say “The Lay-up.” Son, show me what you’ve got.)

(Wow! Good job! You’ve got a lay-up. Come on, come on, come on.)

(Thank you guys, give him a big hand. You go now sit down. I’ll call you back up in a minute for a slam dunk.)

Now listen what is a lay-up? The lay-up is when you take the ball and you throw it up and whatever you throw it up. If you throw it up one way, it’s going to come back another. And do you know when you walk with God you’re going to lay-up some things. For example, the Bible said in Deuteronomy 11:18 “You shall therefore lay-up my words in your heart”. And if you lay-up my words even if you don’t understand it if you just read it. Even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense just keep laying it up because here’s the deal. You’ve got to understand whatever you lay-up it will come back down into your life. Whatever you sent up to God, He’ll bring it back down. Some of you don’t send up anything so you don’t get anything back from God. But He say lay-up the words, and He said, “You’ll have days of heaven on earth” in Deuteronomy 11.

Check this out. See you can lay-up iniquity, you can lay-up sin. You know sin sometimes we don’t understand that sin does not always have immediate consequences. Sometimes you lay and step up and you think “I remember the first time I did something that was really wrong and I knew it”. I can remember thinking I did it, and I didn’t get killed. God didn’t hit me with lightening, I’ve got vow with it. Nobody told my mama, my daddy didn’t found out, my pastor didn’t found out. I did it and I got by with it. But here is the thing about sin. Do you remember the story of Pinocchio? See I like that story because I wish that’s how God did it, to be honest, because when he is going to tell a lie immediately his nose would grow, and everybody know he’s up to something. Wouldn’t it be something if every time you would listen to 50 cent your ears got bigger, every time you say ******** AFJSNBD your lips got bigger, your tongue hang out like a cow tongue. Wouldn’t it be something every time you click down the internet and look down to the porn site your eyes will get big owl.

But let me tell you something. I’m going to be straight up with you. Sin doesn’t work that way. Sin, you just lay it up and you can get by, but the bible even said there is a pleasure in sin for a season. I’m messing around I got a sex with that girl, I’m partying, I’m doing this and I’m doing and nothing is happening to me. I’m having a good time. You know what you’re doing? You’re laying up iniquity.

 

The bible said in Job 21:19, “God Lays up his iniquities for his children”. (Check this scripture it’s unbelievable.) 2nd Corinthians 12:14, “Children ought not to lay up for their parents but parents ought to lay-up for their children”. You know what that means? Even children, even youth, even students are laying up stuff. You don’t even think like that but you got little brothers and sisters that are coming up behind and if you’re doing things it’s not like the bible said, “No man lives into himself or does into himself”. You just laid out stuff that is going to trickle down to your littler brother to your little sister. And if you start doing things, guess what, the enemies are laying that up to go all the way to your family.

Listen to this so powerful is this either good all evil. You can lay up good, for example, David was a good man and he laid up blessings for his family. And the bible said in 2 Chronicles 6, that David had been dead 11 years. Dead and buried in the grave 11 years but God remembered David and blessed his son Solomon. 2 kings 11, 23 years David has been dead and the bible said Solomon was dating wild women and God said, “I want to stump you. I want to crash you but never the less, for David by father’s sake; I’m going to let you slide”. 23 years after David was dead he has laid up blessing that coved his boy. Some of you are getting by with some stuff but your praying mama or maybe granny, who is in the grave, keep praying, kept pleading the blood over you. And the only reason hell haven’t gotten you, the only reason demons haven’t destroyed you is because they laid up blessings for you.

1 king 15, 57 years after David was dead, the bible said, “Forsake not thy servant for David’s sake.” and the scripture said the God spared his grandson. 2nd Kings 19, you’re not going to believe these. 305 years after David was dead and gone, he has laid up such blessing for his family that his great great great grandson Hezekiah had gotten into trouble. And the bible said that God send an angle and slew 185,000 of the enemy. Why? God said 'I’m doing this for David my servant’s sake.'

I begin to think about the lay-up. You got to lay up the word in your life because this is an hour when the word is being assaulted. The bible said in 2 Samuel chapters 6 that the Philistines had a god that they call a Dagon. This is an actual replica of that we went back in history and you can light the whole thing up. Guys I want you to do that, because he was half man and half fish and the bible says that they worship Dagon. This was the Philistine’s god. One day because of their disobedience the Israelite was defeated and the Philistines stole the act of covenant. And the bible said the Philistines took the ark of the covenant, which was the God's box, God head. God said I’ll be wherever that box(ark) is under the old covenant and the bible says that the priest of the Dagon broke the ark of the covenant into the temple of Dagon like God was dead in the gold box. Can you imagine what that was like, as they brought it in and set it by the statue Dagon. I could see it in my mind as they begin to bow down and say, “Oh great Dagon hollowed be thy name, you’ve conquered the god of the Israelites the god that parted the red see, the god that defeated all the Ai’s in the scripture, the god that did all the miraculous things in Egypt. You great Dagon, you are god over these Jehovah God”. But the bible said that God leaved in that box and inside of that box were the Ten Commandments, the table of stone. “One of those commandments said thou shalt have no other gods before me”. (I can’t prove it but I’m going to preach it like I want to.) The bible said when the priest left, the statue with the box of God, I can’t prove it but somewhere in the middle of the night God lifted up that box and looked out and said “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” And suddenly something strange happened. The bible said they came in the next day and their god was fallen over broken into pieces. And the scripture said its hand was broken off.

 

When Jesus comes in to your temple, your body, no matter what’s sitting on the thrown of your heart, lust, pornography, drugs, addiction, alcohol, it does not matter. When Jesus makes His entry He knows how to topple it over. He breaks its hands. You may not get free all at ones but whatever had you, had a grip on you, whatever had a hold on you the first thing His presence does is it breaks the grip of the enemy off of your life.

I will to tell you what’s funny, is the bible says those poor priest have to pick their god back up. They had the hoist in that. Can you see? It’s sad when you have to pick your god up. You don’t need a god that you have to pick up. You need a god that can pick you up. You don’t need a god that you have to help. You need a god you can’t help and a god that can help you.

You know what, nothing’s changed.

My friends, Steve and Nancy did a video in the Da Vinci code. You know what they say in this book? They say that everything in that bible is a lie. Basically what we have is the word of God against Dan Brown and the Da Vinci code. And Dan Brown said that everything in that book is a lie. That Jesus Christ is a mere human being. He is not the son of God. And you know what’s bad, if you don’t know the word you, go to a movie and it’s just one of many the anti-Christ has use. And if you don’t know that word you’re going to be wishy washy and you’re going to say, “Well I wonder what I believe really is real.”

I’m going to tell you what the modern day priest are bringing in their lives and saying that book won’t stand the test of time. Come on guys I’ve got news for you. When you put the word of God against this book or another thousand ones like it, something strange is going to happen.

You know what? That’s what God said He will dwell between the angles. And when that fail god, god get lose, He said I’m not God in a box anymore, I’m coming after you. Everybody say lay up the word. Turn to somebody and say I’m going in to the word I’m going to read it. Come on come on lay up the word.

(There’s another shot. I want to tell you about the pick off. Can I preach about 5 more minutes I want to tell you about the pick off?)

Now the pick off is when the defensive team lays back and they make a star player thinks that he is open. And just when they think he is open, a guy will run up and intercept the ball and steal it. And he’ll have a guy down the court and he’ll throw the ball and the guy will slam dunk it. It’s called the pick off. Let me tell you about the pick off.

 

Satan tried to pick God off in heaven. He got a team of one third of the angles of heaven and he charged the thrown of God and tried to pick God off but God threw him off of his team and the bible said that Lucifer landed on earth. but Lucifer suited up in a snake suit and God passed the ball to Adam and eve. Adam and eve got the ball but Satan in a snake suite came and pick the ball off and suddenly it looked like Satan and his team was winning. But God said that is all right, “I’ve got somebody on the bench. I’m going to send him on the game.” And God said, “Go on in the game Abraham”. And Abraham came out and stole the ball and picked it off from safe. But then Satan said, alright hey Hagar I want you to go out there and I want you to pick out Abraham. And Hagar seduced him and he got a sexual affair with Hagar and Satan stole the ball. It looks like he was winning but God said that’s alright I’m going to let Abraham and Sarah get back together and they will have a boy and a grandson by the name of Jacob. And Jacob picked the ball off, and Jacob had twelve children and those twelve children became the children of Israel. And Jacob passed the ball to his favorite son named Joseph. Joseph had the ball but the devil pick him off, took him down to Egypt. And for 400 years it looks like Satan had picked the ball off and God’s team was going to lose. But God said Moses go down to Egypt and pick the ball off and let’s get things in motion again. And Moses brought him out of Egypt but then Satan said, “I’m raising me up an all-star team”. And the bible said that he got a bunch of giants to keep them out of the Promised Land and then he raised up his star player a Shaquille O’Neil shark attack by the name of Goliath who is 9 feet tall. Can you imagine when Goliath walked down on the court and he said “nobody”, he intimidated all the players on God’s team except for one. God said, “Little shepherd boy get out there”. Here comes this little young boy maybe 5’8’’ he had one shot David took his shot and down Goliath goes. But the devil stole the ball and then suddenly because David saw an UFO, unclothed female object bathing. Some of you know that pick off. Pick him off with a naked woman and so the Old Testament the buzzer rings its half time, Brurrm… its half time. And for four hundred years the Old Testament closes and it looks like the devil’s going to win. But suddenly the second testament starts and John the Baptist says, “May I introduce the MVP, number one all-star player. Behold the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ”. Jesus Christ walked down on the court. (Come on praise Jesus Christ right now. All the fans praise Jesus Christ.)

Jesus Christ walked down on the court and the devil said “I’m going to pick him off”. I’m going to pick him off at birth, kill all the babies. And you know when you get first born again the devil tries to pick you off with the wrong friends, pick you off with the wrong music, pick you off. If you don’t watch it everything you get in this conference the enemy will pick you off just by something as simple as an iPod and listening to feel you’ve got to watch out for the pick off. But Jesus went to Calvary the devil finally picked him off but really he just played the devil. On the third day Jesus Christ rose again. Halleluiah!

But here’s what I want to say, when Jesus started going up to heaven, He looked down and He said I got the ball back I won; now I’m going to pass the ball to you. And I believe there’s some teenagers that is listening to me that aren’t going to be picked up by premarital sex. That aren’t going to be picked up by drugs, That aren’t going to be picked up by cigarettes, that aren’t going to be picked up by popularity, That aren’t going to be picked up by homosexuality.

Come on I just want you to praise him for one minute praise him praise him that no temptation has taken you but such as that common demand but with every temptation there is a way of escape.