BRAVEHEART: GOD’S LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN
Father’s Day 2008
OPENING: Happy father’s day! Today we want to honour dads.
INTRODUCTION: THE MEN’S THESAURUS (JUST FOR FUN)
When a man says: "IT’S A GUY THING"
- He means: "There is no rational thought pattern connected with this, and you have no chance at all of making it logical"
When a man says: ’OH, DON’T FUSS, I JUST CUT MYSELF. IT’S NO BIG DEAL"
- He means: "I have probably severed a limb, but I will bleed to death before I admit I’m hurt, so get over here and help me!"
When a man says: “I HEARD YOU.”
- He means: "I haven’t the foggiest clue what you just said and I am hoping desperately that I can fake it well enough so that you’ll not spend the next 3 days yelling at me."
When a man says: "YOU LOOK TERRIFIC!"
- He means: "Oh please don’t try on one more outfit, we’re late and I’m starving."
When a man says: "I’M NOT LOST. I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE.’’
- He means: "No one will ever see us alive again."
OPENING TEXT:
“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30).
“The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” (Matt. 11:12).
“Men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 15:26).
THE BIG IDEA: God’s looking for a few good men. Men who are willing to become brave in heart, to risk their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you be one of those men?
QUOTE: “I’ve noticed that so often our word to boys is don’t. Don’t climb on that, don’t break anything, don’t be so aggressive, don’t be so noisy, don’t be so messy, and don’t take such crazy risks. But God’s design – which He placed in boys as a picture Himself – is a resounding yes. Be fierce, be wild, be passionate… In the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.” (John Eldredge, Wild at Heart).
FATHERLESS FACTS:
1. According to 72.2 % of the U.S. population, fatherlessness is the most significant family or social problem facing America
2. An estimated 24.7 million children (36.3%) live absent their biological father
3. Fatherless children are at a dramatically greater risk of drug and alcohol abuse
4. Three out of four teenage suicides occur in households where a parent has been absent
5. Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school
• These statistics tell me that fathering is absolutely important and essential today!
• To those children from single parent families – we will help (the church and God)
• This is why I feel its so important we have fathers teaching in KidZone!
(Source: http://www.fathersloveletter.com/Ministry/statistics.html).
BIBLE STORY:
“7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. 10 Then Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall." 11 And our adversaries said, "They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease." 12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, "From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us." 13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (Nehemiah 4:7-14).
1. Just as Nehemiah was building the walls around Jerusalem, God has called us as fathers to build our families (v.7)
2. Just as the Jews had enemies who were trying to stop them, we have an enemy named the devil who wants to destroy our families as well (v.8).
3. If we want to win the battle against the enemy, we must be men of prayer (v.9).
4. Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we cannot build the wall…” Sometimes the battle seems so hard we feel like giving up.
5. We need to hear a prophetic word from Heaven today: “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, daughters, wives, and your houses.” Let’s fight for our families and be men of God!
BRAVEHEART QUOTE:
“Songs of Scotland… you have come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight? Fight and you may die. Run and you’ll live, at least for a while. And dying in your bed, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that, for just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!” (William Wallace, from Braveheart).
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
1. To those with fathers: Honour them! Love them! Follow their example. “Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3).
2. To those without fathers: “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.” (Psalm 68:5).
3. To those who are fathers: Let’s rise up and be the men of God He wants us to be!
a. Your children need to hear your words of affirmation.
b. Your children need you to tell them and show them you love them.
c. Your children need you to have fun with them once in a while.
d. Your children need you to be a spiritual leader in the home.
PERSONAL STORY: The things my children like to do with me: Caleb watching Macgyver or play Rock Band, Tori taking her out for lunch, Austin lie in bed with him at night, Hannah snuggle on the couch.
CLOSING STORY:
Some months ago I heard a touching story about a pastor whose young son had become very ill. After the boy had undergone a series of tests, the father was told the shocking news that his son had a terminal illness. The boy had accepted Christ as his Savior, so the pastor knew that death would usher him into Glory; but he wondered how to inform one so young that he soon would die. After earnestly seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit, he went with a heavy heart through the hospital ward to the boy’s bedside. First he read a passage of Scripture and had a time of prayer with his dear child. Then he gently told him that the doctors could promise him only a few more days to live. "Are you afraid to meet Jesus, my boy?" asked his devout father. Blinking away a few tears, the little fellow said bravely, "No, not if He’s like you, Dad!"
LORD I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU: Lyrics by Phillips, Craig and Dean
He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug
He calls me Dad and I call him Bub
With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh
He snuggles up close and says, "I want to be like you"
I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight
Trippin’ over the toys as I turn out the light
And I whisper a prayer that someday he’ll see
He’s got a father in God ’cause he’s seen Jesus in me
Lord, I want to be just like You, ’Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example, For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord, That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You, ’Cause he wants to be like me
Got to admit I’ve got so far to go
Make so many mistakes and I’m sure that You know
Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try
With all the pressures in life I just can’t get it all right
But I’m trying so hard to learn from the best
Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness
’Cause I know that he’ll learn from the things that he sees
And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me
Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall
But it’s only ’cause I’m learning from the best Father of them all
CLOSING:
Prayer for all of the men to rise up and be ‘Braveheart’ men
Prayer for forgiveness for men who have failed in the past, and courage to rise up again.
