Now listen, I know Paul resurrected that young man, but I’d just as soon wish everyone would stay awake for the next 3 hours that I’ve been given to speak to you.
Seriously though, I want y’all to receive this in the spirit in which it is given.
Pastor Parrish encouraged us to “be real” in our messages to you today.
Let’s go to the Lord>prayer (1 min)
So here goes!
I don’t know if I’m here to harvest fruit, or prune deadwood! It may be a little of both.
But men, we’ve got to be bold and stand firm in the gap for our families, and that’s what I’d like to share with you today. Fair enough?
We’re going to examine what it takes, and what it looks like, to stand firm for our families!
When I say family, I mean our blood family, our adopted family, our church family and anyone we love, and are willing to go to battle for!
I’m here today, to encourage you to rise up to your calling.
BODY
Do you realize that before you can go to battle and protect your family, you must be suited up for battle yourself?
Eph 6:11 -we begin by clothing ourselves in the complete, full, whole, divine armor of God. So that we can stand against the strategies & tricks of the devil.
Eph 6:12 because in this present darkness, our conflict is not with mere flesh and blood, but the evil arrayed against us, in the heavenly warfare.
Eph 6:13 we must do this if we are to withstand in that evil day, and having done all, we stand to overcome all obstacles.
Eph 6:14 we’ve got to gird our loins with truth. I don’t know how you men feel about this, but I think the most vulnerable part of my body is right here (use my hands to describe the location), my loins!
Personally, I rather get hit in my skull with a baseball, than the lower section of my loins.
Listen, if we gird our most vulnerable physical, emotional, mental and spiritual areas, with a wide band of truth, and personal integrity and moral courage, who can stand against us?
Eph 6:15 but we’ve also got to ready ourselves with a firm foundation in our feet, to walk out our faith, and spread the gospel of the good news,
Ephesians 6:16 in all circumstances, we allow faith to be our shield that quenches the relentless showering of the flaming arrows of the devil.
Eph 6:17 all the while, accepting God’s saving power, as our helmet of salvation, taking a firm grasp of the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word, as He reveals truth to us!
Do you carry your sword of the Spirit with you everywhere you go?
Story of Daryl @ Brigs wedding.
Eph 6:18,
Not only do we need to arm ourselves w/ God’s word, we need to have prayer on our lips continually! We must actively seek out opportunities to pray!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
What did you give thanks for today?
If we really thought about it, we’d have to get up early today, in order to have enough time to give thanks for everything, and be here on time!
Praying with all prayer and supplication (a humble, earnest, persistent plea to God) in the Spirit. Being watchful for the opportunities to pray, and pour out our souls to God in prayer. Is that you?
Do you ever find yourself knowing you need to pray, but not knowing what or how to pray, or the energy to speak? Prayer takes energy!
Story of Socrates:
Socrates student, Plato came to Socrates asking him the path to wisdom.
Socrates paused and replied “meet me at the river at dawn tomorrow”.
Plato arrived and Socrates waded chest deep into the water.
He motioned for Plato to join him.
When Plato got the spot where Socrates was, he asked Plato “what do you want”? Plato responded “to find wisdom”.
Socrates grabbed him, and dunked Plato’s head under water and held him there for several seconds. He pulled up his head and asked him again “what do you want”? Again, Plato replied “to find wisdom”!
Socrates dunked Plato again, this time for several seconds longer and pulled his head up and asked “what do you want”?
Plato gasped “air!!!”
Socrates then explained “when you want wisdom as badly as you just wanted air, you will find wisdom!
Men, when prayer becomes as necessary as breathing, we gain spiritual wisdom that NOTHING can stand against!
Paul tells us that in our weakness, the Holy Spirit stands in the gap with groanings that we cannot utter!
I have prayed that this conference will inspire, motivate, and encourage us to rise up to our calling! C’mon!
We stand firm by suiting up for battle, and praying.
Ephesians 6:10-18 is a war (battle) cry from Paul, and it is a declaration of dependence. That’s right, not Independence, but dependence on God.
We’ve got to suit up
Pray in all situations and circumstances.
Pray until the prison walls crash down!
and we have to be men:
On his deathbed, King David instructed his son Solomon to be a man!!!
Are we doing that with our sons?
Standing in the gap for our family, involves discipleship!
What does that look like?
King David told Solomon:
Be courageous.
Think about this: being courageous, can be costly.
Follow God’s law! His commandments, and His statutes
Honor your heritage:
I’m not a big fan of tattoos. Don’t judge me. There’s no condemnation, I’m just not a fan. My daughter however, is!
The 1st tattoo she ever got is on her forearm, written in her mother’s handwriting that reads “Remember who you are, and whose you are”.
As Christians, we need to remember who we are and whose we are.
Our heritage is:
A Royal priesthood
A Chosen generation
A holy nation
His own special people
Citizens of heaven
Joint heirs of the Kingdom
Just to name a few!
Know and serve God wholeheartedly
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”
When we love our Lord, we serve our Lord.
Does your family see you serving the Lord?
Tell story of DTTD women’s closing:
Half a dozen women, surrendered the spiritual leadership to their husbands.
Tell my story: spiritual leadership (1 min)
So, we’ve got to:
Suit up
Pray
Act like men.
When you are doing these things, guess what? You’ve got a target on your back!
Temptations, trials, and tribulations will increase!
We must:
Resist the devil. Know that other brothers are going through the same thing throughout this conference, and around the world.
Hey men, anything test your faith lately?
How did you respond?
You are not alone!
Men, say this “I am not alone”!
Now say this: “I’m standing in the gap for you”!
Do you know the story of the friendship of David and King Saul’s son Jonathan?
It is found in 1 Samuel chapter 19. (repeat)
Read that chapter, then go out and be a Jonathan to someone! Stand shoulder to shoulder with your friend!
We must be steadfast, immovable, in our faith.
Another thing men.
We can’t talk one way, and walk another way!
1 Peter 5:9, Phil 1:27,
our conduct and our actions, must be worthy of the Gospel!
Does your reputation precede you?
Speak life over others: Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
How are you treating your wife?
What are some endearing actions you do for your wife?
Story of Moriah telling Zach to watch what I do for Lisa...
Opening the car door, and buildings
It is not a worthy testimony, if our actions don’t match our words!
Not only must we:
Suit up
Pray
Act like men,
and conduct ourselves worthy of the Gospel,
we must also:
Strive for excellence in everything we do for the Lord.
Spoiler alert, we should strive for excellence, not perfection.
In teaching my children to strive for excellence, too often they exclaimed
“nothing I do is ever good enough for you”. mmm. Tough to swallow.
Let me caution you not allow your striving for excellence be perceived as an expectation of perfection. It won’t end well!
In that striving for excellence, don’t miss the opportunities for praise.
This is big, men! Repeat it:
In that striving for excellence, don’t miss the opportunities for praise.
Men, when you are going through battles
Don’t let anything or anyone, move you off the foundation of your faith!
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
Head on a swivel...
When we stand fast in the faith, we are watchful for divine instruction from the Holy Spirit.
Being steadfast requires intestinal fortitude. Having the guts to do a thing when it needs to be done! Not being tossed about like children with every wind of doctrine, but steadfast in following Jesus!
We’ve got to be the Spiritual leaders of our household.
I mentioned that closing ceremony where several women state they were going home, and handing the reins of spiritual leader, over to them.
In most instances you’ll find the men aren’t the spiritual leaders of their household for a couple of reasons:
Their wives won’t let them. I’m speaking truth in love.
Some men don’t want the burden of being the spiritual leader! C’mon!
That second one, probably describes me.
My wife, after waiting on me for years, decided she was taking the kids to church, with or without me!
I’m gonna guesstimate about 10 years.
I rationalized it was ok that she was the spiritual leader of our household, because I worked 6 days/70 hours a week. So on any given Sunday, from 11am-11pm, I could be found with a party size bag of tortilla chips and a quart of Pace picante sauce, on my sofa watching football!
When you break down that word rationalize, it is “rational...lies” Now, where do lies come from?_____ yep
So for this shift to happen, it’s gonna require intentional effort.
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
We’ve got to be obedient to God’s perfect will.
This is a mind-shift!
Because you know, we get in ruts, and the only difference between a rut and a grave, is the depth!
So the deeper that rut is, the more the effort will be required in the renewing of our minds!
Men, be warned; it will be an adjustment for your children too.
Understand, I was the head of our household, but not the spiritual head of our household.
Closing:
What should you expect as you “stand in the gap for your family?”
The Devil:
In all likelihood, the devil will take note of your “intentionality”.
He won’t like it.
This is why being suited up in God’s Armor is your primary proactivity.
Your wife:
Next, you may experience some pushback from your wife. It may depend on how long you have burdened her with that responsibility of spiritual leadership.
Know this:“Truth and Grace”, “Truth and Grace”, “Truth and Grace”.
There’ll be an adjustment period, but it’ll be worth it!
Your children:
This structure may be completely foreign to them. There could be a time of “proving your fer real”.
It may be the 1st time in their lives they’ve had any spiritual leadership, from mom or dad!
Your extended family:
Depending on the family dynamics, this one could even bring some temporary or even permanent estrangement. I know, this is a hard saying.
If you get some vitriolic attacks, remember Paul’s instructions to the Colossians. Colossians 4:6 “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive, so that you will have the right response for everyone.”
Let’s wrap this up:
To stay in the gap for our families we need to:
Suit up for battle
Pray
Act like men
Conduct ourselves worthy of the Gospel
Strive for excellence in everything we do for the Lord
In doing this, we can expect:
Stronger attack from the devil
An adjustment period for your wife and children
Push back from extended family
Illustration with the apple.
At the beginning of this message, I mentioned harvesting fruit.
-Give apple to someone, ask his name-
____, you can cut that apple open and count the seeds in it, can’t you!
but you can’t count the apples in the seeds.
Men, I pray we plant seeds of revival, for our communities and our world!
God bless you!
