Sons Of Thunder Series

INTRO

- Last week we started a series as it relates to why men hate church

- The reason that it's important for us to investigate this is because we as a church

- Cannot be what we are called to be...

- Without men.

„X So, I am not calling men to the church

„X I am calling the church to the men

JOEL 3:9

Proclaim this among the nations:

Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors!

Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

- This series is to wake up the mighty men!

- The American Church

o Christianity is the only religion in the world that women outnumber men

o Except in some third world countries where you can lose your life

- The Devil isn't trying to kill every religion

- He's trying to kill Christianity

- He always tries to kill a movement by killing men.

„X Moses -- delivered people of God

„X Joseph -- Kept people of God alive

„X Jesus -- Saved

- Because when a woman gets saved 17% of the time her family will follow Christ

- But when a man gets saved 93% of the time his family will follow Christ

- Jesus said -- "As for me and my house we will serve God."

- Whenever you have a higher influence of the woman gender

„X You eliminate masculinity

EXAMPLE: California

Calif = a feminine goddess

California = land given over by a feminine goddess

- Which helps us understand why California is where we recognize that homosexuality got its foothold.

- South America = Guadalupe -- save

- Then we have many of the pictures of Jesus in our church cathedrals

- Which were painted by homosexuals in the middle ages

- I always believed that if you reach the children

- You can reach the parents

EXAMPLE: ROC children ministries -- EXPLAIN

- But percentages shows it is only transfer growth and women

- Maybe our approach should be to reach out to the men...

o ...and awake the Mighty Men!

- That's how Jesus did it

- He picked 12 men

o Not that women didn't have a place

o And suffer not the little children to come to me.

- But the men are the head

o Go straight to the top

- But as we've learned, men hate church

1. The Culture is Not Conducive to Men

2. Too Much Feminine Influence

3. Don't Relate to the Pastor

4. Music Feels Too Romantic and Sensitive

EXAMPLE: Inner City Church

Gang Infested -- large Hispanic population

I came to preach and consult

Singer -- EXPLAIN dress / look

Song

"Jesus came down and kissed us with a big sloppy kiss"

* Most church music is soft

* Men can hear themselves sing (negative)

* Men will sing...

...National Anthem -- large / loud

* Bikers always came late...

...we changed music

* Churches with...

o Banner wavers

o Interpretive dance

o Choirs in robes

o Organ and piano

* Songs like:

"Hold Me Close to You"

"You're Altogether Lovely" (Wonderful)

"Oh Lord, You're Beautiful"

* Men never call each other beautiful, lovely or wonderful

* Not 45 minutes worth

* Loud / short / multi-sensory

5. Lack of Relevance

o If a man was transported from "Little House on the Prairie"

o They would freak over the changes in our society...

„X Cars

„X Planes

„X Computers

„X Phones

„X E-mail

„X Etc.

o But put him in most churches and he will feel right at home

* Familiar...

„X Hymns

„X Pews

„X Pastor in suit

„X Sermon

„X Language

o 85% of church-goers have a...

„X Change to resistance

„X Passive personality

o George Barna found

„X That most people form their religious preferences by the time they are 13 years old

„X And they want to keep it there

o We love our 'Old Time Religion'

o But men who haven't found their religious preference -- don't!

o Men love technology

„X Men are more likely to get excited about technology -- gadgets, etc.

o Faster computers

o Bigger engines

o Smaller cell phones

o Best guns

o More power, more power

o Ah -- Ah -- Ah

o Yet many churches believe technology in the "Sanctuary" is of the devil

„X Electric guitars

„X Video -- lights -- camera -- oh my!

o George Barna says

„X That information conveyed through the use of technology often has a higher degree of believability

„X Than information that's static

* Out of mouth

„X Men 45 and under will believe what they see on a screen faster than what they only hear!

o Web pages...

„X Allow men to check it out at a safe distance

o Technology is the language of young men!