WEBVTT 00:00:02.250 --> 00:00:04.830 To accomplish a duet like that, separated by 00:00:04.830 --> 00:00:06.990 a stage as broad as this, is something else. 00:00:07.669 --> 00:00:12.289 And you can do it any time you want to. I like 00:00:12.289 --> 00:00:19.570 piano organ duets. I had intended this morning 00:00:19.570 --> 00:00:22.730 to continue my series on the doctrine of the 00:00:22.730 --> 00:00:28.309 Church. However, I have been redirected, I believe, 00:00:28.390 --> 00:00:34.189 by the Holy Spirit for today. As I was meditating 00:00:34.189 --> 00:00:38.250 and praying the other morning regarding our circumstances 00:00:38.250 --> 00:00:42.250 right now as a church, which in several ways 00:00:42.250 --> 00:00:45.070 are at a very critical point, an exciting point, 00:00:45.210 --> 00:00:47.829 a point with a lot of opportunities and great 00:00:47.829 --> 00:00:50.770 things happening and yet some considerable needs, 00:00:51.090 --> 00:00:57.909 God laid upon my heart a message. The Lord impressed 00:00:57.909 --> 00:01:00.789 upon me that I need today to speak especially 00:01:00.789 --> 00:01:05.739 to the men. of Grace Church. Not that the ladies 00:01:05.739 --> 00:01:07.519 and children who are present this morning aren't 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:12.000 important, but I need to speak to the men of 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:14.920 our church, and I invite the rest of you to listen 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:17.379 in. Maybe you'll get some of the buckshot around 00:01:17.379 --> 00:01:30.579 the edges. Don't be afraid. One of my most pressing 00:01:31.230 --> 00:01:39.310 concerns is for a congregation of men in particular 00:01:39.310 --> 00:01:45.430 who are exercising their spiritual role of leadership 00:01:45.430 --> 00:01:51.209 that God has given to them. A role that extends 00:01:51.209 --> 00:01:57.879 both to the home as well as to the church. God 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:00.739 impressed upon my heart, as I thought about this 00:02:00.739 --> 00:02:08.099 a few days ago, that in reality the needs that 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:11.199 we are facing right now as a church would not 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:15.919 be there if, in fact, all of the men of our church 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:20.419 were living up to that spiritual role of leadership 00:02:20.419 --> 00:02:26.699 that God has assigned to us all. Now there are 00:02:26.699 --> 00:02:31.960 some men who are already doing so, but there 00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:36.599 are many who are not. And what we need in our 00:02:36.599 --> 00:02:41.879 church desperately is a solid population of men 00:02:41.879 --> 00:02:48.900 who can be characterized by what the Bible calls, 00:02:49.020 --> 00:02:58.710 in this phrase, the men of God. Men of God. That 00:02:58.710 --> 00:03:01.330 is a term which was used in the Old Testament 00:03:01.330 --> 00:03:07.530 of certain people who were given by God high 00:03:07.530 --> 00:03:12.030 positions of authority. King David, for example, 00:03:12.169 --> 00:03:17.530 or the prophet Elijah, or the leader Moses were 00:03:17.530 --> 00:03:21.469 called men of God. In the New Testament, the 00:03:21.469 --> 00:03:24.389 term seems to be more general and would apply 00:03:24.389 --> 00:03:29.430 to all believers, a generic sort of term. For 00:03:29.430 --> 00:03:33.870 in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, it tells us 00:03:33.870 --> 00:03:37.629 that we have the inspired, the God -breathed 00:03:37.629 --> 00:03:44.129 Word of God before us so that we men of God may 00:03:44.129 --> 00:03:46.909 be equipped and thoroughly furnished to every 00:03:46.909 --> 00:03:52.060 good work. And so men of God refers to something 00:03:52.060 --> 00:03:58.259 all of us should be. The term is also used in 00:03:58.259 --> 00:04:00.159 the book of 1 Timothy, and it is there that I 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:02.639 want to find our text today, 1 Timothy chapter 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:10.340 6. The term itself is found in verse 11, but 00:04:10.340 --> 00:04:13.360 I want to begin with verse 3, which I think is 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:23.660 the beginning of this paragraph. I realize that 00:04:23.660 --> 00:04:25.420 today is Father's Day, and it's an appropriate 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:27.459 day to bring a message like this, perhaps, but 00:04:27.459 --> 00:04:34.860 that is purely coincidental. 1 Timothy 6, verse 00:04:34.860 --> 00:04:38.680 3. If anyone advocates a different doctrine, 00:04:38.819 --> 00:04:41.800 that is, than the one that Paul has just instructed, 00:04:42.019 --> 00:04:46.540 and does not agree with sound words, those of 00:04:46.540 --> 00:04:49.160 our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:52.829 conforming to godliness, He is conceited and 00:04:52.829 --> 00:04:56.129 understands nothing, but he has a morbid interest 00:04:56.129 --> 00:04:59.389 in controversial questions and disputes about 00:04:59.389 --> 00:05:05.069 words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive 00:05:05.069 --> 00:05:10.250 language, evil suspicions, and constant friction 00:05:10.250 --> 00:05:15.310 between men of depraved mind and deprived of 00:05:15.310 --> 00:05:19.629 the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means 00:05:19.629 --> 00:05:23.410 of gain. He's talking here about false teachers 00:05:23.410 --> 00:05:26.910 who make religion their business. And we are 00:05:26.910 --> 00:05:30.689 loaded with them these days, aren't we? People 00:05:30.689 --> 00:05:33.350 who make religion a means of their getting rich, 00:05:33.550 --> 00:05:38.370 of having personal gain. But the apostle goes 00:05:38.370 --> 00:05:41.129 on in sort of a play of words to say, but godliness 00:05:41.129 --> 00:05:46.449 actually is a means of great gain when accompanied 00:05:46.449 --> 00:05:50.660 by contentment. For we have brought nothing into 00:05:50.660 --> 00:05:53.639 the world, so we cannot take anything out of 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:56.959 it either. And if we have food and covering, 00:05:57.060 --> 00:06:00.339 with these we shall be content. But those who 00:06:00.339 --> 00:06:05.540 want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare 00:06:05.540 --> 00:06:10.220 and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge 00:06:10.220 --> 00:06:14.399 men into ruin and destruction. For the love of 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:18.779 money is a root of all sorts of evil. and some 00:06:18.779 --> 00:06:21.459 by longing for it have wandered away from the 00:06:21.459 --> 00:06:25.300 faith and pierced themselves with many a pang. 00:06:26.420 --> 00:06:31.759 But flee from these things, you man of God, and 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:35.180 pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, 00:06:35.420 --> 00:06:38.959 perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:42.939 fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life 00:06:42.939 --> 00:06:46.279 to which you were called. And you made the good 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:49.439 confession in the presence of many witnesses. 00:06:50.980 --> 00:06:54.079 Heavenly Father, I pray that as we approach this 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:57.500 burden that you have for our church, and as we 00:06:57.500 --> 00:06:59.980 talk about this text of Scripture and seek to 00:06:59.980 --> 00:07:03.040 apply it to our lives, that you will give us 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:06.600 hearts that are able to hear your words, your 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:10.600 thoughts, to us personally. I pray that we will 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:13.079 not be... pointing our fingers at others, but 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:16.600 that I as the preacher will speak to myself and 00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:19.160 that the Holy Spirit will take these words and 00:07:19.160 --> 00:07:21.339 then will cause them to be applied to each life 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:25.079 here today by each person. And then we pray that 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:27.139 you will give us hearts that would respond to 00:07:27.139 --> 00:07:30.319 be obedient. Lord, we need to be men of God. 00:07:32.819 --> 00:07:41.160 Make us that. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. It 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:45.079 seems to me from our text that a man of God is 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:51.459 characterized by four actions. These four actions 00:07:51.459 --> 00:07:55.519 are found in four verbs, which are commands that 00:07:55.519 --> 00:08:00.100 must be obeyed if we are going to be what God 00:08:00.100 --> 00:08:06.240 has declared us to be, men of God. In the first 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:13.459 place, a man of God flees. He flees. Verse 11 00:08:13.459 --> 00:08:19.899 says, flee from these things, man of God. It 00:08:19.899 --> 00:08:25.199 means to run away from the vices which destroy 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:30.319 our spiritual effectiveness. And in the context 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:33.620 here, there are at least two that are mentioned. 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:39.149 We are in the first place to run away from involvement 00:08:39.149 --> 00:08:44.210 in false teaching. That is the text beginning 00:08:44.210 --> 00:08:48.169 in verse 3, where it warns us about those who 00:08:48.169 --> 00:08:52.970 advocate a different doctrine, a doctrine which 00:08:52.970 --> 00:08:55.649 does not agree with the sound or the healthy 00:08:55.649 --> 00:09:00.750 words of the Bible, a doctrine which does not 00:09:00.750 --> 00:09:03.690 agree with godliness that comes out of the Bible. 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:08.080 We are warned to stay away from false teachers 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:12.139 who are conceited and ignorant, who do not understand 00:09:12.139 --> 00:09:17.100 the Bible, but rather who have a morbid, unhealthy 00:09:17.100 --> 00:09:22.159 interest in controversial questions and disputes 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:26.740 about words. The apostle undoubtedly had some 00:09:26.740 --> 00:09:30.039 particular group of people in mind from that 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:34.500 day. We don't know exactly who he was referring 00:09:34.500 --> 00:09:38.220 to. Maybe that's good because then we can apply 00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:43.460 it more easily to our own day. For there are 00:09:43.460 --> 00:09:47.240 around us all kinds of movements and isms, asms, 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:51.759 and spasms which people who love God can get 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:57.620 caught up in and which are at worst false teaching. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:02.159 and at best, secondary, non -essential, unimportant 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:08.399 issues. Disputes even about the meanings of words. 00:10:09.700 --> 00:10:12.320 There are those who love to get into those kinds 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:17.460 of arguments and spats. Well, he says, out of 00:10:17.460 --> 00:10:22.440 this kind of a thing arises envy and strife. 00:10:24.740 --> 00:10:29.210 Language, which is abusive. Runs down others. 00:10:30.750 --> 00:10:35.590 Out of this comes a suspicious kind of a spirit. 00:10:36.169 --> 00:10:41.830 A non -trusting attitude. And from it also comes 00:10:41.830 --> 00:10:47.110 constant friction between men. So he says, if 00:10:47.110 --> 00:10:49.250 you and I are going to be men of God, one of 00:10:49.250 --> 00:10:51.490 the things we have to do is to stay away from 00:10:51.490 --> 00:10:55.210 those kinds of things. The kinds of things which 00:10:55.210 --> 00:10:59.500 divide over... nonsensical, meaningless issues, 00:10:59.940 --> 00:11:03.460 those kinds of things which may even be false 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:07.840 in their essence. Stay away from the controversies, 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:10.980 which, if you get involved in them, will produce 00:11:10.980 --> 00:11:13.100 the kind of fruit that we see in verses 4 and 00:11:13.100 --> 00:11:17.419 5. He is saying, basically, if you want to be 00:11:17.419 --> 00:11:21.200 a man of God, then major on the majors and be 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:23.879 careful of the minors. Not that there's not a 00:11:23.879 --> 00:11:26.759 time to talk about the minors, too. But don't 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:29.100 get involved in emphasizing those and getting 00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:31.580 them out of proportion, because that's a waste. 00:11:32.259 --> 00:11:35.399 It's a waste. It will destroy your spiritual 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:40.899 effectiveness. Flee from that. But he says, secondly, 00:11:40.980 --> 00:11:45.299 we are to flee from the love of money. This maybe 00:11:45.299 --> 00:11:50.299 is a bigger problem to many of us. Perhaps, in 00:11:50.299 --> 00:11:54.460 fact, this is the greatest problem that Christian 00:11:54.460 --> 00:11:58.779 men face. in our culture, maybe not in some cultures, 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:02.139 but in ours, which is very materialistic and 00:12:02.139 --> 00:12:05.320 hedonistic, the love of money and what it can 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:08.980 buy. Now, please understand, he is not saying 00:12:08.980 --> 00:12:12.299 we're to flee from money. Money is essential 00:12:12.299 --> 00:12:15.379 to live. By it, we're able to provide for our 00:12:15.379 --> 00:12:18.799 needs and provide for the work of God. That is 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.940 God's plan. But he is saying that we are to flee 00:12:22.940 --> 00:12:27.580 from the love of it. establishing it as a God 00:12:27.580 --> 00:12:32.539 in our lives, making it mammon. Jesus said you 00:12:32.539 --> 00:12:38.379 cannot serve mammon, money, and God. He warns 00:12:38.379 --> 00:12:42.259 us that the love of money becomes a root sin, 00:12:42.500 --> 00:12:47.799 which produces all sorts of evil in the life. 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:52.440 Because of the love of money, there are some 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:57.750 people... who sell their bodies, others who sell 00:12:57.750 --> 00:13:03.769 their souls, some who sell their standards. Because 00:13:03.769 --> 00:13:06.750 of the love of money, there are some who will 00:13:06.750 --> 00:13:12.570 run over anybody else, whatever the pain that 00:13:12.570 --> 00:13:16.190 may be created. There are some who will lie. 00:13:16.210 --> 00:13:19.070 There are some who will cheat because of the 00:13:19.070 --> 00:13:24.340 love of money. The real problem is greed. but 00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:26.539 it produces all these other sorts of secondary 00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:31.940 issues in the life. There are a few things that 00:13:31.940 --> 00:13:35.820 will destroy your effectiveness and mine as the 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:42.240 love of money. It is a basic root sin that causes 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:46.620 many, it says, to stumble, to wander away from 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:50.899 the faith, and to be pierced with many a pang, 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:57.620 a sting, a pain. I suppose that all of us can 00:13:57.620 --> 00:14:00.059 look around at someone else and we say, now there 00:14:00.059 --> 00:14:04.600 is a person who loves money. Folks, our need 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:07.379 today is to look at our own lives, for me to 00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:10.419 look at me and you to look at you, and to see 00:14:10.419 --> 00:14:12.179 if there's something in us that we need to flee 00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:18.360 from. Have we somehow subtly been caught up in 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:22.220 the standards and the thoughts and the desires 00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:25.730 and the motivations of our world? our society, 00:14:25.929 --> 00:14:30.769 so that we have made getting rich or having money 00:14:30.769 --> 00:14:38.909 for personal pleasure our goal in life? I tell 00:14:38.909 --> 00:14:42.269 you, if we do that, we will never be men of God, 00:14:42.490 --> 00:14:51.470 ever. It is not wrong to be rich, nor is it wrong 00:14:51.470 --> 00:14:57.840 to be poor. We need to be content wherever we 00:14:57.840 --> 00:15:01.379 are on that scale, in the spectrum of it. That's 00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:04.980 the important thing. Godliness with contentment. 00:15:05.659 --> 00:15:10.139 That is soul sufficiency. Being able to say, 00:15:10.179 --> 00:15:12.779 Father, thank you for providing this for me. 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:18.080 And when we can do that, that is great gain. 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:24.860 That's being rich. That's being rich. If we're 00:15:24.860 --> 00:15:26.799 going to be men of God, the first action that 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:30.080 we must follow is that of fleeing. We must flee 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:33.759 from those things that would destroy our effectiveness 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:39.980 as Christians, our examples as fathers and husbands, 00:15:40.179 --> 00:15:45.899 our purity as men. Flee from these things, O 00:15:45.899 --> 00:15:50.580 man of God. And there are some in our church 00:15:50.580 --> 00:15:55.379 family who need to do that. in very special, 00:15:55.700 --> 00:16:00.159 particular ways that God right now is laying 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:05.000 in your heart. For there are some of us that 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:09.059 have compromised. There are some of us that have 00:16:09.059 --> 00:16:11.919 allowed things to come into our lives that have 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:15.480 begun getting us sidetracked from being men of 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:21.960 God. If that's true in your life, will you today 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:24.500 say, Lord, I want to be a man of God, I'll flee. 00:16:25.259 --> 00:16:29.600 I'll give it up. I'm through with it. I've repented 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:38.120 that. Secondly, if we would be men of God, we 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:42.919 would also pursue some things. Not only run away 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:46.080 from some things, but run after some other things. 00:16:46.340 --> 00:16:49.440 Pursue them eagerly. There are six qualities 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:54.039 that he lists in verse 11. And I would have you 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:56.419 notice as we go through these how directly opposite 00:16:56.419 --> 00:16:59.919 they are of what our world considers important. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:05.599 He says, man of God, pursue this, pursue righteousness. 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:11.160 What is righteousness? He's talking here about 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:13.619 the state of heart and mind, which is in harmony 00:17:13.619 --> 00:17:16.420 with God's law. I think it was Barnhouse that 00:17:16.420 --> 00:17:19.579 said that, and I like that definition. It is 00:17:19.579 --> 00:17:22.579 the state of heart and mind which is in harmony 00:17:22.579 --> 00:17:29.819 with what God wants. That's righteousness. We 00:17:29.819 --> 00:17:35.900 are men, I'm talking to you especially, fathers, 00:17:36.099 --> 00:17:41.599 husbands, listen. I fear that we are increasingly 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:51.829 tolerant of sin. We are increasingly insensitive 00:17:51.829 --> 00:17:57.089 to it so that we allow it to gain beachheads 00:17:57.089 --> 00:18:02.630 in our lives and in our families. And I want 00:18:02.630 --> 00:18:04.849 to be specific this morning about some areas. 00:18:04.930 --> 00:18:08.490 I will not cover every possible area. We do have 00:18:08.490 --> 00:18:14.890 to get out by 3 o 'clock or before. I want to 00:18:14.890 --> 00:18:21.440 talk about television. I am not among those preachers 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:23.319 who for years have said that television is the 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:27.940 tool of the devil. I'm not among them, but I'm 00:18:27.940 --> 00:18:33.380 getting there. I have heard preachers for some 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:35.559 years who have said, you need to get the televisions 00:18:35.559 --> 00:18:38.559 out of your homes. I have not been among them, 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:46.240 but I'm getting there. Do you realize the kinds 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:50.019 of things that are indoctrinating your family 00:18:50.019 --> 00:18:56.319 by means of television? Do you realize that the 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:58.599 producers of the television shows that come into 00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:02.960 your living room and mine have moral standards 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:05.900 that are directly opposite, for the most part, 00:19:05.960 --> 00:19:08.539 directly opposite of yours as a Bible -believing 00:19:08.539 --> 00:19:11.920 Christian? Not only do they have those standards, 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:14.920 but they are determined to sell those standards 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:18.950 to their audiences. Now, I'm not just saying 00:19:18.950 --> 00:19:21.950 this as a preacher who's pounding the pulpit. 00:19:22.009 --> 00:19:24.589 I am simply relating to you what I am reading 00:19:24.589 --> 00:19:26.549 in the newspaper. I read it this last week in 00:19:26.549 --> 00:19:30.650 the columnist in the Tribune. And if it's there, 00:19:30.690 --> 00:19:39.150 it's got to be the truth, right? This man who 00:19:39.150 --> 00:19:42.849 makes no claim to be a Christian says that this 00:19:42.849 --> 00:19:46.710 fall, CBS in particular is going into the gutter. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:51.839 to try to keep pace with cable television, which 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:55.440 is putting the networks into a serious situation 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:59.559 financially. And so they are going to begin promoting 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:05.799 all kinds of perversions and sexual relationships 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:09.559 in your living room and mine, not at 9 o 'clock, 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.420 at 7 o 'clock in prime time at some of their 00:20:12.420 --> 00:20:15.019 new shows. And some of the old ones are going 00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:17.420 to be retooled to do the same thing. What I'm 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:20.180 saying to you is that you better sit down with 00:20:20.180 --> 00:20:23.819 your family, man of God, and decide which programs 00:20:23.819 --> 00:20:25.759 you're going to allow to come into that home 00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:29.660 of yours and which are not. And I'm not talking 00:20:29.660 --> 00:20:32.119 about just the evening programs. I'm talking 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:34.880 about some of the Saturday morning cartoons as 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:41.660 well. If we are going to be men of God, we have 00:20:41.660 --> 00:20:44.630 to pursue righteousness. And I want you to know 00:20:44.630 --> 00:20:46.529 that very little of what comes over television 00:20:46.529 --> 00:20:52.309 is in harmony with God's law. There may come 00:20:52.309 --> 00:20:55.250 a day when I will say to you, I think we should 00:20:55.250 --> 00:20:58.650 take our televisions out of our homes. There 00:20:58.650 --> 00:21:00.769 are some of you who believe that now, and I don't 00:21:00.769 --> 00:21:03.549 say you shouldn't do that. That's fine if that's 00:21:03.549 --> 00:21:05.670 what God leads you to do. I'm not to that point 00:21:05.670 --> 00:21:07.309 yet, but I tell you what, I'm coming there. I 00:21:07.309 --> 00:21:13.519 talked to my wife about it this last week. I 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:17.339 want to talk about music. What kind of music 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:21.980 do you listen to? I like country music. My wife, 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:31.940 who is the Kentuckian... Honey, don't forget 00:21:31.940 --> 00:21:37.079 this is Father's Day. Be kind to me. She does 00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:39.880 not care for it, but... I like it, and as some 00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:42.779 of you know, I listen as regularly as I can to 00:21:42.779 --> 00:21:44.700 A Prairie Home Companion. I think that is one 00:21:44.700 --> 00:21:49.180 of the neatest programs around. I love the bluegrass 00:21:49.180 --> 00:21:52.400 music. And one of my favorite country entertainers 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:58.660 has been in the past, Kenny Rogers. And you know 00:21:58.660 --> 00:22:01.900 what I discovered? That some of his music had 00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:05.799 insensitized me, made me insensitive to some 00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:09.200 of the words he was saying. I have a record, 00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:10.640 I think it's called The Best of Kenny Rogers, 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:15.359 and I'd listen to that occasionally. That's not 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:17.420 gospel music, I'm sorry, it disappoints some 00:22:17.420 --> 00:22:22.400 of you, but it's just music I enjoy listening 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:26.859 to occasionally. And it didn't bother me until 00:22:26.859 --> 00:22:30.940 I realized that my son was listening to that 00:22:30.940 --> 00:22:33.099 record, and I began to hear him sing some of 00:22:33.099 --> 00:22:38.240 the words that Kenny Rogers was singing. He has 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:41.240 no idea what he's saying at this point, but I 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:43.940 know what he's saying, and it really turned me 00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:49.180 off to Kenny Rogers. And he's no worse than some 00:22:49.180 --> 00:22:53.119 of the others. I'm not picking on him. What about 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:54.859 rock music? Do you realize what some of your 00:22:54.859 --> 00:22:58.960 teenagers are listening to in rock music? Do 00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:01.000 you realize the kind of garbage that is being 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:06.509 drilled into their minds through that? The kind 00:23:06.509 --> 00:23:10.849 of perversion, the kind of even demon activity 00:23:10.849 --> 00:23:13.750 that they are exposed to through rock music. 00:23:14.890 --> 00:23:16.970 And yet some of you fathers have not so much 00:23:16.970 --> 00:23:19.650 as put your foot down on the kind of music your 00:23:19.650 --> 00:23:22.309 children are listening to. You better look after 00:23:22.309 --> 00:23:23.690 that if you're going to pursue righteousness. 00:23:26.630 --> 00:23:30.990 I want to talk about Sunday employment. Now, 00:23:31.009 --> 00:23:34.369 I have been meddling so far, but I'm going to 00:23:34.369 --> 00:23:38.390 now. I am not among those who believe that Sunday 00:23:38.390 --> 00:23:40.670 is the Sabbath and that we must keep the Old 00:23:40.670 --> 00:23:43.369 Testament laws on Sunday. I don't believe that 00:23:43.369 --> 00:23:46.829 at all. But I do believe that Sunday is the Lord's 00:23:46.829 --> 00:23:51.289 Day. The Bible calls it that. And I do believe 00:23:51.289 --> 00:23:53.690 that we ought to obey the Word of God and be 00:23:53.690 --> 00:23:56.869 in the assembly of the saints and not forsake 00:23:56.869 --> 00:24:00.569 it as the manner of some is. There are some of 00:24:00.569 --> 00:24:04.069 you who will take a job on Sunday that fast to 00:24:04.069 --> 00:24:08.250 make some bucks. But maybe even worse than that 00:24:08.250 --> 00:24:10.950 is the fact that you allow your teenagers to 00:24:10.950 --> 00:24:13.190 do it, and you don't think anything about it. 00:24:14.970 --> 00:24:18.549 And they're missing Bible instruction and the 00:24:18.549 --> 00:24:21.470 fellowship of God's people, and you as a father 00:24:21.470 --> 00:24:25.210 have allowed that to happen in your home. Now, 00:24:25.230 --> 00:24:29.710 I told you I was going to meddle. If you are 00:24:29.710 --> 00:24:33.019 going to pursue righteousness, and cause your 00:24:33.019 --> 00:24:37.099 home to be in harmony with what God wants, then 00:24:37.099 --> 00:24:39.559 look at your home today and realize what's taking 00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:42.500 place in it. Shall I talk about weekend trips? 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:46.640 Shall I talk about taking summer vacations from 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:50.819 God? And saying, well, summertime's here, time 00:24:50.819 --> 00:24:52.880 to go to the cabin every weekend. Forget church. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:57.819 I realize there are some who go to church wherever 00:24:57.819 --> 00:24:59.720 the cabin is, and even some who come all the 00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:01.500 way back to the cities, and I thank God for that. 00:25:02.349 --> 00:25:05.569 My point is simply, we can't afford to take breaks 00:25:05.569 --> 00:25:12.329 from God. What do you think you're teaching your 00:25:12.329 --> 00:25:14.829 children by establishing that kind of a pattern? 00:25:16.269 --> 00:25:19.490 Pursue righteousness. I believe that we need 00:25:19.490 --> 00:25:22.549 an honest, God -led investigation in our attitudes 00:25:22.549 --> 00:25:26.170 and practices, which are not in harmony with 00:25:26.170 --> 00:25:29.630 His law in our lives and in our homes. And where 00:25:29.630 --> 00:25:32.250 we are out of harmony with God, we need to get 00:25:32.250 --> 00:25:34.410 ourselves aligned to get in step with the Lord. 00:25:35.450 --> 00:25:38.970 He says we need to pursue godliness. That's conduct 00:25:38.970 --> 00:25:43.589 which reflects God. Devoutness, robustness of 00:25:43.589 --> 00:25:47.089 life, which imitates Jesus Christ. It is having 00:25:47.089 --> 00:25:51.730 the touch of God upon one's life. But I fear 00:25:51.730 --> 00:25:54.410 that the conduct of some of us may reflect compromise, 00:25:54.549 --> 00:25:59.900 not God's character. We are content to look like 00:25:59.900 --> 00:26:02.299 and smell like and be like and talk like and 00:26:02.299 --> 00:26:05.000 laugh like and look like the world as much as 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:11.099 possible. Godliness, that's old -fashioned, but 00:26:11.099 --> 00:26:18.279 not for men of God, women of God. If we're going 00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:21.420 to be men of God, then we need to run after being 00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:25.700 like God, godliness. We need today to look at 00:26:25.700 --> 00:26:29.369 our conduct. Let it reflect off the mirror of 00:26:29.369 --> 00:26:33.109 God's word. Then bring our conduct into line. 00:26:33.170 --> 00:26:37.150 Wash the dirt off of our lives. It says that 00:26:37.150 --> 00:26:39.369 we need to pursue faith. That means reliance 00:26:39.369 --> 00:26:43.690 upon God's promises. We know so little about 00:26:43.690 --> 00:26:49.490 faith, don't we? I do. We have so little need 00:26:49.490 --> 00:26:52.630 for faith in our gluttonous materialistic society. 00:26:54.670 --> 00:26:57.480 Because if we lack some little thing, We can 00:26:57.480 --> 00:26:59.400 go down, if we don't have the cash for it, we 00:26:59.400 --> 00:27:01.220 can plunk down one of those credit cards and 00:27:01.220 --> 00:27:04.660 buy it. We don't need to pray about it. We've 00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:10.900 got credit. We don't need God. I wonder how our 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:12.519 children are going to learn anything about faith. 00:27:15.500 --> 00:27:17.559 Some of us grew up in the Depression or those 00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:19.700 years right afterward, and there weren't the 00:27:19.700 --> 00:27:21.380 credit cards, and there wasn't the availability 00:27:21.380 --> 00:27:25.329 of things in those days. And I think sometimes 00:27:25.329 --> 00:27:27.670 out of an overreaction to that, now we think 00:27:27.670 --> 00:27:31.109 we have to provide everything for our kids. But 00:27:31.109 --> 00:27:37.470 are we teaching the value of things? Are we somehow 00:27:37.470 --> 00:27:40.289 communicating to our kids what it is to trust 00:27:40.289 --> 00:27:44.329 God and to rely upon God for something? Are we 00:27:44.329 --> 00:27:48.529 learning it ourselves? Our need today may well 00:27:48.529 --> 00:27:52.019 be to repent of our self -sufficiency. For we 00:27:52.019 --> 00:27:54.019 are much like the Laodicean church which said, 00:27:54.039 --> 00:27:57.500 I'm rich and have need of nothing. We are poor 00:27:57.500 --> 00:28:02.799 and miserable, blind and naked. The man of God 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:07.440 pursues faith. He makes it his business not to 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:11.160 live on credit. And I'm not knocking credit always. 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:16.579 There's a time for that and a place for it. But 00:28:16.579 --> 00:28:19.519 folks, we can't... allow that to usurp the other 00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:22.960 place of trusting God, believing God in our lives. 00:28:25.140 --> 00:28:27.140 We're men of God. We're going to pursue love, 00:28:27.339 --> 00:28:30.460 actively seek the benefit of others, the welfare 00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:34.200 of others. We'll cause our heart to be devoted 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:36.880 to God and allow that first love to be in our 00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:39.440 lives for Him, not like the church at Ephesus, 00:28:39.480 --> 00:28:42.460 which was very busy, even in ministry. But Jesus 00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:46.230 said, you've left your first love. We have a 00:28:46.230 --> 00:28:48.230 greater tendency, don't we, toward greed and 00:28:48.230 --> 00:28:51.750 covetousness rather than sharing. That's prevalent 00:28:51.750 --> 00:28:55.509 in our world. Take what you can. Don't let anybody 00:28:55.509 --> 00:28:58.569 take away from you what belongs to you. And how 00:28:58.569 --> 00:29:03.130 natural and good that sounds to our flesh. Selfless 00:29:03.130 --> 00:29:06.490 giving out of love is rare, but a man of God 00:29:06.490 --> 00:29:10.690 must pursue love. Then he must pursue perseverance. 00:29:12.619 --> 00:29:16.220 It means to bear up under adversities, steadfastness 00:29:16.220 --> 00:29:20.099 with the assurance of the coming victory. We 00:29:20.099 --> 00:29:24.180 so easily give up. We run into a little problem. 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:29.079 We say, it must not be God's will. We make commitments, 00:29:29.140 --> 00:29:31.319 and then when we have to pay a price to keep 00:29:31.319 --> 00:29:35.420 the commitment, we forget the commitment. We 00:29:35.420 --> 00:29:37.980 do what we say we're going to do as long as it's 00:29:37.980 --> 00:29:43.839 convenient. One who's a man of God must be one 00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:47.180 who sticks with it, a man who perseveres, one 00:29:47.180 --> 00:29:50.819 who bears up. I really think that a lot of us 00:29:50.819 --> 00:29:53.700 today need to see how emaciated and even whining 00:29:53.700 --> 00:30:02.339 we are when things get tough in our lives. If 00:30:02.339 --> 00:30:04.000 we're going to be men of God, we've got to also 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:07.259 pursue gentleness. This is the only time in the 00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:09.099 Greek New Testament when this particular word 00:30:09.099 --> 00:30:13.430 is found. The idea is not to be a reactionary, 00:30:13.430 --> 00:30:16.750 but to be patient with people. It's a combination 00:30:16.750 --> 00:30:21.049 of two words, to suffer and meekness. And it's 00:30:21.049 --> 00:30:23.150 the idea of somebody coming against you and then 00:30:23.150 --> 00:30:28.190 your response being one of gentleness. But really, 00:30:28.210 --> 00:30:30.650 aren't a lot of us more interested in preserving 00:30:30.650 --> 00:30:37.609 our macho image? Isn't enforcing our rights more 00:30:37.609 --> 00:30:41.259 important than showing gentleness? I mean, really, 00:30:41.339 --> 00:30:43.819 when you get down to it, there in the office, 00:30:44.019 --> 00:30:48.119 or in the neighborhood, or the neighbor puts 00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:50.920 that fence in the wrong place, whatever the issue 00:30:50.920 --> 00:30:59.059 may be, we ought to be gentle. That word describes 00:30:59.059 --> 00:31:01.660 so beautifully the Lord Jesus Christ, but there 00:31:01.660 --> 00:31:04.420 was no more manly person who's ever walked on 00:31:04.420 --> 00:31:09.589 the earth than he. If you and I are going to 00:31:09.589 --> 00:31:11.470 be men of God, there are some things we have 00:31:11.470 --> 00:31:13.410 to run away from and there are some things we 00:31:13.410 --> 00:31:17.470 have to run toward, run after. I like the fact 00:31:17.470 --> 00:31:21.130 that it says run after these things, pursue them. 00:31:21.269 --> 00:31:24.529 It suggests that we never really arrive there. 00:31:25.970 --> 00:31:27.950 We never get to the point of really saying, well, 00:31:28.009 --> 00:31:30.829 now I've attained it. But he says all of our 00:31:30.829 --> 00:31:36.089 life long we have to pursue these things. Make 00:31:36.089 --> 00:31:40.670 them our ideals, our goals. We're to be men of 00:31:40.670 --> 00:31:44.089 God, we also have to fight. You say, wait a minute, 00:31:44.210 --> 00:31:46.990 didn't you just say we had to be gentle? Now 00:31:46.990 --> 00:31:48.950 you're saying fight? That's what the Word of 00:31:48.950 --> 00:31:54.450 God says. Verse 12, fight. But notice what it 00:31:54.450 --> 00:31:59.609 says to fight. Not your wife. Not your kids. 00:32:00.849 --> 00:32:05.069 Fight the good fight of the faith. And the idea 00:32:05.069 --> 00:32:07.869 is that we are to fight the noble fight. We are 00:32:07.869 --> 00:32:11.410 to be aggressive in battling for the faith, not 00:32:11.410 --> 00:32:15.730 over personal, selfish things, but we are to 00:32:15.730 --> 00:32:19.869 be involved in battling Satan's system of evil 00:32:19.869 --> 00:32:23.210 in the world. We are not to give in to it. We 00:32:23.210 --> 00:32:25.950 are not to go along with the crowd as be carried 00:32:25.950 --> 00:32:29.289 with the flow, the stream of our age. But we 00:32:29.289 --> 00:32:31.730 are to stand up against it and say, this is where 00:32:31.730 --> 00:32:35.819 I take my stand. And we are to fight that noble 00:32:35.819 --> 00:32:39.079 fight, whatever the cost may be, if we are to 00:32:39.079 --> 00:32:44.619 be men of God. Yeah, it's tough. Yes, there are 00:32:44.619 --> 00:32:48.539 people around us who go AWOL. And there are some 00:32:48.539 --> 00:32:51.059 Christians who talk about passivism or negotiation 00:32:51.059 --> 00:32:57.279 with the world or maybe even disarmament. But 00:32:57.279 --> 00:32:59.380 not one who wants to be a man of God. You cannot 00:32:59.380 --> 00:33:01.740 against Satan's system. You can't disarm. You've 00:33:01.740 --> 00:33:06.000 got to put on the armor. Ephesians 6. You don't 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:10.160 negotiate with the world. You resist it in the 00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:15.059 power of Jesus Christ. If we're going to be men 00:33:15.059 --> 00:33:18.160 of God, we have to learn where the lines are 00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:20.579 being drawn and get to that line and take the 00:33:20.579 --> 00:33:26.759 stand right there and not be pushed around. Then 00:33:26.759 --> 00:33:29.880 a man of God finally will take hold of some things. 00:33:31.980 --> 00:33:35.799 He says, take hold of the eternal life to which 00:33:35.799 --> 00:33:39.579 you were called. He gets a good grip on eternal 00:33:39.579 --> 00:33:42.240 life. Now, what does that mean? He's already 00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:46.059 saved. What does it mean, get a good grip on 00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:49.799 eternal life? It means that you get a hold of 00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:52.400 eternal life, not as something that's going to 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:54.799 come in the future, but something that you have 00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:58.140 right now. And even right now, you live with 00:33:58.140 --> 00:34:03.650 eternal values in view. Eternal goals, that's 00:34:03.650 --> 00:34:07.990 what it means. All Christians possess eternal 00:34:07.990 --> 00:34:10.530 life, but not many, frankly, seem to take hold 00:34:10.530 --> 00:34:14.409 of it in the sense mentioned here. It means to 00:34:14.409 --> 00:34:20.730 live life with an eternal perspective. When was 00:34:20.730 --> 00:34:25.030 the last time you sat down for about 15 minutes? 00:34:25.800 --> 00:34:28.800 and thought through what you're doing, how you're 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:34.800 spending your time and your money. And then you've 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:36.780 gotten back away from that a little bit, and 00:34:36.780 --> 00:34:39.039 you've looked at it and tried to look at it from 00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:45.500 God's perspective. You get the eternal flashlight 00:34:45.500 --> 00:34:48.619 out, and you shine it on that and look at what 00:34:48.619 --> 00:34:50.360 you're doing, how you're spending your money. 00:34:50.980 --> 00:34:55.460 That's what he's talking about. Get a hold. On 00:34:55.460 --> 00:35:00.559 eternal life. Make it a quality of life that 00:35:00.559 --> 00:35:03.739 you are experiencing and enjoying right now. 00:35:04.039 --> 00:35:06.980 God wants us to enjoy life. We can only do it 00:35:06.980 --> 00:35:10.920 if we get a hold of it. Eternal life. And we 00:35:10.920 --> 00:35:14.920 know Him who is eternal. And fellowship with 00:35:14.920 --> 00:35:22.079 Him. I'm burdened for the men of Grace Church. 00:35:25.130 --> 00:35:31.630 And I include myself in that lot. Men, our homes 00:35:31.630 --> 00:35:35.769 are not going to be what they ought to be unless 00:35:35.769 --> 00:35:40.090 we become men of God. And the ministry of Grace 00:35:40.090 --> 00:35:42.650 Church Roseville is never going to be any stronger 00:35:42.650 --> 00:35:47.250 than the weakest of us. The weakest of us, not 00:35:47.250 --> 00:35:51.730 the strongest. We've got some things we've got 00:35:51.730 --> 00:35:55.239 to get right with God. I believe that God would 00:35:55.239 --> 00:36:00.719 call some of us today to repentance, to a change 00:36:00.719 --> 00:36:04.719 of thinking about some things. He would call 00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:08.420 some of us today to Christian conversion. In 00:36:08.420 --> 00:36:10.000 other words, we've been going one way, we're 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:12.099 going to turn around and go another way, change 00:36:12.099 --> 00:36:17.300 the way we're living. One of the most critical 00:36:17.300 --> 00:36:22.550 areas that we men need to face. is that of being 00:36:22.550 --> 00:36:28.010 the priests in our homes, of in some fashion 00:36:28.010 --> 00:36:32.489 leading our families in worship, whether that 00:36:32.489 --> 00:36:36.329 family be just the wife now or it still be with 00:36:36.329 --> 00:36:40.969 the little ones who are at your knees. I'm talking 00:36:40.969 --> 00:36:44.510 about what used to be called the family altar. 00:36:45.269 --> 00:36:47.630 I've not always been a perfect example in that. 00:36:51.400 --> 00:36:55.099 And I recognize that the family altar needs to 00:36:55.099 --> 00:36:59.139 take different forms at different stages in a 00:36:59.139 --> 00:37:05.840 family. But man, God is going to hold me and 00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:10.559 you accountable at the judgment for what we do 00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:14.539 in our homes to train our children, our wives, 00:37:14.679 --> 00:37:22.000 spiritually. Now, I warn you that now. So that 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:24.739 when the judgment comes, hopefully you'll be 00:37:24.739 --> 00:37:28.659 ready to stand and give an answer. You say, I 00:37:28.659 --> 00:37:34.579 don't know what to do. I have a training course 00:37:34.579 --> 00:37:40.860 designed for that. And I have not been able yet 00:37:40.860 --> 00:37:43.380 to bounce this off of the staff and the elders 00:37:43.380 --> 00:37:45.360 to decide just how we're going to go about it. 00:37:45.460 --> 00:37:47.460 But that is going to be offered to the men of 00:37:47.460 --> 00:37:52.650 Grace Church to teach you. how to be the priests 00:37:52.650 --> 00:37:55.530 of your home, the fathers and husbands to train 00:37:55.530 --> 00:37:57.789 your wives or children in the things of God. 00:37:59.489 --> 00:38:05.030 It'll take 10 weeks or 10 sessions. And I want 00:38:05.030 --> 00:38:08.489 to invite you now to come to that, but only if 00:38:08.489 --> 00:38:11.530 you are involved in leading your family in worship 00:38:11.530 --> 00:38:16.449 or if you will begin this week. If you don't 00:38:16.449 --> 00:38:19.170 intend to do it, you are not invited to the classes. 00:38:20.329 --> 00:38:24.269 It's only for those who intend to do it or are 00:38:24.269 --> 00:38:33.670 doing it. If we are going to be men of God, if 00:38:33.670 --> 00:38:37.730 our families, if our church is going to be what 00:38:37.730 --> 00:38:44.289 God intends them to be, then it begins with you 00:38:44.289 --> 00:38:51.039 and me, men. It begins with us. What are we going 00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:54.920 to do with God's challenge today? Let's bow together. 00:38:56.780 --> 00:39:07.500 Our heads bowed, our eyes are closed. I trust 00:39:07.500 --> 00:39:09.820 the Spirit of God has said something to you. 00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:15.699 I tell you, it has to me. God has showed me how 00:39:15.699 --> 00:39:19.440 much I failed. God has showed me how gracious 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:23.760 he is. God has instilled some new commitments, 00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:28.539 new desires in my own heart. And I believe there 00:39:28.539 --> 00:39:36.780 are many of you who may feel the same way. I 00:39:36.780 --> 00:39:41.360 want to give a very specific invitation before 00:39:41.360 --> 00:39:48.039 I pray. I want to ask those men And I'm talking 00:39:48.039 --> 00:39:50.920 here now because of the nature of the case, those 00:39:50.920 --> 00:39:54.840 who are of college age and above, but especially 00:39:54.840 --> 00:39:59.619 those who are career, those who are married. 00:40:01.559 --> 00:40:10.119 If you today are having family worship, I don't 00:40:10.119 --> 00:40:11.739 know what form it may take. I don't know how 00:40:11.739 --> 00:40:14.619 complete it may be. You may feel it's very imperfect. 00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:21.619 In some manner, you are today attempting to bring 00:40:21.619 --> 00:40:24.719 the Word of God into your home. You and your 00:40:24.719 --> 00:40:26.820 wife pray together. Your family and you pray 00:40:26.820 --> 00:40:28.860 together. You're studying the Word of God together. 00:40:31.059 --> 00:40:33.679 I want to ask you in just a moment to stand. 00:40:33.860 --> 00:40:38.559 Not yet. There's a second group I want to address. 00:40:38.679 --> 00:40:41.360 I want to talk to those of you men who say, Pastor... 00:40:41.889 --> 00:40:45.030 That is my need. I need to do that. I am convicted 00:40:45.030 --> 00:40:50.269 about that. I want to do it. Now maybe you know 00:40:50.269 --> 00:40:52.389 how. Maybe you don't know how. But you're saying 00:40:52.389 --> 00:40:55.329 today, God has convicted me. There are some changes 00:40:55.329 --> 00:40:57.329 I need to make. It needs to start in my home. 00:41:00.030 --> 00:41:04.769 I'm going to pursue this thing. And today I make 00:41:04.769 --> 00:41:09.329 that commitment before God. I'm going to establish. 00:41:10.119 --> 00:41:13.719 some form of family altar in my family, my home. 00:41:14.639 --> 00:41:17.059 I want you also to stand. Now, I want both of 00:41:17.059 --> 00:41:20.039 those groups of men to stand together right now, 00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:22.760 would you please? You are doing it. You're saying, 00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:28.500 I will do it. We're talking about the home. I 00:41:28.500 --> 00:41:31.219 recognize there are some of you that would not 00:41:31.219 --> 00:41:38.199 follow the categories that we've talked to. Now, 00:41:38.260 --> 00:41:41.030 before I pray, Is there anyone else, any other 00:41:41.030 --> 00:41:44.550 men, who say, I'm not doing it, I know I should, 00:41:44.750 --> 00:41:48.710 or I am doing it, and I recommit myself to it 00:41:48.710 --> 00:41:56.630 today? Now, I wonder if there are some wives 00:41:56.630 --> 00:42:00.610 who would say, I thank God my husband is standing, 00:42:00.630 --> 00:42:06.949 and as a testimony with him, of my support, of 00:42:06.949 --> 00:42:11.320 my commitment with him, I also want to stand. 00:42:11.500 --> 00:42:15.940 Would you do that right now? If you're here as 00:42:15.940 --> 00:42:19.519 a wife of one of these men standing. I recognize 00:42:19.519 --> 00:42:22.579 there may be some who are not present. Some men 00:42:22.579 --> 00:42:27.960 who will stand alone. That's fine. I want to 00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:34.199 pray for you. Heavenly Father, I pray in Jesus' 00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:38.550 name that you will do a new and deep work. in 00:42:38.550 --> 00:42:42.690 our homes. And on this day, which happens to 00:42:42.690 --> 00:42:46.789 be Father's Day, we as husbands and as fathers 00:42:46.789 --> 00:42:50.949 give ourselves afresh to you along with our wives, 00:42:51.190 --> 00:42:55.190 our dear partners. And Father, we are saying 00:42:55.190 --> 00:43:00.730 by standing right now that we acknowledge our 00:43:00.730 --> 00:43:05.409 shortcomings and we give ourselves to establish 00:43:05.409 --> 00:43:10.059 in our homes our priesthoods that you've committed 00:43:10.059 --> 00:43:13.300 to us. And Father, we are saying that we want 00:43:13.300 --> 00:43:15.280 to learn how to do it better, how to be more 00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:18.840 effective. So teach us, I pray. And Lord, I know 00:43:18.840 --> 00:43:21.280 there are going to be challenges that will come 00:43:21.280 --> 00:43:23.760 against us. There are going to be times we'll 00:43:23.760 --> 00:43:25.739 get discouraged, we may even quit for a while. 00:43:25.800 --> 00:43:28.019 I pray that in those times you'll bring us back 00:43:28.019 --> 00:43:32.320 to this commitment we make today. And I pray 00:43:32.320 --> 00:43:35.179 the result of this, Father, will be healthier 00:43:35.179 --> 00:43:39.269 homes spiritually. a stronger home and a stronger 00:43:39.269 --> 00:43:43.150 church. Thank you for speaking to our hearts 00:43:43.150 --> 00:43:47.230 and for bringing us today to this place of challenge 00:43:47.230 --> 00:43:53.489 and of being able to answer that challenge. In 00:43:53.489 --> 00:43:56.949 Jesus' name. Now would all of you stand, please, 00:43:57.010 --> 00:44:01.130 and take a hymnal. I would like us to close by 00:44:01.130 --> 00:44:02.690 singing hymn 144.