SUCK IT UP and BE A MAN! - Francis Chan

all right well happy Father's Day and we uh yeah this is the first a live crowd we've had this weekend it's just nice oh I just I don't know I was starting to worry about our church after the last two servers I'm like what's going on but it's good to be with you guys you'll notice as you leave we've got some men's activities going on out there or our golf tournaments coming up and sign up for that and also our men's retreat and I want to speak for a moment on our men's retreats coming up because we're going to do things a little different this year and I'm really encouraging all the men of our church to go to one of these I know some of you go one I've kind of done the men's retreat and went for five years in a row on and on and on you know this year is a year where I'm going to speak at both of them and and I really wanted to be a time where I just challenged the men of our church to you know what we need to lead this church or families to the next level it's a time of vision casting it's not so much of an outreach this year it's really going to just be about us the men of the church and and how we need to lead and take control of this thing and and you know by the power of God and so if you can if there's any way possible if you're not into fishing or wakeboarding or jet skiing or whatever just just for the fellowship and just to hear the direction of the church it's going to be a really meaningful time this year and so so so look into that try to try to sign up for that you know with with Mother's Day and stuff the other night I was with one of my daughters and and you know every once while you do something that's just pretty cool and and I I did something kind of nice and then I I just looked at my daughter and go who's the greatest dad in the world and and she says Charles Ingalls that's a dad on Little House on the Prairie you know I got her the DVD sets we don't know TV but we'll get like DVD sets of things that we think are worth watching and it's it's kind of weird you ever watched a Little House on the Prairie now it'll blow your mind if you watch it now if you haven't watched it in years because it's so weird to watch a TV program where they pray you know and the dad's actually a man you know and and I mean a real man and you know a man of God who lives it out and it's like wow this is and they're teaching like good things and it's just it was weird but you know I said I'll be second a Charles Ingalls that's cool but like a little while later I got insecure I'm like okay what does he do that I don't do is and she's like don't worry about it daddy's not real and but uh anyways it's funny you know with Father's Day it's kind of weird how honestly there have been a few years where I didn't even really make a big deal about Father's Day and the reason is because it's actually hard to mention Father's even in church and the reason is because I've spoken to many of you and I've counseled many of you and when you talk about your relationship with your father's man is just sad it's so sad and and I know that when I say happy Father's Day is some of you guys is like whatever because some of you still hold so much bitterness towards your dads and and and in some ways I go cause it's it's understandable I've heard too many stories over the years that have just really sickened to me of the things that happened to you some of you sexually abused verbally abused physically abused taught to lady not too long ago I was talking about how her dad used to punish her and he would actually literally tie a rope around her neck and and string her up and have her dangling literally hang her cut off her air supply until she would struggle in her last gasp let her drop to the ground and this is what she remembers when she hears the word dad and the beatings and the torture and you know when it's it's it's just sick the things that I've heard through the years and so it almost makes me not even want to mention Father's Day because of the memories that it brings up in others whose whose parents have left the home dads who have abandoned the families who've you know drug addicts alcoholics whatever it is some of you just never feeling loved by your dad are always made to feel like you never measured up single moms who just just sad because you just go man I wish my kids had a dad or I wish dad was around for them and it's a sad holiday for a lot of people I mean I love it it's wonderful you know and yet at the same time I I just want to know I want you to know because I understand the pain that's out there and it gets the point where I almost don't want to mention Father's Day because I know the hurt that it brings up for some of you but because that's the reason why we sang the songs we did this morning think about the words we just sang all of you is more than enough God you you are more than enough all we need is you I have all I need in you all I need is you see we pick these songs specifically it's his idea of you know what I have it I have everything in my Heavenly Father that's enough for me yeah you know what I can I can sit and dwell on my childhood and everything else and all things that have happened to me and it was life was also awful and then I found God and suddenly I found more than enough there's there was more in God than then I needed it in an earthly dad he was my true father I looked at some verses this week that were so powerful I want to show them to you out of the Psalms in Psalm 68 verse 4 is a sing to God sing praise to his name extol him who rides on the clouds his name is the Lord and rejoice before him a father to the fatherless a defender of widows is God in His holy dwelling God sets the lonely and Families he leads forth the prisoners was singing is this whole picture of the sufficiency of God saying you know what despite what's happened you can praise him you can sing them you can rejoice before him why because he's a father to the fatherless he truly he recognizes those who don't have a great home life and doesn't don't have a great relationship with daddy says you know what I'm going to be their father I'm going to have a relationship with them I see the widows that are being picked on or whatever you know I will defend them I'll be that defender and I'm going to set those who are lonely in families I'm going to I'm going to work it out and and and I love this verse I love this passage and I love the songs we sang this morning because I really don't meet a lot of Christians who believe in the sufficiency of God will say it will sing it and go oh no he's enough he's all I need but do we really mean that do we really believe no enough enough more than enough I'm not lacking anything the Lord's my shepherd that's enough I don't want anything else I'm okay I'm not lacking anything from my childhood or whatever or you know when I was 1 or 3 or in the mother's womb I'm not lacking any that because I've got more than enough now do you really believe he's sufficient a father to the fatherless see I say I don't meet a lot of people today who believe that anymore because even when people even people here my life and I go well you know people know my my mom died giving birth to me my stepmom then died after that in a car accident and then my dad died when I was 12 and and and I go yeah but when I found God you understand that God really he became dad to me and and and my life is actually really really cool it's it's I I love my life I wouldn't trade it for anyone else's life on this earth I feel like the most blessed man on earth and people come back to me the go come on you know you got to be lacking you got to be kind of screwed up you gotta you know you didn't have a dad he wasn't a good father for you wasn't this wasn't that I'm like no no no really gods enough God really is enough and and it's like people don't believe in and throughout my life they're like no there's got to be more you need a father I'll be your father hugged me and like no no you know it just uh it's just this whole no really it you believe it or not I know it's crazy to believe but being in love with the God of the universe is actually enough for me you know and knowing that the creator of this planet is crazy about me that's actually enough for me that's actually more than enough for me I sing these songs I mean them he really is a father to the fatherless and I'm asking you this morning do you believe that and has he been sufficient he's the father we celebrate he's the father to all of us the shortcomings and everything else I mean he really is enough if you reach out to him and you really understand him and embrace him and understand he all he has to offer and and I say this also because it's also hard day for some of you who say gosh you know you describe those dads and it's hard for me because I was one of those dads and and I talked to guys who live with a lot of remorse and feel like they really ruin their their kids or their wives or and you live with this regret and because maybe you abandon the family and and you you try to pass the blame and everything else and yet when you're alone with God you go now there were no excuses I I went the wrong way I I messed things up and and so this is a hard holiday for you and and and there's no guarantee in scripture that your kids will ever forgive you there's no guarantee of that there's no guarantee that your spouse will ever forgive you but there is this guarantee there there's a guarantee that God will forgive you if you cry out if you admit what you've done you own up to it and seek change there's forgiveness there and and there's also you've got to believe you also have to believe in the sufficiency of God that God can be a father to those kids of yours despite what you've done that if they reach out to him and you pray that they reach out to him you pray that your kids reach out to him and find everything they need in God because he is sufficient and he can he can make up for all the mistakes that we've made in parenting I'm just partway through this thing and right in the thick of the parenting deal and and and already see the mistakes already have the regrets and already see you know the downsides and the in how our sin affects our children and and yet I have to depend on God I have to say you know what God you're sufficient for them I'm going to I'm going to seek you know strength to be the best that I can be but I also believe that you truly are their father you are their Creator you love them more than I do and I need you to be a father in the areas that I can't or that then I feel short you know the important thing is for those of you that feel that men is to own up to your sin and then change just change change who you are don't sit there and go well you know what I can't change I've been this way forever it's impossible I can't I can't become you know you know what's impossible what's impossible is if I had a corpse up here a dead body up here laying here bloody just just has been dead for days it'd be impossible for you to come up here and cause it to come back to life that's impossible right and the Bible says that the spirit of him who actually did that who raised Christ from the dead now lives inside of you the one who actually did the impossible now lives in you and so for you to go I'm stuck this way that's just lame okay that that's just that just so wrong okay that's you know it's this whole idea of just stepping up and say you know what this is what I need to do that's what being a man is all about I went to seminary for three years to get my Masters of Divinity and in seminary along with all the classes they also made you attend chapel twice a week twice a week for three years I went to these chapels I remember only one message out of all of those messages I can only tell you about one sermon that I remember it's kind of sad why I listened to that many messages and I can think of one and it was of our president John MacArthur who got up and he spoke and his message act like a man and he preached just one short verse his first Corinthians 16 verse 13 and I'll never forget it it's become one of my life verses because it says in that passage it says be on the alert stand firm in your faith act like men be strong and and you know what I think the reason why I remember it was it was so weird I'd never heard a message like that when do you ever hear in our culture a message that says act like a man we're living in a day and age when everyone is trying to get rid of all the male and female distinctions and say well we're just all one big mushpot you know it's just all the same God didn't you uniquely design us there's no differences I mean it's politically incorrect to say act like a man when's the last time you heard someone say that it's wrong to say that in our culture so for a man to stand on the platform and read from the Word of God and say act like a man it was like wow I've never heard that because you get this barrage of messages that's telling you the opposite find your feminine side you know look deep inside you know express yourself you know it's just this whole trying to feminize man good you know and it's just you then to hear someone go act like a man the Bible commands you to it's like whoa it was also weird and the other reason why I think I I wish jumped out me and then I remember it to this day it's because his message was about suck it up act like a man suck it up when do you hear that all the messages today is it's not your fault come I'll hug you you poor victim when and for a man to stand on a platform and say suck it up and act like a man is like wow I've never heard these words we don't preach us anymore we don't say this anymore and yet it's the exact words that Paul is using here he uses these military terms in first Corinthians 16:13 he uses these terms I'm going man don't you understand I'm speaking to some soldiers here we're actually in a war here there's a battle for your soul there's a battle for your mind there's a battle for your family there's a battle for your conscience and he says you've got to fight and so he uses these military phrases just be on the alert he goes don't you understand this is this is a military term it's the whole idea of being watchful looking for the enemy it's the idea of a watchman searching out and just seeing where the enemy is and he uses that term he says to the men be on the alert you're in a war here you're going to fight you were born for this battle so start acting like it and the next phrase he uses a stand firm in your faith it means don't retreat it means the enemy is coming but you hold your ground you stand firm in your faith you don't go running from your problems you don't go crying and running in the corner and giving up he says no you stand your ground you don't retreat it's an order you stand firm in your faith you know what there's going to so many times in life when things are be flying at you as men and so many different signals from the world in so many different temptations and then you're gonna feel like oh man look at all this stuff coming at me you know where I'm going to give up I'm going to run I'm going to leave and pause this act like a man would you I didn't tell you to retreat I said stand your ground stand firm in your faith beyond the alert you're in a war what did you expect but everyone's shooting at me well you're in a war stand your ground stand firm in your faith and he says act like men be strong he uses that adjective of strength and says you know what act like a man well how do you act like men be strong that defines what a man is it does I'm not saying women can't be strong but a man is defined by his strength it's a characteristic if you're a man in this room despite whatever messages you've heard in the world you need to know that God designed you to be strong and it's not just about physical strength I don't even think this passage is talking about physical strength however if your wife can beat you at arm wrestling I believe you're in sin just my opinion but but this whole idea of uh of being strong you know and and this man it's about this this mental toughness that doesn't back down and doesn't just look we all we can all get overwhelmed there are times when you you want to just run you just want to give up and honestly those words ring in my head from 15 years ago those times when I feel like giving up and you feel like there's so much stuff it's like oh I'm a man I don't do that I don't run I stand up and god is going to give me the strength and I can pull this off I can change who I am I can do whatever God's called me to do and and that's that whole phrase you know sometimes a man's just got to do what a man's got to do you got to just do what's right in God's eyes no matter how popular it is or whatever you know if people were to hate you for you just go out I don't care this is the right thing to do and I'm going to do it remember a couple weeks ago I talked about God's will remember that yeah couple of you okay thank you okay good good come on men are you scared nod your head it you know it is this whole idea of just man am I am I willing am i man enough am i just willing to do whatever God has called me to do whatever do I want to know here that was the big question do I want to know the will of God talk to a friend the other day just going in and what do you think of that he goes man I don't want to know I don't know what God wants me to do it just it kind of scares me I think it would scare me if I really if I really knew how God wanted me to live my life I think it would freak me out I go I know I think that sometimes too but isn't that lame and that crazy that that we're scared of God's will sometimes and what's it's all about if we don't trust him you know we trust ourselves more that no I think that if I take a little bit of his will but primarily mine I kind of twist them together I'll be happiest it just means I don't totally trust that what he has from me even if it's scary even if it's not as comfortable that's really best and actually wanted and to desire it now after I gave that message by show of hands how many of you after the message okay like let's say a day later a week later it's been two weeks now how many have thought about whether or not you want to know God's will since then it's good it's good about third about half that's cool that encourages me that it's not just a you got convicted and it's over with but some of you thought about it later because it's a it's a tough question huh if you you know it's one of those things that's assumed because Christians always like how do you find the will of God and well let's let's back up a little bit and go do you want to find the will of God do you really want to know what he wants you to do an hour from now if God had control of your life and he had your his way with you and you would do anything he wanted you to do do you really want to know what he wants you to do an hour from now tough thing I hope you think about it because I've thought about it a lot I don't know if I've stopped thinking about it for the last two weeks I get convicted by this stuff I really do i I you know you guys sometimes you leave your goal are so convicted gosh you should see me now I got to hear it four times you know I had the two most convicted people every weekend are me and the sound guy you know it's just whoa we're just bombarded with this truth of Scripture over and over and over and over and you leave going wow do I want to know the will of God and I've just been doing so much soul-searching and going do I really want to know it am I willing to say whatever I need to say right now I'm going to say whatever no matter how unpopular I still have that in me to say okay I'm here to say what God wants me to say you know I remember just even this week you know I was doing a funeral and I thought right before I start getting scared going gosh will I really say whatever God wants me to and I started thinking through okay Jesus if you did a funeral what would it sound like what would you talk about and because there's so many expectations right I mean what's a person supposed to say at every funeral oh she's in a better place right no matter who it is doesn't matter what they've done or what their lives are about or you just got to say it not that I've done that I'm just saying there's a pressure for that and are you willing to get up in front of a crowd and say you know what some of you guys are when you die you're going to hell can I say that God wanted me to say that do I have the guts to say I do I have the guts to offend everyone in a room Doug the guts to preach like Jesus who every time he spoke it seems like everyone left you know and I started asking myself those questions am i a people pleaser am I just trying to make people happy or am I still laying it out there because that's that's what this church was must be built upon I remember you know and I and I I think I'm still there I think I'm still way whatever the text says just say it lay it out I remember the first few times I was challenged with that and I remember was back when we were meeting over by Chuckie Cheese and I I just looked at a passenger whoa really all right and laid it out and I remember a worship pastor back then Jim Altizer if some of you guys were around back then after church that day he goes so you think we'll have anyone next week I go I don't know I don't know man I go but can you I mean did I say anything wrong because no but I'm just wondering if I'll have a job next week I go I know I owe me too but I go I it was is there any way he goes no you didn't do anything wrong I'm looking at the passage you said it just like Christ said it and I'm just going I don't know it's just tough words and it's like okay am I still living that out am I still just saying at all am I still doing it all evaluate my life am I really man enough to just pick up my family go wherever God's called me to would I do anything and I started looking at why I do the things I do and start going okay how much do I do out of selfishness not because it's God's will but it's just clearly mine I want it so I'm going to do it I don't care what he wants I'm going to do it sure okay am i living according to his will or my selfishness I'm just going to how many things do I do because of pressure and other people's expectations my ability to do that or he'll get mad I berries do yet or she'll get mad I better do that because you know everyone expects me to do that I better just do it just not to create any tension when you do things because of other people's expectations because pressures that are placed upon you and he do things because of pride started looking at my life struggles pride my whole life I'm starting to look at every single thing I do in ministry and going okay is that pride driven this is it because that makes me look better am I trying to make a name for myself here not above any of this stuff I still do things out of pride out of selfishness at a pressure out of expectation out of fear and then how much of my life is really because I'm convicted because I believe God wants me to do this it's the will of God and you know what no matter what anyone else thinks I'm going to do it how many things are though how many things are like that in my life you see because Paul moving back up a second I think the worst thing I can do is is is deceive myself this is what I don't want to do it I want to come to the end of my life and just play the games and live this life and just everyone says you're a godly man so okay you know good good and I can convince people of anything I can talk people in anything but at the end of the day at the end of the life you stand before God and what was reality you fooled everyone else and I don't want to do that and Paul warns Timothy says in 1st Timothy 4:16 he says pay close attention pay close attention to your life and your doctrine because don't just pay attention to what you say is telling this young preacher don't just pay attention to what you say pay attention to your own life as well pay close attention to it he goes because if you do this you will save both your hearers and yourself it's the same principle that Paul uses in 1st Corinthians 9 verse 27 when he goes you know what I do he was man I beat my body I make it my slave he goes you know why because at the end I don't want to after having preached to others I don't want to find out that I was disqualified from the race myself because I better keep close watch on my own life because I may preach the right message and say the right things but if I'm not doing it at the end of my life realized wow I was faking it I wasn't really watching my own life I was too busy looking at everyone else's and so I'm thinking through all this stuff and going god I do not want to fool myself I really want to be a man who is after your will and says God whatever you want I'll go I'll go I'll do I'll say whatever you want it's your will you know one of the one of the passages that that's that really got me preaching to begin with was Matthew 7 verse 21 when Jesus says not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven Wow and he talked about how at the end many people know Jesus Lord Lord Lord Lord Lord and he's going to say depart from me I never knew you were you a man or woman who really did the will of God or do you just say you believed you just say you trust you just say oh yeah he's he's my Lord and Savior look I I want to look at my own life and go I don't want to I don't want to fool myself having said that I've spoken with the elders of the church and I've spoken to the staff of the church and have made a decision to step away from my position as pastor for the next few months I'm going to take the summer off it's not because I believe that God has called me elsewhere it's largely because I believe that God has called me here and and I want to be sure of that I want to be sure that this isn't just my will and my selfishness and I want to keep pastoring and I want to be here I want to lead to college I want to do I don't want to make sure it's not just about that I want to make sure okay no this is God's calling and if it is his calling then I want to make sure we're doing this right because we're on the verge of you know the new property everything is going well we haven't had a lot of updates because we're at that kind of boring phase where you're doing all the tests on the soils the land the water the plants the bugs you know and all in the end you got to present this thing to the city and so that's where but but I'm thinking okay we're on the verge of this and I'm going okay let's say we we do what we're planning to do and build a big building or outdoor amphitheater or whatever it is and and we triple in size all we got 10,000 people come in I'm going okay but if we're not doing it right then why multiply it you know I'm not saying we're not I just want to make sure this is what God intended for church to look like okay because there's part of me that just going on we're still missing something I don't believe this is what God had in mind when when when when Christ died on the cross I don't believe this is everything I don't I am just not sure that he just wanted us to come in a building all you know stare forward listen to a message sing some songs and go you know and I'm not saying that's all we do but you it's also a lot of you do you know and it's like okay how do we become more of the church there's a love you know that's talked about in the Bible or people were just selling everything and they were caring about other people so much and they they cared about each other and how do we become that it's gotta become that somehow and and you know how sometimes you just can't see something clearly when you're in the thick of it and you need to just kind of step back and go okay and I want to look at the scriptures and really go man know what does god one of the church what does he say the church looks like and it ought to look like and not just conforming on what this is way we do it in America is the way everyone does it and and that that phrase even scares me whenever everyone's going a certain direction I get scared to go that way because the Bible says broad is the road that leads to what destruction but narrow is the road that leads to life and few will find it and it's just like okay god what what is it you know and maybe you know come when going you know what that is the best way to do it in our culture and everything else but I I just want to be sure you know I think it's just you you hit one of those periods in life where you go okay the Bible says you know just watch your life closely it says you know to a to to a to live life not as wise not as unwise but as wise making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil so just be very careful how you live not as unwise but as wise making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil it's like the days are going to come at you like your enemy and you're going to hit this stage in your life and go man I can't believe it and it's like you better just really think through your life and make sure you're doing things wisely doing things the way God wants you to because it's gonna be over before you know it this is this summer I turned 39 I'll turn 39 in August and I'm looking at that going wow and one year I will be officially old and you know and some of you guys go no no you all the people over 40 go no you know but everyone else goes now and that's old you know it's a you know and and you know it's just one of those periods in life where you go okay I'm not a kid anymore you know and you just you start driving me do all this stuff you know you just push it push it push it and then you just go okay is this the right direction because this is that you know midlife time and in whatever else and and so and I don't this isn't a crisis or anything I did buy a Porsche no it didn't skidding just kidding um you know it's not about that it's just really taking at the time and going is this direction I'm going to go for the rest of my life is you know and does God want more is he wanted to push cornerstone deeper and further and I want to hear that and I want to know that I want to be sure of that and I want to take us wherever God's called us to go because sometimes I just go this can't be it I owe it this week again I was watching this DVD about the church in Indonesia right now you know what's going on in Indonesian right now I think one of the hardest places to be a Christian maybe the toughest spot in the world to be a Christian and I'm watching this video you know testimony after testimony of people that were burned and you know and left to die I thought they were dead and you know and some people that somehow survived another lady you know had her face blown off you know just gun to her face boom hacked up by machetes missing limbs you know these are the few that survived the radical Muslim attacks and they live to talk about it and talk about running from village to village and running up in the mountains and fearful for their life because they refuse to deny the name of Jesus and they're up in these hills and and we've we've talked about as we've sent stuff through children's Hunger Fund we've said supplies to them try to care for them up on these mountaintops sneaking food to them and and I'm realistic to this and hearing these testimonies and going gosh that's going on right now and could it be could that really be the will of God for these people that live their faith that way and then for us in America well as will for us is to live comfortably I'm just kind of sit here and forget the name that's going on could it could it doesn't make any sense that that's the overall plan of God for us to be comfortable you guys hear me when I come back from Africa and I'm just seeing all these faces that are just hopeless same here can you help us in any any way at all true need true need and just going gosh you know this is all that matters of what I do is caring for the poor and caring for the persecuted Christians around the world and you guys know I mean everywhere I come back from I'm just like this can't be it there's got to be more of a heart and all of us though to where we're living for these people to give to these people to serve these people there's got to be love in this room for for one another I mean that's that's what I see about church you know the way God intended it this sacrifice is love this concern that in and for us not to be so needy you know but when we look at the other people who truly are needy you know suddenly our needs don't seem so big that's that's the way God's created us to heal is by helping others not by being more self-centered and laying in bed and going who am I it's about no going out and caring for the poor and going you know that's who I am there's there's always people less fortunate and the more I love them it's the more fulfilled I am and somehow I don't know how to take the church there I don't know how to get everyone there I'm I'm praying for some answers because if we're going to explode and and multiply let's make sure we're multiplying the right thing you know and and so this is this is just a lot of stuff that's on my mind and and reasons why I want to back off but another reason why I really I'm leaving is because I believe it's best for the church right now I actually prayed about and thought about for the first time you know in twelve twelve and a half years I really believe that cornerstone would be in better hands right now being led by Todd nice longer the more I get to know him and the more I've worked with him the more I go gosh the Lord is really gift did this man when I heard him preach Good Friday I was like wow he why is he not speaking more why not speaking every week why you know the way he's thought through the church and his fresh perspective and you know is his understanding biblically of what a church ought to look like I go you know what it would be good for him to lead for a while it would be healthiest for the church for you to hear a perspective from him that that is real strongly and when I come back I who knows what we'll do you know we'll figure it out at that point but I just go you know what this is just this is just healthiest right now I don't want to put too much pressure on him but I just think he is such an excellent teacher and a man of God and I want you and I think it's best for you to learn under him for a while and some go well I'm not going to come if you're not here it's like you know what that's the reason why I'm leaving too you know I think it's good for us to go you know what it's it's the Word of God and it's always been the Word of God here's a man who absolutely knows and loves the Word of God and he'll be teaching you through the summer and we've got some other guys coming to that let's go wow these are this is we've got a great lineup this summer and it's going to be powerful and then I'm going to come back be it men's retreat and and it's take the church to another level that's that's a plan at right now Lord willing but the third reason the last reason why I'm going for a while is um it's because of the family there's there's no crisis in my family right now okay and that's that's why I want to go now and and then take a break you know it's like why wait til that comes you know you guys know I'm talking about seeing too many guys crash and burn and and right now things are great things are good hey I'm not having an affair you know Lisa's not having an affair that I know of where were as committed to each other as we ever have been but it's it's been a really busy season of life with the fourth kid the two babies got a you know they got a grown adolescence and then one in the middle that always gets neglected you know you just got the whole you know let me let me give some attention here let me give some time here and now the Charles Ingalls better than me you know let me uh no you know it's just it's just this whole thing of let's let's uh let's just pull together make sure we keep things strong keep things healthy because here's here's what I do I get so burdened for things you guys know I mean every time I come back from somewhere I'm like oh we gotta sell houses you know we got to do this you know I come back from Mexico's like a Huggle Mexican you know I come back from Africa it's like Oh Topton African you know just on and on and on and right now I'm on the Indonesia kick so you know finding Indonesian you know it's just I I just tend to like because I don't want to ever hear and be burden for something not do something and so of anything I'm gonna go overboard just try to do anything to make sure I'm responding to the Word of God not just a hear of the word but I'm a doer and and then but but sometimes you know people lay burdens on me and I'll get these you know requests hey when you come speak here go know I'm a little too busy and they'll call back no we prayed about it we believe it's the will of God you know we believe you have to come because you can say this and like okay I'm coming you know and it just and I tend to just say yeah okay all right you're right you're the only one that can save our marriage okay I'll save it you know and I'm just it's just it's just like you go when you go when you go and now it's like okay okay wait a second there's just there's just too much out there now and it's like let me let me go back and go okay I'm not doing anything real well I got do fewer things and do them well and so that that's what this is about and understand it's not a it's not a three-month vacation because I don't believe that would be right the Bible says if a man will not work let him not eat part of being a man is working and you know guy don't believe God called us to lay in bed feel sorry for ourselves and so you know Who am I I just don't believe that's the way we're supposed to do things we are supposed to work to support our families just to care for the families you're supposed to we were created to work and and so it's a it's a break from the church but I still preach in I just looked over my calendar I'm still preaching I got 40 speaking engagements this summer and so I'm still traveling going and doing and serving the Lord working on some writing stuff and so I'm still I'm still you know serving God and working I'm just backing off of a few things to just kind of figure out the next phase of life and so if you'd like to pray for me I I ask that you you just pray that uh I really will come back and say and do whatever God wants and whatever is best for me will be best for you will be best for his will will be best for his kingdom but I want to be willing to say and do whatever even if this church radically changes and God wants to take us in a whole different direction and a whole different way of doing Church that's it's it's more biblical remember we've always been founded on this book and pray for the elders and I that we continue to just see eye to eye on everything as we have been and just go okay yep this is what the Bible says is where we're going to go pray for that and my commitment is I'm going to pray for you I'm going to pray for you that you do the same thing this summer that you look at your life and go and really is this exactly where God wants me to live is this what he wants me to drive is this who he wants me to talk to is this we wants me to hang out with is this what he created me to do and don't go with the flow because the whole reason why God created you is because he was creating someone unique and so if you're just doing what everyone else does you're not doing what God called you to do because God created you uniquely and there's things that you are to do on this earth that no one else has ever done and no one else can do they weren't made for that you've got a unique purpose so unique calling and may this be a summer where we all just do some soul-searching and and man I look forward to the people you're going to hear from and and the things that God is going to teach you but but just to get to that that point we go whatever God whatever you want and I'm going to praying for that praying that God stirs in your heart in fact as the worship team comes up here I'd like to do something I'd like the men of the church to stand I want to pray for you if you're a man in this church to stand up I want to pray for the strength for you ladies I apologize this whole message was to the men but I'm sure it kind of gives you a break you don't have get convicted but I want you to pray with me for these men because look you guys it's it's this is I'm just tired of these messages we hear from the world that really is trying to take away our manhood God's called us to be strong and to act like men the stand firm we've all screwed up we've all made our mistakes but we can all change and I'm going to pray that we you know this church would be led by strong men of God they're called the lead we're all called to be leaders some of you guys aren't leaders yet so you guys have been in church forever and you're still not leaders when I'm praying that we really will face the enemy stand up to him stand our ground and be strong that's not easy I'm saying all this stuff but I know it's not easy and that's why I'm going to pray that God would give you the strength to do whatever you need to do to lead your family father I pray for these men who are standing that they would have the strength to say and do whatever you've called them to even if it's not popular even in their own families I pray for their wives that they would allow them to lead the wives will allow their men to be the men that they've been called to be that they would support them when they're being led by God and yet be wise counselors when they don't feel like they are being led by God the Father I pray for these men you've called them to be strong and yet the truth is we're all weak in and of ourselves but you've put your spirit in them and may they truly believe that for those who believe in your son Jesus you put your spirit in them and so may they see that and live by his strength and do all things through Christ who has strengthened them god I just pray for a whole turnaround in this church there have been great things that have happened still believe it's a good church it's believed that you've called these men to take it to another level and only you can do that in us God so I praise in Jesus name Amen you

Channel: venetable

Views: 198,858

Rating: 4.8733125 out of 5

Keywords: Francis, Chan, Suck, it, up

Id: cPNsXOK5LHI

Length: 47min 11sec (2831 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 30 2011

Reddit Comments

[u/macnjack]

I like his demeanor - very masculine & fatherly. Reminds me of older black men.

I'm not religious but I like his message.

[u/fakeslimshady]

Its fashionable to call anyone who doesn't agree with the feminist hive-mind a misogynist. What would #Hypremascuazn think about this?

[u/[deleted]]

Every time I see an Asian who prays to Jesus, my head just tells me to back away slowly from the brainwashed zombie. Sorry, I think he has a good message tho. LOL.

[u/2BallsBeatAll]

"The Christian religion is incompatible with the N*'s [POC] aspirations for dignity and equality in America. It has hindered where it might have helped; it has been evasive when it was morally bound to be forthright; it has separated believers on the basis of color, although it has declared its mission to be a universal brotherhood under Jesus Christ. Christian love is the white man's love for himself and for his race.

The teachings and the doctrines that they were taught while they were going to church and they'll have to agree that it was all designed to make us look down on black [POC] and up at white... Undo in our minds what the white man has done to us... Undo the type of brainwashing that we have had to undergo for four hundred years at the hands of the white man in order to bring us down to the level that we're at today."

• Malcolm X

[u/Ogedei_Khaan]

Asian Christians always have a weird vibe to me. I just don't know why anyone would follow a religion that completely negates your existence from their holy scripture. Asians need to make their own brand of Christianity; have Jesus spring forth from mountains of the Himalayas, raised by fighting monks against unwashed hordes from the west, reach enlightenment in the steppes of the Gobi, spread his message throughout N/E/SE Asia, only to be betrayed by one of his self-hating disciple and then crucified stating in his last breadth to spread the word of Asian God, and to use his teachings to brainwash non-Asian people throughout the world and base your foreign policy so that Asian God only blesses your actions to condemn people who don't believe in Asian God!