A Challenge To The Men—STEP IT UP!

Nov 14, 2005

Yesterday was awesome, incredible, off the charts. AND it was tense—VERY tense, especially when I challenged the men to step up and be men, to fight for their family, to love their wife as Christ loves the church—to teach their children about Jesus.

I have thought about it after preaching that message four times—I was up at 4:30 this morning thinking about it. If you heard the message…or if you didn’t…I feel like I need to say this…I owe the men who attended NewSpring yesterday an apology for saying what I said.

After thinking and praying about it I now realize that I should have came a lot harder and challenged you even more! I know God has been doing an incredible work in me lately—especially in regards to biblical manhood…and today—and maybe tomorrow as well, I would like to share those thoughts with you.

(Ladies—I will challenge you later on in the week. BUT not in the way I am going to challenge the men!)

Men, quick review for those who were in attendance yesterday…and this will catch those of you who were not there up. (You can download the message here.) When Eve was in the garden of Eden and being tempted by the serpent we discover something pretty amazing in Genesis 3:6, Adam, her husband was WITH HER the entire time and watched the entire thing happen—and didn’t say a word. He was passive—weak—unwilling to step up—and it cost his family dearly!

I think one of the largest problems in our country today is passive men, men who want authority with no accountability. Our problems are not the result of a particular political party who happens to be in the majority or the minority. Our problems are not the result of high gas prices. Our problems are not the result of too much sex on television. But I would say that many of our problems ARE the result of men who refuse to embrace their God given role in our society and will not be the husband and father that God has called them to be.

Men, as husbands we are called to love our wives as Christ loves His church. That is an amazing concept if you will stop and think about it. Jesus loves His church—even with all of our problems…the crusades—the Spanish Inquisition—preachers will bad hair—you get the picture.
That is why it makes me so angry when a husband begins to say that he can’t love his wife because of her imperfections. LOVE HER ANYWAY! The love of Christ for His church—HIS unconditional love COVERS our imperfections. If you wife is not who you wish she would be—LOVE her until she becomes that woman!

But men fail in this area. Men, let’s face it, loving your wife like Christ loves the church is not easy at all. There are times you feel like throwing in the towel. However, when you are tempted to do so just think about Christ & how He has never given up on us—we are to love and pursue our wives in that same manner.

Remember that in a marriage there will be “WOW” days. “WOW,” I am glad I married you. “WOW,” you are looking so good!” “WOW,” you surprised me with that!

However, there will be “VOW” days as well! “VOW,” you sold WHAT at the yard sale. “VOW,” I don’t care if you think you saved money at the sale—we still can’t afford it! “VOW,” you wrecked the car AGAIN?!

Your wife needs to know she is loved by you! Christ often reminds us of His love—we can see it in so many ways—and in the same way husbands we are to remind our brides that she is lovely AND worth the pursuit.

Christ has never stopped pursuing the church—and we can’t ever stop pursuing the woman that we love. He loves us in the “WOW” times and in the “VOW” times. Husband—PURSUE your wife! There is not a woman in the world that does not want to be pursued by the man she loves. In fact, the Bible tells us in Proverbs that one of the most dangerous things in the world is a woman who is unloved! TRUE—so true!

How do you pursue your wife? Cook dinner for her. Send her flowers at work. Write her a poem. (Men—be creative—women LOVE IT when you put thought into a gift or an event…it’s not always how much money you spend!) Give her a backrub…with NO STRINGS ATTACHED! (Yes—you know what I mean!!!) Pursue her!!!

But it seems this is too much of a challenge for many men. The pursuit seems to be “getting them nowhere” and so they quit—they bail! Come on—we all know single parents—but most of them are women because the man could not embrace manhood and desired to be the boy who “plays around” on the weekend rather than stepping up—even when things are hard.

Men—our society has made it easy to not pursue your wife. You can have instant gratification with pornography on line, strip clubs, some cheap prostitute. (And this isn’t necessarily the “professional” but also those women who will have sex with you for a drink or two!) And men in our country have flocked to this—IT’S WRONG!

Men—step up—be a man! Before you get REALLY mad at me you need to understand this—I do not have the corner on the market here. I am not the perfect husband…I am in the process of learning. However, in this process I feel like if I can share with you what the Lord has been teaching men…then maybe it will do someone some good.

That is all for now—we will continue this tomorrow!