Matt Hagee - It's Time to Be the Man

Micah 6:8 gives us instructions about what God wants from men. I love the fact that the verse begins with, "You, o man". Why? Because the world that we live in and the society that we're in today is trying to erase facts with feelings. And what they're trying to do with these feelings is erase the fact that there's something in this world that you cannot exist without, and that's a man. And here in this verse, God affirms something that we read even in the earliest pages of Genesis, and that is that man did not evolve, man was not put together by committee, man didn't get here by accident: man was created. And as a created being, the Creator did not give you some kind of choice whenever it came to what you should be called. He created you and he called you a man. The Bible says, "He (God) created them male and female". And he said, "Be fruitful and multiply". No one gets to erase that! So many times, people say, "My earthly father never affirmed me". Your Heavenly Father not only affirmed, but he empowered you. Our sick society may be trying to attack your masculinity. They may be coming against your purpose. They may be trying to cancel your role. But remember this: if God be for you, who can be against you?

In Micah 6:8, God tells men, this is what I expect of you. Not only should you feel affirmed but you should feel wanted. Every man in this room today needs to know you're a wanted man. And it's a dangerous thing to be a wanted man, because good things want you and bad things want you too. Satan wants you. Satan wants you to be bound by bitterness in your past. Satan wants you to be afraid of the world that you're living in and frozen with fear for the future. Satan wants you to be overwhelmed by temptation. Satan wants you chained to an addiction. Satan wants you to be embarrassed and filled with shame about your transgressions. Satan wants to use generational bonds and curses like lust, and temper, and greed, and prejudice, and violence, and anything else that he can use to keep you bond up and hidden from the man that God wants you to be. Why? Because Satan knows that if he can get you, dad, he can take out your family.

If he can get you to turn your back on your wife, he can burden your children with poverty, because when you leave mom, the family has lost the provider. If he can get you to ignore your son, then he'll weigh your son down with the spirit of rejection. And your son will invest his life in doing anything and everything for acceptance. And the devil will laugh, while he watches your boy destroy himself, because you, dad, are the greatest voice of encouragement he'll ever hear. If he can get you to separate yourself from your daughter, then he'll push your child into the arms of anyone else, because you were engineered and designed to be the first man that she would ever love. Just as the devil wants you, God wants you. And here's what God says: he says, I want you to do justly.

Now that word "Justly," don't pass it off as something you can't define. What God is saying there is, I want you to do right. When I was a child growing up, and in my immaturity, pastor, when he would give me instructions, he would give my step-by-step instructions. "Matthew, here's how you make a bed. Matthew, here's how you sit at the table. Matthew, here's how you shake someone's hand. Matthew, this is how you act". And it would be step-by-step-by-step instructions. But as I matured, he stopped giving me the step-by-step, and he would just say, "Hey". How many of you've had those short conversations? And that abbreviated conversation was his way of saying, "You know what to do. You know right: why don't you do it"? This is what God is saying to men, "Do justly". Do what's right.

The book of James says, "To him who knows to do right and does it not, to him it is sin". So today, God wants you to do right. He wants you to do right by your wife. Ephesians 5:25 tells us, "Husbands, love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself", say that with me, "And gave himself for her". The same way that Christ gave himself for the church is the same way he wants you to give yourself to your wife. You are the greatest gift that your wife will ever receive when you do what God has asked you to do in her life. When the Bible says, "Give yourself," he's saying, give her your time, prioritize her. That's what Jesus did. He put the church first. Not only did he prioritize us, but he protected us. You protect your wife. Give her your loyalty. Not only did he protect us, but he provided for us. You provide for your wife. Give her your love. God not only wants you to do right by your wife. He wants you to do right by your children.

Colossians 3:21 is a verse that's very appropriate for the day in which we're living, because Colossians 3 says, "Do not provoke your children to wrath". Now oftentimes, people want to know, well, how can I anger my children? If you look at the world around us right now, you see a generation of young people that are so angry. And they don't know why they're angry. They're just mad and frustrated, and they're taking out all of their anger and their issues in so many different unhealthy ways. Why? Because they've been provoked to wrath. And how have they been provoked? They've been provoked, because there's a generation of children who have grown up without a father to show them right from wrong. They don't know what to do and they're mad about it.

That's why Colossians 3:21 tells us, fathers, do right by your children. Train them. Show them. Teach them. It's an echo of what God said to the fathers in Israel in Deuteronomy 6. "And you fathers, teach diligently to your children". "Teach diligently". What does that word mean? Do it consistently. Don't just do it on Sunday. Do it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Well, where do I teach them? Deuteronomy 6 says, "When you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up". The Bible is for everyday living, not just for the weekends. God expects you, father, to guard, to gird, and to guide your children. What is guarding like? It means you protect the household. Technology has allowed all kinds of strange people into your home without permission.

Now, locking the door of your house means that you've got to come up with a password for the wifi, an adult lock for the remote, spy-ware for the commuter, a GPS for the car, a polygraph for the babysitter, a background check and a private investigator for the boyfriend. It used to be that you had to have television equipment to actually be on television. And you used to have to buy television time from a network. And a group called the FCC used to watch what you were going to put on the network to make sure that it complied with all the standards of communication. But now, any fool with a cell phone can broadcast. And these people come into your home uninvited, and they influence your children, and they show them things that they shouldn't even be watching.

So when it comes to guarding your house, what it means is that you have got to get intimately involved in everything your kids touch. If they're in it, you're in it too. And if you don't like it, get rid of it. And that's not a discussion, that's not a vote: that's a statement. It's done. Oh, but I don't want to invade their space. I dearly love my children, but let me tell you something. As long as I'm paying the bills, they don't have space: they take up space. God not only wants you to guard your children, he wants you to gird your children. Now "Gird" is an old English word, which basically means to tighten up the loose ends. And the picture of girding in the Bible comes from Ephesians 6 when Paul is saying to put on the whole armor of God.

And in Ephesians 6, he said, "Gird your loins with the belt of truth". He's describing a Roman centurion who would wear a tunic. And when it came time to go into action, he would take all of the loose ends of his garment and wrap it in his belt, because when he got into combat, he didn't want the loose garments to trip him. He didn't want his enemy to pull on it. He wanted everything to be secure so that he could succeed in his conflict. So when it comes to girding your children, in a simple sentence, it means to prepare your children for conflict. And this is some place that I find most fathers fall short. Why? Because we always want our kids to be comfortable.

Well, let me tell you something. If you are training your children that life should be comfortable, you are training them to fail. Because through struggle comes strength. And struggle means that you have to be uncomfortable. So when you gird your children, it means that you must communicate with them on a consistent basis: that they learn right from wrong: that they're prepared for what lies ahead. Communicate with them that choices have consequences. Good choices bring good consequences: bad choices, bad consequences.

Don't be afraid to let your children learn from your mistakes. Don't pretend like you're perfect, because there's no room for perfect in parenting. When your children achieve something that is a success, celebrate them. Don't glorify your memories. When they make the team, don't tell them how good you used to look on the sidelines. Teach your children about humility. Teach them that humility will create a lot more opportunity than arrogance. Teach them that words like "Thank you, sir, ma'am, hello," and "please" are not exceptional qualities of character: they're just expected.

Teach them that respect is earned, not demanded. Teach them that giving is always better than receiving. Teach them to listen closely and speak softly. Teach them that forgiveness is the greatest gift they will ever give away and the sweetest gift that they will ever receive, and forgiveness should never be taken for granted. Teach your children the power of words like "I'm sorry," and "I apologize," because those words are the keys that unlock doors that have been closed by bitterness and rebuild bridges rather than burn them down. Teach your children that they can't have it until they can buy it. Because debt is a swamp that will make their life hard. Teach them that work is the fuel for every success. And teach them that everything that they do for the Lord, no matter what it is, great or small, is ministry, and it is cherished in God's eyes. Teach your children that talent is not enough.

One thing John Hagee told me consistently is, "Son, talent will take you there, but discipline will keep you there". Teach them that love conquers all. And no matter where they go, and no matter what they do, and no matter what they go through, and no matter what they get into in life, you, dad, will always love them. And the love of a father can conquer everything that they'll ever face, because you'll be there right beside them. God not only wants you to gird them. He wants you to guide them. And the way that a father guides his family is that he shows them how well he follows Christ. Because the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that the head of every man is Christ. Say that with me. "The head of every man is Christ". So you do not have a biblical right to demand anyone follows you until you prove that you can follow him.

Now men hear messages like this and some men will sit back and say, "Well, you can't blame me because of the way I was raised. You can't expect me to be that kind of a father because of the kind of father I had". That's not true. The Bible is truth. And this is the standard for all men. You don't get graded on a curve because of where you came from. You open up this word, and this word tells you who you were created to be, and what you were created to be, and how to do it. You cannot be irresponsible for yourself and blame the way you were raised. You don't get to shrug your shoulders and say, "Well, that's not the way my dad did it". If you've been to the cross, then the Bible did not say that you were a rebuilt version of your old self. It said, "You are a new creature in Christ Jesus. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new". Give the Lord a handclap of praise!

I've had men tell me, "My father shut me out". That does not mean that you cannot pull your family in. I've had men tell me, "He wasn't there for me". That doesn't mean you get an exit. "He never showed me any love". That doesn't give you permission to never wrap your arms around your children with a hug. "He never, he never, he never". If he never prayed, if he never read, if he never led, it doesn't mean you can't. It means evermore that you should. Why? So that you can show your children there's a better way, so that you can tell hell that generational curse that they tried to get off of one generation, it died with you because you've been to the cross. And you've been covered in blood, and the blood of Jesus Christ has broken the chain of bitterness. The blood of Jesus Christ has broken rejection. The blood of Jesus Christ has broken hate. It's destroyed prejudice, and all things have been made new!

When you learn to see yourself in scripture, then you begin to build an expectation of what God will do for you, because he's no respecter of persons. What he's done for someone else, he'll do for you too. I want you to see, in this sermon, the father who got a second chance. And I'm so thankful that this father is found in scripture, because every father needs a second chance. This father is Jacob. He's the father of Joseph. He's also the father of the nation of Israel. And when you read about Jacob in scripture, sometimes he's called "Israel," and sometimes he's called "Jacob". Why? Because Jacob was the name that his parents gave him. It means heel catcher. And without getting into too many details of the story, Jacob is a twin to his brother, Esau. And in a peculiar way, on the day he was born, he came out holding onto his brother's heel.

So he carries the name Jacob, which means deceiver. It means trickster. It means liar. No offense to all the Jacobs in our house. But in the midst of his life, Jacob encounters God. And in a wrestling match that he has with an angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord changes Jacob's name. And the name that he gives him is Israel, which means prince with God. So in this man's life, there are two characters. One of flesh, the liar: and the other born of the spirit, a prince with God. Every man and every person in this room has two characters, one that you were born with, and one that God has created in you. You have a heart of flesh that will always want to do the world thing. And you have a heart for God that will always want to do his thing.

Now here's the story of Jacob's second chance. Jacob had a son named Joseph. And when Joseph was a teenager, his brothers tried to kill him. That's when you know you've got problems in the family. One day, they throw him into a pit. And while they're deciding what they're going to do with him, they sell him into slavery and they send him to Egypt. These boys go home and they tell dad, with the soiled, bloody garment of their brother, that he was killed by a wild animal. And so for years, Jacob feels as though his son is dead, and he's lost Joseph. But then in Genesis 45:26, his sons discover that Joseph is alive and in Egypt. And Joseph has revealed himself to his brothers. And now the boys have to go home and tell dad, "Hey, you remember that kid we thought was dead? He's back". And the Bible says that they told Jacob, "Joseph is still alive. He is the governor of the land of Egypt". And the Bible says, "And Jacob's heart stood still".

Now here's the picture: any time you read "Jacob," you're talking about the man of flesh. And when it says, "Jacob's heart stood still," Jacob was afraid. Oh, no. Joseph is alive. Joseph is powerful. Joseph could have all of us wiped off the face of the earth and there's nothing we could do about it. I don't know if we should go see Joseph. Maybe we should start with a card. Maybe I just like one of his posts on Facebook and see if he dm's me back. I know. I'll use an emoji. Whatever it was that Jacob was trying to figure out, what he wanted, as a father, was to be reconnected with his son. But he was too afraid to move forward, because he didn't know how that reconnection was going to go. God in heaven was up in heaven saying, Jacob, you didn't orchestrate the second chance: I did. Suddenly, the spirit man woke up in Jacob. And the Bible says, "Israel said, 'it is enough. Joseph my son is alive. I will go see him'".

Suddenly, Israel was going to do what God wanted him to do, which was reconnect with the one that he had lost. What I'm saying to you, fathers, if you need a second chance, our God is a God of second chances and new beginnings. But you're going to have to put away your flesh that's filled with fear, and you're going to have to, with the Spirit of God, say, "It's enough. It's enough for this distance to be between us. It's enough for this problem to not be solved. It's enough for this addiction to continue. It's enough for this attitude not to change. It's enough, because with God's help and God's grace, he'll make a way where there seems to be no way. And my God, who gives second chances, is going to do a miracle work in my family today"!

You say, "But pastor, you don't know everything that's in my past". Let the Spirit of God tell you it's enough. "Pastor, you don't know what I'd have to overcome". With man, these things are impossible. With God, all things are possible. "But you don't know the burden, and you don't know the hurt, and you don't know the worry, and you don't know, and you don't know". God does! And it's time. It's time for you to put away that heart of flesh and be that man of faith. It's time for you to let God do a marvelous thing in your family and do it through you, because that's who he wants to use. God wants to use you, father, to build your home, to build his church, and to rebuild this nation as one nation under God again.

I would like for all of the fathers to stand, every father in this room. No matter the kind of father you are today, you need to know that God in heaven is cheering for you. He wants to give you a second chance. He wants to reward your faithfulness. He wants you to know you're not forgotten. I want every person, who loves one of these dads, to extend your hands toward them and just begin to thank God for them. And tell heaven what you feel for the individuals that have been brought into your life as the fathers of your homes and of your families.

Heavenly Father, today in the mighty name of Jesus, I thank you for every man that's standing in this room and the families that they represent. I thank you that you are for them and not against them. I thank you, Heavenly Father, for what you've done through your son Jesus Christ in giving them the greatest gift that they'll ever receive, which is the redemption of their souls. And now I ask that, that salvation extend to every member of their family, to their children, and to their children's children.

Those who are standing in this place who have unsaved loved ones, I'm asking you to do a miracle work and bring them back to the cross of Christ. Those who are standing in this place and they need strength, I pray that you would pour it out without measure. Those who need peace and direction, I pray that you would give it to them beyond their ability to contain it. Those who need provision, I'm asking you to open up the windows of heaven and bless their businesses, and bless their homes, and bless their lives with favor and opportunity and things that they couldn't even ask, think or imagine, because that's just the kind of God that you are. And that's just the mighty God that we serve.

Those who are broken today, I want you to mend them. And those who feel lost, I want them to feel the comfort of a father who is leading them and guiding them and has not forsaken them. Lord, bless them today and bless their lives. Bless their families: that they would lead a revival of righteousness in this generation for the glory of the God that we serve and for his great name. We pray and say, amen and amen.