INTRO: “Like a bird that wanders from the nest, so is a man who wanders from his place.” (Proverbs 27:8).
• FAMOUS HYMN from 1757: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it; Seal it for Thy courts above…”
“Wander” means to Depart, to Stray, to Retreat.
• “Son, you don’t belong here.”
GOD SAYS, “Stay in this place; in this environment; in this shelter.”
• Like God’s shelter, the Nest is high and protected
• It’s a battle most Christians [ALL] will face.
5 Signs that you may be off course
1. There is restlessness: Sleepiness leads to accidents, hurts alertness, and leads to many health problems. Amazing spiritual parallels.
Psalm 32:3-4 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.
2. There is a critical spirit (reflected in our words): When we wander we become angry, disgruntled, discouraged, critical, and negative. James 4:11 Do not speak evil against one another…
3. There is barrenness: We are unfruitful in the things of God, but fruitful in things of the world. Proverbs 13:15 …The way of transgressors is hard.
4. There is unconfessed sin: 1 Chron. 21:8 Then David said to God, I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.
• “Oh, give me back my joy again” – David
5. There is rebellion: 1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.
Continual disobedience is as magic and divination . . . rebellion.
WE lack church attendance; no desire to read the Bible; not wanting to hear convicting sermons. [Some churches provide safe havens for those who are rebellious.]
Men & women – rebellion affects our family at a very deep level.
Kenny Luck said, “Today, virtually every societal problem, social injustice and behavioral abnormality can be traced back to absent, delinquent, misbehaving, drunk, or sexually immoral dads who didn’t respect or understand their enormous calling.”
Girls often find themselves mistreated, miscast, misused, and undervalued. What they need is guidance, esteem, honor and worth that only a father can give. Same goes for boys. They just have a different set of statistics. Men are appointed by God to make our children secure. God’s highest calling for man is to be a husband or father. – MORE HERE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/fatherhood-mans-highest-calling-121551/
• A girl is being bullied every 7 minutes.
• Every 15 seconds a woman is battered.
• 50% of music videos portray women as sex objects, victims, or in a condescending way.
• 1 of 4 college women has an eating disorder.
• 1 out of 3 girls between the ages of 16-18, say sex is expected for them at their age if they are in a relationship.
M.I.A. – This should cause every man to repair what he can.
But be encouraged: You’d be amazed at what God can do with humility.
Stay in the Nest –
Daily prayer [fellowship]. Daily worship [preparing the heart by worshiping the right thing] Before offer my “need”, I must offer my heart.. Daily Bible meditation. Daily application.
Closing: Men, our families would rather “see” a sermon than “hear” one!
“I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear, Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear; And the best of all preachers are the men who live their creeds, For to see good put in action is what everybody needs. I soon can learn to do it if you’ll let me see it done; I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true, But I’d rather get my lessons by observing what you do; For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give, But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.”
(Edgar A. Guest; I’d Rather See A Sermon).
1. Repent and turn back. That’s the first step.
We need worshippers – we need men of prayer – begin today!
2. Un-saved: you’re not “prone to wander”; you are wandering.
Men, you’re not called to be a passive, weak, indecisive partner—you’re called to protect, lead, and guard your family. You are to initiate prayer, defend your wife, shepherd your children, and make your home a holy sanctuary not a breeding ground for Satan. You’re called to fight the enemy, not flee from him.
I’m tired of weak, passive men who never contend, stand, or fight for anything worth dying for. Our nation is looking for character, our wives are looking for leaders, and our kids are looking for fathers.
Men, STOP the silly video games, get off of Facebook, kill your porn habit, tell your ungodly friends to hit the road. You’re called to lead, love, and die, if necessary, for your family.
We are the reason that the nation is deteriorating. We are the reason the family is breaking down. We must stop blaming everything from God to the government.
Dads…wake up! Life is a battleground, not a playground!
I can hear it now, “Shane, you’re being too hard. Back off.”
