Men's retreat

Introduction

Good Evening men!

My name is Steven White and I am the pastor at Life church in Osage.

Tonight I want to talk to you about climbing mountains.

MOUNTAINS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR MYTHS AND LEGENDS.

Stories of knights climbing a mountain to reach some tool or weapon of power.

Every ancient people of these kind of stories.

From native Americans / Greeks / Prussian legends / Oriental legends.

Every culture saw the mountain as a challenge that must be conquered.

But in each story the mountain conquered the man - The legends were changed by the mountain.

Changed into the type of man who could save their people.

HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT GOD LIKES TO CALL MEN UP TO THE MOUNTAIN TOPS TO MEET WITH HIM?

Noah and his ark landed on a mountain peak

Abraham met God on Moriah.

God spoke to Moses on mount Horeb

God gave the law to Moses on Mt Siani

God showed His glory to Moses on Mt Siani

Elijah met God on Mt Horeb

Peter James and John were called to a mountain by Jesus, there he showed His glory to them.

Jesus would traverse the mount of Olives to be with yahweh alone.

Finally, Jesus climbed Golgotha with our cross on his back.

IN THE MYTHS MOUNTAINS FORGED MEN AND TRANSFORMED THEIR CHARACTER.

IN THE SCRIPTURE THE MEN WERE CHANGED AND TRANSFORMED AND SENT BACK WITH A PROPHETIC MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE.

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Each Generation Has a Mountain to Climb

Xers and Boomers - The mountain of eldership

Millennial - The mountain of heroism - (GI generation just like the millennial)

MOUNTAIN MEN ARE THE KIND OF MEN WHO HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AND MOVED FORWARD.

challenged and never gave up

Mountain men have been transformed so they can save their people with a prophetic word from God.

God makes Mountain Men and the world more than ever needs Mountain Men.

We live in a world where boys grow into old boys and the Mountain Man is no where to be found.

MEN RUN FROM THEIR MOUNTAIN NOW LOOKING FOR COMFORT RATHER THAN A CHALLENGE.

THE STOIC PHILOSOPHER SENECA SAID,

“Those who have not been challenged should be pitied for they will never know what they are capable of.”

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CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN

Climb the mountain in front of you.

Sobriety / Singleness / Fatherhood / Business / Marriage / Righteousness

BECOME AN ELDER TO THE NEXT GENERATION OLDER MEN.

YOUNG MEN - IT IS TIME TO PUT THE VIDEO GAMES DOWN AND BECOME THE HERO YOU ARE MEANT TO BE.

But let me warn you, there is a way that will lead to your fall and a way that will propel you to the summit.

The Psalmist speaking of those who may climb the Mountain of the Lord said,

Psalm 24:3–7 NASB95

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!

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The Equipment You Need to Climb

Clean hands

Pure Heart

What you need to take off.

False worship - self or others

deceit - Lie to self - lie to others - believe a lie because it fits the narrative you want to be true.

YOU CAN SUM THESE UP IN ONE WORD - HUMILITY

I want to give you two stories and then wrap this up.

KING UZZIAH

2 Chronicles 26:16–21 NASB95

But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men. They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God.” But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense. Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the Lord had smitten him. King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house judging the people of the land.

THE PROPHET ISAIAH

Isaiah 6:1–7 NASB95

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”

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OLDER MEN - The young generation needs your wisdom not your insults.

Insults are the game of children - climb the mountain to become the elders they need you to be.

You need to train the young men into warriors

Grow them rather than tear them down.

Encourage them, speak truth in love, show care.

Prophecy their potential rather than always reminding them of their failures.

You need clean hands and a pure heart to climb this mountain.

YOUNGER MEN - Humble yourself, you are ignorant and don’t even know it. You don’t know what you don’t know.

Lean on the old men, seek their guidance, they have been there already.

Submit to your elders, your time is coming but maturity needs to take place if you are to be the hero you were meant to be.

Show honor and honor will be shown to you.

You need to take off the false worship of yourself. Heroes are humble.

You need rid yourself of the deceit this world is offering and seek truth from your elders, The Word, and The Holy Spirit.

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STOP SEEKING COMFORT

STOP HIDING FROM CHALLENGES

STOP SHRIKING BACK FROM THE MOUNTAINS IN YOUR LIFE.

CLIMB THE MOUNTAINS OF YOUR LIFE WITH HUMILITY

LET GOD USE THAT MOUNTAIN TO SHAPE YOU INTO A WARRIOR AND GIVE YOU A MESSAGE.

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Your daughters, your sons, your grandchildren, your wives, your society needs you