Father Son Camp with Founder Randy Schrum
Challenging Fathers and Sons into Uncompromising Manhood led by Randy Schrum.
https://fathersonretreats.com/
Father Son Camp with Founder Randy Schrum
Overcome- Doing Hard Things 2024
Opening session of Father Son Camp 2024 with Randy Schrum.
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. -Revelations 3: 21
Just want to encourage you to take a moment to consider what the Lord would have for you, what God wants to speak to you. And so tonight we're going to talk about doing hard things. If you could shut off the presenter screen on there no one, that would be great. Presenter screen on there no one, that would be great. So I have a few slides for you, and if you do have your Bibles, we are going to go on what I would call a little festival fest, and so we're going to end our Bibles. Do you have your Bible with you? Yes, that's good, all right, all right. So we're going to get into our topic of doing hard things and overcoming, and our theme verse is Revelations 3.21. How many of you have ever realized how many times the word overcome appears in Scripture? Have you ever noticed how many times it's overcome it's appeared? Well, tonight we're going to, we're going to take a look at that, and it is. It's astonishing, it will shock you how many times the Lord exhorts us to be overcomers, to endure, overcomers, to endure. And so in revelations 3, 21, you'll write this down to him who overcomes. I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. So he didn't say to him, who is passive, I want us to get this in our hearts this weekend, but to him who overcomes and it comes with a choice, we get to choose if we're going to be willing to be overcomers, may that rise up in us and in our hearts and in our being this weekend, that it's something that we carry the rest of our lives, because the Lord has actually instructed us to do this.
Speaker 1:I like this quote. Maybe some of you have heard this quote, but you didn't know who actually said it. But here it is. Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times, and good times create weak men. If we're always about pleasing ourselves, if it's always about the good times, we'll create weak men. If it's always about the good times, we'll create weak men and weak men, just like in our nation.
Speaker 1:Weak men create hard times and we're in a season where weak men have created significant hard times. We are, we're in that season now, and so we need to be the men young men, fathers we need to be the men that choose to do hard things. We need to be the ones who choose to overcome. We got to choose and you say, well, what's that look like? Well, it looks like this. It's a decision on choosing what your heart is going to be. Do you want hard now or do you want hard later? It looks like this Do I choose to do the hard things now and reap the benefits later? Or do I choose to please myself now and think about myself now and read the repercussions later, if it's really hard times?
Speaker 1:When I became a father, I had a decision to make, not just on loving on my children, loving on my sons, but choosing to stay up at night to chase after their heart. Or do I just go to bed and let five years go by and I don't know what's going on in their hearts and the next thing I know they're off the complete reservation. You see, when I was early as a father, I made some selfish decisions. I decided not to do the hard things. But if I don't choose to do the hard things now, I will pay for it later. You know my oldest daughter. I didn't choose to do the hard things up front and I paid for it. But you learn as you grow in the Lord, you learn and you become more sanctified, amen.
Speaker 1:There's nothing wrong with admitting that we were wrong, dads. There's nothing wrong when God speaks to you and convicts you and deals with you to turn to your son in the family and say you know what I missed it? God showed me. I missed it, I was wrong and I'm going to pivot. But that's not what we're going to do, dad. We don't do that. We don't change direction. Yes, we do. If the Lord says and I was wrong, we're going to change direction. We've got to choose to do the hard things. And my question and my challenge to you is which part do you want? Do you want to intentionally put yourself in the hard situations now and and face those challenges, or do you want to read the hard repercussions later? This is the challenge I believe that the Lord has for us. So are you willing to choose the difficult decisions now in your life? We need to become overcomers.
Speaker 1:I love what Revelations 3.21 says. It says this and look and behold. Actually that's not the correct scripture, but it says and look and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow and a crown was given to him. And look at this. He went out conquering, and to conquer who's that it was Jesus. So the God that we serve, the one we should, god, is a God of conquering.
Speaker 1:Some people don't realize that God is God of war. He will defeat his enemies and we see time and time again where he defeats his enemies. He will go to war enemies, he will go to war. And God is looking for men who are willing to go to war, that are willing to lay their life down and do the hard things. Because that's what it looks like. It looks like going to war at times because you have to choose the top, the hard things, and when you choose them it's not always pretty. When you choose the hard things, it's not pretty at times. Does that make sense? It's really not. I'd love to stand up here and say it's all just lovely and awesome and wonderful the Christian life. But that's not true. Sanctification comes as we walk out and choose to be overcomers and face challenges. I love what Billy Graham says. Billy Graham says comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has. When we face adversity and challenges, we become enriched and we can enrich our family's lives. We truly can.
Speaker 1:Revelations look at this. Revelations 2.7 says he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. What's he saying To him who what Sits idly by? No. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, revelations 2.17. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Is God serious about building His church? He is.
Speaker 1:We live in a culture, in a day and age, where people don't believe church is important. There are Christians who say my church is me going out in nature and not gathering with the saints. Well, repeatedly we see in scripture, jesus even said it. He said to Peter, because Peter said you are the Christ, and he said you're right, and on this rock I will build nature, my church. And he gave him the keys to the church. You can read it yourself and reread it.
Speaker 1:Most people overlook it. They overlook the fact that Jesus is serious about building his church. He truly is. To him who overcomes, I will give look at this some of the hidden manna to eat. He gives us bread for war when we choose to do the hard things. His bread is this right here Bread for war. Jesus said the bread that I have that I'm going to eat. It's not the regular things that I'm being offered in this world. It is the bread of heaven and I love this. He says I will give you some of the hidden manna to eat.
Speaker 1:When we choose to be overcomers, god begins to unlock the kingdom in our lives. He begins to speak to us and show us things. But we have to be the men who choose to do the hard things. It doesn't come because I just say, yes, I'm going to do it and I want to follow Jesus, but then you don't choose to do the hard things. Sometimes it's drawing a line. I've been sharing with the young men here at the Hilltop about drawing the line, and this is hard because you've got to choose and the line. You come to a camp and you get excited about what God is doing and you know you're following, and so you draw your line right up here at the stage. But you get a week away from camp and you redraw the line right by the projector Because someone wanted you to listen to some terrible music or watch something that you shouldn't be watching, or you say something really, really nasty to your mom and then you justify it like it's okay and then the next thing you know you redraw the line. You're halfway back in the room. You keep redrawing the line because you don't choose to hold the line until eventually you're at that back door Because you have no line, that back door. Because you have no line, you don't choose to do the hard things. But God is calling us, as men, to draw the line and hold the line. Amen, he's called us to do that.
Speaker 1:Revelations 3, 5, it says he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot his name out of the book of life. Who wants to be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life. Who wants to be clothed in white garments, who wants to stand with Jesus? You know, I've heard people say I just want to make it in man, I want to serve him with all my heart and I want him to be able to say to me well done, not, hey, you just made it, man, you made it by the skin of your teeth. No, I'm looking for well done. I know I mess up, I know I know there's many days, many days where I'm like man, I am, I'm messing up, you know, I mean. There's days where that's the case, but that's not what my heart wants. My heart wants to hear well done, good and faithful servant. Revelations 3, verses 7 through 9. And then we'll go through Revelation 3 through, actually, verse 13.
Speaker 1:I'm reading these scriptures. I'm reading these scriptures Because I want us to see just how serious God is about us overcoming, and I'm not going to just show you how he says and encourages us to overcome, but I'm going to show you where he commands us. He actually commands us. It says here, and the angel of the church in Philadelphia write these things Say he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens. I know your works, see, I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it. For you have little strength, but watch this.
Speaker 1:Have kept my word and have not denied my name. We need to be men who keep his word. We keep it in our hearts. I want to be that man. I want to know his word in such a way that if something vile comes before my eyes on TV or on my phone, I remember. I will set no vile things before my eyes, the evil deeds of men I hate. I want that word so much ingrained in me because it's bread for war. Because, men, we are in a war for our eyes and our ears, would you agree? So we have to be armed up.
Speaker 1:And it says in verse nine indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie, indeed, I will make them come and worship before your feet. And verse 10, because you have kept my command to persevere. There it is. You have what you have kept my command to persevere. There it is. You have what you have kept my command, my command to persevere. He's commanded us to. I also will keep you from the hour of trial which will come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown. So you don't just hold your faith loosely, men. We don't hold our identity loosely. We are men. In the morning we are going to go butcher a cow. We're not going to say oh, you know, that's offensive. Where do you think your meat comes from? Guys, we have to stop compromising on some simple common sense things. We really do, we really do? We really do.
Speaker 1:Revelation 7, 14 says these will make war with the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are called chosen and faithful. Do you want to be called chosen and faithful? Choose to do the hard things and overcome with the blood of the Lamb. I want to be called one of those that are chosen and faithful. Revelations 2.11 says and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their passiveness. It says that they overcame them by the blood of the lamb and their testimony, by the word of their testimony, by the word of their testimony.
Speaker 1:Unless I can get up here, or you can get up here, or you can speak to someone and you can testify of God's goodness, which means that you have faced opposition and challenges. I look across this room and I see men who have had challenges, challenges this last year, but you've chosen to overcome and I believe the Lord says Well done. But look at this. It says Then they did not love their lives To the death. You know, you've heard it probably said you cannot have a testimony without a test, you cannot have a testimony without a trial, and when you're in a trial and you know the faithfulness of God, because he is absolutely faithful, he is At the end of the day. At what point has he ever not been At the end of the day, trustworthy? We know he is absolutely trustworthy. So we can choose to be the men who will not love their life to death, but be the men who not love their life to death, but be the men who will lay down their lives. We've got to choose to be those men. We've got to choose to endure.
Speaker 1:I love in talking about this thing that I so feel is important for us. We consider this word endure. So there's three words. I would like you to just research at some point and see how many times they appear in scripture Overcome, persevere and endure. The Lord has a lot to say about it for us In 1 Corinthians. You'll never look at 1 Corinthians the same way in this passage now.
Speaker 1:1 Corinthians 13, 7. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. And what Say it with me Endures all things. And what Say it with me Endures all things. No, it doesn't endure. Just you being catered to hand and foot where mom brings everything to you or your siblings bring everything to you. No, it says endures all things. Love looks like enduring some uncomfortableness. Love looks like swallowing our pride at times for Jesus. Love looks like laying our lives down and enduring so that our sons see what it means to follow Christ. So that our sons see what it means to follow Christ.
Speaker 1:Faith triumphs in trouble. In Romans 5, it says in verse 1, therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God, our Lord, jesus Christ, through whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we sit idly by. It doesn't say that. It says in this grace which we stand. We often miss these such important words. We miss them. But, guys, we are called to stand and rejoice in the hope of glory. And it goes on in verse three. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations. I'm not a monk, okay, am I? Not someone slashing my back and all of that kind of tribulation. But we get excited when we know we're facing opposition. And why not? Someone slashing my back and all of that kind of tribulation. But we get excited when we know we're facing opposition because we know God is on our side, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance, character and character, hope. There is that word again perseverance. We have to be those that persevere. Now, hope does not disappoint, because the love of god has been poured out in our hearts by the holy spirit who's been given to us. So when the holy spirit challenges you to do the hard things, be encouraged, because it's saying here that his Holy Spirit will lavishly be poured out in our hearts.
Speaker 1:In 2 Corinthians 12-2, it says this is powerful man, oh man, look at this Truly. Signs of the apostles were accomplished among you, with all passiveness. They were accomplished because these apostles persevered. Signs and wonders were accomplished because these men persevered and they did mighty deeds. If you want to do mighty deeds, you've got to be a man who perseveres. Young men, I'm calling out to you You've got to be men who persevere, that actually choose to say you know what Someone says hey, we need to go take care of this really hard job and you're around 10 friends and they're all like well, I don't want to do it. You need to be the first one on the line. I'll do it. I'll choose to do it. I'll do the hard things Truly. Signs of the apostles were accomplished because these men chose to persevere. Signs and wonders. You want to see God do some miraculous things. We got to be those that choose to persevere.
Speaker 1:Oswald Chambers says this perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty. Do we have absolute assurance and certainty, men? We do, in Jesus Christ, and it says that that what we are looking for is going to happen, that what we are looking for is going to happen. I absolutely know the purpose of God for myself and my family. We sat down and planned it out. We came to an agreement on what the purpose of God is. Does that mean we can't change it? We can change it as God directs, but we are assured of the direction that we're going. If God gives you direction in your business, god gives you direction on how to treat your siblings in a good way, I want you to know you can move forward with certainty and serve God Because we have that absolute assurance in Christ.
Speaker 1:You say, well, I need to know. It's 100% God Guys. You know the last guy got that Bernie Bush moment. It wasn't as good as it all amounts to be okay. It took a lot of pain and suffering. I like to operate like this when I sense a direction from God. I can see this. It could be me, but it's probably God.
Speaker 1:Most Christians operate scared because they're passive and they don't want to make a decision and own it and they say it's probably me, but it could be God. No, if I'm laying my life down before the Lord and I'm like, no, I'm 65% thinking this is the Lord, I'm going to go forward Because he is faithful to adjust my direction if I'm messing up, if I'm sensitive to him. So if you're swaying one way towards the Lord on something and you know what you're feeling, it could be you, but it's probably God. We hear the voice of the Lord through so many different ways through worship, through our time in the word, through talking to other men. There are so many ways that the Lord begins to talk to us, communicate with us, and he loves to build a case for his voice. He loves to layer confirmation after confirmation and he wants us to get good at being sensitive to his voice. You get really good at being sensitive to his voice when you choose to go to war for the kingdom of God, when you choose to do the hard things. Because I'll tell you what when you start choosing to do the hard things as long as know You're 60% that this is God. I mean who's making hard decisions Like that and choosing to go right ahead First in the war. You know, most Christians are wanting to know it's 100% Before they step into the battlefield. We can't be those that do that. We can't be those that do that. We can't. He gives us bread for war.
Speaker 1:2 Timothy 2, verse 3. It says you therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. There's that military side right there. There's that war side. It doesn't say in scripture that he's coming back in a little buggy and sprinkling pixie dust. It says he's coming back on an aggressive horse and he's not coming back. You know with, you know just. You know his fairy tales, balloons. He's coming back and he's coming back from his church. He's coming back and he's coming back with an emphatic entry that's the God we serve.
Speaker 1:I think it was over 24 years ago, close to that. I'm probably not into that and I'll probably correct it on this number. But God began to really speak to us about what our family would look like and just our family growing, how we would decide for our children. But we had to start making the hard decisions. It's not easy being a soldier for Christ. If it was easy, the churches would be packed. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. You ever heard that If it was easy, everybody would be doing it? But you heard that If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. But you say well, we're under the new covenant man, we are, and I am so grateful we are. I am so grateful that the veil has been torn. I truly am, but I am not. We're still in a fallen world and we still have to recognize there is a war. There is two kingdoms at war. There is his kingdom, jesus' kingdom and Satan's kingdom, and they're diametrically opposed. So we need to be good soldiers, men who choose to endure.
Speaker 1:Would you turn with me to Romans, chapter 8? Turn with me and turn with me and we're going to the main point of Romans. 8 will be the later part of the chapter, but I want to read a few things and before we wrap up I'll give you a moment to turn there. But as we do, I just want to ask the Heavenly Father that you would help us to be overcomers, that you would help us to be the men that choose to do hard things. I pray that the desire would grow in us, god, that there would just be just this desire to seek it us, god, that there would just be just this desire to seek it out, god, for your kingdom and your purposes, lord, that your name would be glorified, god, that we'd be the men who desire to meet these challenges head on. God, help us, holy Spirit, in Jesus' name.
Speaker 1:It says in verse 12,. I love Romans 8, because, when you take into context what this theme is this weekend, it really talks about how the Spirit of God gives us strength and how we can identify our sonship in the kingdom. How we identify our sonship in the kingdom. It says, therefore, in verse 12, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. So not living according to the flesh means that we choose not to fulfill our fleshly desires all the time. That looks a lot like overcoming, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if you live by the Spirit, you will put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Think about this, think about this. But if you, by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. That doesn't sound like fun, but then it does. It's saying, it's challenging us to put to death our sinful selves. It's challenging us to put to death our sinful selves. It's challenging us and it's also showing us that there is life on the other side of that, here and now.
Speaker 1:It says for as many that are led by the Spirit of God you remember that part where I said you know if it's probably God, but it could be me For as many are led by the Spirit of God they begin I'm ad-libbing, I'm not trying to add the scripture but they begin to demonstrate that they are the sons of God. Amen, for you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, abba, father. I'll tell you what when I get some jams, I'm crying out, abba, father, I am crying out God, help me. I am crying out God, help me. God, I am in such a challenging situation. There is no way out. I need you to move, and I'm not talking about like something that happened five years ago, four years ago, even three years ago, guys. Four months ago, I had a situation pop up and I kept it just private before the Lord and a couple elders, and I said God, you need to move because this is bad, this is not good. I didn't do anything wrong, it was just a challenging situation and the Lord required me to walk it out, and he did. He emphatically showed up and emphatically showed that he he's serious about intervening on our behalf. He showed up and showed out he's serious about intervening on our behalf. He showed up and showed out. But you never see God show up and show out if you don't put yourself in those positions by the Spirit, being led by Him, where only he can get the glory and credit Right.
Speaker 1:We go down. It says actually verse 15, or 18,. It says For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared. I know some of you are suffering right now. I know it. You got family challenges, business challenges, wayward children, health crises, financial crises. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. What it's saying here is that God is determined to manifest sonship on the inside of us. Men, amen. He's looking for men that say yes, jesus, I want all that you have and I'm ready to be an overcomer, I'm willing to do the hard things. And it says, it goes on. It says for the earnest expectation of creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God. All right, let's go down to verse 35.
Speaker 1:Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? No one. What situation will separate us from the love of Christ? No one. What situation will separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword, as it is written, for your sake, we are killed all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than passive men through him who loved us. No, it says that.
Speaker 1:Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors. We are more than conquerors. We are more than conquerors through men who loved us. We have to choose. You can't become a conqueror just sitting there passively. You've got to hold the line, young men, that means when everyone else is wanting to sin or compromise their faith. You have to hold the line and become a conqueror. In all things I am more than a conqueror. Sometimes it feels like you're being set aside. When you hold the line and you choose to do the hard things, sometimes you feel like you're left out. But God has not called us to be left out or set aside. He's called us to be set apart. The rules that we place in our lives, the boundaries that we place in our lives, the boundaries that we place in our lives are not to keep you in, it's to keep the enemy out, it's to keep him out. We have to stop looking at things in the light of how Satan wants us to look at them. He is a masterful communicator. He hijacks language and terms all the time and he deceives us. Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Nothing can separate us. If we choose to follow him and do the hard things, and do it boldly, I think you'll be blown away at how serious God is and you see how many times the word endure and persevere and overcome appear in the scriptures, some of them hundreds of times.
Speaker 1:We cannot settle for a milquetoast Christianity. We have a nation and a generation right now that is suffering the consequences of that. I was so profoundly touched when we started going to father son camp and then we started going to a family camp. And I mean just powerfully, god, just powerfully, got a hold of me as a husband and as a father. He got a hold of our family. He did amazing things. But you know, since attending that family camp we were going for 14 or 15 years. We we made a shift. We said you know what? We're going to a different type of family camp from several years ago, a couple years ago, four years ago, and so we now go to a Florida family camp.
Speaker 1:But I'm highlighting this because I want to say something. We're suffering from a milquetoast Christianity. We're suffering from a milquetoast Christianity. And the people who so profoundly impacted me 10, 15 years ago you know some of them are now just taken off with massive followings and podcasts, but I continue to listen to them. But my heart breaks because some of them are not holding the line. Some of them have decided to compromise and they look more like the world than they look as set apart, and they teach people Christians how to cope with fitting in with the world. We cannot be those men. We cannot teach our families to cope and how to look more like the world. We have to be willing to do the hard things, and the people who so profoundly impacted me 10, 15 years ago with this, some of them, are no longer pursuing of doing the hard things. I will speak highly, though, of a camp in illinois that me and my sons went to for years powerful camp, which is why we have this camp here now, and uh, and so I'm grateful for that camp in Illinois. I mean just powerful. Chris Miller, who is a state representative, and his wife, mary Miller, who is a US congresswoman. They are the creators of that camp and have run it faithfully for years.
Speaker 1:But I want to challenge us. Will we, this weekend, decide when we lay down or we walk out of this room? When we lay down tonight or camping, will we choose? Will we choose to be an overcomer? I so sincerely believe that this is the challenge that the Lord has for us. It was back in June I shared a similar message with our fellowship, our church, and I knew at that point that that was the message I was supposed to do. That was going to be our theme, and we didn't even have a theme last year. So this isn't from me. I believe this is from the Lord, and he wants us to ponder and consider what this looks like for us. Amen, let's close in prayer.
Speaker 1:Heavenly Father, I thank you, I thank you. I thank you for who you are, for your faithfulness. I thank you for you, holy Spirit. I thank you that you speak to us, that you draw us, that your goodness even draws us to repentance. God, god, I have areas in my life where I hadn't chose to do the hard things. God, I pray that we would be those men that will choose in my life where I hadn't chose to do the hard things, god, I pray that we would be those men that would choose and that your grace would empower us to walk that out, because we cannot do it ourselves.
Speaker 1:God, we declare that right now, we absolutely need you. We need you to show up and give us the boldness and the courage and the strength. God, I pray that you would be with all the people that are still traveling and getting camp set up tonight, lord, that you would minister to them. Give them strength, lord. Give them rest tonight. God Father, I pray that you would watch over all of our activities this weekend. We thank you for your protection. We thank you for all of the people that you've called to participate and volunteer here. God, we pray that you would bless them, not how I want to bless them, but how you want to bless them, God. We just ask that you would release blessing upon them, god. So we give you the rest of this night, lord, and we thank you for all of this in Jesus' name, amen.