Under-pressure Wallabies star Israel Folau has broken down in tears, while delivering an Easter Sunday sermon to fellow churchgoers.
In the video released by the Daily Telegraph, Folau choked up, while discussing how to react when your employer asks you to compromise your own faith.
The 30-year-old faces a-code-of-conduct hearing on Saturday, as Rugby Australia tries to terminate his $4 million contract, after a controversial social media post that said homosexuals would go to Hell unless they repented.
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Speaking at the Truth Of Jesus Christ Church in Sydney on April 21, Folau showed signs he was struggling with the spotlight that had been on him for the past month.
"At some stage, each and every one of us will face our own fiery furnace, and some of us may have already faced that," Folau said.
"In your workforce, if they're telling you something that will compromise your faith, this is a test of faith in which you're going to be put in a challenge and the question is, 'What are you going to do?'
"With these guys, they were challenged, and it was a matter of life and death - physical death - but they understood their treasures were stored up in heaven, not here on Earth.
"As the scriptures say, don't set your mind on things below, but set it on things above.
"We all know, as born-again believers in Christ, that everything we have here is all temporary.
"And it says in the word, 'For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world,and lose his own soul?"
Folau then broke down, as a fellow church-goer handed him tissues.
His hearing will start will begin at 11:30am (NZT) on Saturday.
Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle, NSW Rugby Union CEO Andrew Hore and RUPA chief executive Prataal Raj will attend the hearing in person, along with legal representatives from the parties.
The panel will consider submissions and evidence from both parties at the hearing, but a final decision may not be made until next week.
Newshub.
