1 Corinthians 16:13-14
13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.
Pastor Dr. Tony Evans once said…
If you want to change the world, change a continent.
Change a Continent – Then change a country.
Change a Country – Then change a state
Change a State – Then change a city
Change a City – Then Change a Neighborhood
Change a Neighborhood – Then change Family
Change a Family – Then change Father
What the Bible Teachers about men is:
When men step in to their purpose, everything flourishes.
Where they refuse, everything burns.
Not just opinions; here are some facts…
STATS:
Children from FATHERLESS homes…
71% inmates & 81% Rapists
90% of homeless and runaway children
60% of youth suicide
President Obama, in a 2008 fathers day speech that children without present fathers…
- 500% more likely to live in poverty and commit crime
- 900% – drop out of highs school
- 2000% – End up in prison
Fatherlessness is the #1 highest common contributor to…
- Crime
- Homeless
- Unwed Pregnancy
- Poverty
- Future fatherlessness
It is more of a contributor than RACE or POVERTY
- Fatherlessness is a better predictor than either
In 1965…
7.7% of mothers unwed
Now…
40.5% of mothers unwed
- Not progress or liberation; its a disaster
From a spiritual perspective…
If the wife comes to Jesus – 18% chance rest will
If Kids – a 22% chance
If Father – 94% change rest will come to Christ
Today’s question:
What is a man?
- Not stereotypical “man”
- 4 wheel drive
- Camo
- Beard
- Gun and ammo
- Cold beer
- Football fan
- Powerlifter
None of these make you a man…
Best if we try and decide what a Man is not…
A Man is NOT an Animal
Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
Animals ruled by INSTINCT
- Kill when hungry
- fight when angry
- sleep when tired
- Breed when…
- Kill their offspring
Some places try to say this is a man, but it’s not
Culture tries to tell men they are animals
We must stop telling our men they are/act like animals
- Surprised when they do
Next,
A Man is NOT a boy
A Boy says:
- Feed me
- Cloth me
- Cook for me
- Take care of me
There is nothing wrong with being a little boy
Little boys are cute; grown men acting like boys are destructive
Man Says:
- I am responsible for you
- I will take care of you
- I will provide for and protect you
Girls don’t want to marry/Shouldn’t marry a boy
- Living with parents
- No Drive
- No Expectations
- No Work Ethic
lastly,
A Man is NOT a Woman
- More about this next week…
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
Gender Dysphoria affects about 1 in 30,000 to 100,000
- Can be real agony
- Jesus loves you
- You and your body matter
Today, 20% of the next generation claim a different gender
- No BIOLOGY, but IDEOLOGY
God created differences in men and women that COMPLIMENT, not COMPETE
So, What is a man?
A Godly man has 3 distinct callings:
First Calling…
1: A Desire for Work
Genesis 2:15
15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
This happened BEFORE the fall
God created man to work and with a desire to work
If you want to be happy, Pour yourself out in work you enjoy
- You are designed to be a “CO-CREATOR” with God
It’s either GOOD WORK or BAD EXPLOITS
- Idle hands get into trouble
Men, you are built to create, work hard, and provide
When you step out of that calling, you hurt yourself and those around you
OLDER MEN…
This calling does not stop at retirement
- Don’t retire FROM something but TO Something
- When you cease to have a purpose to WORK FOR, you don’t have a reason to live anymore
LADIES CHALLENGE: (Dating, Single)
- Don’t date a man who refuses to work
- You don’t want a boy to take care of, but a man to lead/care for you
- Raise your sons with the expectations they need
- Teach your daughters…
2nd Calling…
2: A Desire to Obey
Genesis 2:16-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
In the garden, God gave 1000 YESES, and 1 NO
- Any tree
- Be fruitful and multiply
But the deceiver convinced man that God was not a provider and instead a harsh RULE GIVER
- This lie continues today
- God cannot be Trusted
- I am the RULER of MY LIFE!
But God gave you the desire to obey HIS PURPOSES for your life
Every man must decide…
Who has ULTIMATE AUTHORITY over your life?
- God or you
Because God has given us the desire to obey, we WILL BE RULED BY SOMETHING
- Pleasure
- Power
- God
Both of these will cause you to take advantage of others for YOUR Gain
- Women
- Those around you
- Under you
- Family
- Friends
Either Your Desires will rule you or God will
- Biblical authority over self Authority
- Over Relationships, finances, morals, Sexuality
LADIES CHALLENGE: (Dating, Single)
- When dating, God should have more of his heart than you
- Raise your sons to love the wisdom of the Lord
3rd Calling…
3: A Desire To Love a Woman
Genesis 2:18-22
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.” 19 The Lord God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found corresponding to him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. 22 Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.
Genesis 2:24-25
24 This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.
God made men and women complimentary but different
The woman is a helper/partner of a man
HELPER – NOT SHAMER
- Not bringing up sermon – Not the Holy Spirit
- Not constantly correcting
Men are like puppies; WHAT IS REWARDED IS REPEATED
Men, you are called to POUR OUT YOUR STRENGTH FOR…
- women and children
- Not to use or abuse
DATING:
- “We’re married in our Hearts”
- Married in your pants
Ladies, you are giving all of your body, but he is not promising ALL OF HIS LIFE
Men, how would you answer this question:
- If you were God, would you give you one of your daughters
The design for men and women laster ONE chapter in the Bible
- The serpent tempted BOTH the man and the women
- Seems like Eve was there alone…
Genesis 3:6
6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
The original problem is not that man did the WRONG thing, but that he did NOTHING
Adam should have stepped in between his wife and the tree and Said NO
- You must come through me
When men step into their purpose, everything flourishes.
Where they refuse, everything burns.
We need a power outside of ourselves
- There is a SECOND ADAM — Jesus
The First Adam – Dropped his RESPONSIBILITY to God and Those he was called to protect
- Jesus put himself between us and the tree/cross
Hebrews 12:1-2
Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Men, How are you putting yourself between your family and the “TREE?”