June 1, 2003

Defining Manhood
The Soul of a Man Series, part 3
Varied texts
Speaker: Dave Gibbons

Some Characteristics that Usually Define Men:

Negatively,
We are rebellious by nature.
I Timothy 2:14—“Adam was not the one deceive; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.”

We are in search of something beyond the “straight” life.
Dr. James Dobson pens this about the straight life:
“The straight life for a working man. . . is pulling your tired frame out of bed, five days a week, fifty weeks out of the year. It is earning a two-week vacation in August, and choosing a trip that will please the kids. The straight life is spending your money wisely when you’d rather indulge in a new whatever; it is taking your son bike riding on Saturday when you want to badly watch the baseball game; it is cleaning out the garage on your day off after working sixty hours the prior week. The straight life is coping with head colds and engine tune-ups and crab grass and income tax forms.”
.
Men have strong, regular sex drives.
“When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am!” Romans 7:21-24

Positively,
We can be heroic rather than rebellious.

We can be a part of an adventure rather than killing time in the straight life.

We can turn our drive into hungering after God.

Unpacking God’s Definition of Manhood

Hearing and Obeying God

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. He will escape with his life; he will live.’ And this is what the Lord says: This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.” (Jeremiah 38:1-3).

“This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel says, ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from their hands.” (Jeremiah 38:17-18)

Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared.” (Jeremiah 38:20)

Identifying with God

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

Arterburn and Luck in their Book, Every Man God’s Man, pens
“Afraid to pay the price in their commitment to Christ, men tend to consign themselves to some pseudo identity absent His real influence, Half-cocked, lukewarm, and without full identification in Christ, these men get out of their relationship with God. They are wishy-washy and will ultimately display a lack of spiritual integrity.”

Living for an Audience of One.

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that man gets justice.” (Proverbs 29:25-26).

Jesus
“Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. (Mark 12:14).

Caleb
But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him in the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. (Numbers 14:24)

What’s the payoff?

“He who walks in integrity walks securely.” (Prov. 10:9).
Great resources that helped me prepare for this series are two books:
Every Man’s Battle and Every Man God’s Man and my wife, Becca

2003 Message Archives