WHAT MAKES A GODLY MAN

Transcription

1 1 WHAT MAKES A GODLY MAN

2 Meet with God an official publication of Back to the Bible Copyright 2007 The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. STAFF: Editorial Assistance: Allen Bean, Ben Zuehlke, Kathy Thorne, Meredith Megrue, Mindy Kroesche Design: Brandy Griffin Produced with the assistance of The Livingstone Corporation ( Project staff: Neil Wilson Cover Photo: Meet with God is produced 12 times per year and sent with no obligation. BACK TO THE BIBLE P.O. Box Lincoln, NE

3 From the Author We re about to pull back the curtain and turn on the spotlight. Standing center stage is the godly man. From our culture s point of view, when the lights come on, the stage should be empty. Why? Because the world doesn t believe we can find examples of such a man. They doubt such creatures exist today if they ever did. Our focus this month is on godly men. What do you think? Can we still find any men of integrity and spiritual strength? God wants to mold, shape and produce godly men. He uses the events of life and the people in life to fulfill that purpose. While we long to see and be the final product, we don t usually enjoy the process. As we ll discover, becoming a godly man isn t easy. Peter, one of Jesus disciples, wrote, In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:6 7). In this Meet with God, we will begin by looking at the life of Job. We won t have time to survey the entire book; but if you haven t read Job in a while, it would be worth your time to read at least the first five and the last five chapters of the book. You will come away with a deeper appreciation of Job and an ever deeper sense of awe before God. The world may think such men no longer walk the earth. But God is at work every day; He s busy making godly men. Let s watch the Master at work. 3

4 This week, meditate on what it means to fear God. READIT Job 1:1 22 Then the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? (John 1:8). We ve seen the technique in movies many times. The camera zooms in on the track miles ahead of the train where a bridge is gone or pans up the mountain where a huge avalanche hovers. As the view returns to the actors, we know they have no idea what s ahead. We want to shout a warning. That s how we often feel reading the first chapter of Job. He s the hero who can hardly imagine the firestorm about to devastate his life. Until we get to the end of verse 8, we could call Job s life The Ideal Man and His Perfect Relationship with God. We see his life and hear God pronounce a divine evaluation (read verse 8 again). Our assumption is that such a man would have the kind of relationship with God where nothing bad ever happens to him. We would be wrong. Many of us develop a basic misunderstanding of God s dealings with people. We measure God s blessing and approval by 4

5 The Job Moment our sense of God s protection. If we obey and are good, God won t let bad things happen to us. We may not describe life s equation exactly this way, but the fact that we believe it comes out when dark times come. So, how do we explain why bad things happen? We usually begin with the question: Where did we go wrong? The underlying belief is, since God let this bad thing happen, we must have done something wrong. Whether the situation is a stubbed toe, a flat tire, a broken heart or a devastating disaster, we are facing a Job moment. A Job moment is any moment when we have to honestly question whether we have sinned while at the same time trusting that secret sin is not the only explanation for why bad things happen. God wants to develop us into godly men and women, and He often uses Job moments along the way. We have plenty of opportunities to admit sins, but God wants us also to trust that He has a good plan even when bad times come. A safe and easy life never molds a godly man. 5

6 CONSIDERIT What in Job s behavior matches God s description of him? APPLYIT Because God ultimately allows the events that occur in our lives, we tend to blame Him for the bad and occasionally thank Him for the good. But recognizing God s permission in each tough situation in our lives is only half the response. We must also trust Him with the outcome and give Him room to work in us and others. If we get stuck blaming God, we ll be left with bitterness and dissatisfaction, not to mention that our faith in God will be destroyed in the process. EXPRESSIT Identify some recent Job moments in your life. Talk to God about your responses. Affirm your trust in Him. Ask Him to help you learn to cooperate with the work He s doing in your life. 6

7 AS YOU READ JOB 1:1 22, REFLECT ON THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: Would you say you What personal How does Job s experience illustrate the limits placed on Satan s actions? admire or question Job s response to his tragedy? Why? experiences were some of your toughest Job moments? 7

8 REMEMBERIT 1. Why did Job offer burnt offerings for his children? 2. Who describes Job as a blameless and upright man? 3. What restriction does God place on Satan regarding Job? 4. How many messengers come to tell Job the bad news? 5. Who does Job acknowledge as the master of all his possessions? SEEKIT GO DEEPER INTO YOUR STUDY OF THIS WEEK S LESSON. Pain/Suffering: Psalm 34: Corinthians 12:1 10 God s Guidance: Psalm 23:1 6 Proverbs 3:1 6 Answers: 1. In case they had cursed God in their hearts (Job 1:5); 2. God (Job 1:8); 3. He may not afflict Job s body (Job 1:12); 4. Four (Job 1:14,16-18); 5. God (the Lord) (Job 1:21) 8

9 A Servant of God READIT Job 2:1 13 Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:10). When the going gets tough, begins the old lockerroom slogan. The words are intended to motivate effort, inspire excellence and encourage the worn-down. Do they? The traditional conclusion to the thought is, the tough get going. Is that true? Do tough times get tough people moving? Faced with unimaginable tough blows in life, did Job maintain his integrity because he was tough? Or was it something else that kept him from sin with his lips? God s favorite term for Job was my servant (see 1:8; 2:3; 42:7 8). Before the going got tough (as well as after), Job remained God s servant. What we find in the first two chapters of Job is a deeply humble man living out his faith in God Almighty. We also watch as Satan does what he can to destroy Job. Doesn t God know what Satan is doing? Of course. Does God know Job better than we know him? God knew His servant inside out. God knew Job would not only endure the trials of life and the 9 This week, be thankful for the examples of gritty integrity in your life.

10 CONSIDERIT AS YOU READ JOB 2:1 13, REFLECT ON THE What argument Why did Job s wife What was Job s friends did Satan use to initiate round two of Job s trials? respond as she did? Explain Job s answer to her. purpose in coming (v. 11) and how were they affected when they reached Job (v )? trials by his friends but also come away from his dark days with a deeper appreciation of God. Nothing that occurred in the Book of Job caught God by surprise. God sees the big picture. Job couldn t see, and we can t see, what God sees. If we could, we wouldn t have to trust Him. It s worth noting that our opening slogan uses the word tough in two ways. The first tough refers to difficulty, hardship and sorrow in life. The second describes the fiber of people, what makes them resilient. We often can t tell who is tough until the tough times come. Job was tough, but not because he was physically strong or intellectually nimble. He was strong because he depended on God even though he didn t understand what was happening. As it turned out, Job s biggest challenge was his friends insistence that he had done something for which God was punishing him. Job never denied God s right to punish, but he knew that his tragedy had to have another explanation. Job s final lesson was that God never has to explain. (See Job 38:1 42:16.) We may have to trust Him beyond explanations. This is, possibly, because we may not be able to understand God s explanation, just as we understand so little about God Himself. So, we understand as much of God as He allows us, and we trust Him with all we ve got! 10

11 FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: Who are you when the going gets tough? Why? APPLYIT God s servant Job needed to grieve. If we think his despairing remarks in chapter 3 don t sound like a believer, then we probably aren t familiar with grief. Job s friends should have stayed quiet. Instead, they drove him crazy with their explanations. God eventually rebuked them. God s servants need company more than explanations when the going gets tough. We need to remember that. EXPRESSIT None of us relish hard times. We don t look for ways to suffer. Following Jesus example we pray, do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matt. 6:13). But we remember that Jesus also told us, In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Take some time to ask for God s grace in facing both hard and easy times. 11

12 APPLY IT Most of the physical landmarks that we deal with are part of a long-standing but not eternal creation. But the truth of God s Word stands for time and eternity. The directions God provides (even the painful ones) give us a dependable route and effective rules for living. If we ve got God s eternal landmarks in mind, we ll adopt a pilgrim mindset, never thinking of this world as our permanent home. We will make it a habit to check God s landmark presence every day for correction and encouragement. And we will live by those instructions we find chiseled in the landmark of God s Word. EXPRESS IT Proverbs is filled with short landmark statements that provide us with food for thought and reflection each day. Choose one of the proverbs from today s reading, and express it in a prayer. Ask God to keep bringing His words of direction to mind throughout the days of your journey ahead. 12

13 Answers: 1. Going to and fro on the earth (Job 2:2); 2. Spare the life of Job (Job 2:6); 3. Job s wife (Job 2:9); 4. God (the Lord) (Job 2:10); 5. Seven days and seven nights (Job 2:13) REMEMBERIT 1. Where does Satan come from? 2. What restriction is placed on Satan this time? 3. Who said, curse God and die? 4. Who does Job recognize as allowing his miseries? 5. How long do Job s friends sit with him before speaking? 13 SEEKIT GO DEEPER INTO YOUR STUDY OF THIS WEEK S LESSON. Faith: Hebrews 11:1 6 1 John 5:1 15 God s Authority: Hosea 13:4

14 This week, tell a godly man how much you appreciate his example. READIT Deuteronomy 6:1 9 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deut. 6:7). We ve discovered in the last two lessons that a godly man doesn t emerge from a life of ease. A godly man is forged like steel in the furnace of trials. We also caught a glimpse of Job as a family man, raising his children a certain way and then continuing to pray for them as they lead their lives. A godly man exercises his greatest influence and ministry in his own home. God instructed the ancient Israelites to consider their homes the primary teaching centers for life. This lesson s key verse refers to the way God s Word should be present in our homes. In fact, it points to four teachable moments that we shouldn t neglect in raising our children: meals and lounging times ( when you sit in your house ), travel times ( when you walk by the way ), going to bed times ( when you lie down ) and getting up times ( when you rise up ). These are classic multitasking times. We can teach our children while we eat, hang out, drive and end or start the day. God 14

15 Home Life doesn t offer an alternative. He doesn t say, Do this or else just send your kids somewhere to learn about Me. Too often today we have abdicated the central role of the home to the school and church which are supposed to supplement and emphasize what children are getting from family life. A godly man gives attention to the lessons he is teaching in home life. He understands the caught-and-taught process. It s true that when it comes to children, more is caught than taught in our homes which makes it all the more important that we consider what they are catching. How do our home habits, conversations and personal examples provide our children with life lessons? Do our children learn the same lessons from what we say as they learn from what we do? When Jesus was asked about the central lesson of life, He immediately turned to this passage for His answer. (See Mark 12:28 34.) He had memorized these verses about loving the Lord at Mary and Joseph s knee. The more we spend time with Jesus, the more deeply we will catch what He taught. There is no greater example of the Great Commandment lived out. Jesus loved the Lord (His Father) and us (His neighbor) to the point of death in order to bring us together! Our home life should create an unbreakable connection between our children and the God we love. 15

16 CONSIDERIT What three results are described as flowing from the giving and teaching of the commands (vv. 1 2)? APPLYIT Identify some ways in which you can be more intentional about sharing what God says when you participate in conversations with your family. Does the radio need to be on in the car? Can we announce a Bible topic as the discussion subject for a meal? This passage hints at continuous opportunities (teachable moments) throughout every day. Let s use them! EXPRESSIT Ask God to help you make His Word a healthy infection that is caught and taught in your home. Think about the ways you love Him with all your heart, soul and strength; and then ask Him for guidance in loving Him even more deeply. 16

17 AS YOU READ DEUTERONOMY 6:1 9, REFLECT ON THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: The two blessings Where must we What kind of love ( may be well with you and you may multiply greatly ) are based on what responses (v. 3)? deposit God s Word according to these verses? for God is described in these verses? 17

18 Answers: 1. With all our heart, soul and might (Deut. 6:5); 2. God s commands (Deut. 6:6 7); 3. At home, on the road, before bed, and after rising (Deut. 6:7); 4. The hands and forehead (Deut. 6:8); 5. Their doorpost and gates (Deut. 6:9) REMEMBERIT 1. How are we to love God? 2. What is to be kept in our hearts and passed to our children? 3. Where/when are God s commands to be taught? 4. Where on the body were the Israelites instructed to place God s commands? 5. Where on their property were the Israelites instructed to write God s commands? 18 SEEKIT GO DEEPER INTO YOUR STUDY OF THIS WEEK S LESSON. Family: Joshua 24:14 15 Ephesians 6:1 4

19 A Godly Man s Love READIT Ephesians 5:22 33 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her (Eph. 5:25). This week, acknowledge love when you see it! If we combine the passage in Deuteronomy 6 from the last lesson with this passage from Ephesians, we come to a shocking conclusion. God expects husbands to be the primary source of love in their families. Godly men love God completely, their wives lavishly and their children wisely. Frankly, when men read this passage, they usually get distracted by the issue of wifely submission and fail to focus on their own responsibility. When men don t learn to love in the way described in this passage, it comes as little surprise that their wives struggle to respect them. In terms of this passage, both parties in a marriage have challenging roles: the woman gets to submit; the man gets to die. Neither role is all that easy. A great marriage takes everything both a man and a woman have to give. In giving, they get more than they imagined! God designed it that way. A godly man knows that the love this passage talks about is not superficial but sacrificial. If he s not sure what that means, he only needs to look at the way Christ loved the Church and then 19

20 CONSIDERIT AS YOU READ EPHESIANS 5:22 33, REFLECT ON THE According to this Explain how the wife is What is the hardest passage, what will a godly man do for his wife? the ultimate neighbor as defined in this passage and Christ s command to love your neighbor as yourself. part of loving as Christ loves? find ways to give himself for his wife and family. He can look at the description of Christ s love in 1 Corinthians 13, and then measure his progress by those daunting qualities. He needs to recognize that without God s help his love will fall short. His relationship with God becomes the spring of living water from which his family can satisfy their need for love. All this is such a challenging adventure that it takes a real man to undertake it. But this adventure molds the man who lives it. A godly father practices wise love toward his children. He thinks carefully about the instruction in Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21. He pursues a consistent balance of love and discipline for his kids, remembering that they don t always need discipline but they always need love. He knows that part of loving his wife as Christ loved the Church involves the way he loves his children. She is connected to them more emotionally than he is, so she experiences his care deeply through the children. Is the forging of a godly man an automatic process? No. Is it ever easy? No. Does God want to be involved? Every step of the way. With God, what is impossible becomes possible. A godly man cannot become godly until he learns how to love as Christ loves. 20

21 FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: In life, what comes first, the wife s submission or the husband s love? How does your answer fit the relationship between Christ and the Church? APPLYIT Love is a complicated and challenging commitment the greatest a human can make. Like a diamond, it has many sides and amazing qualities like hardness and brittleness. Many of the facets of love are listed in 1 Corinthians 13. If you re a husband, read that list and identify two or three facets that deserve more attention from you. If you re a wife or child, read that list and then identify two or three you can appreciate in your husband s/father s life. Tell him so. EXPRESSIT Pray for the godly men in your life those who are struggling and those who are making good progress. Ask God for wisdom to encourage them along the way. Thank God for His patient molding work in all our lives. 21

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23 REMEMBERIT 1. Wives are to submit to their husbands as to whom? 2. What is Christ the head of? 3. He who loves his wife loves whom? 4. In verse 31, what Old Testament passage does Paul quote? 5. The relationship between man and wife corresponds to what other relationship? SEEKIT GO DEEPER INTO YOUR STUDY OF THIS WEEK S LESSON. Loving God: John 14:15 31 Romans 8:18 30 Answers: 1. The Lord (Eph. 5:22); 2. The Church (Eph. 5:23); 3. Himself (Eph. 5:28); 4. Genesis 2:24 (Eph 5:31); 5. Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:32) 23

24 Building a Godly Home With society s gender-blending, blurred responsibilities and conflicting definitions of family, trying to figure out what it means to be a man can be perplexing but this book gives the answers you re looking for. Based on Woodrow Kroll s popular series of radio messages The Making of a Godly Man, this book helps you identify and live up to the responsibilities God has given you as the man of your home. You ll learn what it means to be the head of your household, a counselor for your children and a complete lover to your wife. And you ll discover how to be a better encourager, provider and leader for your family by following biblical principles. $12.00 (U.S.) $15.00* (Canada) *Includes shipping. See below for ordering information! Back to the Bible is a worldwide ministry dedicated to leading people into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Using radio, the Internet and other media, we share the Gospel message and help Christians grow to spiritual maturity. With broadcasts in 25 languages and an Internet reach to millions, Back to the Bible teaches the Word and touches the world. Contact us for more information: BACK TO THE BIBLE P.O. Box 82808, Lincoln, NE BACK TO THE BIBLE - CANADA P.O. Box 10, Winnipeg, MB R3C 2G