REAL MEN: THE NEED OF OUR DAY! EPHESIANS 6:1-4 INTRO: Somewhere in all the maze of and distorted views of things in our world today we have lost the true meaning of fatherhood. We have lost the necessity of REAL MEN. MEN today are not being the husbands, fathers, or leaders God has called them to be. Our homes today are suffering because many men don't realize the blessings and responsibilities of being a father. We need more men like Abraham of whom God said-- For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (Genesis 18:19). Abraham was chosen to be a blessing to the whole earth, but his vocation was to begin to take effect in the simplest way. He was called to teach his own household, who again would hand down the truth to their households. His being a blessing to the world depended on his being a blessing to his own home. --James Strachan (1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006. WORDsearch Corp, Inc. All Rights Reserved). It would do well that every young man who desires to become a husband and father to spend much time in studying what God teaches on this subject of fatherhood. It would also serve these young men well to learn all that they can from successful fathers experienced fathers who have been through the fire, so to speak, who can impart much good advice and counsel to others. REAL MEN are the need of this hour. There is one unmistakable lesson in American history: A community that allows a large number of young men to grow up in broken families, dominated by women, never acquiring any stable relationship to male authority, never acquiring any set of rational expectations about the future that community asks for and gets chaos. Crime, violence, unrest, disorder most particularly the furious, unrestrained lashing out at the whole social structure that is not only to be expected; it is very near to inevitable. --Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006. WORDsearch Corp, Inc. All Rights Reserved). I want to speak this morning on the subject, REAL MEN: THE NEED OF OUR DAY. Let us consider what REAL MEN are supposed to look like. We see first of all that REAL MEN ARE... (1) MEN OF CHARACTER PSALM 4:2-5-- O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. A. RESPONSIBLE MEN. To be responsible is defined as involving
accountability or obligation. (Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. Volume 2, N-Z. p. 568). REAL MEN are accountable to God, family, and Church. They see it as their obligation to be the best Christian, husband and father, and servant of the Lord as they can be. Friends, this takes character. Someone has given this definition of character- what you are when no one is looking. It is what a person really is, it is not what people think of you that is reputation. There is a great difference between reputation and character. REAL MEN are responsible men. They fulfill their obligation to God, family, and Church. B. RELIABLE MEN. To be reliable means worthy of confidence; trustworthy. (Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. Volume 2, N-Z. p. 562). REAL MEN will not only be responsible men but also reliable men. They will be men of: HONESTY. Honesty means telling the truth. It means giving a a day's work for a day's pay. It means paying the bills one owes. Edward R. Murrow said, To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful. (1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006. WORDsearch Corp, Inc. All Rights Reserved). ILLUS: A preacher preached on stealing. The next week he took a taxi to go across town to an appointment. He handed the driver $20.00. The driver gave him back the change. The preacher said, You gave me 25 cents too much. The driver replied, Yes, I know. I did that to see if you really practice what you preached last Sunday. HUMILITY. REAL MEN will be men of HONESTY but also men of HUMILITY. They will recognize that they must depend of God for strength, wisdom, and understanding. Somone defined humility this way: The proper estimation of one's self. When I look at myself I reailze how much I need God! What about you? A man is humble when he stands in the truth with a knowledge and appreciation for himself as he really is. --The Cloud of Unknowing. (1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006. WORDsearch Corp, Inc. All Rights Reserved). We need REAL MEN. MEN OF CHARACTER but we need... (2) MEN OF COMMITMENT JOB 5:8-9-- I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number. A. COMMITTED TO THEIR FAITH. Eliphaz told Job-- I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause.... Eliphaz said it tactfully, yet he still said it that Job was not seeking God and was not committing his cause to God in his affliction. (David Guzik. Guzik's Commentary. e-sword. Version 9.9.0. Copyright 2000-2011. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide). Friends, are we committing every area of our lives unto God? Is our faith important to us? We need REAL MEN who are committed to trusting God and His wisdom, will, and way! God has promised
in His Word-- Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:5). B. COMMITTED TO THEIR FAMILY. Many today lack commitment. Commitment is a bond it is like being glued together. It is giving all you have. Fathers, we need to be committed to our families our wives and our children. Far too many men today husbands and fathers are committed to a variety of other things instead of their families: jobs, money, pleasure, possessions, power, etc. The list could go on and on. ILLUS: Our families need to know that except for God they are first in our lives. A father was one day trying to teach his little boy to be honest, truthful, committed to good principles. The little guy asked, Daddy, have I ever seen a man like that? Friends, it takes time, energy, wisdom, prayer, and lots of patience to be committed. Someone has said, You will invest your life in something, or you will throw it away on nothing. --Haddon Robinson (1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006. WORDsearch Corp, Inc. All Rights Reserved). Many men today are throwing their lives away on things that are worth nothing. They are not COMMITTED TO THEIR FAITH nor are they COMMITTED TO THEIR FAMILY. We need REAL MEN: MEN OF CHARACTER, MEN OF COMMITMENT, and thirdly... (3) MEN OF COURAGE 1 CORINTHIANS 16:13-- Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. A. MEN CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR FAMILY. We must not be intimidated by those who want to destroy our families. You may think I am a little over concerned when I say that there are those who want to destroy our families, but friends, it is surely true! Here are but a few of those who want to destroy our families: THOSE WHO ARE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN THAT DENY GOD AND HIS WORD. THOSE WHO ARE TRAFFICKING DRUGS AND SELLING ALCOHOL. THOSE WHO ARE TERRORIZING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE BY PEER PRESSURE AND LACK OF SELF WORTH. THOSE WHO ARE TRADING THE WONDERFUL PROVISION OF GOD FOR THE PLEASURES OF THIS WORLD. B. MEN WHO WON'T COMPROMISE THEIR FAMILY. Friends, it takes courage to stand in the face of our foes and say, NO! You can't have my family! But that is what REAL MEN do! Dad, the devil wants to cut a deal you. That deal is called compromise. That is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:13--...quit you like men, be strong. The words quit you like men... literally mean to act like a man. It means When you are
attacked, do not flinch; maintain your ground; resist; press forward; strike home; keep compact; conquer. (David Guzik. Guzik's Commentary. e-sword. Version 9.9.0. Copyright 2000-2011. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide). We must NOT COMPROMISE our families! REAL MEN are MEN OF CHARACTER, MEN OF COMMITMENT, MEN OF COURAGE, and lastly... (4) MEN OF COMPASSION EPHESIANS 6:4-- And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. A. MEN WHO LOVE THEIR FAMILY. I know there are many ways for us to express love one to another, but a simple I love you never hurt anyone. Why do some men find it so hard to say those words? Yes, we show love by things we do but it is nice every once in awhile to hear the words too. REAL MEN express love through words and actions. ILLUS: Baseball ironman Cal Ripken, Jr. said: Growing up, "I love you" wasn't spread around too much in our household. Not that it wasn't meant. I could tell every time my dad told me he loved me without saying it. It's just the way things were then. That part is different in my family. I want my kids to hear it. I tell them, "I love you no matter what," which means, "Whether you're good or bad, happy or sad. It doesn't matter whatever you are. I love you. Unconditionally. Always." It all goes back to security and telling them you'll always be there for them. Maybe you run the risk of telling them you love them so often that it loses meaning. I'll risk it. --Citation: Mark Hyman, Dad's Magazine (June/July 2000); submitted by Dave Goetz; Wheaton, Illinois (Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006. WORDsearch Crop, Inc. All Rights Reserved). B. MEN WHO LOOK OUT FOR THEIR FAMILY. REAL MEN are compassionate and concerned about the welfare of their family. They are concerned about their family: SPIRITUALLY. They are the spiritual leader of their family. They pray over them, weep over them, and have broken hearts over those who go astray. Dads, do we weep over our families? Do we pray for them? Do we really care? Are our hearts broken over those gone astray? MATERIALLY. REAL MEN look out for their family not only spiritually but also materially. They see to it that their family is provided for they have food to eat, a place to sleep, and clothes to wear. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 5:8-- But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. CLOSING: REAL MEN are THE NEED OF OUR DAY! MEN OF CHARACTER, MEN OF COMMITMENT, MEN OF COURAGE, and MEN OF COMPASSION. Being a man is not an easy job. God didn't design it to be easy. A real man grows through the challenges of becoming a real man. It is
a lifetime project. (http://www.free-bible-study-lessons.com/real-man.html) Let us pray that we will be the REAL MEN this world needs! PREACHED JUNE 19, 2011 (FATHER'S DAY) AT UNIONTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH, UNIONTOWN, KY BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING.