Fellowship Versus Brotherhood

Men say that they want brotherhood. However, the question is, “what price are you willing to pay?” Mickey Mantle said when he was sitting in a bar watching a baseball game after he had retired from the Yankees, “I should be out there playing. But what I really miss is the locker room, the brotherhood of the guys on the team.”

When Pete started his men’s ministry, he asked, “what are men like today? What are their core values and what do they value when it comes to the church? He knew the statistics that said that if men are faithful followers of Christ, 90 percent of their families receive Christ. However, only 17 percent of families come to faith if only the wife is a Christian.

When you call a man in the church “man of God,” he’ll usually look away. When you ask him why he’s ashamed, he’ll say, “because I feel unworthy.” The world’s man code says that we’re what we make of ourselves and that grace doesn’t matter. It teaches that the goal is to be a self made man. We’re taught to resist receiving anything as a gift of grace. However, according to Ephesians 2:8, by grace are ye saved by faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.

The devil’s tactic is to take men of God off of the spiritual battlefield. Great cultures and nations always fail from within. It’s not other nations that conquer a great civilization, but by corruption from within.

Ephesians 6 is about the armor of God. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness from on high. Every sphere of influence whether family, government, education, entertainment, and even churches are weakened from within when they forsake the spiritual armor of God and are overtaken by the powers of darkness. When factions fight for power in the voting booth, the president’s world view will be forced on the culture. However, even if we elect a Christian president, the culture has already been infiltrated by spiritual wickedness in the halls of power.

God will allow persecution inside and outside the church to purge the culture to find out who the real Christians are. According to the flesh, it’s difficult to discern who’s really a Christian. The regular Christian man feels fearful, insecure, inadequate and lonely. He’s casual relationally with Jesus and with others. Casual Christians are casualties in the spiritual battle. The average guy is under challenged and has no mission to which he can commit his life. The church asks us to give faithfully, to attend regularly and to serve diligently. However, the church often fails to emphasize the main question, “how’s your walk with God?”

The normal Christian guy is stressed and struggles with guilt and shame. He struggles with being a cultural Christian rather than a Biblical Christian. He may have father-wounds because his dad never said, “son I live you.” His dad never helped him spiritually or morally. He’s overcome by the “lust of the flesh.” He’s angry but can’t quite put his finger on the cause of his anger. He has problems with his marriage and doesn’t pray for or with his wife. He can’t communicate with her like she wants and needs for him to communicate from the depth of his heart. He never has a date night with his wife and will not attend marriage retreats or conferences with her. He knows that he doesn’t give enough, serve enough, pray enough, read his bible enough, or love enough. He spends most of his time in sin management rather living in God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. He’s terrified of losing control and feels uncomfortable on spiritual turf. He fears rejection and avoids situations where he may be asked to pray out loud or participate in meaningful biblical discussions.

Even deacons and elders in many churches realize they don’t really have a deep, committed, and abiding relationship with their Lord and with the Word of God.

The normal Christian guy is more comfortable isolating himself when he’s struggling and in pain. It’s difficult for him to ask for help from other men. He finds his identity in his job, his bank accounts, his possessions and in his worldly successes. He avoids spending time and sharing his heart with a group of intimate friends. He doesn’t know how to work out his own salvation in the marketplace and in the culture. Men who feel this way in church are the weak ones whom the devil picks off.

When a pastor asked Pete what he wanted to do in men’s ministry, Pete said, I’ve been studying about the role of men in the Christian family. When the plaster reported to the board about this topic for the men’s ministry, they said, “we don’t want to be taught about that. We don’t think we really need to be reminded about our shortcomings.” Pete thanked the pastor for telling him that the church wasn’t ready to be reproved….they weren’t willing to admit that they had a problem.

What’s the difference between brotherhood and fellowship? There are several scriptures about brotherhood. These include: Proverbs 18:24; John 15:13; 1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 1:22; Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:12; and Proverbs 27:17. The essence of the word “fellowship” is our allotment, our share… that which we hold in common or in partnership. It’s also translated as “communion” or co-Union. The dictionary definition of “brotherhood” is “the state of being brothers.” Intimate Brotherhood goes far beyond casual fellowship within the church.

Men who go through combat together know what it means to have a “band of brothers.” Brothers in arms are bound by a blood covenant. It means that I’ll give my blood to save my brother….that I have his back and he’s got mine. Men in battle are willing to die for their brothers… to shed their own blood in order that their brother might live. They have come to the conclusion that if there is nothing worth dying for, then there is nothing worth living for.

Jesus Christ shed his innocent blood on our behalf. There is no redemption without the shedding of blood. He gave his life so that we could live in the newness of spiritual life. He’s our blood brother, the firstborn among many brethren. For he who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. What should be our response? As brothers of the son of God and brothers in Christ we can live according to Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

As brothers of the Son of God, may we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Christian Americans or American Christians?

Research has shown that women who gain a few pounds live longer than their husbands who point it out. It’s easy to give in to cultural points of contention. According to 2 Timothy 3, men in the last days will be lovers of self, haughty, high minded, boastful, covetous, despisers of those who are good, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof. In 2 Timothy 2:22-26 Paul said by revelation, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 24. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26. And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

Christianity is a rescue effort for desperate men. What’s the average Christian man like who attends church? Is he about his Father’s business? Is he ashamed to be called “man of God?”

Three hundred thousand men of God living for God in their homes will change this nation more than one man in the White House. The question is: are we Christians who happen to be Americans or are we Americans who happen to be Christians? The purpose of our calling as men of God is that we keep our priorities in line. We don’t have a political problem today, we have a spiritual problem. Regardless of the problem, the answer is Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the Word of God made manifest.

What’s our big challenge? What’s keeping men of God from their call to brotherhood? The popular culture is opposed to Christian brotherhood. The world’s man-code is centered on self and says that the objective is to become a self made man. However, Jesus said, unless a man forsakes his family and himself and takes up his cross daily to follow me, he cannot be my disciple.

Jesus said, I’m not here to give you a plan. You are the plan. The works that I have done you shall do also, and greater works shall you do because I go unto my Father. The greater work is that we can lead others to salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. When Jesus was here on earth, salvation was not yet available because he had not yet paid the price for our redemption and God’s Holy Spirit was not yet available. In the book of Acts, the multitudes marveled that the men who spoke at the day of Pentecost spoke with power and authority even though they were lowly Galileans. Then they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

The typical Christian man has misplaced priorities and rarely looks inside to see how he can correct this imbalance. He’s struggling with guilt, shame, fear, and loneliness. He identifies himself with his work but cannot find the purpose for his life. He may have a father-wound. He never heard his dad say, “I love you son.” He cannot relate with a loving Heavenly Father because his own dad never modeled what it means to be a godly father.

He struggles with the lust of the flesh and he has problems with his relationship with his wife. He says that he doesn’t need marriage counseling. He complains that his wife doesn’t accept him for who he is. He resents that she spends most of her time trying to change him. He refuses to attend marriage retreats or couples’ classes. He thinks that she is the problem. He never prays with her or for her. He’s been to mens’ retreats and church conferences but cannot understand the meaning of grace. He knows that he doesn’t pray enough, give enough, serve enough, or love enough. He thinks that others have their acts together but knows that he does not. He even questions his own salvation. He spends most of his time in sin management instead of living in Gods grace, mercy, and love.

Pete recalls that a man came up to him after church and said we need to talk. He said, “I got up this morning and found a note from my wife that said, “If you want to save this marriage then go see Pete.” Pete thought to himself, “I know that Jesus can raise the dead, but I’m not so sure about resurrecting this marriage.” He asked the man, “Are you willing to do whatever you need to do to save this marriage?” The man’s answer was, “probably not.”

The typical Christian man is fearful of sharing his faith because he’s not sure how… and he’s not even convinced of his own salvation. He’s afraid of praying in public and sharing in a bible study discussion. Even deacons and elders in the some churches feel inadequate, ignorant, lonely, fearful and isolated.

The typical Christian guy will refuse to come to a Christian men’s group. He doesn’t have time to cultivate true friendships so he keeps his relationships casual. He finds his identity in his job. His motto is “I am what I do.” He’s bought into the culture’s definition of manhood. He prides himself on his bank account, his accomplishments, his possessions and his worldly successes. He doesn’t know how to work out his own salvation in his family and in the marketplace.

The question to ask ourselves as Christian men is, “If every man were like me, would we win the spiritual battle?” We live in a culture that thinks that prayer doesn’t belong in schools and public places; that we should keep our “religion” to ourselves. Some churches won’t allow us to quote scripture in marriage classes where it says, “wive’s submit yourselves to your own husbands in the Lord.”

As in the days of Noah, there’s a flood coming. When Noah warned the people of the impending flood, the people laughed, mocked, and went about their business as usual. Noah was faithful for one hundred years to warn them that the flood would take away their families, their homes, their businesses, and their own lives. Then when the flood finally came, they didn’t know what hit them.

The question is, “how are we as Christian men different from the culture around us?” When we Christians fellowship together and isolate ourselves from the world, how can we change the world? Do we have a form of godliness while we deny the power thereof? As the Apostle Paul said, our challenge is to “work your our own salvation with fear and trembling…with respect and reverence. For it is God who works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

We meet with likeminded men so that we can “choke in the dust” of men of God who are in pursuit of their Lord Jesus Christ. As we walk in the light as he is in the light we shall have fellowship with Christ our brother, with our Heavenly Father, and with one with another in the household of faith. We link with likeminded men so that we can give it away. He called us to deliver the message of salvation, but more importantly he called us to be the message, for we are God’s love letters, his living epistles known and read of all men. Then we can “stand fast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord inasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

And as we follow in the footsteps of our Lord, may we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael