Men of God for Such a Time As This

Jesus taught the multitude at the Sermon on the Mount that the life of a disciplined follower of Christ is through the narrow gate and in the narrow way. Jesus Christ himself is the way the truth and the life. In Matthew 5:36-48 Jesus continued his teaching. His message was upside down from the teaching of the Pharisees. Jesus said, you have heard it said that you should love your friends and hate your enemies. But I say unto you love your enemies… bless them that curse you, slander you, and despitefully use you.

Why? Because tribulation workerth patience and patience experience and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is Mande manifest in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

The important thing is to think, respond, and act according to Christ’s heart behind our heart. When we act and react from a heart of the love of God, love covers a multitude of sins. The way to defeat your enemy is to make him your friend. Jesus Christ himself is the one who reconciles our hearts together in the unity of the spirt in the bond of peace.

How do we tolerate turning the other cheek when we’ve been slapped? How do we go the second when we’ve been compelled to go the first mile? According to Philippians 2, let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus…. He humbled himself and became obedient, even unto death on the cross. He for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and is set down upon the right hand of the throne of God.

The beatitudes are the godly attitudes. These attitudes are upside down from worldly attitudes. These attitudes start with humility…. Blessed are the poor in spirit who mourn over the sin that separated our hearts from God’s heart. Blessed are they who are meek to be taught by the true Word of God. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst not for the things of the world, but for God’s righteousness…. The righteousness of God in Christ…. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

An attitude of gratitude for God’s gracious gift of his Holy Spirit is the prerequisite for loving and praising God through our thoughts and actions. The love of God is manifested in walking in the spirit of life in Christ… his hands behind our hands, his feet behind our feet, his eyes behind our eyes…. As we are motivated by His heart of love and service behind our heart.

In an upside down world, to live is to die to self, to be a leader is to humble our hearts to become a servant, to be set free is to be bound by the bond of love as a bond servant of our Lord. The ultimate victory is the ultimate surrender to His will. We have been called to liberty… the greatest freedom is to live captive to Christ.

To be lifted up, is to be abased and to condescend to men of low estate.

God is not impressed with our knowledge of the Word.. For knowledge puffs up.. it inflates our egos. In contrast to knowledge, love builds up. We’re called to edify, to encourage, and to love with the mercy, grace, kindness and peace of the Prince of Peace.

Jesus was popular with the crowds that followed him around. They wanted him to be their king. However, he said, that’s not my calling. They asked him, then what’s your plan? He pointed to a despised tax collector and low class Galilean fishermen. He said, those guys over there, they’re the plan. God chooses the weak things of the world to confound hte wise..

Most casual Christian men in church struggle with guilt and shame. They struggle to make and keep their promises. They have trouble saying, I’m sorry, I need help, I’m mistaken, or I love you. The average casual Christian thinks that there is no one he can please. His heart is angry because of the wrongs he has suffered at work, in relationships, and in his family and his marriage. He doesn’t think that anyone can accept him for who he is. He denies that his marriage could be better. He does not communicate anything with his wife except on an informational level. He’s unwilling to accept counseling to improve his marriage. He thinks that other men are more spiritual than he is. He questions his salvation. He does not believe that he can get serious with God because he’s afraid that God will compel him to go to Africa as a missionary. He’s afraid to be around men who ask him to pray or share from the Bible. He doesn’t have a best friend. He doesn’t befriend others… instead he views them as his competition. He’s comfortable in shallow interactions but he cannot connect deeply with other men. His identity is in his work, his performance, his ability to fix things. He only does what he thinks he can do well. He wants to be involved in spiritual things, but is unwilling to get up in time to participate. He wants to live for Christ, but not if it means dying to self. He wants redemption without confession of his own weaknesses. He’s willing to make promises, but only if they have escape clauses.

Casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual battle. God has called men of God for such a time of this. When the crisis comes and courage is required, God expects his men to be the reliable ones… Men who bear up under pressure and who trust in the Lord with all their hearts and lean not upon their own understanding…. Men whose power is in their surrender to the Lord… who take refuge under the shadow of His wing. Men with a heart to love God by loving others… Men of God who say, “Lord, here am I… send me!”

…that as men of God whom He has called for such a time as this, we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Well you know where we’re continuing on in the Sermon on the Mount. When I when I read it, I feel like Jesus is making his point and then he makes this point and then he makes this point. And he keeps driving it home until I think he wants us to get it. It’s kind of like watching TV and you’re watching a ballgame. And you see the same commercial over and over and over and over and over. And then finally on about 215 time you figure out what they’re trying to sell. Well thank Jesus knows we’re slow learners, and he knows we need to hear something more than once. So in chapter five is he begins to play out what the Beatitudes were all about. What Jesus is done and given us our salvation in the Gospel, knowing that we’re poor in spirit, and we’re mourning and repenting over our sin, and we’re humble and, and then we’re hunger and thirst for righteousness. And then we become merciful. blesser, the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God bless are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. And so he’s been through all that. And then he starts saying, this is a lifestyle, that if you believe in me and follow me, this is a lifestyle you’re going to lead. A lot of people didn’t get that in the fine print when they came to know Christ. They bought the theology of the Gospel, Jesus died for us, John 316, so that we would not perish but have eternal life, that Jesus was buried and raised and lives today for us. So they bought the theology. But when it comes to buying the lifestyle as a different thing, there’s a penetrating question Jesus asked his disciples in the passage we’re looking at today. And it’s in Matthew 546, to 48. And we already been over Jesus saying seven times. Now you’ve heard it said, you’ve been taught by the Pharisees, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you, so he’s correct in everything that the Pharisees were teaching, they always taught the letter of the law. Jesus always taught the spirit of the law. It’s not just doing the right thing. It’s doing it with the right attitude. It’s doing it with the right motive. And so I think you and I struggle with that a lot of times we do the right thing. But we’re doing it with a bad attitude, in the wrong attitude. And so he’s saying, I’m always looking for the spirit, the motive, the character of what you’re doing. And this is the kind of lifestyle you’ll leave. And then he goes on, and it says, when he said I for an eye and a tooth for tooth. And then he says, You’ve heard it said that you should love your friends and hate your enemies. We talked about that last week. But I say to you, love your enemies and Bless those who persecute you. So we started getting into a lifestyle thing where that stops you in your tracks. Love your enemies, so all your friends, include your enemies. And that’s what God taught me years ago, about my physical maladies. I was having some physical issues. I had a list of them still do? And he says, Oh, you’re listing your friends. I said, Pardon me? He says, yeah, those are your friends. This is this define friend is anything or anybody that points you to Christ is your friend. And so all these things that you’re listing here, they’re pointing you to me, you’re praying about them, are you seeking my face on them? So call them your friends. And I never heard it put like that before. And that changed my attitude about my maladies, that they’re pointing me to Christ. So you’ve four if you love those who love you, what reward Do you have? Do not even tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, and this is a penetrating question, what do you do more than others? If you only greet your brothers, if you’re just gonna love those who love you What do you do more than others? Don’t even the Gentiles and tax gatherers do that. Therefore, you’re to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. And he holds a pretty high standard there. The heavenly Father is perfect in every way. And we know we’re not perfect in every way. So what’s he talking about?

When he’s talking about our goal, our aspiration or our inspiration and desire is to be like Christ. Now we know and we make peace with the reality that this out of heaven will never be perfect in our behavior and our thought life in the not sinning, not being insidiously preoccupied with ourselves. That’s just not going to happen. But our if your goal is to be perfect as your Father in heaven that changes everything in regard to sin in your life. You don’t justify sin anymore. You call it what it is. You don’t try to rationalize and I can do this or get away with this or this is not that big a deal. God says you got to look at that differently. And so you don’t see sin like that anymore. You start seeing sin is something you hate. So if you’re going to hate anything, don’t hate your enemies, hate your sin. Hate the wrongdoing, hate that wrong motive. Hey Dad hurt that you heard that slide that you gave. Hate that sin of being vengeful and having to explain yourself and then the case yourself all the time, the sin of holding grudges, of being easily offended, of lashing back, or being critical. We could go on and on. But Jesus is saying, what do you do more than others God has called us as Christians to do more than others. And that’s what being slapped on the right cheek is all about. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, do more than others, volunteer to go two miles, turn the other cheek. If they force you to go that one mile volunteer to go to that’s doing more than others. Nobody does that. But I’ve called you to live a life that nobody can do. Nobody can live this life apart from me. And so I’ve called you up higher to a higher standard of living. But I’ve also given you power to do it. When you received the Holy Spirit, and it says in Romans one you did not receive a spirit of timidity, but power and love and discipline. So he’s not telling us to do something one that he hadn’t done himself. When he was reviled, He reviled not when he suffered, he uttered no threats he could have called 10,000 angels when they came to arrest him. They will add this mock trial and false witnesses with a sin against him, beat him and slapped him around, made fun of him. Beat him almost to death, then carried across as far as he could, went up to the cross and died on it. He could have called 10,000 Angels, but he didn’t. And when they started asking him questions, he didn’t have to answer him. He didn’t have to vindicate himself or explain himself when he was reviled, He revile not, when he suffered, he uttered no threats. What do you do more than others? Don’t even Gentiles do the same. So the great climax of the discipleship, the life that we’re living as we would become like Christ, which means that we’re going to live a life that most people won’t do won’t live. Most people again, who bought the theology, but not the lifestyle, that are professing to be Christians, justifying and rationalizing the sin, as if we’re not going to have to stand before God one day an answer for that is if sin is not a big deal. Sin is what the fall was all about. We talked about that last week, appealing to the self, making God look like he’s unfair and unjust. Or that God will look the other way. He didn’t care about that. The amazing grace that He gives us, even in that process it we fight through. And we fight every one of us fight through that. Every one of us are dealing with sin in our lives. And hating people. And we live we don’t like to say we hate them. We say we don’t like them. We don’t prefer them. But God says you either love him or you hate him. You don’t love him or hate him.

You don’t love him, you spy them. If you don’t love them, you get even with them. If you don’t love them, you’re offended easily by them. And God says you have to love them. And we talked last week about that love is Agave love, that unconditional love. And we talked about what that’s all about. And it’s not a love that anybody can live. You can live arrows and Romans and filet o friendship, have a friendship, love, a family love. And you can do that without the help of the Holy Spirit. But you cannot have a God a love without the Holy Spirit. That’s the spirit that comes into your heart when you come to know him. He’s imparted that to us. So we have no grounds to stand down. And we can look at our resentment banks and justify everything that we do that sin instead of call it sin in repinning. But if you don’t know these words, you won’t even be aware that you can harden your heart to sin. And Jesus says, you know, you guys you’re in the world. In John 17, he said I have given them he’s praying to God, to his father. He says, I have given them your word in the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world, not only asked you to take them out of the world, but keep them from the evil one. They’re not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Twice, he said that. Look, what he’s saying, Guys, I left you here, I didn’t save you and take you right to heaven. I mean, some people may have had come to Christ on their deathbed and gone right to heaven. But he said, I’m leaving you here, I’m not asking you God to take them out of this world, or out of California has moved to Texas or Idaho. I’m not asking you to do that. Here’s what I’m asking. Keep them from the evil one. You know, guys, we’re in a spiritual battle. And in the spiritual battle, there’s angels and demons. And they’re very real. And the demons job is to entice us to tempt us. To destroy in us everything that loves Christ, and every all the character that we have. He’s a accuser that heaps guilt and shame on us. Even after we’ve asked forgiveness and received it, he will accuse us. He is the one that points that bony finger at you. And says, Yeah, you’re the one aren’t you want to his? Didn’t you do that? Now they don’t, they’re not all knowing, but they keep their eye on us pretty close. And so there’s a lot of demon possession going on in our culture. But they say that if you’re a Christian, and you truly have the Holy Spirit, and I believe this, you cannot be possessed by the devil are an evil spirit. But you can be oppressed by it. You can be tempted to temptations, not a sin. It’s fallen to temptation. That’s the sin. Everybody, Jesus was tempted. So we know it’s not a sin. But we saw how he thought that temptation with the Word of God the truth. And so we need to be protected from the evil one. And God protects us from the evil one, but he has a easier job protecting us when we’re walking in the Spirit. We’re abiding in him. We’re spending time in His Word. When you’re spending time with guys like you’re sitting around this morning. That’s how he can more easily protect us from the evil one. He protects us from the evil one by giving us his word, and given us His truth, and given us prayer and the privilege of praying in his name. And coming before a holy father, like we did this morning, was a great prayer time this morning. But you know, the gospel is always a paradox. If you want to live, you have to die. If you want to be first you have to be last. If you want to be great, you have to become a slave. And so that’s the paradox of the Christian life. And so if you don’t like paradox, you’re not going to like trying to figure out how to live the Christian life.

Because he says, If you want to be great, you have to be a slave of all. And so in God’s economy in his system, slaves, guys who choose to be slaves as Jesus did, who humble themselves, give up their right to themselves. He said, those are the great people in the kingdom. Because you’re not going to be great in God’s kingdom. If you’re still living for yourself in your motive is insidiously preoccupied with you. It’s all about you. And we have a culture that’s always been this way ever since the Garden of Eden. But we have a culture today that’s twisted it is turned it on its ear. It said it’s all about you get what you deserve. Get the car you deserve the insurance you deserve those pecan pie you deserve. Well, leave that out. It may be okay. With a scoop of ice cream. You know, we’ve found in scripture in Luke Simeon who held Jesus in his arms when he was a baby. It says and then he prophesied and said this child is set for the fall and the rising tide and of many in Israel. So we say in that one in the same time Jesus is for rising up in the falling of men. There are men that will be broken on the rock of Christ. There are men that will rise up and become men of God, because of Christ, and they’ll stand on the rock of Christ that cannot be shaken. Jesus has been concerned that we should understand who we are in light of the fact in how we’re supposed to live. You have to be perfect. So you’re not going to be perfect in your lifestyle. But you can be perfect in your heart. When God looks at you, he sees the perfect perfection of Christ. He didn’t see all your stumbling around and sin and he didn’t see my excuses that I make and the things that I do the lust in the heart, he’s decided not to see that. Because I have the Holy Spirit in my heart, I’ve been cleansed by the blood of Christ. So when he looks at me, that’s what he sees. He’s not the accuser of the bread, that brother and that’s the devil. He’s the blesser of the brother. And he reminds me of who he is, he gives me grace. He gently corrects me. And he tells me to gently correct others, if I correct them, to be like him, have this attitude in you, which was also in Christ. Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God is something to be held on to. But He emptied Himself took the form of a bondservant, made in the likeness of a man. And being found in the likeness of a man, He humbled Himself, even to the point of death on a cross, have this attitude in you. And the only way you can do more than others is to have that attitude that Christ said, Christ attitude was an attitude of servanthood, of blessing of putting others first of humbling himself. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Why, so that he may exalt you at the proper time. There will always be an exhausting of the humble man, who doesn’t need to talk about himself all the time, then love to hear his name, although we all do. He wants He’s humble. He, Jesus made a point and one point of saying, when you walk into a banquet, don’t go sit in the place of honor. He says, Stay in the back. And if they want you in the place, they’ll call you up. Because if we go sit in the place of honor in front of everybody, they’ll have to come up and say, Hey, this is not your seat. You need to blow him out of here. And that’ll embarrass you. So I can embarrass, you are exhausted. And you have to decide what you want. Do you want to do more than others? Do you want to live a lifestyle exemplary of Jesus Christ? Is that your desire? Is that your motive? Is that why you do what you do? You want to honor Christ and be like him in this very evangelistic? You can’t. You can’t separate discipleship, stomp in the word and prayer fellowship and witnessing, being obedient to Christ in obeying Him, making Jesus Lord of your life. All of that’s about one thing about evangelism. If it doesn’t work itself out in having men who are done with themselves, men who had turned the other cheek and go the second mile, then we’ve aborted what he’s what all the discipleship was about. Some guys read their Bible and study and to get smarter,

to have more of a up at sown others, because of the way they know the word. And God’s not impressed with that. God’s press with a humble guy who reads a word and obeys the word who wants to become this like Jesus Christ, he reads the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy and peace and goodness and kindness, understanding self control, and he looks at that and he goes, that’s what I want. I want that in my life. I want that to be my character. I want that to be how I act. I want that to be who I am. I want to be those things. And I can be those things in Christ. But you have to hold on to him for all your worth and follow Him with all your heart. So we’re we’re talking about being the men of God that God has called us to be. But we have a problem. In one day, I was thinking about this and ministered demand for a lot of years it just and by this time So I got to know myself and I got to know guys. And so I asked the question, what’s the average guy in the average church look like? What’s it? What kind of guy is he? What characterizes this guy? Go Jesus has called us and said, Look, when he showed up, and they said, we’ll come and be our king. He says, My kingdom is not of this world who come into politics? He said, I’m not going to get in politics. He said, What is your plan? He looked at Matthew leave at the time in the tax table, he said, See that tax gather over there. He’s a plan. And he looked at guys like me and you and say they’re the plan. But we got a problem because our pro profiled what the average guy in the average church looks like today. And I gotta say, before I read this, it’s not only the guy, not totally to blame, but you lead a guy to Christ, you’re supposed to disciple the guy in discipleship is not a strong suit of churches. That’s not what they’re really good at. Helping guys. The men of the word, understand what it means for Jesus to be Lord of their life. Be man of prayer, the importance of fellowship that you’ll never be a godly man or man of God, if you’re not running around women of God. Never do the man of God and you could be in should be if you don’t have godly men in your life. So what characterizes and challenges this average Christian guy, he’s insecure and inadequate, isolated, lonely and fearful. He’s casual relationally with Jesus. And with others, he’s under challenged spiritually, and has to look very hard if he wants to be a part of something bigger than he is to give his life to. He has misplaced priorities and rarely takes time to consider how to make them right. He works hard, usually more than is needed or healthy. He’s stressed and he hates it. But he doesn’t think he can do anything about it. He feels trapped. He doesn’t take care of himself physically. Didn’t really exercise enough than eat right? Probably overweight, will not go to the doctor even if he suspect something’s wrong. He’s not had a physical exam in recent memory. This man has a basic struggles with things like guilt and shame. Believing God loves him, receiving grace, giving grace, making commitments and keeping them business ethics. You might call him more businessman who happens to be a Christian than a Christian who happens to be a businessman. This guy struggles with being able to say simple things like I was wrong. I don’t know. I’m hurting. I need help. I’m sorry. I love you. He has a father wound. Possibly grew up without a dad and been looking for one all his life. Or maybe had an absentee dad who was home but never spent much time with him. Or maybe never never heard his dad say son, I love you. Or son, I’m proud of you.

He could never please his dad and be good enough. Maybe his dad was verbally critical of him and did not believe in him and those put downs have dogged him all his life. He had a hard time respecting his dead. He was hurt seeing his dad mistreat his mom or seeing his dad dominated by his mom. He was never mentored or helped spiritually or morally by dad. Maybe he was never disciplined by his dad and felt that he didn’t care about him. He was maybe he was punished by his dad a lot and was physically kicked around. This man is struggling with pornography if he’s not already addicted to it. He has an anger problem and usually does not even know why. He’s challenged if not struggling in his marriage. He’s not interested in his marriage as much as his wife is. He had no preparation for marriage didn’t read any books or attend any classes or premarital counseling. He does not pray with any consistency with his wife. He feels that he cannot please her and that she does not accept him for who he is. He feels that he cannot be himself. and still be loved by her. While he knows he’s not perfect, he resents that she spends most of her time trying to change him. He would like for her to be as interested in having sex as he is. He does not initiate. He doesn’t initiate things like going to counseling for himself or his marriage. For didn’t initiate date nights or romantic weekend getaways. Anything that’s designed to work on his marriage, such as couples retreats, marriage workshops, classes, small groups, reading something that focuses on a relationship. He’s not interested, not enough to pay a price to go and do that. He doesn’t communicate with his wife in anything more than an informational level. And this guy’s plateaued spiritually. He’s heard 1000 sermons, he’s been to numerous retreats and workshops, seminars, classes, small groups, Bible studies, conferences, maybe even Promise Keepers. He’s read the latest and most stimulating books about men. He knows there’s a lot more to God than he’s gotten to yet. He feels that he needs an accountability group but doesn’t really want one. He knows he does not even does not serve enough, read his Bible enough, pray enough share his faith enough, often feels like throwing in the spiritual towel because he’s just no good at. He does not feel that he can be just himself and still be a Christian and a man of God. He believes that other men have their act together, but he doesn’t. He believes that God loves the other guys, but not him. He believes that he’s unique and the only guy struggling so much with his particular temptations and sins. He struggles with believing that he’s really saved. He spends most of his time in sin management rather than feeling free in Christ. He compares himself to other men and comes away feeling inferior or like a loser or maybe comes away feeling superior. He’s uncomfortable with this term with the term man of God as it applies to him. He wants to be a man of God kinda but does not know how to become one. He’s afraid to get too close to anyone because he’s afraid that they’ll find out who he really is. And he’s terrified of losing control. He feels uncomfortable on spiritual turf. He doesn’t particularly like going to church. He has a hard time identifying with the guy up there preaching. He’s afraid that if he really gets serious with God, he’ll make him go to Africa as a missionary. He struggles in his prayer life. He cannot keep up with his wife spiritually and allows her to take the spiritual lead in their relationship. He’s fearful of sharing his faith, because he does not know how to and he fears rejection. He knows he does not know the Bible very well. And avoids places or situations where you might be asked to pray out loud or look something up. He’s willing to be an elder or Deacon but does not believe he’s qualified spiritually. So he ducks in dodges and does a lot a lot of fancy spiritual footwork, so not to be found out. He’s more apt to attend a business meeting or painful root canal than a prayer meeting.

He doesn’t have a best friend. He’s not that interested in the Men’s Ministry if they have one. He has a hard time trusting other men. He feels competitive with other guys. He’s afraid to be really known by another man he wants to be but is afraid to take the risk. He’s afraid to lose control of his emotions and embarrass himself if he gets too close or invulnerable to others. Other guys, he does not have time to cultivate a best friend. So he settles for shallow relationships with men who are not even who are not more interested in going deeper than he is. He’s more comfortable isolating when he’s struggling or hurting than sharing his perceived weakness with another man or men. There’s absolutely no hugging going on. He finds his identity in his job. I am what I do, or his bank account, or possessions I am what I earn. Are his sexual prowess. Real men always have great sex or a self sufficiency I walk alone I’m a self made man or in his emotional Strength big boys don’t cry. He’s confused about what a real man is in our day or what a man of God is and how he might become one. He’s confused about spiritual leadership, and how to be a spiritual leader in his home, or what his role as a Christian husband and father is and how to do it. Or how to work out his salvation in the marketplace and still be able to provide for himself and his family. In other words, how you going to turn the other cheek and go the second mile and still make a buck out of that. He sees himself as basically a good guy. And he really is, even though he doesn’t tithe much that he gives occasionally when he can. He does not help or serve a volunteer at church much but feels pretty good about it when he does. He reads but not much. And basically when the job requires it, he walks away from things he can’t do well, or soft, quickly, or fix easily. He struggles with feeling unappreciated and respect and respected for who he is and for what he does and contributes. He wants to be respected but basically does not feel he deserves it or worse, does not feel he’s earned. He wants things as long as he can have them in on his own terms. He wants a best friend but not if it’s going to take a lot of time. He wants to be in a small group and not if they have homework. He wants to be involved in spiritual things, but not if they happen in the early morning. He wants to be a better husband and father but no book or reading or attending classes. He wants to write out a check to help but not get personally involved. He wants to go to church but thinks it’s more for women and kids. He wants to crown but not the cross. He wants to be glorified with Him but not crucified with him. He wants to live spiritually but not if it means dying to himself. He wants to be humble but not broken. He wants to have a clear conscience with not if it means he has to repent. He wants to be pure but not without confessing his sin, but without confessing his sin.

He wants to be an accountability group but not held accountable. He wants to be called a servant but does not want to be treated like one. He wants to be a man of character but not if it means discipline himself. He wants to be obedient but not if it means giving up control. He wants to be a man of prayer but not if he has to be alone with God. He wants to be a leader but not if it means being a footwashing slave. He wants to make commitments but maintain his right not to keep them. He wants to keep his vows with only a few keep years. He wants to be involved but only when it’s convenient. He wants to be depended on but still be free to keep his options open. He wants to be able to sin but without having to face the consequences. Is that enough? That’s our struggle, guys. Jesus says what do you do more than others? These are the things that guys struggle with. You probably heard a few things in there you might could identify with. But God has called us to be the kind of guys that other guys want to be. They have a hard time finding the guy they think is a man of God or a man of prayer. A guy of character guy who puts others first God who sacrifices and serves the gods what God does in our hearts when he’s making a man of God. So this week, or maybe just less limited to this day. Something we might can handle this go this do more than others. What do you do more than others? That’s a valid question that God could ask every man who follows Him and claims to be a follower of Christ. What do you do more than others? He’s called us to be a more than others life. Most people won’t live this life. Most people who profess Christ don’t aspire to do this. But in times like these, we need men who aspire to do this as who they want to be and they’re willing to sacrifice and deny themselves. They will endeavor be prepared for the crisis when it comes because when the crisis comes in courage is required. He wants to be that guy that can be depended on that guy that will stand In the face of danger and bear up under suffering and sacrifice for the good of others, as what God has called us to be guys, let’s never forget that. Let’s pray as we close. Let’s pray that God would make us these kind of men. Let’s pray that God would shake us free. They would protect us from the evil one who just wants to do everything in his power to keep us from being these kind of man. This Don’t be lazy unless repent from being lazy. This repent for more than the easy road rather than hard road. This repent for being on the wide road in the broad way, instead of the narrow gate in the narrow way. This repent of whatever we need to repent off. I can’t imagine that this morning God hadn’t said something to your heart. Something that you want to repent of and stop doing. In the power of Christ, not in your own willpower, not in your own sternness. But letting Jesus Christ come in and dominate your life and he’ll conquer that you can’t conquer the sin in your life. But when you’re walking in the Spirit and abiding in him, he said, he said, you will bear much fruit out deliver you from that. That weakness, that sin, that lust, that unhealthy appetite, that aspiration, that glorify yourself, that desire to have more than you need or deserve. And all those things that we struggle with. And Father, we come to you this morning as a bunch of guys who are here because we want to be men of God, we showed up this morning because we love the fellowship. We love the music, the worship, not so much about the teaching. But Lord, this teaching is hard. And I had to go through it myself and look at myself, to know myself to be able to write this stuff down because I’ve struggled so much with so many of these things. And Father, we are desires to be perfect because our Father in heaven is perfect. And so we’re asking you today to help us be perfect in Christ. protect us from the evil one. Help us be the men that you called us to be that you died on the cross to redeem. Help us be the fathers in our homes. Help us be the husbands to our wives.

Help us be the businessman that honor you, in all of our dealings, help us guard our mouth, and our critical spirits, our profanity, our lust after women, our temptation in pornography, our habits that are unhealthy for us physically. Lord, there’s so much but thank you for if we never did one thing we tried, we were giving it our best. And you said Well done good and faithful servant. Thank you for your grace and Your mercy as we traveled this road of being God’s man, thank you for leading and guiding us. Thank you for protecting us on the freeways on the highways and byways of life and all our circumstances. Thank You that we always have you to turn to thank you that you gently correct us. Thank You that You love us anyway, no matter what. And thank you that you’re raising up men like these for Sam such as this, because these men are what the world needs. These men are not the world is not worthy. And I’ve asked a blessing on each one today, each one in the sound of my voice and we want to go out there and give them heaven and bless your name. And see people come to Christ. And so you bring make friends of enemies. And so you do what only you can do in our hearts and lives in the days of head even today in Jesus name and all God’s men said Go get him heaven guys.

What’s In It for Me?

The beatitudes are the doorway into the narrow gate and the narrow way, Jesus Christ himself. He is the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father except by him. Jesus Christ is the word of God made manifest. To know God we must know our Lord and Saviour, for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

In following Christ, there are two things we need to ask ourselves. The first is what’s it’s going to cost me? The second is, what am I going to get out of it?
The world has indoctrinated us to ask, “What’s in it for me.?” This “WIIFM” decision criteria focuses on self. The world says look out for number one, and you’re number one.

The world’s doctrine is upside down from the Word’s doctrine, the truth of scripture. Jesus said, in Matthew, continuing his sermon on the mount… You have heard it said, but I say…. The word of God is the opposite from the world’s doctrine.

Many people listen to Jesus’ message but they have not bought into following him from a heart of love. The world says, “don’t get mad, just get even.” They say, “God didn’t call me to be a doormat.” However Jesus said, if a person slaps you on the cheek, then turn the other cheek.

Any man can claim his rights and any demon will make sure he gets them. However, human rights are often Godly wrongs. People will understand whether I’m a Man of God by how I respond to adversity… by the decisions I make and the way I treat other people.

Jesus said, if we’re looking for reasons to get upset when we’re wronged, this will take our hearts away from a heart of following the Lord.

George Meuller said, There was a day when I utterly died to the world and my own tastes and will. I died even to the approval of my brothers and friends. My purpose when I died to myself was only to please my Lord.

The beatitudes begin with humility. Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who come to realize that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. True life is only in the spirit of God in Christ in us. Blessed are they that mourn… Mourning over the sin that has separated our hearts from God’s heart produces true repentance… turning from my selfish self and unto God. Blessed are the meek… those who are humble of heart to recognize that God’s best interest is my best interest.

Ephesians says that God’s requirement for a servant is that he be found faithful. A faithful man faithfully serves God by serving others from a heart of love. Without the spirit of God we cannot love with the love of God. We can only love with God’s love because he loved us first… for in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. We love him because he first loved us.

We can either feed the flesh nature we inherited from Adam or we can feed the nature of the spirit we inherited when we were born again of His spirit. If we focus on self… on how unfairly the world has treated us and how others have wronged us, we will feed the god of the flesh… the god of self.

The root of the sin nature is in the same lie that the devil told Eve…. If you disobey God’s only command by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then you will be like God…. Go ahead and take a bite of the forbidden fruit. Your purpose is not about God, it’s about you. Live for your own self and you will be like God knowing good from evil. When Eve took the devil’s bait and doubted the Word of God and the Love of God, she turned her heart from God and toward her selfish sin nature.

When we feel as if our so-called rights have been violated, we need to ask ourselves, “why does this upset me?” Is it because my pride has been offended? In the daily decisions of life, why have I become embittered by circumstances and situations?

Pete recalls that he called the pharmacy recently and the pharmacy representative said, you need to call this number and check on your Medicare coverage for this prescription. Pete called the number and someone from a foreign country answered the phone. Pete couldn’t understand his accent. The man said, please hold on the line while I check your coverage. Pete waited and waited… After holding for 45 minutes, and Pete felt himself getting frustrated, he heard God’s still-small voice. “I’m giving you a check up from the neck up. When Jesus Christ was reviled he reviled not. You need to understand that the man on the line is not only trying to help you. He’s just trying to do his job to support his wife and children from a heart of love… You need to learn to recompense to no man evil for evil. You need to seek to bless others from a heart of love.”

The man answered after an hour, I’m sorrry but I can’t resolve your issue with your Medicare prescription coverage.

James Francis wrote and essay called “One Solitary Life” about the life of Jesus…. In an upside down world, God chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wisdom of the world. According to this essay:

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant. He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. Then, for three years, he was an itinerant preacher.He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn’t go to college. He never lived in a big city. He never traveled 200 miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself.He was only 33 when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his garments, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend.Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. I am well within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned–put together–have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one, solitary life.

If you’re claiming that Jesus is Lord, this is the kind of life God has called you in following the Lord. Every moment of every day, God gives us opportunities to deny our selfish selves and to live for the glory of God in Christ….

… that we may ever live to the praise fo the glory of His grace,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Selfless or Selfish

A major theme of the Sermon not the Mount is the spiritual life in Christ characterized by supernatural selflessness. Jesus said, apart from me you can do nothing. After he taught them the beatitudes Jesus said, You’ve heard it said…. they had been taught by the Pharisees who were zealous for the letter of the law. However, the Pharisees did not understand the spirit of the law. Jesus came to deliver a new law of the spirit of life in Christ.

Jesus said, You have heard about the law of sin and death… an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you love your enemies, bless them who despise you and persecute you. As the Apostle Paul said, it’s not I, but Christ who lives in me… I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus continued, if you only love those who love you in return, don’t even the hated tax-gatherers do that? Perfection is not in the nature of the flesh we inherited from Adam… the love of God is upside down from worldly motives. The world teaches that we should make regular deposits into a resentment bank. When those we live with, work with, and associate with offend us and use us, don’t get mad, just get even. Store up resentment and with a heart of vengeance and retaliation, seek “just retribution.” However, Jesus said, if someone slaps you on the cheek, then turn the other cheek. If someone steals your clothes, then give him your coat also. Love your enemies, do good to those who slander you, speak evil of you and despitefully use you, for great is your reward in heaven.

Forsaking our sinful selves and mourning over the sin that has separated our hearts from God’s heart is the beginning of approaching God’s throne of grace. With a heart of meekness and humility we can relinquish our own lives under the lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he will give us his nature… the nature of the spirit of God in Christ in us the hope of glory.

The gospel is a paradox. It’s discouraging to the flesh but encouraging to the holy spirit of His righteousness. Jesus is come for the rising and the falling of men… the difference is whether we confess Him as Lord… as master of our lives as born again believers of the truth of the word of God made flesh.

The average Christian guy has one foot in the church and one foot in the world. He has not committed his way unto the Lord. He has difficulty with understanding the unconditional love of God. He struggles with admitting that he is weak in his own power. He is anxious and worried over the things of this world that consume his time and energy…. his family, his work, his marriage, and his relationships. He is unwilling to work on his marriage and an intimate meaningful relationship with his wife. Even though he has been to Christian retreats and has participated in small group meetings, he feels like he should throw in the spiritual towel because the things of the spirit haven’t made a difference in his life. He questions his salvation and feels like a loser when he’s around devout dedicated Christian men. He’s uncomfortable on spiritual turf and cannot identify with the preacher’s message. He avoids situations where he will be called on to pray or share something from the Word. He has a hard time trusting other men and does not have a best friend. The average Christian guy is a casual Christian. Casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual battle.

After a message, Pete approached a man who was standing in the back of the church. He asked him, what’s on your mind? The man answered, this morning I woke up and found a note from my wife that said, If you want to save this marriage then go see Pete. Pete asked him, Are you willing to do whatever it takes to save this marriage? The man searched his heart and then answered honestly, Probably not.

What is the distinguishing feature of a Christian man? What does the Christian man do more than others? After Solomon had written the book of Ecclesiastes, his treatise about the vanity and emptiness of this world’s empty promises, he came to this conclusion: Fear, respect, honor and love God and keep his commandments… for this is the whole duty of man. As the Prophet Micah said, And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

The Lord’s bondservant must not strive… he must not be quarrelsome but be kind to all, apt and able to teach, patient, gently correcting with the Word of God those who oppose themselves. … for it is the kindness, goodness, grace and mercy of God that calls a man to repentance. Jesus said, come unto me all ye who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…. for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

In An Upside Down World

Jesus’ sermon on the mount encourages us to look at ourselves in the mirror and see what’s really in our hearts. Jesus said, seven times “You’ve heard it said… but I say unto you…”. When we see the truth through Christ’s eyes behind our eyes, then we will see that the world is upside down from the truth of the Word of God.

The world says you should get even with those who’ve wronged you. But Jesus said, if someone steals your clothes, then give him you coat also. If someone slaps you on the cheek, then turn the other cheek. When we live for the god of self, we cannot live for the true God.

The devil appealed to Eve’s selfish ego in the Garden of Eden. He questioned the love of God and the word of God. He said, If you disobey God and eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you won’t need God. You’ll be like God… dont trust God, he doesn’t love you. He wants you to remain ignorant. Trust your own knowledge and intelligence. Then you can worship yourself instead of God. The devil has been preaching the same lie ever since and the world has fallen, worshiping the God of self.

Pride goeth before the fall. In the midst of a fallen world, Jesus said, don’t think less of yourself, think nothing of yourself. As the Apostle Paul said, In my flesh that I inherited from Adam’s fall, there is no good thing. Jesus said, In order to be my disciple, then forsake yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me. In order to follow in the way he’s prepared for us, we must crucify the old nature that we inherited from Adam. Then we can follow the Lord from a heart of love, meekness, humility, joy, and thankfulness.

In an upside down world, Jesus contrasts the beautiful attitudes of the spirit of life in Christ with the worldly attitudes of the flesh. The Sermon on the Mount separates Christ-followers from the followers of the god of this world…. those whose eyes the devil has blinded lest the glorious light of the gospel of truth should shine unto them.

It’s not about the cost, the pain, and the suffering of following Him… instead it’s about the value… the value of following him from a heart of love. We cannot love like Jesus loved without his valuable gift of the Holy Spirit. The spirit of life in Christ is different from the life of the fallen flesh we inherited from Adam and Eve. God loved us before we could love him. The love of God is not of this world. His love is the motivation for the spirit he gave to us as the perfect gift, paid for by the innocent blood of Jesus Christ sacrificed on our behalf. He loved us not because we were deserving of His love, but because love is God’s nature not ours. We can love him only because he first loved us…. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

A man of God’s desire is to learn to love and live like Jesus. A follower of Christ says, I want to learn to become just like my Lord. Colossians 2:6-7 says, As you have received Christ Jesus, so walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

God is no respecter of persons. He is however, a respecter of His word. As we walk in the light as Christ is in the light, the blood of Jesus Chrsit will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The cleansing is in the walking.. in following him according to the way that he’s prepared for us.

According to Galatians…. neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing. Everything we can do out of a religious motivation will come to no avail. The only thing that accomplishes God’s purpose in our lives is believing faith that works in love. Anything done from a selfish motive will amount to nothing. It will be useless and empty and devoid of purpose. God called us as his workmanship, his poem, his poetry in motion to walk the path of following our Lord motivated by a heart of love. For we are his workmanship, his great work of art created in Christ Jesus unto good works that he has prepared in advance for us to walk according to his purpose… that we should be to the praise fo the glory of His grace.

According to the charity checklist in 1 Corinthians 13, Love suffereth long and is kind. Love vaunteth not itself… it is not boastful and is not puffed up. It is not prideful or self serving. It is never joyful about injustice. It eagerly believes the best for others. It hold no grudges, it does not think evil of others. The love of God beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth all things according to the word of our loving Father.

The things of this world will soon be passed. Only that which is done in the love of Christ shall last. Love never faileth. Now abides faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is the love of God.

The love of God calls us to a higher purpose. With the spirit of God in Christ in us God has made us a new creation. Old things are passed away, all things are become new. Therefore each new day is an opportunity to walk in the newness of life.

Jesus said, love your enemies. Bless them that persecute you, slander you and despitefully use you. Recompense to no man evil for evil. From a heart of the unconditional love of God Jesus said, in that you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.

The upside down world thinks that freedom means freedom not to have my so called human rights violated. However Galatians says, freedom is not to use our liberty in Christ as an opportunity to sin, but to serve others from a heart of love. This is the example of Jesus Chrsit himself… for in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. Because he paid the price for our sins, we can love him by loving others with a selfless heart of meekness and humility.

That with a heart overflowing with the Love of God, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

A New You in ‘22

The world teaches us to “look out for number one.” Rugged individualism is a hallmark of so-called “American exceptionalism.” However, exceptionalism according to Jesus is self-less and not self-ish.”

After he had taught them about the beatitudes, Jesus said, You have heard it said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth…. However, If someone slaps you on the cheek, then turn the other cheek. The focus is not on the world’s reaction to recompense evil for evil, but to actively pursue the spirit of God’s love, mercy, and grace with Christ’s heart behind our heart.

The world says to seek our own selfish desires when our so-called human rights are violated. However, be careful… any fool can claim his “rights” and any demon will make sure he gets them. Jesus said, don’t think little of yourselves, instead think nothing of yourselves…. Set your affections on things above, not on things of this world. For in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The root of the problem is the insidious preoccupation with self. The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory.

In every choice we face we consider two questions… the first is what will I get out of this decision? The second is, what will it cost me? If a person makes a decision out of selfish motives, he will soon quit. However, if it’s done for the good of those we love, then the commitment will persist.

Service to others is learned in the crucible of life. Pete recalls that he ran out of a medication and called the pharmacy to see why they did not notify him for his automatic refill. He called the number that the pharmacy gave him to settle Medicare questions and was connected to an agent in a foreign country….. Even though Pete could not understand what the man said, he spent an hour on the phone and then after the call he hung up frustrated. Then he called his doctor’s office. The doctor’s assistant said, let me call your insurance and I’ll call you right back. She called back in five minutes and said, I’ve resolved your problem. Pete thought to himself, I’ve wasted an hour of my time and I could have resolved this problem in only five minutes. Then God’s still small voice spoke to Pete. “You need to pray for the guy on the phone who did his best to help you. He did his job with kindness and courtesy. He has a family to support and you need to thank God for him and his heart to serve. It’s not about you…. you need to live to bless others and not yourself.”

George Meuller said, I recall the day that I died unto myself. From that day on, I strived to hold myself accountable only to my Lord Jesus Christ. As Galatians 2:20 says, I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life I now live, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirt and those who mourn over the sins that separated our hearts from Gods hearts. Blessed are the meek…. those who are humble to receive God’s instruction in righteousness. In an upside down world, face the problem of self by forgetting self and pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

In Roman times, a Roman soldier could require any person in the empire to carry his pack one mile. This was required by Roman law. However, Jesus said, if he compels you to carry his pack, carry his pack a second mile. The first mile is of obligation. The second is from a heart of love. Jesus said, in love serve one another.

Pete often counsels couples whose marriage is on the brink of dissolution. One woman who was broken and depressed unloaded a three page list of sins her husband had committed against her. After she finished, Pete said, I’m sure what you said about your husband is true. However, I’m more concerned about your attitude and your depression caused by a judgmental spirit of complaining and condemnation. She answered, God didn’t call me to be a doormat. Pete said, Which God are you talking about?

In Mark 7 is the account of the woman who was known to the townspeople as a sinner. She entered the house of the Pharisee who had invited Jesus to his house for dinner. She bowed down at Jesus’ feet weeping. She poured precious ointment on his feet, washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. It’s difficult to understand the significance of her actions without understanding the customs of ancient biblical culture. Psalms 56:8 says, … put thou my tears in thy bottle, are they not in thy book? Many people saved in a bottle the tears they shed righteously in prayer and in suffering for the Lord. They were buried with their tear bottle and thought that the weight of the tears in they saved would determine their rewards in heaven. This woman poured her righteous tears, her most prized possession on Jesus’ feet along with precious ointment. Then she washed Jesus’ feet with her hair, considered her crowning glory. This is a picture of humility to serve her lord and master… she considered her crowning glory and her most precious possessions worthy to be offered as a sacrifice at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus himself washed his disciples’ feet in the upper room after the last supper. Jesus said, I have done this as an example of serving one another with a heart of humility. Jesus had said to them before, that which you have done unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The poem one solitary life says….

Blessed are the poor, mournful, and meek… when we with a heart of humility and give up our own selfish selves and meekness seek to bless others, then we too will be blessed….

Jesus’ teaching in the sermon on the Mount is upside down from the world’s definition of success. Jesus himself was our example of humility.

The essay One Solitary Life by James Allen Francis is about the contrast between Jesus’ life and the things that the world holds in high esteem…He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant. He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. Then, for three years, he was an itinerant preacher.He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn’t go to college. He never lived in a big city. He never traveled 200 miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself.He was only 33 when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his garments, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend.Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. I am well within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned–put together–have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one, solitary life.

One characteristic of a Man of God is that he wants to spend the rest of his life learning to become more like his Lord Jesus Christ. For a new you in ‘22, resolve to pray Psalm 139… search me O God and know my heart… Examine me and see if there is any wicked way in me… and lead me in the way everlasting. As David prayed, Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

You’ve given me so much,
Lord Please give me too,
A heart that is always grateful to you..

That we may live to the praise of the glory of your grace,
Your brother in Christ,

New Beginning, Faithful Men, and Men of God

According to 2 Corinthians 5, If any man is in Christ he is a new creation. Old things are past away, behold all things are become new. As we walk with him and progress through the way he has prepared for us, we become new day by day. Then In retrospect we can look back on the road we’ve travelled with him and we can see the progress we have made and the growth we have enjoyed in his presence.

God is a God of new beginnings. Our old reputation, our old habits, our old man nature has passed away… in our work, in our relationships, in our marriage, in our immediate family and in our extended family…. especially within the family of God. The grace of God has no expiration date… for Jesus said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

The devil will accuse us of having fallen short of God’s righteous standard. He will tell us that we have failed to press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He’ll make us beat ourselves up for our unworthiness in our own works and in our own behavior. If we look to the world, we’ll be distressed, if we look to others we’ll be stressed, and if we look in the mirror we will be depressed. But if we look to the Lord, we’ll be blessed.

Proverbs 20:6 says, who can find a faithful and trustworthy man? According to Ephesians 4, What matters is that a man be found faithful… faithful to follow the Lord walking worthy of the calling wherewith he has called us according to his Word and according to His will. Faithfulness is in walking in the light as He is in the light… then the blood of Jesus Chrsit will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In Matthew 26, after Jesus met with his disciples in the upper room he said to them, “You will all fall away from me this night for it is written I will strike down the shepherd and the sheep from the flock shall be scattered.” This was the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. Peter responded that he would follow Jesus even to death. Then Jesus said, to Peter… “Before the cock crows twice, you shall deny me thrice.” Peter needed to learn a difficult lesson… a lesson in humility.. He needed to understand that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.. in my own power, I am powerless to follow faithfully from a heart of love and grace.

A wise man said, I cannot keep my vows, but my vows keep me. When a person is committed to his vows, the decision has already been made. Keeping vows means to burn the bridges so that you cannot return the way you came. You can only move forward. As Jesus said, abide in me and I will abide in you. I am the vine and ye are the branches, apart from me you cannot bear fruit.

The apostle Peter’s sin was not premeditated. He was impetuous and lived in the moment… As he warmed himself by the fire of the courtyard outside of Chiaphas’ house, a girl approached him and said, I recognize from your accent that you are a Galilean, one of Jesus’ followers… Peter denied Jesus, he said, “I know not the man.” Then the cock crowed and Jesus locked eyes with Peter… Peter went away and wept bitterly. Peter was broken of his pride and his self sufficiency… Thank God for breaking our hearts for what breaks his.

After the resurrection, Jesus had said to his disciples, I will meet you all in Galilee. The disciples were offended when Jesus said that they would fall away. They were offended because they trusted in their own prideful ability. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.. as Jesus said, apart from me you can do nothing.

The problem with the Apostles is that they did not know their own hearts. According to Timothy, the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. There was only one traitor among the disciples, but they were all deserters. When Jesus was arrested, Jesus said to the Roman soldiers, Take me but let these others go. Then disciples ran off into the night.

Without the grace of God the nature of man is judgementalism and a critical spirit. We especially judge ourselves unto self condemnation. However, according to 1 John 3, even though our heart condemns us, God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things. God knows that his love and grace covers a multitude of sins.

The people of Jesus’ time were astonished that Jesus met with publicans (tax collectors), prostitutes, known sinners, and those of questionable reputation. Jesus said, I have not come to minister to the healthy but to the sick. When the people asked Jesus, What’’s your plan?, he pointed to a desposed tax collector and lowly Galilean fishermen and said, those guys over there, they are the plan.

God takes the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. This applies to the people he chooses and also to the trials and tribulations of life.

Jesus called and is calling men of God. What is a man of God and how is he different from men of the world? What is God’s value and purpose of a man of God? When you call a man, “Man of God,” most men will look down and look away. They feel unworthy of such a title. They think a man of God is one who serves enough, gives enough, studies the Bible enough, loves enough and teaches enough. When is enough enough?

There are three characteristics of a man of God. The first is that he loves Jesus. After the resurrection, the disciples went back to the Sea of Galilee to fish. Jesus came to the shore and asked the men, have you caught anything? They said, we’ve fished all night but have caught nothing. Then John realized that it was Jesus who was speaking to them. Then Peter jumped out of the boat and swam and then ran to Jesus on the shore. Peter knew that Jesus was a man of grace and reconciliation, not of judgement and condemnation.

When Jesus cooked the fish on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he restored them into fellowship with him. Then Jesus asked Peter, “do you love me?” Loving Jesus Chrsit is the first quality of a man of God.

The second question of a man of God is, have you given your heart to Christ?

The third question to determine if a man is a man of God is, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life learning to become just like Jesus?”

A Man of God answers yes to each of these questions. Discipleship training is learning to become like Jesus. Many men in church today do not have the opportunity to say yes to discipleship because it’s not popular in many churches. However, when the student is ready, the teacher will come. The teacher is the Holy Spirit… according to John 14, Jesus said, I need to leave so that the comforter can come. The comforter is the Holy Spirit who comes alongside to help us and to teach us all things… The spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death… For Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifdce for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him… For he hath shown thee o man what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God…

…that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael