Men's Retreat - Eastland

INTRO: REAL PROBLEMS, REAL MEN:

There are two weakness I see in men today… weakness I’ve seen in myself, men in my family, men in my church… weaknesses we see in our culture with the manhood crisis that we’re facing…weaknesses that things like this conference are meant to address…it is the weaknesses of passivity, irresponsibility, and timidity. I’m not the first guy to say this nor the only guy to ever say this. Robert Lewis, creator of Men’s Fraternity says that real men reject passivity, accept responsibility and lead courageously.

MANHOOD PROBLEM AND BROTHERS KEEPER:

This 3-fold problem of passivity, irresponsibility, and timidity have implications for the theme we’ve been looking at in this conference: being our brother’s keeper. When the Lord asked Cain in Gen 4:9“Where is Abel your brother?” And Cain replied, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” What IS THAT if it is not passivity and irresponsibility? These are the besetting sins that every man faces. The implications of these weaknesses are vast. One of the implications as it relates to being our brother’s keeper is in the area of personal discipleship. Our manhood crisis has helped to feed our discipleship crisis.

OUR DISCIPLESHIP CRISIS FED BY MANHOOD ENEMIES:

A majority of Christians admit that they’ve never personally shared the Gospel with another person. A handful of us have been personally mentored by men more mature in the faith than we are. But that’s the exception not the norm. The average Christian is neither being discipled nor personally investing themselves into the life of another person for the sake of discipleship. It’s a discipleship crisis. It’s a “brother’s keeper” problem. And it’s fed by these manhood enemies of passivity, timidity and irresponsibility.

WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING ABOUT THIS:

I’m not pointing fingers. For every finger you point you’ve got three pointing right back at you. The Lord surfaced this issue in my own life a few years ago and I’ve certainly not arrived. The Lord has exposed this discipleship deficit in our church as well and those of you who’ve ever been involved in church world you know it takes a long time to change church culture. So this is something I’m praying through myself. But what I felt like the Lord wanted me to do with my time this evening is to encourage you to take a step in the right direction as it relates to these manhood enemies and discipleship deficit.

GOING TO THE BOOK OF 2 TIMOTHY:

There’s a lot of places we could go in the Scripture to find help with this but I want us to spend our time tonight in a letter called 2 Timothy 2. Timothy was a letter written by the apostle Paul to his protégé Timothy. Paul was in prison, about to die (beheaded by Nero) and Timothy was the young, insecure, introverted pastor of the influential church of Ephesus. Paul was on his way out and he was giving Timothy his “last words.” This book fits our theme perfectly. We’ve been going through it at our church to see how we can successfully entrust the Christian faith from one generation to the next.

CONTEXT: WHAT WAS GOING ON IN TIMOTHY’S LIFE: ACTS 20:27-30

If you’re unfamiliar with the context let me give you a little background. The apostle Paul originally planted this church. He stayed long enough to be able to say upon his departure “I’ve taught you the whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27) He left a group of Elders in charge but said of that group that fierce wolves(false teachers) would infiltrate the church trying to harm her and even people from within the leadership would rise up and end up causing harm to the church and leading people astray. (Acts 20:29-30)

CONTEXT: THE WOLVES HAD ENTERED:

Timothy was the chief elder (even though he was young) and the wolves were beginning to show their true colors. The church was being attacked from within & without. These people were teaching a false gospel. What they preached was similar to what we call the “prosperity Gospel” today. If you just have enough faith, then God will give you a big nice house and a life full of daisies and lollipops. We know from experience that’s just nonsense but it was gaining traction then and gets traction today. What was necessary was for Timothy to reject passivity, accept responsibility, and lead courageously.

SHAKE THE SHAME: REJECT PASSIVITY: 2 TIMOTHY 1:7-8

But Timothy had the same problem everyman does. He had a tendency to embrace passivity instead of rejecting it outright. We see this at the very beginning of the letter. After Paul exchanges the normal pleasantries common of most of his letters, he challengesTimothy to quit being a weenie. 1:8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God…” Right before that in 1:7 he reminds Timothy that “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

REJECT PASSIVITY: IT’S NOT EASY BUT WE MUST DO IT:

In other words, “reject passivity.” Shake the shame, Timothy. It’s not easy being a Christian in a culture that scorns faith in Christ. Make your choice. You can be wimp or you can be a man. You can embrace passivity or you can reject it. Real men reject passivity. You’ll never be able to take care of your brother if you’re always cowering in shame. The Holy Spirit alive in you gives you what you need to NOT be controlled by what other people think about you. You’ve got power, love and self-control.

SOME DIDN’T / SOME DID / WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Later on in chapter 1 Paul talks about a group of people in the church at Ephesus who deserted him. The shame they encountered because of their association with the Gospel was too much to bear. They embraced passivity. They were overcome by the shame. (1:15) But there was one man who wasn’t. Onesiphorus was willing to reject passivity, shake the shame, and share in the suffering that being associated with the Gospel brings. Are you willing to do that? Are we? That’s where it begins if we’re going to make disciples.

B/C IT’S TOO IMPORTANT! FOLLOW THE PATTERN, GUARD THE DEPOSIT:

I love how Paul closes chapter 1. He basically tells Timothy what you have inside of you is too precious and powerful for you to be passive. 1:13-14 “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” So if we’re going to be effective in making disciples and overcoming these enemies to manhood. It starts by rejecting passivity. What we’ve been entrusted with is TOO IMPORTANT to let a little bit of shame & difficulty cause us to wimp out of our calling.

ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY: 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-2 MAKE DISCIPLES

The next thing he tells Timothy to do is accept responsibility. Chapter 2 gets to the heart of our call to make disciples who multiply. 2:1-2 “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” In other words, In other words, “buck it up, Tim!” Be strong in the grace and accept responsibility. Your job as a man of God is to take what’s been entrusted to you and entrust it to the next generation. Make disciples who make disciples that make disciples!

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: STRONG IN GRACE

If you’re going to be a man who take responsibility certain other things are going to need to be true of you. (1) You need a vibrant walk with the Lord yourself. When he says “be strong in the grace” he’s telling Timothy you’ll never do what you’re supposed to do FOR God until you have a strong and vibrant walk WITH God. Do you spend the first part of your daybeing strengthened by the grace? Without that we have no power! You’ll always fail in being your brother’s keeper if you don’t first start your day being strengthened by the truth that Jesus is keeping you secure and strong by his grace.

WHAT IS LOOKS LIKE: NOT DISTRACTED, DISCIPLINED, DILIGENT

He also gives these analogies of a person who takes responsibility to be his brother’s keeper. Someone who’s committed to the task of personal disciple-making. (1) They’re not distracted. 2:4 “…no soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” (2) They’re disciplined. 2:5 “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules…” (3) They’re diligent. 2:6 “It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops…” Disciple-making in 3D’s. Not distracted, disciplined and diligent. That’s what it looks like to accept responsibility.

RESPONSIBILITY IS DOING WHAT YOU SAY:

Taking responsibility means doing what you said you’d do. And, when you can’t, owning it for yourself. Taking responsibility means we don’t give excuses for why we can’t. Taking responsibility is a mark of true manhood. And it’s really a way in which we can show the world world what God is really like. Paul is telling Timothy, “take responsibility to entrust what you’ve been given to other men because God took responsibility to make sure it would be entrusted to you.” The rest of chapter 2 is all about God keeping his promises.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES: 2 TIMOTHY 2:8

He says in 2:8 “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David…” In other words “Timothy you keep your promises because God keeps his promises.” How do we know God keeps his promises? (1) He raised Jesus from the dead. (2) He promised the OT saints a messianic figure who would come from the line of David and he fulfilled that promise in Jesus. God keeps his promises. If you doubt that in your current circumstance or some future problem then just look back to his past faithfulness.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES: 2 TIMOTHY 2:11-13

He makes the same point in 2:11-13. He quotes a well-known song/poem. The theme of the song is that “if we’ll take responsibility to do what we’re supposed to do then God will take responsibility to do what he promised to do.” The point? Be strong in the grace. Don’t be a wimp. Be a man. Reject passivity and accept responsibility. Don’t be distracted, be disciplined and diligent and do what needs to be done. “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless he remains faithful – he cannot deny himself.”

RECAP AND TRANSITION: MAKING DISCIPLES THE ONET THING:

Reject passivity. Shake the shame that comes with being associated with the Gospel. Today we are living in a world that is becoming more and more like the New Testament. Will you shrink back in shame or will you man up and reject passivity. Secondly, take responsibility. Making disciples is the ONE THING we’ve been given the authority and responsibility to do. How much of our life do we invest into it? Even ministers?Sometimes we occupy ourselves with growing the church instead of making disciples. If you’ll just make disciples, then God will grow the church. Reject passivity. Accept responsibility.

LEAD COURAGEOUSLY:

The rest of the book of 2 Timothy is really Paul explaining to Timothy what it means to lead his church well. We already know what kinds of problems he was up against. Timothy was wired like I am. Introverted, cautious, people pleaser. Don’t mean he wasn’t courageous in his leadership. It just means he needed to be reminded what was at stake so that he’d lead as was necessary. If I could summarize his teaching on courageous leadership it’d be to lead (1) as someone accountable to God, (2) as someone given authority by God, and (3) as someone who uses that authority through the Word of God.

THIS IS INSTRUCTIVE ON MANY MANHOOD FRONTS:

By the way, men, this is instructive not just to pastoral ministry but everything we do as men. As a dad, those same three things are true about your leadership. You’ll lead courageously when you’re not basing your decisions on what “people” think but instead of what “God” thinks. You’re accountable to HIM and not THEM. You’ll lead courageously when you remember you’re living for HIS kingdom and he has given you HIS authority so you can help advance HIS agenda. That alone frees you up from trap of “am I good enough, what will they think about me, is God on my side?”

THE NEED TO KNOW THE WORD OF GOD:

The last part of courageous leadership is leading through the Word of God. You’re not leading with your opinion you’re leading with what God has spoken through his Word. Look at what he says in 2 Timothy 2:15 “Do you best to present yourself to GOD as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of truth.” That’s a great summary of courageous leadership. If you want to be a godly man, a good dad, an effective disciple-maker, then you’ve got to lead courageously in this way.

WHAT COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP REQUIRES: THE LIST

Courageous leadership has implications on how you live and what you do. Timothy leadership required that he “preach the Gospel” but he also had to be wise in picking his battles. There were debates going on in his church that he needed to avoid. Major on the majors. Minor on the minors. When it came to the Word of God he needed to get it right and give it straight. Teach/Preach the word correctly and clearly! His leadership required him to confront error but to do so in a way that didn’t destroy people. Lastly, courageous leadership requires a godly lifestyle. Talk the talk and walk the walk.

CHARACTER NOT COMPETENCIES: THE CHARACTER:

In God’s kingdom it is not great talent that God blesses so much as it is likeness to Jesus. Be like Jesus in the way that you lead. Lead courageously. Lead yourself well. Lead other people well. Even when it’s uncomfortable or requires confrontation. 2 Timothy 2:22 “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” Lead well. Leadership is a stewardship. It’s temporary and you’re accountable to God for how you lead.

WHY WE NEED COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP: THE LAST DAYS: 2 TIM 3:1-9

The truth is, we need this kind of leadership more than ever. Leaders under God’s authority, strengthened by his power and capable with His Word. According to Paul we’re living in the last days. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we be our brother’s keeper. That’s why we have no choice but to be effective in making disciples. He tells Timothy this is 3:1 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty…” In vv 2-9 Paul describes the manhood crisis in Timothy’s culture. Men who love themselves more than God, their religion is empty and their motives are evil.

THE RESPONSE TO BAD MANHOOD? BE A MAN: 2 TIMOTHY 3:10

What should be Timothy’s response to such a manhood deficit? Reject passivity, accept responsibility and lead courageously. He tells him in 3:10 “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings…” In other words, if you want an example of authentic manhood look to me. If you want to know what being your brother’s keeper looks like then look to me. If you want a model for disciple-making then look here! Could you say that?Could you be like Paulin opening your life up as an example of godly manhood?

IF YOU CANNOT ANSWER THIS… TAKE THE NEXT STEP: THE WORD

If you find yourself struggling to answer that question then don’t be dismayed. All I want to do this evening is encourage you to take the next step. That’s what Paul tells Timothy 2 Tim 3:14 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed…” Just take the next step in the right direction. Get your head into the Word of God. You’ll never be the man God is asking you to be until you become a man who loves the Word. The Word of God is what God uses to transforms us into who we should be.

GET INTO THE WORD: 2 TIMOTHY 3:16

He says this in 2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” You want to be your brother’s keeper? An effective disciple-maker? You want to reject passivity, accept responsibility and lead courageously? Then make yourself strong in God’s grace by getting in this book. This is a special book, inspired by God, to turn you into a man of God. And don’t just know it. Preach it. Share it. Pass it on to your kids.

PREACH THE WORD: 2 TIMOTHY 4:1-2

2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season in and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching…” Discipleship is having the Word of God go to work in you to help you love and follow Jesus. Disciple-making is having the Word of God go to work through you to help somebody else love and follow Jesus. Discipleship is the Spirit of God using the Word of God to help the People of God love and follow Jesus. And we need godly men for that to happen. So reject passivity, accept responsibility, and lead courageously.

FINISH STRONG: 2 TIMOTHY 4:5-6

I love Paul’s final words to Timothy. It’s a fitting conclusion to our time together. 2 Timothy 4:5-6. “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry…” You might paraphrase it as “reject passivity, accept responsibility & lead courageously.” Then Paul says what I hope I’ll be able to say at the end of my life. Want some help knowing what it looks like and that it’s possible? Look at me. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

CONCLUSION: 2 TIMOTHY 4:7-8

How will we? By the grace of God. Our motivation for doing so? 2 Tim 4:7-8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved him appearing…” Jesus was the man who overcame every weakness we’ve discussed tonight. By his death he’s forgiven you your failures. By his resurrection you too can overcome.