Serve With Your Strength

When does a guy become a man?

Age?

Accomplishments? ( career, net worth)

Self-Disciplined?

Appearance? (Beard, Jacked, Suits)

Studied? (Marcus Aurelius, art of war)

Red Pill

I’m starting realize I’ve started my journey to getting older.

Excited about new socks.

Floor mats from my old car, just in case

Want to smoke meats

The moment i felt like a man was waking up taking care of EG, shoveling the drive way, working, taking mancy to the doctor, put eleanora to bed and praying with her.

What is the reason that the simple tasks of provision provide more satisfaction than the “logical” marks of manhood?

Biblical Manhood

Genesis 1:27–28 (NIV)

27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

God created us to rule. Do you feel that way?

So how does God intend for us as men to rule?

Genesis 2:15 (ESV)

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Keep = Preserve or protect

Work = Cultivate and Serve

This is the primary purpose and role for the existence of men.

God has placed us here in this world not to use our strength to control. We’re not the ones in control. We’re not here to use our strength to conquer. Even is we had the strength to conquer (most through history don’t), we would end up like Alexander who sits and cries because there’s nothing else to conquer. It doesn’t satisfy.

The primary purpose of men that we can never lose sight of is that we are created to use our strength to serve.

The Story of Joseph - Joseph wasn’t the strongest or the brightest - But he used every opportunity to use his talents and gifts serve others

John Wesley

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

God has designed the world to be such a place that we feel most close to Him when we are serving others.

Micah 6:8 ESV

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Walking with God and serving others in Gods order of priorities are mentioned in the same breath.

Why is a servants heart necessary? Why has God chosen this way?

A servants heart is essential to a fulfilling relationship with God because it is the quality that reflects the heart of most accurately. (We are created in His likeness)

Philippians 2:1–11 (ESV)

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Why did Paul ask them to have those qualities? Because it was the qualities that are directly in line with the heart of God.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus used every opportunity, not to hold on to high standing, but to bend low and serve those around Him, whether suppling beverages at a poorly managed weddingor paying for the sins of all mankind. Jesus could have chosen any method to accomplish his purpose, and the primary method He chose was to serve.

Jesus says this about how your serving others helps your relationship with Him:

Matthew 25:31–46 ESV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

2 observations from this passage:

Jesus says that the primary evidences that you are one of His followers (a member of His flock) is serving the least of these. Something for all of us to reflect on and challenge ourselves.

Jesus teaches us that a primary way to show Him love and honor is to love those in most desperate need. (When you did it for them you did it for me)

Conclusion

So if we as men desire to walk close to the Lord we will earnestly endeavor to seek out every opportunity to serve and love those around us, and as we do so we serve and love Him as well.

And as we serve, whether changing diaper, shoveling snow, showing love to annoying coworkers, showing patience to the customer service worker, getting jar off the top shelf, we understand that none of those things are insignificant, but if approached with a servants heart actually bring the world back to the way God originally intended.