Godly Masculinity

Intro

find illustration of either:

https://historycollection.com/10-of-the-most-heroic-acts-of-self-sacrifice-in-history/

real man of history that accomplished heroic act, but wasn’t Christian and fell away

...was a Christian and remained faithful

At the end - close the story; What it looks like to be real men of God. A man not just for the moment, but moments of your life.

The call on a Man

The tale of two men:

Saul

After hundreds of years of turmoil with only moments godly leadership, the nation of Israel comes together for change. So, what kind of change do they want? In difficult times, they looked at the world around them and said we want what everyone else has - a king. Like all the other nations, they wanted a man to lead them. 1 Samuel 8:5. Israel was rejecting God. To me it appears He is disappointed and maybe even heart broken. And Samuel is too. 1 Samuel 8:7.

At this point, God warned them what it would be like to have a king reign over them 1 Samuel 8:10. But God gives them what they asked for.

So God Warn Israel what it will be like to have a king 1 Samuel 8:10-18

1 Samuel 8:10–18 NASB95

So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him a king. He said, “This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. “He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. “He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. “He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. “He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. “He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. “He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. “Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

Practical Detour: Knowing God through His Word: When we read the bible it is so much more than a text book that you have to know the material for to pass an exam. When we approach the bible it isn’t so we exam the bible, but so the bible exams us. (maybe pose certain questions to certain individuals). The bible shows us who God is and who we are through the stories.

What do we learn about ourselves from this - At times, I reject God and want him only on my terms

Back to the Story: But the people refused to listed to the warning from Samuel and insisting on having a king so that they could be like all the other nations.

So it appears God gave them what they wanted and Saul looked the part - He was handsome and head and shoulders taller than anyone else 1 Samuel 9:2. Saul looked the part. And God was willing and wanting to work with Saul. How good is God!

But Why God?

Question for You: Why did God almighty give them something less than his plan? So, I’ll ask God, what were you doing here? And because I’ve walked with him a few years and read his word, I know he is perfectly good. So why is he doing this?

Did you catch that?! God acknowledges He is rejected (1 Samuel 8:7) He warns them the ramifications for their choices, but gave them what they wanted anyway. Why did God almighty give them something less than his plan?

When you read your Bible, don’t make the mistake of missing God. What is He doing and why? These are invitation to draw near to God and know him.

In 1 Samuel 9:16

1 Samuel 9:16 NASB95

“...For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me.”

God cared for them because they cried to Him. They hadn’t done anything to deserve.

And God was with Saul

God sent the Spirit of the Lord to be on Saul -1 Samuel 10:6

1 Samuel 10:6 NASB95

“Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man.

God changed his heart 1 Samuel 10:9

1 Samuel 10:9 NASB95

Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart...

I’m taking some time to represent what God is doing here so you don’t miss God.

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” ~ A. W. Tozer

Your opinion of God, how well you know him is the most important pursuit you will ever have. If you were to align yourself to someone who is mediocre - you will be mediocre, bad - you will be bad. But God is absolutely good and worth

Don’t miss who God is here:

He’s rejected, but he still love Israel - having not deserved it

He meets Israel where they are at and gives them a King

He fully commits to Saul - giving him His spirit and changing him to a new man

So God is with Saul. Saul serves the Lord. continue at 1 Samuel 13:10

Definitions

qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men or boys. "handsome, muscled, and driven, he's a prime example of masculinity"

Masculinity involves displaying attitudes and behaviors that signify and validate maleness, and involves being recognised in particular ways by other men and women.

What questions are answered?

Godly masculinity

- God has created you to be strong

- the question is will you be strong in the a Lord or in your flesh

in the flesh

movies portray actors in fist fights, sex scenes, stoic, etc. - remember these are MOVIES

each of those has a check to be paid you can’t cover

your flesh will take you deeper into sadness, frustration, emptiness, and maybe prison

Only through Christ can you:

Excel at what you are created for

no what fights to fight

know how to truly love

Pendulum of draw from either the flesh or turn to God

What does godly masculinity look like?

What it isn’t?

Biblical examples:

David

Moses

Jesus

Compare and contrast:

Saul to David

Thoughts:

being a man for the moment

being the man God has called you to be

Some think depending on or seeking God is a crutch or a weakness. But He is the one:

who made you

knows why He made you

knows your strengths and weaknesses

your future

your purpose

There is danger in this world that God has created men to oppose

There are real bad people

real physical dangers

real struggles

PTSD - what shocks them the most is the evil they saw in themselves.

There is a time for war (Ecclesiastes)

What our culture says about masculinity?

What does godly masculinity look like?

Challenge

This is the question to ask now. Think of David tending the flocks as a young man....

What kind of man will you be?

Will you be subject to the winds and the waves? Seeking solace meaning and purpose in the wrong places? Will you give into your flesh?

Or are you seeking the Lord now? Saying God, I don’t know who at all or completely what you’ve created me to be, and what to do, but I believe/know you do?

Some of you need to repent? from the way you act, think… Looking at women as objects merely for my visual pleasure or worse, forgetting they too have been created by God with purpose meaning and good.