What a man is supposed to be

Why am I in a skirt?

Our culture has devolved the meaning of manhood and womanhood into costumes.

Manhood for example is 3 things. Pants, job, and force.

I’m not just talking about secular culture, I’m talking about church culture as well.

EX: Reading a Christian publication about manhood that said, “If your wife is the breadwinner of the home (if she makes the most money) then the man has given up his role as provider of the house.”

EX: I’ve been to men’s conferences that taught me, “as the man in a situation, if you want something or if you’ve made a decision and you decide that you don’t want to have a conversation with your wife, she is supposed to do whatever you say no questions asked - until you want to have that conversation.”

If you don’t wear pants your not a man. If you don’t provide enough money to your household your not a man. And if you don’t get your way through assertiveness your not a man.

And we wonder why the kids at school are confused about gender.

I THINK: The reason many people are transgender is because they grow up and say this is who I am, and society points at them and says, “your not wearing pants so you’re not a man” “you’re not aggressive enough so your not a man” and THEN THEY BELIEVE YOU.

It’s not just important for men to know the aim to which they’re called, but society should know what to expect and what to promote. Women should know what type of man they should demand from their husbands. In a world where so many men are lost mothers and grandmothers need to know what to aim their sons and grandsons at.

What is a man? Or a better question, what is a man supposed to be?

I was praying and had a thought: God doesn’t have a sexual gender but he is described as a man and a woman in the old testament. Can we look at those times God is given a gender and discover what it means to be a man? Can we trace the themes? YES

EX: The bible says God has ears when he hears us. It says he has eyes when he sees us. What attributes are he communicating with us when he says he is a father, or a mother.

These are all themes, we’ll look at a couple of verses per theme.

Fatherhood - The Shaper - The Guide

Isaiah 64:8–9 (NIV) 8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.

Jeremiah 3:19–20 (NIV) 19 “I myself said, “ ‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. 20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.

God is called a man when he’s being fatherly. When he’s guiding Israel. When he’s molding and shaping them. When he’s preparing an inheritance.

My kids, while they are kids, are a reflection of me. I’m in a position of so much power in their lives that who they are by the time their 15 is almost completely determined by how I shaped them.

That’s why when you go to therapy, which I have been, they say, “tell me about your father”.

What is a man supposed to be? A man is supposed to tend the garden. An active, not a passive, force.

A man is supposed to take responsibility and sacrifice himself

Ezekiel 16 God says that he is like a man that found Israel as a discarded baby in a field. He cleaned her off and raised her.

Over and over God says that he is a shepherd who finds the lost sheep of Israel.

Isaiah 54:4–5 (NIV) 4 “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.

Isaiah 40:11 (NIV) 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

John 10:11 (NIV) 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

A man sees something that needs attention and decided to attend to it.

EX: The warming station. I’m glad I wasn’t here so I can use this example.

I didn’t know what to do. Wrong answer. My blank hurt. Wrong answer. I screwed up and I need to shoot higher. I wasn’t even there and I went out tuesday to buy everything and make sure the men who showed up had everything they needed.

Ronald picking strawberries the day after he got laid off.

A man’s mindset is not, I take care of what I have to do and that’s it. It’s not enough to say, well when people ask me to do something I do it, that’s not it. When we put out a message to the church saying we need help, the real men are always the ones volunteering.

Who is a man supposed to be? A man is supposed to be a redeemer. We don’t wait for responsibility, we take it where we can and we live lives of sacrifice.

A man is supposed to be a pillar of stability

Isaiah 42:13 (NIV) 13 The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.

Ezekiel 16 Again God finds this child and commits himself to her and she runs into the arms of another. But His faithfulness cannot be shaken and he finds her and takes her back.

Psalm 18:2 (NIV) 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

In exodus God is called a “man of war” all of this not speaking of his violence but his passion for the protection of his children.

Who is a man supposed to be? A man is supposed to be a rock, a fortress, a refuge. A man is supposed to be dangerous.

EX: Blueberry puppy

Outro

What is a man supposed to be?

A man is supposed to be someone who takes responsibility. A man is supposed to be steadfast and faithful even in the face of betrayal. A man is supposed to be reliable and righteous. A man takes responsibility, he is a redeemer, he finds the sheep, he sacrifices himself. And if need be he destroys the evil that threatens what he loves.

The opposite of a man: Is not a stay at home dad who wears a skirt and considers himself non-violent. The opposite of a man is a passive, uninspired, selfish, guy - who people can’t rely on.

The worst mistake we can make with this whole topic is not realizing that the gender God made you is not a list of inherent traits, it’s a calling.

This is something worth growing up to be.

Jesus told his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood and his disciples responded, John 6:60 “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”” That’s how I felt studying this. We have a long way to go. Man of God I don’t even know if I’m a man.

Next week we’re going to talk about women. (Don’t worry Meagan is going to help me) Because God is called a woman many times throughout the scripture. Please invite the young ladies in your life.