The Man for the Day

INTRODUCTION:

One of the most famous preachers of the 19th Century was a man named Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

He preached the Gospel to more than 1 million people and baptized over 15,000 new believers. He’s still widely read today.

On February 5th, 1888, he preached a sermon to 6,000 people gathered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle.

The name of the sermon was “Holding Fast to the Faith” out of Revelation 2:12-13.

It’s one of those sermons that gets quoted very often because of his description of Jesus. He paints a picture of Jesus as a “Man of War” equipped with a double edged sword. With that sword his protects his Church and leads them into victory over the enemy.

His sword is for the defense of the faithful. It is drawn from its sheath to protect the timid and the trembling. Jesus is come as our Joshua, to chase the enemy before us, and lead us onward, conquering and to conquer. The sword with two edges is the defender of the least of those whose hearts are right before the Lord.

It’s hard to read that quote and want to stay in your seat. Jesus is warrior worth following.

Later in the sermon he talks about the cost of faithful living. In a godless culture, some will pay the highest price.

As a result, others will shrink to the back out of fear of what faithfulness might cost.

He closes the sermon by appealing to men. He urged them to “hold fast to Jesus.”

He points to the martyrs who gave up their lives as a model of faithfulness today.

“These men loved the faith and the name of Jesus too well to see them trampled on. Note what we owe them, and let us pay to our sons the debt we owe our fathers. It is today as it was in the Reformers’ days. Decision is needed.

Here is the day for the man, where is the man for the day?

We who have had the gospel passed to us by martyr hands dare not trifle with it, nor sit by and hear it denied by traitors, who pretend to love it, but inwardly abhor every line of it. . . . Look you, sirs, there are ages yet to come. If the Lord does not speedily appear, there will come another generation, and another, and all these generations will be tainted and injured if we are not faithful to God and to his truth to-day. We have come to a turning-point in the road. If we turn to the right, mayhap our children and our children’s children will go that way; but if we turn to the left, generations yet unborn will curse our names for having been unfaithful to God and to his Word.

I charge you, not only by your ancestry, but by your posterity, that you seek to win the commendation of your Master, that though you dwell where Satan’s seat is, you yet hold fast his name, and do not deny his faith. God grant us faithfulness, for the sake of the souls around us! How is the world to be saved if the church is false to her Lord? How are we to lift the masses if our fulcrum is removed? If our gospel is uncertain, what remains but increasing misery and despair? Stand fast, my beloved, in the name of God! I, your brother in Christ, entreat you to abide in the truth.

Conduct yourselves like men, be strong. The Lord sustain you for Jesus’ sake. Amen”

Of all the things worthy of quoting in that quote - one line stands out the most.

Here is the day for the man. Where is the man for the day?

Those words make me long to be the man God has called me to be and call on other men to follow Jesus Christ, the man of war, into battle.

Spurgeon felt the need for faithful men. Men who take up the mantle passed down from the martyrs who had gone before them.

Men who have suffered greatly to ensure the next generation heard the gospel. He looked at his generation and saw the desperate need for these men. Don’t you feel the same thing?

Don’t you feel how desperately we need godly, faithful, strong, courageous, self-sacrificing, Spirit-filled men?

Don’t you look around and wonder where the men are who have the backbone and resolve to stand against culture pressures for the faith passed down to us?

Cultural Counterfeits

Don’t you feel that now is the day for that man? I think you do. I think many men do.

Christian book sales are up among men more than they’ve ever been before. (I serve on the board of Lifeway. Women were usually the only market. Now that’s starting to change.)

Men are starved for spiritual knowledge and to press into their calling. That’s why we’re going to focus on this over the next 12 months.

Today we’re starting with a simple question “What is genuine masculinity in a culture full of counterfeits?”

Our culture is confused on the question of masculinity. There are all manner of cultural counterfeits.

In addition to the obvious counterfeits in the culture are religious looking counterfeits inside the church.

Many men know they need to be godly but masculine spirituality feels “out of reach.” It either feels “too feminine” or it simply feels unattainable.

The Domineering Man

I want to explore some of these counterfeits and then examine what the Bible has to say.

We’ll call this first man the “tough guy.”

Cultural script: A “real man” is hard, dominant, emotionally closed, often angry; he proves himself through control, aggression, and never backing down.

The aggression and emotional shutdown damage his mental health and relationships.

Illustrations / touch points

Classic action heroes whose “strength” is mostly violence and emotional shutdown (older Stallone/Schwarzenegger roles, many revenge-movie dads).

The sports dad who screams at refs, coaches, and his own kid from the stands.

The boss or foreman everyone fears but no one trusts.

The husband whose family walks on eggshells—he provides financially but leads by volume and threats rather than love.

Biblical critiques:

Jesus: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” (Matt 20:25–27). Jesus overturns domineering models of male greatness.

Paul: “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” (Col 3:19). Harsh, controlling leadership is explicitly forbidden.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7: Love is patient, kind, not arrogant, not irritable or resentful; this dismantles the idea that manly strength is expressed in chronic irritability or pride.

You can contrast this counterfeit with 2 Peter 1’s call to self-control, brotherly affection, and love as essential to mature manhood, not optional “soft” add-ons

2. The Pleasure Seeking Man

We’ll call this guy the Playboy/Pleasure Hound.

Cultural script: A man’s worth is tied to sexual conquest, porn consumption is normal, and faithfulness is optional as long as he “performs.”

Pop culture and pornography industries constantly sexualize male success and prowess.

Illustrations / touch points

Pop culture archetypes:

Sitcom and movie characters whose humor and identity revolve around hookups and innuendo.

Influencers who brag about body count and make that the metric of success.

Everyday picture:

The guy whose browser history tells you more truth than his church attendance.

The man who treats women as content (on a screen) or trophies (in real life), not as image-bearers.

Biblical critiques:

Proverbs 5–7: The seductress imagery warns that following sexual folly leads to death, loss, and regret.

1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 CSB

3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality, 4 that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not with lustful passions, like the Gentiles, who don’t know God.

Matthew 5:27–30: Jesus presses beyond the act to the heart; looking with lust is adultery of the heart, calling men to radical spiritual surgery. Mat 5:27-30

Matthew 5:27–30 CSB

27 “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. 28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

3. The Career-Driven Man

You might call this man the “workaholic.”

We all know guys like this.

Cultural script: A man is what he produces—career success, income, status; work becomes identity and justification.

American frameworks often prize independence, competition, and distancing from domestic life as marks of masculinity.​

Illustrations / touch points

Pop culture archetypes:

The Wall Street / corporate guy whose life is office, flights, emails, and nothing else.

The prestige-TV dad who “does it all for the family” but is never actually with the family.

Everyday picture:

The man whose kids know his ringtone better than his voice.

The guy who can tell you his quarterly numbers instantly but has no idea how his wife is doing spiritually.

Biblical critiques:

Luke 12:16–21 (the rich fool): A man who measures life by barns and surplus is called a fool; he is “not rich toward God.”

Ecclesiastes 2:18–23: The Preacher laments work that ends in vanity and grief.

Mark 8:36: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

4. The Image Driven Man

You might call this man the “influencer.”

These guys are dominant in a social media age.

Cultural script: Manhood is performance and image—fitness, style, online persona, political outrage; he lives as a brand, often aspiring to impossible superhero ideals or curated online manhood.

Analysts even describe the “superhero” subculture as offering impossible fantasies rather than sober cultivation of real virtue.​

Illustrations / touch points

Pop culture archetypes:

Superhero / action franchises where the man is defined by his costume, physique, and spectacle.

Online “personalities” whose lives are a curated grid: gym pics, “grindset” quotes, outrage videos.

Everyday picture:

The guy more concerned about his Instagram story than his actual story.

The man who is impressive in public and hollow in private—great angles, poor angles of his heart.

Biblical critiques:

1 Samuel 16:7 : “The Lord sees not as man sees… the Lord looks on the heart.” Appearance and performance are dethroned.

1 Samuel 16:7 CSB

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

Matthew 6:1–4 : Jesus condemns practicing righteousness to be seen by others.

Matthew 6:1–4 CSB

1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

Philippians 2:5–8: Christ “made Himself nothing,” taking the form of a servant, not projecting a heroic brand.

5. The Childish Man

We’ll call this guy the Couch-king or Man-child or even “Gamer.”

Cultural script: A man avoids responsibility, drifts through life on entertainment, addictions, and avoidance; he is present physically but absent spiritually and relationally.

Studies describe how some contemporary models of masculinity lean toward detachment from home and responsibility.​

Illustrations / touch points

Pop culture archetypes:

The sitcom husband who’s basically another kid in the house—jokes, games, no responsibility.

The meme of the guy who lives in his parents’ basement, headset on, lights off.

Everyday picture:

The dad present on the couch but absent in the marriage—phone in hand, heart somewhere else.

The man with deep opinions about sports, games, and movies but no plan for his soul or his family.

Biblical critiques:

Proverbs repeatedly mocks the sluggard who loves sleep and refuses responsibility (Prov 6:6–11; 26:13–16).

1 Corinthians 16:13–14: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” Passivity and drift are the opposite of this watchful, sacrificial steadiness.

Hebrews 5:11–14: The rebuke of spiritual immaturity—still needing milk, not ready for solid food—lands on men who refuse to grow. Heb 5:13-14

Hebrews 5:13–14 CSB

13 Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

Against this, Peter’s call to “make every effort” and to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election” frames true manhood as active, responsible pursuit of maturity, not permanent adolescence.

6. The Domesticated Man

We’ll call this guy “the nice guy.” This counterfeit is even common in church culture.

Cultural script: In reaction to harsh masculinity, the church often holds up a sanitized, conflict-avoidant, sentimental model: always agreeable, never confrontational, equating spirituality with being “nice.”

Contemporary surveys show Americans say we undervalue men who are caring and emotionally open, but over time “traditional” toughness gets pitted against tenderness as if they couldn’t coexist.

Illustrations / touch points

Pop culture archetypes:

The overly sweet, harmless Christian caricature who never rocks the boat, never confronts sin.

The “Hallmark movie” male lead whose main virtue is being inoffensive and sentimental.

Everyday picture:

The man who is always kind but never courageous—won’t say hard things, won’t lead in hard decisions.

The guy who serves on every committee but won’t have a direct, loving conversation with his own son about sin.

Biblical critiques:

Jesus is gentle and lowly (Matt 11:29) yet confronts sin, overturns tables, and sets His face toward the cross; tenderness and courage are both essential.

Galatians 1:10: Paul refuses to be a “people pleaser,” insisting he is Christ’s servant. Gal 1:10

Galatians 1:10 CSB

10 For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Ephesians 4:15: We must speak “the truth in love,” not choosing truth without love (harshness) or love without truth (spinelessness).

7. The Redeemed Man

We’ve met the Tough Guy, the Playboy, the Workaholic, the Influencer, the Couch-King, and the Nice Guy.

But what if I told you there is one Man who exposes all of them as counterfeits—not by shaming men, but by outshining them?

Each of these counterfeits are a different example of the corruption of manhood from the fall.

When you read Genesis 3 you see six manhood failures. 1) passivity, 2) neglect, 3) selfishness, 4) cowardice, 5) harshness and 6) unbelief.

In Genesis 3 you see a man who is present but passive, responsible but neglectful, called to courage but cowardly, made to love but selfish, meant to protect but turning harsh, and given truth but not believing it. And if we’re honest, we see ourselves in him.”

But the story doesn’t end with Adam. Jesus steps into the world as the last Adam, the true Man.

Where Adam was passive, Jesus steps in and speaks;

Where Adam hides, Jesus sets His face toward the cross;

Where Adam blames, Jesus bears the blame;

Where Adam doubted God’s goodness, Jesus trusts His Father all the way to death.

He refuses every counterfeit and embodies a better way to be a man—a way every man, not just religious men, knows is right when he sees it.

We’ll call this man the “Redeemed Man of God”

The Redeemed Man rejects both counterfeits. He’s full of grace and truth.

His strength comes from union with Christ and his character represents our Lord.

A picture of the Redeemed man is perfectly demonstrated by Jesus.

He wasn’t “Mr. Nice Guy” but neither was he a domineering alpha. He is the most truly righteous man who has ever lived.

He rejects every cultural counterfeit and holds together a righteous vision of masculinity that every man in this room was made for.

Against the Tough Guy:

He has real strength: He faces Satan, storms, crowds, and the cross without flinching.

But He refuses domination: “I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:27). He washes feet instead of throwing weight around.

On the cross, He absorbs violence instead of inflicting it. That is strength under control.

Against the Playboy / Pleasure Hound:

He honors women as sisters and daughters, never as objects.

He teaches that lust is heart-adultery and calls men to purity that goes all the way down (Matt 5:27–30).

His deepest joy is obedience to the Father, not indulging appetite.

Against the Workaholic / Company Man:

He works hard—He is exhausted, pressed by crowds—but He is not owned by work.

He will walk away from crowds to be with the Father and with His disciples.

He measures success not by numbers but by faithfulness to the Father’s will.

Against the Influencer / Image-Driven Man:

He refuses to perform miracles on demand to “prove Himself.”

He rejects Satan’s temptation to gain the kingdoms of the world without the cross.

He makes Himself of no reputation (Phil 2:5–8): this is the anti-brand Man.

Against the Couch-King / Man-Child:

From youth He is about the Father’s business.

He steps toward responsibility—Gethsemane, arrest, cross—when every instinct of the flesh would be to run.

He grows in wisdom and stature; He does not remain a perpetual boy.

Against the Nice Guy / Domesticated Man:

He is gentle and lowly in heart (Matt 11:29) and also pronounces woes, flips tables, and confronts wolves.

He won’t allow sentimentality to replace truth; He speaks the truth in love perfectly.

In Him, courage and compassion, tenderness and toughness, finally meet.

CONCLUSION

So what is biblical masculinity? It’s not a personality profile. It is a man who increasingly grows in grace through the knowledge of God in Christ,

A man who learns to lead, love, serve, and protect like Jesus. That’s the kind of man we need for “this day.”

2 Peter 1:2–4 CSB

2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.

You are not being asked to invent this life from scratch. His divine power has already given you everything required for a truly masculine, godly life.

The grace you need is not a spiritual substance; it is a Person—Jesus Christ Himself—known through His word and present by His Spirit. To grow in grace is to grow in communion with Him.

And because that is true, Peter looks us in the eye and says, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith.” No more couch-king passivity. No more nice-guy avoidance. Grace does not cancel effort; grace fuels it. The Spirit supplies the power; you supply the willingness, the repentance, the choices, the practice. A real man doesn’t just admire Jesus; he adds to his faith, day after day.

2 Peter 1:5–7 CSB

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Goodness / virtue – moral courage. This is where leading begins: a man who will do the right thing when it costs him.​

Knowledge – knowing God, His word, and His ways, so you can navigate life wisely and lead others well.​

Self-control – saying no to your appetites. You protect your family and your own soul from your anger, lust, and cravings instead of unleashing them.​

Endurance – staying under the weight like a lifter under the bar. You don’t run; you stay, repent, persevere. That’s protection again: you refuse to abandon your post.​

Godliness – living before God’s face in every sphere—home, work, church—not compartmentalizing your faith. This is the heart of true service to God.​

Brotherly affection – loyal, practical love for other men; you won’t go lone wolf. You show up, carry burdens, and lock arms.​

Love – cross-shaped love that sacrifices for others’ good. This is the crown of biblical masculinity: to love as Christ loved us.​

Put those together and you have the shape of a man who increasingly grows in grace through the knowledge of God and who learns to lead, love, serve, and protect in the likeness of Jesus.

The stakes are high but God is faithful to his promise. 2 Peter 1:8

2 Peter 1:8–11 CSB

8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

That’s how you finish. Not by never stumbling at all—Peter knew what it was to fall—but by refusing to live in your fall, by getting up and pressing on in grace, by adding again today what you lacked yesterday.

So let me bring Spurgeon’s question back to the fore: Here is the day for the man. Where is the man for the day? 

You do not have to be impressive to be that man. You just have to be honest about the counterfeits in you, come to Christ for grace, and then make every effort to grow in that grace.

Very simply:

Which counterfeit man do you most recognize in yourself?

Which one quality from 2 Peter 1 does the Spirit seem to be putting His finger on this morning—courage, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, or love?​

Brothers, pick one. Name it to the Lord. Ask Him for grace. Make a concrete plan this week to add that quality to your faith.

As you do, remember: you are not doing this alone. “His divine power has given you everything required for life and godliness.”​

Here is the day for the man. In Christ, by His grace, be the man for the day.