A MAN THAT GOD CAN TRUST

Happy Fathers day men.

I tell you one of the things that I am absolutely passionate about is speaking into the lives of men. Today I look across the landscape of our culture today. And things are an absolute mess

Our country is sick, our churches are sick and the nuclear family is broken apart. And the one common factor that I see linking, country, church and family is that men today have gone awol. They have left their posts. Do you know why men have a harder outer structure and 25% more muscle mass than women? Its because he has called men to a war. And unfortunately men for the most part are awol. They have abandoned their post, they have fled from their fox hole and they have surrendered

We don’t have a lack of males, but we do have a lack of men. We have a bunch of males today that have the body odor of men, they have the muscle capacity of men, they may even have an awesome beard like men, but that is not what makes up manhood. There has been a loss of manhood today amongst our males. Many males have grown up in homes without a man to look up to.

There are plenty of males tearing stuff up. But there is a famine of men today and what God has created men to be. In the church we have lost the art of biblical manhood. In culture the definition of manhood has changed.

There is a war on men today. Not a war of extermination, the war is on the deterioration and redefinition of manhood. So many males today are walking around tearing stuff up, destroying their homes and they think that its being a man.

Today there is a need for Kingdom Men. Men that can stand in the face of adversity. Men that can discern between good and evil and take a stand when evil is invading our lands.

THis morning we are going to be in the Book of Daniel chapter 6 as we want to take a look at what a Kingdom man looks like. If you are like me growing up I got a distorted picture of what man hood should look like.

Now Daniel was a prisoner of war, taken from the captives of Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Daniel was a transplant. Meaning that He was carried back with the captives to Babylon.

Right now we are living in troubled times. Some of the stuff that people are protesting is true, most of it is fabricated by the media. Right now the narrative is that there is open season on the black male, which gives way to open season on the white male. But can I tell you one of the greatest thing affecting our culture? Its the

Statistics

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average.  (Center for Disease Control)

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average.  (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average.  (National Principals Association Report)

Father Factor in Education – Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are

70% less likely to drop out of school.Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.

75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average.

KINGDOM MEN THRIVE IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

Today we are going to be in the Book of Daniel ch 6. It was a time in Israels history when they were living in shame. It was a distressing time for the People of God. But the difference between males and Men more specifically Kingdom men , is males crumble in the face of adversity, Kingdom men thrive in the face of adversity. BOYS ARE OK WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES ARE FAVORABLE,

Now what do I mean by Kingdom men. Well its men who are sold out for the Kingdom of Christ. They have given up the futility of building their own Kingdom and they have surrendered their life to the King. They get up everyday and say General Jesus I am reporting for duty sir. They are men that have fixed their alignment.

A couple of months ago we took a trip with a group of guys, and a few of the men here rode with me in my truck. I found something out about my truck on that trip. What I found out is that we were ok up till about 60 miles an hour, but once I got above 60 we noticed that the truck began to shake and rattle. what was the problem, the problem was that my truck was out of alignment and when the turbelence go so great we began to shake. When I took it in and got everything balanced out I can cruise at 90 with no problem. Men have a problem with alignment and when turbelence comes, oh and it will come, men who are out of alignment with God began to shake, rattle and roll, usually right to a bottle in the ditch. Kingdom men are men that have aligned themselves with the plans and purposes of God and when turbelence comes, when the rest of the males around them spin out of control, they can often just push the accelerator a little bit more.

The adversity is what brings out their strength.

Kingdom men are men that have been tried and tested.

James 1:2–3 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Steadfastness definition

the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty, patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance

What God is saying is that it is through trials of various kinds, this is producing a temper in your spiritual steel. Like a trailer hitch ball. your trailer hitch ball is tempered! Why? Because it is designed to put a trailer on it and connect it to the truck. That trailer loaded down with whatever, is meant to cruise down the highway while that trailer is facing turbelence. What that trailer wants to do is get off the hitch. but that reinforced steel is taking a beating. being jerked and twisted and pulled on. Men God has made you to be a trailer hitch who connects the Kingdom of God to the sacredness of your family. And when your wife and kids face turbelence you are that strong ball who keeps your family on track

Kingdom men are men who have had their faith in the fires of life. Kingdom men who are resilent in storms, rather those storms are national unrest, storms of loss and sorrow, or it may be a Satanic storm.

Now don’t get me wrong, most men want to be Kingdom men, but they want to skip basic training.

They want the reward without the risk.

They want the strength without the storm.

They want the victory but as long as it doesn’t mess up their comfort

Every sword wants to be strong, sharp, and durable. But only the swords that have been through the furnace, and have been hammered by the blacksmith, and properly temptered in oil can withstand the battle.

In ministry I have placed males in positions whom I thought were Kingdom men, only to find out that they only ran when the battle got thick. You see Many are called but few are chosen. The Lord calls many men to step into Kingdom authority, but very few make the cut.

By the time we get to Daniel in Chapter 6 he is not merely surviving in Babylon, But He is thriving. He is not thriving because He has sold out his people and his God, He is thriving because He remained faithful to his God, even when it seemed more advantageous to go along to get along Daniel was a man of principle and prayer

Today I want to give you five characteristics of Kingdom men. Because I know the men in here desire to be good fathers who stand in the gap for their families, they want to be strong and steady when the turbelence of life gets a little rocky

Daniel 6:1–10 ESV

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” 6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

#1. Learn to say no before the Question is asked

HIghlight verse 10

So a plan was hatched in hell to get Daniel out of the position that He was in. They knew there was nothing dishonorable that they could bring before the King to disqualify Daniel. So they got crafty. And Daniel is about to go through a satanic storm.

The plot was to persuade the King to sign an ordinance saying that no one could pray to any God save the King. Because they knew that Daniel was a Praying man. You see Daniel Got to the position that he was in because of his closeness with God. It is said multiple times through the book that Daniel had an excellent spirit about him. That was that Daniel was a spiritual man. He was a man filled with the Holy Spirit. And because of his closeness to God, in the previous chapters he was able to interpret dreams, reveal the secrets of men.

So these worthless demon possesed men hatch a dispicable plan to flirt with the kings flesh and persuaded him to make a law an ordinance that no person should pray except to the King.

You see Daniel had already learned to say no before the question was ever asked of him. And as soon as the law was passed that no one could pray to God, Daniel immedietly went to HIs home, opened his windows where all could see and prayed.

You see Daniel understood the only thing important about Him was his prayer life. It was God who allowed him to do those awesome feats.

Over the last couple of months it has really opened my eyes to the churches condition. Are there enough kingdom men today that have learned how to say no before the question is asked. You see when goverments begin to go outside of their boundries that God has set and the goverment deems it illegal to worship, you will have a decision to make. Rather it is better to obey God or men

You see alot of people have surrendered their God given convictions. Convictions are predetermined answers. We need to have convictions about things, we need to learn how to say no before the question is ever asked. No, I will not compromise my integrity. No I will not go along to get along. No we are not going to allow any such thing into our home. You see if our convictions give us a big answer we wont be struggling with a lot of little , evil questions that are sent our way to

Men need

Significance

Sufficiency

Security

# 2 Kingdom Men do right no matter the cost

You see Daniel knew exactly whayt his decision would cost him. He had been working under these evil tyrants for years. He had already seen the viciousness of Nebudchanezzar. He knew that this king would be no different. that this law was made and it would get him a free all nighter with some man eating lions.

Fathers do you know what the most important thing you can teach your kids. Is that there will be times when they will have to stand alone. There will be dark days when the majority says one thing but the King of heaven will say another. I think the church today is filled with willy-nilly Christians who have never learned how to say no before the question is asked and will compromise their convictions for the sake f safety and peace. I believe many churches have replaced conviction with compromise under the guise of love, but love has been redefined. Love used to mean that I will love you while speaking truth, but today love has been replaced with the new bludgening tool of tolerance, for the sake of filling the pews on Sunday morning

#3 . Kingdom men listen to God’s wisdom instead of the world’s logic

Now if there was ever a time for compromise Daniel now was that time. For God’s sake man all we are doing is asking you to pause your prayer life for 30 days. The worlds logic would say, hey jsut do what youre told, Get in line. Don’t be foolish, dont die on this hill. Live to fight another day. Aint that right? The problem which Daniel didn’t see praying to God as a problem he saw it as the ultimate solution

It amazes me how many people will justify so many things now a days. Listen to me men, it takes a backbone to listen to God’s wisdom rather than man’s logic. But listen when you come to the God of Heaven you are coming a agod whose wisdom, logic and power makes mans look like those of a cockroach

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Now what is the widom that comes from Go? It is the ability to see life from God’s perspective. It is the difference between the perspective of an ant on a rainy day, and the hubble telescope reaching out into the recesses of the universe. Oh how we need God’s wisdom today. i see so many families make big decisions based on their logic and they never come to God about those decisions.

The Fear of the Lord is the Begining to Wisdom

Proverbs 9:10 ESV

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

God blesses Kingdom men. He blesses the man that fears God

What is Fearing God?- it is the foundational principal of God working in your life

Isaiah 33:6 ESV

6 and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.

the Fear of God opens up God’s treasures

What does it mena to fear God?

1 Concvept is a dread or fear

To fear God means to take God seriously

Today God is not taken seriously

Like a filling statin

God doesn’t want to be taken casually

We have lowered the definition

Third thing: You teach them to learn to stand alone. Now that’s what the modern Christian doesn’t want to do today. Do you know what they would have done if they had been a modern, namby-pamby, carnal member of one of today’s so-called evangelical churches? I’ll tell you what most of them would have done: They would have said, “Well, in Babylon, do as the Babylonians do.” Friend, let me tell you something: We are not put here to be diplomats; we’re put here to be soul winners. Today we’re supposed to get along with everybody and everything—even the devil himself. Well, I’ll tell you what else some of them would have done: They would have said, “Well, let’s just go along now; it will give us a chance do good later.” Never do wrong just to get a chance to do right; just do right every time and trust God.

That is the Reson we dont see the blessings of the Lord

#4. The ability to be promoted and stay the same

Daniel 6:2–3 ESV

2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

He didn’t let his promotion to cause his promotion to just fall in line

Don’t ever get so far up that the fear of losing everything causes you to betray God

Today most Christians have bought into the idea of just go along to get along. Let me tell you that is not the purpsoe of the church

When you stand for Jesus there will be times when you must stand alone

#5. Kingdom Men give God all the glory

Daniel 6:16–22 ESV

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. 19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

When the King came