Sermon Tone Analysis

A model for Manhood.doc

SD20

September 16, 2007                                                                                         File E

The Joyful Christian Part 6

A MODEL FOR MANHOOD

Philippians 2:19-30

 

There is a war being waged

      There are battles being fought

            The stakes are of eternal proportions

                  The army is totally voluntary

                        Each assignment is on a voluntary basis

The rewards are equal to the risks

      God is looking for men and women, boys and girls

            People of honor and valor

Not perfect people—but willing to strive

      Not highly intelligent people – but people willing to learn

            Not the strong—but the courageous

 

This is the sixth in a series on the joyful Christian  and my title today from these verses we just read is:  A model for manhood.

The man God uses!!!

 

Today the message is directed specifically to us ;men.

Not in any way to minimize the importance of women—Everywhere God has worked He has called, equipped and used women in His kingdom.

And everything I say today can just as easily apply to women who would be models of faith—

 

But today we have in our text two men as examples for us to model.

He says some things about them that can serve to motivate us to be all we can be in Christ as men of God…

      So today this is a message *for men.

*

*            By a man*—named Paul

                  *About two men*—Timothy and Epaphroditus

For men--who want to learn more and be more like *THE MAN*—Christ Jesus

PRAY

Garrison Keillor in an op-d piece in the Sunday New York Times, some years ago:  “This was not a great year for guys…Guys are in trouble.

Manhood, once an opportunity for achievement, now seems like a problem to be overcome.

Plato, St. Francis, Leonardo da Vinci, Vince Lombardi—you don’t find guys of that caliber today.

What you find is terrible gender anxiety, guys trying to be Mr. Right, the man who can bake a cherry pie, go shoot skeet, come back, toss a salad, converse easily about intimate matters, cry if need be, laugh, hug, be vulnerable, perform passionately that night and the next day go off and lift them bales onto that barge and tote it.

Being perfect is a terrible way to spend your life, and guys are not equipped for it anyway.

It is like a bear riding a bicycle: He can be rained to do it for short periods, but he would rather be in the woods doing what bears do there.”

(quoted in /Tender Warrior, /by Stu Weber, Multnomah Books)

 

We are not telling you to be perfect just have a desire to be better!

Here are two men from whom we can learn:

Timothy—“/I have no one else like him…”v.20/

Epaphroditus—/“…hold men like him in highest honor.”/

/ /

*The kind of men God is looking for*

* *

*1.

Men of compassion  (v.20-21)*

Paul said of Timothy—/“He is the only one who really cares about you…Everyone else is concerned only with his own affairs, not about the cause of Christ.”/

*God is looking for men who will put People before profit…*

 

--People are more important than programs

--Your family is more important than your work

--Your relationship with your son~/daughter is more important than the house or car or education, or fine clothes you can provide them…

 

Relationships are more important than things!

The Bible says “…if I have not love I am nothing…”

You can be a success at everything else and viewed as successful in the eyes of the world but if you don’t have love in your life—

      People to love

            People who love you back---then your life is a failure!

It doesn’t have to be that way!!!

God is looking for men of compassion

      Compassion gives its life away!

Compassion is protecting the needs and rights of others

 

Too often we are just in it for ourselves—not caring what other people need or want!

It’s all about me!!!!

 

“Is it possible to get so wrapped up and committed to your work that you forget your family?

Phillips translates this verse, "They are all wrapped up in their own affairs".

The man who is all wrapped up in himself is not a daddy, he's a mummy.”[1]

Paul says that timothy is one—ONE OF THE FEW who care more about the needs of others than himself!

*2.

God is looking for men of consistency---*

*      Men who will put character before conformity*

 

Me who are more concerned with who they are and the kind of man they are becoming than with the kind of man other people think they are!!!

These men are not afraid to be different than the world around them!

They are not afraid to stand up for what is right to their own harm!

v.22  Timothy has proved himself.

He has served with me in the work of the Gospel…”

“Prove” means tested character—integrity!

These are men who are committed to their values  and who value their commitments    ----      

Consistent in their beliefs.

They cannot be bought by temporary pleasures.

*Proverbs 10:9*/ "The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." /

The bottom line for manhood is integrity.

A nice personality will make a good first impression but success over the long haul is built on character, not on image.

The man of integrity will not be afraid of what is going to be found out.

*/Prov.

20:7/*/ "It is a wonderful heritage to have an honest father."

/Inconsistent men produce insecure children.

The kids don't know where the dad's coming from.

An uncommitted or inconsistent husband produces unstable marriages.

*3.

God is looking for men of cooperation*

*God is looking for men who put cooperation before competition*

 

Epaphroditus was one identified in v. 25 as

      My brother

            My fellow worker

                  My fellow soldier

 

He was part of the team!

We learn three things about the Christian life here in this verse:

*1.

It is a family*—brothers and sisters—we are related, (I hope that doesn’t unnerve you)   133 times in the NT Paul uses the word Brother to describe our relationship with each other….

We are family!!!!

*2.

It is working together*—we have the same task – the same job and the same commission---

      Great commission:  Go…

      Great commandment:   Love…

            WE MUST DO IT TOGETHER!

*3. it is a fight*—When you became a Christian you became the enemy of the devil and joined ranks with the soldiers of the Kingdom of God.

We must defend each other and protect each other and support each other…

      Don’t go it alone!!!!!

 

Can other Christians use these terms about you???