Are You A Man Of God?

Good morning. A big welcome to all the fathers out there joining us on Father’s day. What a blessing it is to have each of you with us here this morning.

As I thought about what to bring today for Father’s day I was first drawn to I Timothy 6:11 “But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.”

In fact I had an entire sermon prepared, but God said that was not for this morning. So He called me back up to my church office and away I went on a new sermon.

As I was walking Friday morning I was listening to Pastor J Vernon Magee on Bott radio and he had a wonderful message from God but I missed most of it because he started by talking about God’s Character and then God started talking to me.

Now I could preach a sermon on a different part of God’s character every Sunday from today until Jesus returns and still would never get them all. God’s character is limitless and so far above ours we will never fully grasp it

However, you and I are made in God’s image and I believe that He wants us to develop his character and through the Holy Spirit and through God’s Word we can do just that.

This morning I am going to share 5 characteristics of God that should be in all Men of God.

1. Wise

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We see God’s wisdom in everything from creation to His Word. Turn with me to

Romans 11:33

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“Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways!”

That is plenty wise right there.

I am not going to stand here and lie to you.

There will be ways of God and judgments of God we as carnal humans will never understand on this earth.

God’s wisdom is so much deeper than ours

God’s wisdom is so much higher than ours

God’s wisdom is perfect and righteous and ours is flawed and sinful

So then how does a man of God become wise?

God tells you if you need wisdom just ask Him

James 1:5

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“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.”

Men you are created to be wise. I could spend a whole sermon if not a whole sermon series here.

Proverbs is full of godly wisdom.

God’s Word is wisdom.

Fathers…men…you must be in God’s Word.

You must be in the secret place.

You must be in prayer.

You must be in men’s groups and bible studies.

You must seek God’s wisdom.

This world is dying for the wisdom freely given to Christian men of God.

Are you a man of God?

2. Faithful

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Deuteronomy 7:9

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“Know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.”

Again many verses that could be used here. God is faithful. He will never leave nor forsake you...

In fact He never has

just because you quit seeking Him or because you were ignoring God doesn't mean He wasn’t there

No He never moved you moved.

Men....Fathers....Grandfathers. future fathers....

your friends,

your family,

your spouse or future spouse

your kids or future kids

in fact the world itself need you to be faithful.

Not the world’s faithful,

only faithful when the other person deserves it but always faithful.

No matter what you are to be faithful.

No matter what you are to be honest.

Say what you mean and mean and do what you say.

You also, and most importantly, must be faithful to God.

As I said earlier

in prayer

in secret place

in the Word

in fellowship

in men’s groups/bible studies

How can you lead and be faithful to others if you are not following and being faithful to God?

Are you faithful to God?

Are you faithful to others?

Are you a Man of God?

Men of God are also protectors

Deuteronomy 31:6

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“Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.””

Men of God understand that it is God who goes with them therefore when God says go they go.

When God says do they do

When God says speak they speak

When God says help they help

When God says protect they protect

They protect because it is God who protects them

II Thessalonians 3:3

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“But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.”

Fathers are you strengthening and guarding your spouse or your kids or grandkids from the evil one?

God is strengthening and guarding you from the evil one so you should be strengthening and guarding them

Are you allowing the evil one into your home and their lives by

what you watch or allow to be watched in your home.........

video games that are allowed to be played in your home......

music allowed to be listened to in your home......

social media allowed to be watched, interacted with or made in your home

You set the tone

You set the pace

Just as God sets the tone and pace for you.....you set the tone and pace for those in your home.

Are you faithfully protecting those God has given you?

Are you a man of God?

3. Merciful

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Romans 9:15-16

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“For he tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then, it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.”

Fathers show mercy and compassion to those around you. This doesn’t mean you don’t discipline because God says He disciplines you because He loves you.

So as a man of God you discipline your children but you also show mercy and compassion

God also requires you to show mercy and compassion to all those around you.

You will know because of the Holy Spirit and if God says be merciful then be merciful.

Sometimes compassion and mercy is not shielding someone from the consequences of their actions because God knows that is the only way they will learn and return or come for the first time to Jesus.

Sometimes compassion and mercy are in fact shielding someone from the consequences of their actions....remember wisdom…God through the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you here.

Mercy and compassion are not weakness in fact they take a lot of strength because most of the time you are going to be telling someone they are living opposite of the truth and that will lead to conflict and emotions and anger and all kinds of things.

The true mercy and compassion that needs to be shown by men of God is speaking of Jesus and the gospel all day every day.

Are you merciful?

Are you a man of God?

4. Gracious and Provider

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Psalm 145:8

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love.”

Gracious,

compassionate,

slow to anger

and great in mercy.....

The CSB uses love at the end of this verse and the KJV uses Mercy and in looking at the Hebrew word I believe mercy is the better translation.

Men of God are gracious....when is being gracious most noticed....that is right in defeat or hardship

As the world beats you down......

as it appears that the enemy is winning.....

as you suffer for Christ in this lost and broken and fallen world be gracious.

Be gracious in “victory” as well.

We must praise God and tell our testimonies but be aware that your mountain top was also a valley and someone may be in that valley....

be gracious as you testify and make sure God gets the glory not you.

Men are you gracious and compassionate?

Men are you slow to anger?

Men do you have great mercy?

That hebrew word translated mercy means kindness,

favour,

good deed,

loving kindness....

do those things mark your life?

Are you a man of God?

Ephesians 2:8

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“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—”

As a man of God you are saved by grace through faith. God’s gift.

Do you give the gift of grace to others to point to God’s free gift of salvation?

This world needs Men of God who are full of grace

Not because you want the glory but because of the grace shown to you by God in Jesus paying your price

Part of being a man of God and gracious is also to provide

Isaiah 41:10

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“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.”

That is your provision......

that is one way God provides for you men of God…

do you provide for others in that way?

Just as God strengthens you, you must strengthen others.

Just as God helps you, you must help others

Just as God holds on to you, you must hold on to others.

That takes maximum effort

maximum dedication

maximum commitment

maximum sacrifice

which leads us to the last characteristic of God that men of God must have

5. Love

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I John 4:7-8

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“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

You guessed right the love here is agape love.

God’s love

Love that requires action

Love that requires sacrifice

Love that puts others first

Crazy love that sent Jesus to die for you

If you claim to love God and don’t love others you are deceived and a liar.......

this isn’t talking of the worldly, emotional, feeling of love but God’s Love

Men if you are honest with yourself you fail here everyday.

Agape love demands that our pride

demands that our ego

demands that our wants

demands that our comfort

demands that our preferences

all be killed and buried with Christ when you accept Him.

Agape love also says you love in the best way it will be received

Men of God that means that you

do the dishes

Vacuum the floor

Do the laundry

and don’t brag about it.....

just do it and go on....

if you brag about it you are doing it in hopes of being rewarded

Do it because you love her.

Men of God that means that you

Skip that round of golf

Skip that hunting trip

to spend that time with your kids talking about God and loving them in the way they best receive it

Some that may be playing a game of madden football or something like that

Girl dads that may be the model for her to put on make up and nail polish…rock it with pride because you love her

Maybe that is reading a book or just sitting and being present

Whatever it looks like love them how they need loved.

That is what men of God do.....are you a man of God

That also means putting you and your wants and your desires and your preferences and your comfort aside and doing what God calls you to do in the church

Sitting in the pew is not what God created you for......it is part of preparing yes

but not why you are here

Men of God are active.

Men of God are always looking for someone to serve

Men of God realize that through service people see Jesus

Men of God are always looking to support their Christian family

Men of God make excuses to be involved in ministry from cutting the grass to giving communion meditations to working the tech booth to helping in children’s ministry

It doesn’t matter what your comfort level is....if God calls you He will equip you.

He is calling you out of the pew and into ministry and service...

Will you answer Him?

God also shows us what His love looks like

I John 4:9-11

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“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.”

Men of God.

This encompasses everything that has been spoken about today

Love....

God’s Love

A Love so deep

A love so strong

A love so world changing

A love that brought God joy when He sent Jesus to die for you when you hated God

When you were God’s enemy

If you have Jesus as your Savior this morning you have experienced this love first hand....

you must love that way....no excuses

The world is dying and going to hell and love…God’s love is the answer.

Men and women of God are the answer.

I challenge you.......love others like God loves you and see what happens to the world around you

Love your family like God loves you and see the transformation that will take place in your family

Love your co-workers like God loves you and see your work place become a sanctuary.

Love those on the street like God loves you and see this town turn into a beacon of light shinning the light and love of Jesus into a dark, broken, sinful, fallen world.

Do you love like God loves you?

Are you a Man of God?

If you have never accepted Jesus what a day, Fathers day to come home to the Father....run to the Father this morning

Maybe you have or had horrible examples of fathers and mothers here on earth. You have a perfect father who made a way when there was no way. He desperately wants to show you what a prefect Father is....run to the Father this morning

Maybe you were like me about 6 or 7 years ago and were a terrible earthly father and husband, a terrible man far from being a man of God. Run to the Father this morning

Whatever God is doing in your heart this morning Run to the Father

Are you a man of God?