A Godly Man is a Lord of the Earth, Husbandman, Savior, Sage, and the Glory of God.
What Does It Mean To Be A Man?
Introduction.
I ran across a list of what it means to be a
man while reading on the dock at Camp Barakel a few years ago and they have
been a great help to me. I have permission from Bill Mouser to use these five
things this morning. There is something for everyone here. An encouragement to men. A prayer list for wives. A
training curriculum for Mothers and Fathers, Grandmothers and Grandfathers. A
list of goals for young men and if you are a young woman, you might want to look
at this a little like a shopping list.
1. Lord of the Earth. Exercise dominion in his jurisdiction. (Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 28:19-20; Psalm 8) Man is created in the image God to rule and subdue
the earth for God. (ill) Young people can’t subdue Kingdoms until they lean to
pick up their socks.
2. Husbandman (Genesis 2:15) Make life flourish within your dominion.
Life—Eternal Life—Abundant Life
Grow
things! Man is created to cultivate the persons and things within his realm, so
they fulfill their potential within God's creation. (ill) Voluntary Watermelon
is very rare, you have to have a plan and cultivate it. (ill) When a wealthy farmer was asked why he made
his sons work the fields when he did not have to he replied, ‘I’m not raising
corn, I am raising boys.”(ill) The Cut Away Principle
3. Savior
(Gen. 3:14-15) Oppose evil and be
a spiritual protector in our dominion.
·
Satan wants to kill, steal, and
destroy.
·
He especially loves to snuff out
life in its youth
·
To do so he must “bind the strong
man” first
·
(Job 1:5) A strong man must ask himself every day:
“What lies is Satan using today to kill my wife, sons, daughter, me?”
Man
is created to war sacrificially against evil and injustice until they are
vanquished. 15 Dangers that should
activate a Father’s protection…
(ill) Woody… we wouldn’t think of
going out there alone. Is there a man in
your house? (ill) Men of the Character Inn came armed and ready
for confrontation.
4. Sage
(Prov. 1-9) Man
is created to be trained by mature men, to gain skill and insight, to take his
place among wise men, doing work which counts forever. Wisdom. Discernment. Ability to motivate
learning in others. (ill) “You will notice they walked everywhere they went.”
5. Glory of God (1 Cor. 11:7, 3; Eph 5:23-24) Walk with God until you have the glory of God on you
that others can see, especially your wife and children. Man is created to
display something of God's glory in his bearing, roles, and activities.
(ill) Pastor Chen… a place for daily
communion with Christ…
The
essential thing is your own fellowship with God. Are you in continual fellowship with
God? Do you have holy affections? Is your faith deeper than a creed or code of
conduct?
Where do I begin? If you want to know how to be a Lord of the Earth,
Husbandman, Savior, Sage, and Glory-Bearer, go at it backwards. First spend
time in the presence of God until his glory is on you, only then will you be
wise. Then you will be able to be a savior—a danger to the enemy—a spiritual protector.
These are the only men who will be able to make life flourish and they will
have a jurisdiction that mirrors the Kingdom of Christ and of God in a small
way. That is what it means to be a man.
Lead on O King
Eternal
