Mighty men make Fierce Father’s

• Failure in Society
  Father, what's in that word? For most it probably brings good feelings and a sense of security.
  When I think of a father I think of a
  Point man= Military a soldier who walks at the front of an infantry patrol in combat, the leader or spokesperson of a campaign or organization.
  Fatherhood is built on the foundation of Manhood.
  Judges 6:11-27 Gideon
  We are here today to celebrate something that I believe has been dead for generations.
          What is a Man?
  Do you know?
  Have you seen one?
      
  The father is the voice of the family, church and civil government, yet he has been emotionally manipulated educationally castrated and socially rejected.
  Men you are that voice; stand, lead and serve. You were designed for it.
  Society would make you a victim and if you look at the stats you will believe them.
  We are at war! Are you fighting? Take back the lost ground!
  
   
  It is critical to understand
  Integrity= having within itself the strength and ability to do what you are designed for.
  • We are complete in Christ and so can become Mighty men of God.
    • Acts 17:28 for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'for we are indeed his offspring.'
  
   
  What is a man and why should we care? Today we live in a feminist culture and the effeminate man is highly praised while a mature man is seen
  as a Neanderthal; a primitive life form in a highly developed culture who if ignored will die off and fall away.
      --Gideon was hiding while attempting to care for his family but was actually neglecting future generations. The Spirit of God will change you direction Judges 6:11-12
  
   
• Failure in Family
  • Where I came from. And where I am
  
   
  God is good and sovereign; we can trust His work in our life.    
  My biological father

1. Rejected me at birth and said I wasn't his.
2. Had a disconnected relationship throughout my life.
3. Left me unprotected.
4. Unloved
5. Un-discipled
6. Un disciplined

My stepfather

1. Raised me as my mother's son (from my earliest memories)
2. Distant or separate relationship
3. Turned to alcohol for the pain of work injuries and being unable to work.

My second stepfather

1. Didn't protect me from people who would cheat me
2. He is separated by guilt
3. I am separated by the pain of being taken advantage of.

What I've learned--- post salvation, upon reflection.

1. I've learned there is a difference between a father and a dad. Even if you had a dad you will want that fathers whole in your life filled.
   1. Where did I come from –what are my roots.
2. A life lived for your own pleasures/interests is destructive.
   1. Unless it is family integrated.
3. A man must protect his children, even from himself.
   1. Proverbs 25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
   2. --Gideon Judges6:15-16 I am week and in the eyes of men have nothing to offer.

I believe God in his sovereignty has been the father I didn't have =

Psalm 68:5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

        Before you feel too sorry for me---

I grew up a rebellious young man with an "us and them" mentality, concerned with myself and being cool.

    In spite of that God used these men to teach me many things.

1. Hard work is good. Proverbs 14:23 farm life and bringing in wood
2. Don't be afraid of doing hard things. Philippians 4:13
3. Take care of your tools. Matthew 25 14:30 (Talents)boy and the broken wrench- 2^nd grade
4. You can do more than you think if you give it your all. – dealing with anger
5. Your children need to be specifically relationally integrated in your life DAD. – breaking the independence battle
   
    

• If it weren't for the failings of my past I wouldn't be who I am today.

 

More than anything I have had a big hole in my life when it comes to a fatherly and manly example. Realizing my shortcoming ---

    Looking for good examples in others and emulating them myself 1 Corinthians 11:1

        The down side is that I tend to look to other men for approval.

• What is a man

1. Our biggest mistakes
   1. We let others define it and not God
      1. Androgyny= no difference between men and woman

Thomas Gramstad (feminist thinker) = One of the biggest and most prevalent mistakes in Western Culture is the idea that there

exist two separate and "opposite" genders, masculinity and femininity. This gender dualism is not only false and without any

factual or scientific support, but also very harmful. One strategy to overcome this wrongness is the idea of androgyny, by which

masculinity and femininity are not conceived as opposite ends of one spectrum, but as two separate spectrums: you can be or have

both at once (or neither), not only the one or the other.

1. Pietism= Salvation by being good (17^th-mid 18^th century and beyond)
   1. Led to strong endtime expectations (watching for comets)
   2. Broke down the barriers between men and women (writers prophets and leaders)
   3. The problem lies in the unbiblical soft exegesis of scripture that are of man and not of God.
      1. Personal piety is one thing but doctrine and theology are another.
      
       

àI believe these still effects the church today giving us a twisted worldview. Satan is well pleased with churches

that are full of feminist women and cowardly men. I say no

 

Men who struggled from cultural osmoses --    

i.    Moses= Exodus 3:11 Who am I that I should go (Guilt)

ii.    Jonah= Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord (Hatred)

God can use us in spite of us but with a bitter branch of consequence.

• Arron made the calf and went astray with the people.
• Jonah swallowed by a whale.

1. Our only hope – the word of God in the hands of the elect administered by the Holy Spirit.
   1. Men who overcame culture with unreserved obedience to God
      1. David = 1Samuel 17:26b "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the
         armies of the living God?"
      2. Isaiah = Isaiah 6:8 Here am I! Send me.
      3. Caleb= Numbers13:30 "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it."
2. Men want to do real things.
   1. If you make church just a fluffy spiritual emotional festival you will either effeminize your men or lose them.
      1. Our hands were made for tools!
      2. 1Cor 4:12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

Some of my earliest memories are of my brothers and I Picking up the biggest rocks we could possibly hold and –smashing our Tonka's with them.

    Who would discipline their children for such antics?

What you don't know is that my stepdad was a scrap hauler and if you smash cars flat, you can haul more of them per

Semi load to the recycle center. As boys we simply applied what we saw to our world and emulated our Dad. We wanted to do real things.

1. Let's fight culture take down the bad guys and replace them with Godly order. Matt 6:10 Lords prayer- on earth as it is in heaven.
   1. Let's be salt and light in our culture. Matthew 5:13-16

 

1. Men need to do hard things
   1. As a man I found myself considering professional athletes and their abilities. When they scored a touchdown
      or drained a three from down town; it was exhilarating.
      
      1. I began to wonder, what were the three pointers in my life; did I have any buzzer beater ability or life in me?
         1. We are led to believe that we should settle for mediocrity.
            1. Did Michael Jordan do that? Or what about Joe Montana? They went all out and left it all on the floor.
      2. Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
         1. These athletes have their reward, money and praise of men.
         2. Ours is an everlasting one before God almighty.
            Do you believe it?

    You were made to live a life of significance; not for the praise of men but for the glory of God.
        I challenge each and every man here to go hard until you go home (die)!
It is not sinful selfish lust to want to live a life of significance; God put that in you to drive you. Just make sure your eyes are on Him.

 
    This is significance "the husband of one wife" "father of children" "fighting principalities" Simply doing your best where you are
applying the law of God by the spirit of God with a heart of praise.

 

1. Men were made for dominion – personal(Time and resource)- Familistic(Production and outreach)- Cultural(Church and Government)
   1. Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have
      dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." – first command
   2. Genesis 9:1 1And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2The fear of you and
      the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground
      and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you
      the green plants, I give you everything – repeated after the flood
   3. Lamentations 5:14 The old men have left the city gate, the young men their music.
      1. If the husband and wife relationship is right, a man will have influence at the city gate.
         1. Proverbs 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
      2. If the parental relationships are right, a man can contend with his enemies-In the Gate
         1. Psalm 127:5 blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with
            his enemies in the gate.
      3. Dominion is the life and breath of man's purpose on earth; the people of God have been empowered by His spirit to take care
         of his creation according to His Law; its private and public.
         
         1. PROVERBS 28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked :but such as keep the law contend with them
         2. Matthew 14:3-4 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, 2 and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his
            brother Philip's wife, 14:4 because John had repeatedly told 3 him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." Holding
         a pagan ruler to the law of God- all men are under the righteous dictates of the law.
         
         1. Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
         2. Jude 1:3 Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you 1 about our common salvation, I now feel
         compelled 2 instead to write to encourage 3 you to contend earnestly 4 for the faith 5 that was once for all 6 entrusted to the saints.
         
         1. We have things to doàare we not called?
            1. Neglecting and rejecting the dominion mandate is like saying that it is ok with us if our children are the slaves and puppets of tyrants.
            
             
2. Make decisions/ Take responsibility
   1. These go hand in hand; we teeter on indecision when we are fearful of mistakes and taking responsibility for them.
      1. Indecision kills – consider driving a car and you are sitting at an intersection of a large road. Your wife and family are in the car and you have to decide when to go.
         1. Indecision would mean not moving with conviction. Imagine just rolling out into traffic and then being a terrible hazard for yourself and others.
         2. If you move with purpose, even if you go the wrong way, you can still turn around; you will learn something.
            1. Don't be afraid of mistakes, be purposeful, and trust God.- word-prayer
            2. If you don't get this right you will be paralyzed (zombie)
         3. If you're consumed with fear of failure then it is pride.
            1. Pride is a state of immaturity and rejection of the design of the creator.

 

• Nagging and cowardice the spin cycle of destruction

We read "wives submit to your husband" and the ladies wince a little while men sit there in wonder.
We know that God himself made man first and then woman from his side curiously close to the heart. When we see this admonition it is always to the women first.
How strange, if man was made first then why the switch. It's because of the great and colossal influence a woman has on the home. The curse says that the desire
of the women will be for her husband but he shall rule over you.

1. God has given us order and the world will not have it, He has reasons that are life giving.

    I believe that the created strengths of the man help him lead and the strengths of a woman complement that; making marriage complete, Good.

 

1. The different way a man and woman handles emotions is very significant and understanding how it is a curse for immature men and women
   to be leaders. I think this plays a big part with how we approach the world and make decisions. Isaiah 3:12

 

1. Emotionally immature people will typically not know that about themselves. It is hidden under the surface and when revealed they are surprised by it. (Overreaction)
   1. We would do well to be concerned about the emotional maturity of our children
   2. I can think of times as a young man; when faced with adversity that I really failed with anger, sorrow and bitterness.
2. A woman who is more concerned about expressing herself then honoring her husband is wounding his heart and seriously damaging the marriage relationship.

        Do you see how?

a. It violates trust.

        b. Reinforces selfish thought patterns. Not love.

c. Encouraged as healthy by our feminist culture. Acceptable limits of expression are out of balance.

4. Women will normally have an immediate emotional reaction to turmoil, expectations and adversity.

5. Men will typically internalize the problem and deal with it later or just hold it in. It's part of taking it on the chin; note the emotional pain is

the same but is dealt with differently. That is why the command for ladies "they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives" is

so important. 1Peter 3:1 We foolishly believe we can save, but salvation is of God.

 

Because of the emotional makeup of men this kind of emotional trauma can be as damaging as physical abuse.

    I have seen women who continued to damage there husband's heart for thirty years with tiny paper cuts – millions of them. To the point where he just
did nothing because nothing he did was right. In the end she discarded him as rubbish. The other scenario is he just leaves because the marriage is dead.

 
This sounds like I'm coming down on ladies but bear with me!
    How we treat others should be filtered by our love for God, maturity and love for them.

• The confession and forgiveness process not only repairs relationships but is also an active part of the emotional maturing process.
  • Romans 2:4 or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads
    you to repentance? Run to it not from it!
  • 1Peter 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel,
    since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Husbands; be mature about this you are not your wife's conscience but you are the homes protector.
  • Proverbs 15:1 a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

• Passivity or leadership
  
   
  What a Man must be.
  
   
  A man is a leader and passivity cannot be present in him. Passivity produces a coward, who is too proud to admit fault. A man is humble and courageous not passive and proud.
  A humble man will also fully rely on God (psalm 25:3 indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous).
  
   
  In Adams fall we sinned all.
  Adam & Eve/the fall: (Genesis 3) Eve failed to remember the commandment/ failed to obey. The fall of all mankind is hung on Adam's neck (because he's the leader)
  he was passive and cowardly. He did not stand alone, he instead followed her in the breaking of the
  Commandment he left his role as leader, and instead let his wife lead.
  
   
  If you must stand alone before your wife, then it's your fault. You must wash her with the water of the word. If you have to stand alone against your wife it's because you have neglected to teach her!
  
   
  The man must lead and the man is always held accountable before God even if he neglects his role for that of passivity (letting the wife lead). But in Christ
  we are freed from the curse of the woman seeking the leadership and the man seeking passivity. The man is reinstated into this God given role, and the same
  is done for the wife. In this position of the man leading and the wife following/helping the man in his vision, Gods design is fulfilled and the world can be
  changed but only through Christ, because without him it cannot be done Adam proves this.
  Only in Christ can the true design for the man and woman be accomplished.
  
   
  The man has huge influence. If you are passive- Repent! –Repent! –Repent!
  
  
   
  Also a man cannot rely on his emotions; he must control himself based on what he is called to do, not what he feels.
  
   
  A man is called to make the decisions; his wife is his counsel in his decision making (2nd to the word of God).
  
   
  This is the day that the Lord has made: I can rejoice in Gods priorities, not my selfish ambitions.
  Not sleeping in/ playing games rather in taking dominion and living righteously.
  
   
  Proverbs 1:32 for the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; 33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."--> Complacent
  
   
  • Keyà Manhood is about submission
    • What does it look like -John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only
      what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Fathered does, that the Son does likewise.
    • Submission to Christ – Rev 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True,
      and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name
    written that no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
    14And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15From his mouth comes a sharp
    sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath
    of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. –This is your King
    
    • It is a position of strength – no indecision
    • Unites your heart – James 1 :8 a double minded man is unsteady in all his ways
    • James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
    • Job 22:21 (has·ken) Yield--Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto you.
    • Submission is the key to an unreserved life of obedience to God!
    • When you look at what needs done you won't look at yourself.
  If there is sin in the home it is ultimately the father's responsibility to deal with it. Like a captain of a ship.
  
   
  --Remember Gideon's first task was to pull down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah replacing it with God honoring life. Judges 6:25-26 We as fathers
  need to root out ungodly false worldviews in our home and replace them with biblical truth.
  
   
  Deuteronomy 5:29 Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!
  
   
  Scott Brown "It is amazing to me that God would take a regular guy and stick him in a home and make him the hinge point for the whole nation"
  
   
  Men are the pillars of society, protectors of justice and defenders of the innocent –
  
   
  Judges 6:11-27
  
   
      It is men who are called to lead and protect, is it any wonder that marriage is initiated by the man (we can't say it's not our problem we didn't start it).
  So it is in culture, cultural reform starts in the home; the American experiment has shown that the culture rises and falls with the family.
  
   
  Will you be like Gideon, a mighty man of Valor?
  
   
  "A Sword for the Lord and for Gideon!"
  Judges 7:20