Male And Female Created He Them

Brian Bill has put together a “Top-ten List” of “You might be a male if . . .”

10. You know stuff about tanks.

9. You can go to the bathroom without a support group.

8. Someone forgets to invite you to something and he can still be your friend.

7. You can drop by to see a friend without bringing a little gift.

6. Another guy shows up at the same party in the same outfit, and you become lifelong buddies.

5. You have one wallet, one pair of shoes, one color, for all seasons.

4. There is always a game on somewhere.

3. Your pals can be trusted never to trap you with, “So… notice anything different?”

2. Something mechanical doesn’t work, and you bash it with a hammer and throw it across the room.

1. You can do your nails with a pocketknife.

When I was growing up we watched television programs like “Father Knows Best,” and a whole genre of programs that were basically written around the same theme. Today the shows could be called, “Father Knows Squat.” Most men in television households are pretty dumb and a bit gross, not to mention incompetent and insensitive. They all seem to have maturity issues. I am unaware of any television shows that has a male figure who is intelligent, sensitive and mature. In fact, this morning I want to show a clip from “Everybody Loves Raymond” to show how men are portrayed in the media. It is a very funny piece, but it also gives you some idea how father’s are depicted. (Show clip, 2 minutes – Raymond’s daughter wants to know, “Why did God put us here?”)

The great thing to me is how many dads we have here this morning who could answer their children’s questions like that one very well. I am grateful for the men of this congregation who demonstrate emotional and spiritual maturity. They provide a positive example of what it means, both to be a man and a man of God. You not only work and provide well for your family, you provide the emotional support for them as well. You spend time with your family and let them know they are important to you. I want to give honor to men today. I want to say that it is a good thing to be a man. The Bible says, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:4-5). God has crowned you with glory and honor. He has set you over all creation. Along with women, we are the crowning work of God’s creation.

John Eldredge, in the introduction to his excellent book for men entitled Wild at Heart, says, “I know. I almost want to apologize. Dear Lord — do we really need another book for men? Nope. We need something else. We need permission. Permission to be what we are—men made in God’s image. Permission to live from the heart and not from the list of ‘should’ and ‘ought to’ that has left so many of us tired and bored.”

I would like to address some of the issues with which our current culture is trying to brainwash us. I want to do that by helping us to understand how men and women are different. The first thing I want to say is: God created men and women different physically. This should go without saying, but it seems to be a point of contention, and even resentment, from many in the feminist movement. For a number of years now our culture has been using the term unisex and promoting the accompanying philosophy that men and women are basically the same. But that is not true, for beyond the obvious anatomical differences, every cell in our bodies is a male cell with a Y chromosome. Every cell we have is different from a female. Our muscles are different, and we are different in physical strength and makeup.

It was interesting as Annika Sorenstam recently attempted to play in the PGA tour after becoming the No. 1 player in the LPGA. A native of Stockholm, Sweden, she has won several LPGA events this year, already earning nearly $1,000,000. She created a media storm as she endeavored to qualify for the PGA Colonial Golf Championship this year. She was trying to become the first woman ever to play in the PGA’s 58-year history. However, her scores of 71 and 72 disqualified her and she did not make the cut for the tournament. I point this out, because in spite of Sorenstam being the top female golfer in the world, and putting herself through a demanding physical regimen, she cannot compete with the men who are professionals. For one thing, men are simply able to hit the ball farther.