The most elemental aspect of our identity is being challenged today. In an effort to confuse humanity and draw us away from a relationship with our Creator, Satan has launched a major assault against the family. The attack comes in the form of unbiblical ideas about the roles of men and women and the entire meaning of human sexuality, manhood and womanhood.
Satan is succeeding in convincing a generation of Pagan Americans that their identity is not linked to their birth as a male or female. NEW OPTIONS including gay marriage and transgender are pushed on young people. Those who oppose these new ideas are labeled as bigots and are labeled a threat to society.
Christian young people are being intimidated into submission as their teachers, the media, and the entertainment industry rally for gay marriage and vilify those who oppose it.
As a result, young people are confused. We have lost our identity.
John Eldredge laments about this loss. “Where are all the real men?” is regular fare for talk shows and new books. You asked them to be women, I want to say. The result is a gender confusion never experienced at such a wide level in the history of the world.”
Christian leaders are raising a voice in the darkness of our loss of identity. Many new books on Biblical Manhood and womanhood have been written. One of the most significant is the book on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem which was written about 25 years ago. Other books have followed and new ministries have been started to equip the church to stand against Satan’s re-definition of sex and the family. However, many churches and key leaders have already surrendered to the cultural conformity and political correctness.
Today, we begin a new sermon series on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. I want to begin with Manhood. I hope to answer the question, “What does it mean to be a man?” and do this from a Biblical point of view. Our focus for this discussion is the Person of Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Man.
Consider the implication of 1 Peter 2:21 “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21, ESV). We are told that Jesus provides our example for life. For men, our concept of manhood should begin by examining the kind of man that Jesus was.
What is the MANLIEST thing you have ever done?
Climbed a mountain?
Built a house?
Driven a race car?
Starting Quarterback?
Being a man of Integrity is more rare than any of those things! Being a man like Jesus far surpasses any other earthly accomplishment. Men like Jesus do all of the things mentioned above, and more, but they live their lives for God’s glory and not self promotion.
Let’s begin by examining that Jesus is the Culmination of a Real Man. 1 Peter 2:21
Jesus was a common man. Nazareth was a common place.
Jesus was a man of strength and skill. We know that he was “the carpenter’s son.” The dialogue in Matthew 15:53-58 shows that the towns people of Nazareth all knew him and were amazed at his teaching. Most likely following in his father Joseph’s vocation, Jesus would have spend the first 30 years of his life learning about carpentry. He was a workman, aware of the method of building. His frequent references to building, houses, agriculture, nature, mountains and wildlife make it abundantly clear that he was a man’s man, and not a cultured academic. He was not raised in Jerusalem, studying in the Temple all day long. He understood the realm known by most men of his day. Consider”
1. The toughness to walk up and down the land of Israel.
2. His hands were rough.
3. He was fit and thin from his constant activity of carpentry and walking.
4. His hair was brittle and coarse from the sun and climate.
5. His skin was leathery from walking in the sun.
6. He must have had incredible physical stamina and endurance to live through his beating and survive as long as he did on the cross. A weak man would have collapsed under the weight of the cross and the cruelty of the punishment long before Jesus did.
Jesus was a sinless Man. Jesus accomplished what Adam did not.
Jesus experienced everything that all men experience. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV)
Jesus was victorious over three Temptations that men struggle with
ANGER
PRIDE
LUST
Jesus overcame them all.
ANGER. “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23, ESV)
PRIDE.
He HUMBLED himself. “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:6–7, ESV)
He SERVED OTHERS. “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:2–5, ESV)
He Submitted to his parents.
He Endured the greatest injustice ever committed by man.
LUST. We know that Jesus endured all of the temptations that every other human (including men) endure. We read “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV). Men and boys, that means that Jesus understood sexual temptation, without ever allowing that temptation to turn into lust. He was able to look at women without making them objects of sexual gratification. He never sinned once in a world where every sin known to us today was also known then.
He Never married. That means that Jesus was a complete man, without ever having a sexual relationship with a woman. Young men devote a great amount of attention to “getting the girl.” Their lives center around relationship with the opposite sex. They believe that they cannot be fulfilled without sexual intimacy. But Jesus was the most complete picture of a real man and yet he never had an intimate relationship with a woman, never was married or had children. The point is that as men, we do not need a wife or sex to be complete in our manhood. A single man can be completely satisfied in his life if he is focused on serving and loving God.
Jesus experienced temptation, but without sin.
Using the life of Jesus as an example, a friend of mine, Dwight Peterson provides Four Traits of a Godly man
Like Christ, a biblical man demonstrates sacrificial love. Jesus cared more about others than himself.
Like Christ, a biblical man demonstrates purifying love. Every encounter with Jesus purified the other person. CONVICTION to those who rejected. BLESSING to those who believed in Him.
Like Christ, a biblical man demonstrates caring love. Jesus cared for every person more than he cared for himself. “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1, ESV)
Like Christ, a biblical man demonstrates permanent love. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV)
BUT PERHAPS the best way for us to evaluate our manhood is to look at a NEGATIVE EXAMPLE - One in which we can see some of our failures -
SAMSON
Most men aspire to be someone like SAMSON
Strong
Get’s the girl
Witty
Popular (we forget about the gouging out of his eyes... But we idolize his death! - Going down in a BLAZE of glory!)
Guys, don’t try to be a MACHO MAN, be a “Nacho Man!”
When that pretty girl some up to you and says, “hey baby, let’s get it on,” you tell her,
“I’m NACHO kind of man!”
Peterson uses the life of Samson to characterize Three Traits of an Unbiblical Male
Like Samson, an unbiblical male lives for the moment.
Like Samson, an unbiblical male is controlled by his flesh.
Like Samson, an unbiblical male allows himself to be manipulated.
Let’s take a further look at Samson
Samson had Great Parents. Manoah was Samson’s father. He and his wife (unnamed) were childless. In Judges 13:2-3 their prayer for a child is answered
In Judges 13:8-9 a second prayer is answered! This miraculous intervention is announced by the ANGEL of the LORD. (Judges 13:15-25). In the Old Testament, the Angel of the Lord is a reference to the Second Person of the Godhead. This means that Jesus himself in a pre-incarnate form, appears to Manoah and his wife. We know that this Angel is none other than Jesus because in this passage, the Angel receives worship from Manoah and his wife. Angels never receive human worship. Further, godly Manoah knows that he has seen the LORD, using the holy Hebrew name YHWH to identify this angelic visitor. Manoah and his wife fear for their lives because they have seen the LORD. As spectacular as an angelic visit would be, this description is on a higher level.
This means that there is a direct link between JESUS and SAMSON. Jesus appears to Samson’s parents before he is born!
Samson had Great Potential. He was a Nazarite. As a Nazerite, he was especially designated for special service to God. The vows of not drinking wine, not touching anything dead, and not cutting his hair were symbols of his dedication for God’s purposes.
Samson had a Great Start. “And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” (Judges 13:24–25, ESV)
Samson was from the Tribe of DAN which was the tribe closest to the heart of Philistine territory. God used Samson to subdue the Philistines for a period in the times of the Judges.
But Samson’s life was filled with Failures.
1- LUST. Physical attraction overruled God’s command. He looked on a Philistine woman and wanted her based only on her outward appearance, ignoring the command not to marry outside of the Jewish community. Think of how many men have ruined their lives and their testimonies by doing the exact same thing by getting into a relationship with an unsaved girl on the basis of physical attraction. “Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”” (Judges 14:1–3, ESV) This woman was NOT Delilah - Samson would end up walking out on his bride just before the betrothal.
2- PRIDE. He kills the lion, then on the way back, eats honey from the carcass of the lion he killed. This was his way of showing who was boss!!!! “After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.” (Judges 14:8–9, ESV)
3- ANGER. Samson toys with the Philistines. Judges 14:10-14.
When his riddle is solved, he kills 30 Philstines in anger so that he can honor his bet with the 30 men of the wedding party. “And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house. And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.” (Judges 14:19–20, ESV)
Which man are you? Jesus or Samson?
Are you striving to be a MAN or are you acting like a MALE?
The only way to be a MAN who overcomes ANGER, PRIDE and LUST is to have the ULTIMATE MAN directing your life.
If you recognize that you are living as an unbiblical male and not like your Savior, the only way that this will change is if you enter into a relationship with Jesus. He wants to life his life through you! Notice this powerful passage that tells us that the only way to be “filled to the fullness with the knowledge of God” is if Christ dwells in our hearts through faith.
“that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16–19, ESV)
Practically, this means that we must be close to Christ. We must ask him for strength. We must read his Word. We must desire him to be first in our lives. We must pray, confess and desire that our lives look more like his, and less like Samson.
The only way to be the MAN God intended you to be, is to open your heart for the ULTIMATE MAN - JESUS CHRIST to live his life through you.
INTIMACY with CHRIST will result in true manhood. You will become like Jesus.
“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2, ESV)
