Mark Driscol “Men are prone to chauvinism or cowardice, too little or too much.”
What we need to be prone to is Christlikeness. How do we do that? Make the kingdom of God, the reign of Christ your priority.
Matthew 6:33 “but seek first His kingdom (reign/rule) and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you! What does it look like for God’s reign to be in your life?
True man hood is found in seeking God.
The Greek word, seek, means to have a single minded focus. Christ!!
I. Worship is the priority
A) Worship is not
A style, a genre, a 30 min to 1 hour period on Sunday morning.
B) Worship is
John 4:23 (read from Bible) Not here or there but Spirit and Truth
We become like what we worship. William Temple made this clear in his masterful definition of worship:
For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose -- and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.
Pride and self interest are the opposite of worship. Humility and meekness
II. Leadership is a necessity
As we follow Jesus we lead people toward Him.
Religion is hanging around the cross Christianity is hanging on the cross. It is when we are dead to self that Christ can lead us to lead others to Him. Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
You can find many definitions and descriptions of what the world calls leadership even among people in the Church. However they all have to do with us. Real leadership is about Jesus
If Christ is reigning in our life how do we lead?
A) Allow Jesus to lead you in a life of holiness
B) Follow Jesus whether others follow or not
C) Lead people to have a personal encounter with Jesus not information about Him
D) Lead people to follow Jesus – Matt 28:19-29
E) Never condemn or condone – woman at the well
III. Spiritual struggles are a reality
Jesus said let your yes be yes and your no no. Now is the time for us as men to be authentic, real, honest and transparent. Jesus’ brother James said confess your sins one to another so they might be healed.
IV. Faithfulness is the objective (Aka the glory of God)
God is faithful as His children we are to bear His image. That means we are to carry His character.
Our faithfulness as servants of God is always to Him and the task He sets before us.
Mark Hatfield tells of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the so-called "House of Dying," where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers face daily. "How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?" he asked. Mother Teresa replied, "My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful."
Beyond Hunger, Beals The reign has come when your focus on faithfulness.
Faithfulness is consecration in overalls. Evelyn Underhill
Sanctification comes from the reign of Christ in your life. How does it start? It begins with being born again. However no change no Christ. Jesus’ way was the way of faithfulness.
When the song of our life is Great is Thy Faithfulness. Then we are on the road to bringing the reign.
Donald Barnhouse said, “Faithfulness is loves habit.”
Conclusion: The pinnacle of Jesus’ earthly ministry was death. As men to die to our earthly, fleshly, sinful desires is the pinnacle of manhood. We die to ourselves and live to Jesus! It shows Christ’s reign in our lives!
