Sermon Central
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The Principles Of Courageous Manhood
Contributed by Ed Cole on Sep 19, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: The third of a three-part series on courageous manhood. A message with various principles that help men in their walk with Christ.
Introductory Texts
1. Text: 1 Corinthians 10
2. John 8:32
3. John 8:36
4. John 15:7
The 3 Basic Problems
1. Most men in most churches are trained to hear sermons, not to study the Word of God
2. Most pastors are content to win converts, not make disciples
3. Sermon’s don’t set you free, truth does
4. Mediocre men: They want authority, but not accountability
Identification is the basic issue of Christianity
1. Identification – Involvement – Investment – Increase
2. Identify by word, blood and spirit
We become identified with Christ by way of exchange (4 principles of exchange)
1. Communication is the basis of life
2. Exchange is the process of life
3. Balance is the key to life
a. I John 1:9
4. Agreement is the power of life
a. Disagreement results in powerlessness
b. Genesis 10
Five reasons you need to have courage
1. To face reality.
2. To admit need.
3. To be willing to change.
4. To make decisions.
5. To hold convictions.
Conclusion: Men need to have courage in order to be decisive, become accountable and make the tough decisions required to become more Christ like instead of being transformed by the world.
THE PRINCIPLES OF COURAGEOUS MANHOOD
As I prepared to go to a men’s retreat some years ago, God really dealt with my heart. I had pastored for many years and then traveled for major television ministries in America, and I had come to several conclusions.
Number 1: Most men in most churches are trained to hear sermons, not to study the Word of God.
Number 2: Most pastors are content to make converts, not disciples.
Number 3: Sermons don’t set you free, truth does.
Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) He said, “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” (John 8:36) There’s a difference between being set free, which is instantaneous, and the making free, which is a constant thing. The issue with Christianity is not instant but constant. Jesus didn’t say if you experience Me and I experience you. He said, “If you abide in Me and I abide in You.” (John 15:7) It’s the abiding. It’s the constancy. Today, you have many people all over the world and many men who go all over the country trying to find an experience rather than simply abiding. I had found these things to be true in my life.
When I was invited to that retreat, I wanted to bring the men a word from God. I had come to the realization that we are living in the era of the mediocre man. Mediocre men want authority, not accountability. One of the years when we went through the country and two-thirds around the world teaching, we brought the ministry on motivation, mission and ministry, which were the three things that God produced in the life of Jesus Christ. A lot of people mistake Jesus’ mission for his motivation. I heard a minister say the reason why Jesus came was to seek and to save the lost. That was his mission. His ministry was prophet, priest and king, but his motivation was the love of the Father. Any mission to seek and to save the lost has to have the motivation of the love of the Father. If it’s not motivated by love and it’s motivated by obligation or by duty or a sense of responsibility, without love, then it’s like building a second story on a vacant lot. It becomes a legalistic approach to doing the work of God and you can get involvement that way, but you can’t get identification.
Men need to understand that identification is the basic issue of Christianity. From identification you get involvement. A lot of people say they want to get people involved in church, but involvement comes out of identification. Then, out of that comes investment. You can’t get people to invest until you get them involved. And, out of that comes increase. Those who are in business must understand that. Apple or Target or some great chain of stores around the world will advertise because they want people to become identified with their product. If they’ll become identified, they’ll become involved. And, if they become involved by going into the store, they’ll make an investment. Then, both the person and the store will get the increase. So, identification is the basic issue of Christianity.
When it comes to our identification with our parents, we are identified three ways: by word, by blood and by spirit. That’s exactly how Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to be related to God the Father. We are born of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all sin and it is Spirit that is placed in us whereby we cry Abba, Father with our identification with Him.
