Be A Man!

BE A MAN!

I Kings 2:1-4

BACKGROUND:

David is the King of Israel; Israel at the time is the greatest nation on the face of the planet. There is no competition.

ILLUS: similar to America after World War II – Our economy and national pride were booming. We had just set off a nuclear bomb and were therefore the undisputed most powerful nation on earth. Our enemies were utterly defeated and in some cases completely destroyed. Our allies, on whose soil the battles were fought, were also in pretty sad shape. But America stood atop the heap and enjoyed a period of prosperity that has not been rivaled since.

Israel was in a position that few other countries in the world have enjoyed in history. Their enemies have mostly been defeated and they are enjoying a glorious time of prosperity. David, as King, is the most powerful man on earth.

And in this passage of scripture, he is about to die.

These are David’s dying words to his son, his successor on the throne -- Solomon.

“I am going the way of all the earth. (I am dying.)”

Now… Question:

What do you think this leader of the greatest nation on the earth is going to say to his son, the next king?

They are enjoying success at every turn, but there are more enemies out there.

There’s always more land to take.

And within the king’s house, there had been challenges to him, evil men with great ambitions, power-hungry people who had threatened David before.

What’s David going to say?

What would you expect him to say?

· Make sure you keep an eye on _______________. He has caused me nothing but trouble.

· Be sure and utterly defeat ___________________. They are a dangerous people.

· I’ve always wanted to expand the kingdom to the south...that’s some nice land down there. Take your forces and bring glory to my name and to the city of David.

· Take revenge for me on __________. Kill him and his entire family. He cursed me and tried to hurt me, to cause me to fail.

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WHAT DID HE SAY?

“THEREFORE, be strong.”

O.K. That’s a good start. Be strong, son. Your old man’s not going to be around any more. You’ve got to be strong. You’ve got to show the other nations that you are just as strong as I was. Be ruthless and powerful. Be strong! That’s the way all men should be...

Another Question:

What does it mean for a man to “be strong?”

· “Like a rock...” (Chevrolet pickup commercials) -- strong, immovable, stoic, stalwart, the Marlboro man, that kind of image?

· commanding power: “you do what I say when I say it ‘cause I’m your father! I wear the pants in this family!”

· Some men feel no power -- they don’t even control the TV remote any more. Watch most any popular TV show and you’re going to see Dads / Husbands depicted as selfish, lazy, irresponsible...and the wives are the ones that make things right by the end of the episode.

· WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING GUYS, REAL STRENGTH IS NONE OF THAT. AND IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LOST ALL POWER IN YOUR HOME, IT IS SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN EXERCISING THE WRONG KIND OF POWER; KEEP LISTENING.

Let’s move on...What else does David say?

“BE A MAN!”

Yeah, be a man. Solomon. Like I said, Destroy our enemies. Kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out.

Again, a question.

What does it mean when someone says, “Be a man.”?

· no crying aloud.

· John Wayne – or these days, Vin Diesel

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· Are they fighting words?

· Don’t be a wimp, a pansy, a loser...

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What does David mean when he says to Solomon, “Be strong. Be a man.”?

And observe what the Lord Your God requires:

WALK IN HIS WAYS,

and keep His (statutes) decrees, His commands,

His ordinances (laws), and His testimonies (requirements),

according to what is written in the law of Moses,

1. Being a REAL Man REQUIRES being a Christian man.

· “The Lord Your God” -- Learn how to Approach God. I CAN NOT CALL THE LORD “MY” GOD UNLESS I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. BEING A REAL MAN MEANS HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS; IT MEANS BEING SAVED.

AND BEING SAVED MEANS...

Admitting the fact that you are a sinner, that your wrong choices have separated you from God and have made it impossible for you to get to heaven

Believing the facts about Jesus – that He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do and believing those facts with…

Conviction, such that you make a conscious