Man: A King, A Warrior, A Mentor, A Friend

MAN: A KING; A WARRIOR; A MENTOR; A FRIEND.

PSALMS 25:12

IN A WORLD OF COMPLACENCY, A WORLD WHERE MEN HAVE BECOME O.K. WITH THE ORDINARY; WHERE MEN FIND IT EASIER TO GIVE UP THAN STRIVE TO BECOME THE BEST THEY CAN BE; GOD IS STILL LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN WHO AREN’T AFRAID TO STRIVE AND REACH FOR GREATNESS. GOD IS LOOKING FOR MEN WHO’S HEARTS ARE SET ON BUILDING SOMETHING GREATER THAN THE AVERAGE MAN. WE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION. WE ARE MEN OF GOD. WHAT WE CHOOSE TO DO WITH OUR LIVES TODAY, WILL NOT AFFECT OUR ANCESTORS, BUT IT WILL CERTAINLY AFFECT OUR DESCENDANTS. WE MUST BUILD A WORLD AND FAMILIES THAT WILL OUTLIVE US.

IN A BOOK BY STU WEBER, ENTITLED “FOUR PILLARS OF A MAN’S HEART,” HE DESCRIBES THE KIND OF MAN, AND GIVES THE FOUR ATTRIBUTES THAT THESE MEN SHOULD POSSESS, THAT LEGACIES ARE MADE FROM. HE ASK THE QUESTION, “WHAT KIND OF MAN BUILDS A CIVILAZATION THAT OUTLAST HIM?” “WHAT KIND OF MAN HAS SHOULDERS BROAD ENOUGH TO BUILD UPON?” AND THEN HE ANSWERS THE QUESTION. HE SAYS, “A MAN OF VISION AND CHARACTER—A KING. SECONDLY, “A MAN OF STRENGHT AND POWER—A WARRIOR.” THIRDLY, “A MAN OF FAITH AND WISDOM—A MENTOR.” LASTLY, “A MAN OF HEART AND LOVE—A FRIEND.”

THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT GOES, “A MAN’S GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN’S GOTTA DO.” MY QUESTION TO YOU TODAY IS, WHAT DOES A MAN HAVE TO DO? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE, A MAN HAS GOT TO DECIDE WHO HE’S GOING TO FOLLOW. SCRIPTURE SAY’S JOSHUA KNEW WHO HE WOULD FOLLOW, JOSHUA SAID “AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL FOLLOW THE LORD.” SO TODAY MEN, I CHALLENGE YOU CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY, WHO YOU WILL FOLLOW, THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, WHO SERVED BAAL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER JORDON, ARE THE GOD THAT BROUGHT YOU OVER?

EVERY MAN FACES A LIFE TIME OF CHOICES, DECISIONS, AND CROSSROADS IN THIS LIFE. BUT THE CHOICE THAT MEANS THE MOST TO HIS LIFE IS WHO WILL HE FOLLOW TODAY. WE MUST BE LIKE THE SOLDIER ON THE BATTLEFIELD; WAR IS RAGING ALL AROUND US—DO WE FOLLOW THE GENERAL, WHO HAS BEEN IN THE ARMY FOR YEARS, WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW TO WAGE WAR STRATEGICALLY, AND HAS FOUGHT MANY A BATTLE; OR DO WE FOLLOW THE PRIVATE WHO IS FIGHTING HIS FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE ENEMY? WE SHOULD CHOOSE TO FOLLOW THE MAN THAT WILL NOT FAINT AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE. LOOK AT DAVID—DAVID WAS THE APPLE OF GODS EYE, A KING, A WARRIOR, EVERYTHING GOD WANTED A MAN TO BE, BUT AT HIS CROSSROADS, HE MADE THE WRONG CHOICE, HE DIDN’T OBEY THE ORDERS OF HIS GENERAL…AND HE FAILED. WHY, BECAUSE HE EXCLUDED GOD FROM HIS DECISION. ARE THERE ANY DAVID’S IN THE HOUSE?

AS MEN OF GOD WE MUST CONSULT OUR OWNER’S MANUEL. WE MUST FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS LAID DOWN BY OUR CREATOR AND BUILDER. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TELL OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS LIKE DAVID TOLD SOLOMAN IN 1 KINGS 2:1-3, “KEEP THE CHARGE OF THE LORD THY GOD, TO WALK IN HIS WAYS, TO KEEP HIS STATUTES, SO THAT THOU MAYEST PROSPER IN ALL THAT THOU DOEST, AND WITHERSOEVER THOU TURNEST THYSELF;” YOU SEE, DAVID NEVER GAVE UP ON GOD EVEN WHEN HE FAILED.

IN GEN.1, IT TELLS US THAT WE ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, WE ARE KINGS. IN PSALMS 23 DAVID REALIZED WHERE HIS POWER LAID, HE REALIZED WHO HE SHOULD FOLLOW—HE SAID “THE LORD IS MY SHEPARD…” YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL…WHY—BECAUSE THOU ART WITH ME…KINGS WE ARE…DO YOU KNOW THIS TODAY? VALLEYS WILL COME, TROUBLES WILL RISE, BUT GOD OUR GENERAL, WILL BRING US THROUGH

WE ARE WARRIORS—WE ARE THE PROTECTORS; WE ARE IN THE ARMY OF GOD. AS BLACK MEN, WE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO FACING DIFFERENT OBSTACLES THAT TRY AND HENDER OUR PROGRESS. SLAVERY, BIGGATRY, BEING HELD BACK AND BEING HELD DOWN. THROUGH IT ALL WE OVERCAME. OUR RESILANCY KEEPS US BOUNCING BACK. WE HAVE THE WILL AND DETERMINATION TO KEEP GETTING UP EVERY TIME YOU KNOCK US DOWN. WE ARE FIGHTERS. BUT SOME OF US HAVE LOST THE WILL TO FIGHT, TO SURVIVE. SOME OF US GIVE UP AND GIVE IN AS SOON AS PRESSURE RAISES IT UGLY HEAD, AND WE WONDER WHY OUR CHILDREN LOOK EVERYWHERE ELSE FOR MEN TO IMMULATE, THAN TO US. MEN LIKE TUPOCH SHECURE, SNOOP DOGGIE DOG, ALL THE REST OF THESE HIP-HOP GENIUSES; ROMANS 13:11-12, TELLS US “THE NIGHT IS FAR SPENT, THE DAY IS AT HAND: THEREFORE LET US CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS AND LET US PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT. LET US WALK HONESTLY, AS IN THE DAY; NOT IN RIOTING AND DRUNKENNESS, NOT IN CHAMBERING AND WANTONNESS, NOT IN STRIFE AND ENVEYING…LET US BE MEN OUR BOYS CAN BE PROUD OF; LET US BE MEN, WHO STAY HOME AND BUILD FAMILIES THAT FEAR GOD AND RESPECT US FOR WHO WE ARE; LETS BE WARRIORS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES, AND TAKE BACK WHAT THE DEVIL HAS TAKEN FROM US, OUR CHILDREN; LET US KEEP OUR WEAPONS ALWAYS AT THE READY…AND THAT WEAPON IS THE WORD OF GOD. GOT YOUR ARMOR READY FOR BATTLE?