Man Enough To Stand Alone Series

--More confident and less anxious in unfamiliar settings

--Better able to deal with frustration

--Better able to gain a sense of independence

--More likely to become compassionate adults

--More likely to have higher self-esteem

--More likely to have higher grade-point averages

--More sociable

A real man rejects passivity.

II. A Real Man Accepts Responsibility.

What did Adam do? He blamed Eve and God. Genesis 3:12

The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

He blamed Eve. Don’t you just feel sorry for Adam? He had no choice in the matter … or so he wants us to believe.

This is the most common excuse today; “it is not my fault.” It is my parents’ fault, or my school’s, or my boss’ – he doesn’t pay enough. We want to blame everyone.

Like Adam, Jesus was also given three specific responsibilities from his Father. Our Lord was entrusted with a will to obey (His Father’s), a work to do (redeem the lost), and a woman to love (the church). According the Psalm 40:7-8, a passage that is decidedly Messianic, Jesus accepted those responsibilities with great enthusiasm.

Psalm 40:7-8

Then I said, "Here I am, I have come--it is written about me in the scroll. [8] I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

What an incredible contrast with the first Adam, who rejected God’s will, said no to God’s work, and refused to love God’s woman. On all three counts, Jesus Christ did the exact opposite. Jesus accepted responsibility and so should you.

Men, I challenge you to accept the responsibility of making your marriage the best it can be. Do whatever you have to do, pay whatever price you have to pay to make your marriage work.

You say, “you don’t know my wife. She is just unbearable at times. You see her here when she puts on her happy face.”

Yes, that is true, but I do know that you accepted that responsibility when you said, “for better, for worse” standing before a preacher. You said, “I am going to stay faithful regardless.”

Now, are you man enough to do it? Will you accept the responsibility?

Also, accept the responsibility for your children. Statistics show that children are far less apt to remain faithful to God if their father is uninvolved in the things of God. It is not your wife’s responsibility to raise your kids, it is yours. Now does that mean she does nothing? No, but this is not a message to women. This is a message to men. I challenge you to accept the responsibility.

Reject passivity, accept responsibility and

III. A Real Man Leads Courageously.

1 Kings 18:21

Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing.

Elijah was leading courageously whether anyone was following or not.

The people wanted the Baals to be right. No one stood with Elijah. If fire had fallen he would have been killed on the spot! He would not even have been given the opportunity to call on God.

There were 450 prophets of Baal AND 400 prophets of “the groves” (ASHORAH). 850 to ONE; how would you like those odds?