A Few Good Men
Ezekiel 22:30
Ezekiel 22:30 "I searched for a man among them who would build up, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one."
Introduction
You know there are some prerequisites to being a Good Father. You need to be a man for one, you need to be functioning as a man, taking responsibility as a man, acting like a man, and working like a man. All of these are prerequisites to being a good Father!
You will not be a good Father until you are a good Man. It’s a dying art today…there are not many in our nation anymore. Thank God we DO have a few good men here…we can always use a few more though.
Now Ladies, I know that men don’t always say what they mean, so please allow me to translate some things for your future benefit:
When a man says “IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN”
He means: "I have no idea how it works"
When a man says: "IT’S A GUY THING"
He means: "There is no rational thought pattern connected with this, and you have no
chance at all of making it logical"
When a man says "CAN I HELP WITH DINNER"
He means: "Are we ordering Pizza?"
When a man says "UH HUH, SURE HONEY,” or “YES, DEAR"
He means: Absolutely nothing – It’s a conditioned response.
When a man says ’I CAN’T FIND IT.’’
He means: "It didn’t fall right in front of me, so I’m completely clueless"
When a man says “I HEARD YOU.”
He means: "I haven’t the foggiest clue what you just said and I am hoping desperately
that I can fake it well enough so that you’ll not spend the next 3 days yelling at me."
When a man says, “THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT.”
He means: “If something I said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes
you sad or angry, I meant the other one.
If your husband says, “HONEY, WHAT COLOR IS THIS?”
He means: ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for
example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. I have no idea what “fusca” is.
Thank God today for the good men He’s sent us here. Amen. Well let’s get serious now and I want us to take a look at what the scriptures characterize a good man as:
Good Men are:
I. Men Who Have Learned to Lean on the Lord:
Proverbs 3:5, Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and do not lean on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
A. For Salvation (Eph. 2:8, 9)
• Eph. 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not as a result of works, so that no one may boost.”
o We men are bad about trying to be “in control”…to “make things happen.”
• Often ladies find it easier to “rest in the Lord” and lean on Him for salvation.
o It’s a part of a woman’s nature to place themselves in someone else’s hands.
o It’s not that way for men.
o Is that fair?
o Jesus solves this dilemma:
o Matthew 18:3, And said, Truly I say unto you, Unless you are converted, and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
o Children have that attitude of trust, even male children…but something happens to us once when we begin to feel even the slightest amount of thickness in our facial hair.
• I thank God for a few good men we have here at Fairview…they have learned to lean on the Lord for their salvation…
B. For Strength (Isaiah 40:30, 31)
• Isaiah 40:30-31, Though youths grow weary and tired, and the vigorous young men stumble badly: Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not get tired; they will walk, and not become weary.
• Psalm 147:10, He does not delight in the strength of the horse: he does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
C. For Supply (Phil. 4:19)
• Phil. 4:19, And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
• We all want to be the breadwinner/mighty hunter, but ultimately we need to see even our own selves as being in God’s hands.
D. For Soundness (Reasoning/Wisdom)
• James 1:5, But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously, and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
• This is one of only 2 prayers any man can pray which the answer is always yes!
o Salvation is the other
• I thank God for a few good men who have learned to lean, because leaning on the Lord makes you move of a man.
II. Men Who Have Learned to Lead
A. Their Flesh (Gal 5:16, 17; Gal 2:20)
• Galatians 5:16-17, But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: so these are in opposition to one another: so that you may not do the things that you please.
• Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ: and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me.
• Men, we have to lead our flesh or our flesh will lead us!
B. Their Families (Ephesians 5:23)
• Eph. 5:23, For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church: He Himself being the savior of the body.
o Headship isn’t being the big boss…it’s a loving leadership.
o God is no respecter of persons…women are equal in His sight.
• The Bible says she is the “weaker vessel”.
o This is not an insult…rather, it’s a compliment to her.
o She is not less valuable, rather, she is more fragile, and in need of strong, yet loving, leadership.
o Women are like fine silk.
o Men are more like corduroy.
o Silk and corduroy: which is more fragile?
o Which is more valuable?
o The answer to both questions is “silk!”
• In God’s wisdom He has given each family a head…because anything with two heads is a monster!
o But this is not a privilege as much as it is a responsibility men!
o The hardest thing you will ever do will be a good husband and a good Father to your Children…
o …Eli could run the temple but could not run his family; I Sam. 3:13
o …David could run a kingdom and lead men into battle, but could not run his children; I Kings 1:5,6
o Lead your flesh and your families men, or else your flesh will lead you…
C. The Fallen to Jesus
• Hosea 6:7, But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant: there they have dealt treacherously against me.
o Romans 5:12, Therefore, just as though one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death spread to all men, because all sinned:
o Romans 5:18-19, So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all; even so men through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
• Many will be made righteous, is what that scripture reads.
o But that won’t happen, if we don’t lead the fallen to Christ!
o It’s why God left us here.
o 1 Cor. 15:22, For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
o But all?
o Not if we don’t lead the fallen!
• I thank God for our few good men who have learned to lead…
III. Men Who Have Learned to Love
A. The Father (1 Cor. 13:1-3; 1 Cor. 16:22)
• 1 Cor. 13:1-3, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.
• 1 Cor. 16:22, If any one does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed Maranatha.
B. Their Families
• We covered this under leadership, when we said the only real leadership is loving leadership!
• God admonishes every husband to "love their wife".
o This may seem like a strange admonition to many.
o Some will say, "If I didn’t love her I wouldn’t have married her."
o But the word “love”, used here, means far more than affection.
o It means more than emotional feeling or satisfaction.
o It means that you or I are going to seek the welfare and happiness of the person we are going to love, and lead them lovingly.
o That means that my effort will be to make the object of my love happy, secure, and comfortable.
• This admonition goes far beyond just telling the husband to love his wife as long as she is beautiful, lovely, etc:
• Joke--A man was talking to his wife after she had done something that he did not approve of. He said to her, "How can you be so beautiful and dumb at the same time?" She replied, "God made me beautiful so you would love me, and He made me dumb so I would love you."
C. The Fellowship (the Church)
• Eph. 5:25, …Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
o The same passage tells us to love in the same way.
o Rev. 3:9, Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
• Written to a church…He loves the church and so should we!
o Isaiah 43:4, Since you are precious in my sight, since you are honored, and I love you: I will give other men in your place, and other people in exchange for your life.
o 1 Thess. 4:9, Now to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourself are taught by god to love one another.
o Matthew 12:50, For whosoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, He is My brother, and sister, and mother.
• We are to love and join the family of God.
o John 15:5 [get connected], I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit: for apart from Me you can do nothing.
o Acts 2:41, So then those who had received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added about three thousand souls.
o Acts 2:47, Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Closing
I thank God for the few good men God has given to us…don’t you? We need a few more though, so how about you?
