Test: Roman 16:13 “Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong.”
Theme: Be a Man
Introduction: The Lord is good and his love endures forever. I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I would like to share with you from Romans 16:13, under the theme ‘Be a Man.’
According to Webster: Man means a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) that is anatomically related to the great apes but distinguished especially by notable development of the brain with a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning and is the sole living representative of the hominid family. One possesses in a high degree the qualities considered distinctive of manhood (such as courage, strength, and vigor).
Who is man? The failure to identify himself, to know what is authentic human existence, leads him to assume a false identity, to pretend to be what he is unable to be, or to not accept what is at the very root of his being. Ignorance about man is not lack of knowledge, but false knowledge.” A man has an essential relation to the earth (Adam, Adama), that he belongs to the earthly sphere below. The word ‘Human’ is derived from ‘Humus’. Man is capable of auto-determination. He is free, has free will to decide the course of life.
Romans 16:13: “Be alert [watchful; on your guard]. Continue strong [Stand firm] in the faith. Have courage [or Act like men (ready for battle)], and be strong.” Four actions are mentioned: Watch, Stand, Act, and Be.
Be on your guard, or Watch ye - The exhortation in this and the following verse is given evidently given the special dangers and temptations which surrounded them. The word used here (Gre¯goreite) means, to keep awake, to be vigilant, etc.; it is a military metaphor derived from the duty of those who are stationed as sentinels to guard a camp, or to observe the motions of an enemy (1 Peter 5:8).
Quit yourselves like men – Do Manfully, behave like a mentsh, be a matured man. Quit - This expression comes from a verb (andrizomai) defined this word as “behave in a manly way.” When you are attacked, do not flinch; maintain your ground; resist; press forward; strike home; keep compact, conquer. Give up life rather than give up the testimony of God (Clark). This carries the weight of "Stop acting like spiritual infants, quarreling, boasting and indulging yourselves without discipline!" Many church problems are due to pure infantilism on the part of members who do not grow up spiritually (Coffman). Rather than acting like immature children, should behave as mature men (1 Corinthians 1:12). They should be strong in the Lord rather than weak in the faith. “As a sentinel, be ever on the alert. When under attack, stand fast in the faith and yield, not an inch. In a time of the battle, play a hero's part. Like a well-equipped and well-trained soldier, be strong to fight for your King." At the same time within the Church, he must be a comrade and a lover. (Barclay).
Jokes: Why don't men often show their true feelings? “Because they don't have any.” What do men and women have in common? “They both distrust men.”(Adopted). Be a man as a man of God, a man of Prayer, and a man of integrity.
1. Man of God
Man is a stage, developed stage. Baby-child-youth and man are the stages of the man. 1 Corinthians 11:7 - Man is an image of God (Genesis 1:27, 6:6), Xerox, duplicate of God. We can understand through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). That we are images of God as Jesus was on the earth. Married life is a gift to man and singleness is a gift (1 Corinthians 7:7).
Illustration: A Chief Rabbi and a catholic cardinal met at a conference and they were enjoying the food. Cardinal told Chief Rabbi, ‘Please taste some ham’. He said I wouldn’t, it’s abominable to God. Cardinal told him ‘You try once, it’s tasty and you will never leave it. Rabbi said no, ‘I shouldn’t’. While they left the meeting Rabbi asked the Cardinal, ‘have you ever tasted a woman’. Cardinal said ‘no I Shouldn’t, it’s covenant breaking. Rabbi told the cardinal ‘You try it once, it’s tasty and you will never leave it.’(Adopted and modified).
2. Man of Prayer and Praise
Jacob as a man struggling with God, the angel of God couldn’t overcome but Jacob overpowered the Angel and received his blessings through prayer (Genesis 32:24-25, Hosea 12:3-4). Angel couldn’t overcome Jacob so he touched his nerve at the thigh. Daniel became a beloved man through prayer (Daniel 5:11, 10:10,10:19).
3. Man of Integrity
Psalm 15:1-5 describes the man of integrity. His hands are holy because never yielded to unapproved gains, immoral gains, never accepted bribes, and always keep their hands clean. A few examples are Job 1:1- “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” David says he will walk with integrity in his house (Psalm 101:2). There is a joy in integrity (Psalm 119:1). God never withholds anything those who walk with integrity (Psalm 84:6). Moses was a man of Integrity (Numbers 12: 7).
Conclusion:
‘Good people don’t win always in life, but they never do anything that costs their integrity.’
