Wow—What A Man
Father’s Day 6/15/2003 Genesis 39:1-23 2 Colossians 3:12-17
Today we celebrate Father’s day. One thing we all have in common here to is that we all had an earthly father who was the instrument God used to bring us into existence. We can say thank you Lord, whether the father was a great one or a poor one, because without that father, we would not be enjoying the blessings of God today.
Let me say thank you to every man who brought a child into this world, and was committed to that child for life. You were there for the child with food, shelter, clothing, and love. Thank you to all the men present who took the place of a father in child’s life for whatever reason or circumstance, because you have made a difference.
Thank you to the men who made some mistakes along the way, but you tried to go back and do what was right for your children. Thank you to boys who are yet becoming men, who have made up your minds, I’m not bringing a child into this world until I’ve gotten a wife that I’m committed too for life, so that I can be the kind of father God wants me to me.
Every male here was created with the possibility for excellence. Now men woudn’t it be great if after coming into contact with us, others would look at us as we leave thinking in their hearts, “Wow, what a man.” We may get excited to know that a woman is thinking that about us, but it’s just as important to know that our children, our family, and most importantly of all , our God are all eager to say the same thing about us. “Wow, what a man.”
Now men somebody lied to us along the way and told us the secret to having people say this about us is to drive the right kind of a car, build a home in the right neighborhood, get a job with some status, dress to kill and have the women chasing after us . There was a father who had all this and then some. He not only lived in the right neighborhood, he built the neighborhood. He was Chief Executive Office of several corporations.
His little black book did not consist of 10 to 20 names. He had an inventory of 1,000 women to choose from on any given night. Now before you say to yourself, “wow what a man” let me tell you, when he died, he said it was all meaningless. He said, “I would have been better off serving God with my life than taking the path I chose. His name was Solomon. Read the book of Ecclesiastes to see the life of a man who had it all as far as money, power, and sex are concerned and where it left him.
I want us to know that some of us as men are far more blessed than we can imagine. It is a blessing to have a wife and children that love us. It’s a blessing to know the presence of God in our lives. There are so many things that could have us, but don’t because Christ has either taken it away or kept us from going there in the first place.
The good news today is that it’s not too late for us to be changed into men of whom others can say, “wow what a man,” . Jesus Christ is still in the business of taking lives that are headed in the wrong direction and turning them around and doing something great in the life of the person on the road.
Imagine for a moment that one beautiful day you went on a walk out into the countryside looking for some people. You find the people you’re looking for but they don’t like you. Instead of simply hating on you, they sell you as a slave to a group of people from another country. These slave owners take you to still another country and sell you again. Nobody in you family knows where you are. You have no way to contact anybody. You’re not even sure of where you are.
How many of you know, when you’re down and out, it’s good to know that you have somebody in your corner or that somebody has your back. Well here is this fellow by the name of Joseph with chains on his hands in a country he did know, with nobody around to do him a favor. It would have been a hopeless situation for Joseph, except for the fact, that for some reason God had looked at Joseph as teenager and said, “Wow, what a man.” You see God had looked at Joseph with the possibility for what he could become with some time and some work under the right set of circumstances.
Unfortunately for a lot of women, they like God get excited about us as men because they see the potential for what we could become. The thing is God has the power to change us, and he can us get into positions where we beg for the changes we need in our lives. Our girlfriends and wives are likewise determined to change us, but they lack power to do so, and that’s why our relationships fail.
They had good intentions, but we don’t go along with their game plans and everybody is frustrated. Don’t marry a man you can’t be happy with us unless you change him. We’d all be better off if they gave God a little more time to work on us first before going head over heals for us.
The only person Joseph had to cover his back was the Lord. In Genesis 39:2 it says the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered in his master’s house. A key factor in being a man, is to have the Lord with you. No man is big enough to tame himself in all areas of his life. That’s a job for the Lord. This is one of the reasons we need Jesus Christ.
Joseph did not allow his circumstances to dictate what kind of a man he would be. He made up his mind, that even as a slave, he would be the kind of man that others would say, “wow, what a man.” I want us to build a three legged stool on which to sit this phrase, “wow what a man.” The first leg is responsibility. Responsibility means, knowing how to take care of business and doing it.
As a slave Joseph did what he had to do to take care of business, and then he probably did a little extra. God’s favor was on his life. His master Potiphar, kept looking at him as he worked. He saw that Joseph was a man of his word. He saw that Joseph could be trusted. He saw that Joseph was fair in dealing with others. He saw that anything Joseph touched ended up be blessed.
Potiphar then put Joseph in charge of everything in his house. He gave Joseph the highest position possible in the home. He sat back and chilled while Joseph took care of business. Men, this wasn’t even Joseph house, but he took care of business and got it running smoothly. How well are we taking care of business in our homes? Can our wives and our kids count on us to keep our word, to be men of integrity, to deal with them fairly? Thank God for all of us who can answer yes, even though we still need some tune-ups in certain areas.
God has called us to be a blessing to those around us. When we touch others, God wants for them to be blessed. Some of us went outside God’s plans for our lives and had children, but didn’t marry their mothers. Are we taking care of business and being a blessing in our children’s lives?
We ought to have that child support payment going without us being taken to court. We can’t let drama with our child’s mother keep us from taking care of our children. They still need to eat, be clothed, and be loved by us. We may not be as fully involved in their lives as we want and desire, but let’s be the best we can by being responsible.
It’s a great feeling to know I took care and I’m taking care of my kids and my wife. I know how to take care of business. Thank you men who are taking care of business. Let us remember how we take care of business today is going to show up again at the latter end of our lives when somebody has to take care of us. Hold on to that leg of Responsibility.
. The second leg of the stool is respect. Now Joseph had something we all want at some point in our lives as men. The Bible says he was well built and handsome. Now this was all that Potiphar’s wife needed to see to say to Joseph, “wow what a man. Come on and get in bed with me.” Unfortunately men, even when you’re trying to live for God, there will be women who will target you to add you to their sexual list of conquered men. If you come to Men Who Excel, you will see all the things we have to do to avoid this.
No doubt Potiphar’s wife was a beautiful woman. She pursued Joseph day after day trying to get him to agree to have sex with her. But Joseph refused. He told her point blank in verse 8. Let’s read Genesis 39:8-10 But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" 10And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
Joseph had respect for himself and his position. He said look,” I have a job to do. I have been entrusted with this position and it’s not worth it to lose all that I have simply to have a sexual relationship with you.” Joseph had enough concern and respect for himself to sit down and count the cost that was involved. Whenever God places us in higher positions, somebody is going to come along and try to destroy it under the guise of making us happy. Joseph did not focus on the pleasure he would have, but rather on the cost involved.
Young men, respect yourself enough to say no to sex. I know the temptation is strong and I know you think nothing is going to happen. But I see the little kids who come in and the father is gone, because now you’re saying, nah that girl ain’t for me. Man she’s crazy. Think about those monthly child support payments you’ll be paying for 18 years. We’ve had a couple of our young men who did not find out until after they were happily married to someone else, that old girl friends and one night flings showed up with their baby who now isn’t a baby anymore. And a huge back child support order.
I want you to notice that Joseph respected her as a woman. He didn’t say, “aw man this stuff is just too easy. I can’t let this go by.” No he reminded her that she was a married woman. He didn’t play around with her feelings by flirting. After he told her no, he didn’t leave his cell number or his pager. The Scripture says he refused to even be with her.
If the woman or girl is coming on too strong, get away from her and leave her alone. Remember this, we can’t build a relationship of being celibate before God or being faithful to our wives for 5, 10, 20, 25, or 30 years overnight, but we can lose it all in an instant.
I want you to notice that Joseph respected Potiphar. He refused to stab Potiphar in the back just to have a good time. He told her, “This man gave me this position of trust.” He’s counting on me to do the right thing. I’m not going to let him down. When you fellows come to take out our daughters, we are putting our trust in you to do the right thing. We want you to respect yourself, our daughters, and our trust.
I want you to notice that Joseph respected God. He said “how could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God.” Today we don’t want to think of sexual sin as being something wicked and as a sin against God, but it still is. The bible still teaches the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God. Joseph didn’t say, “well I’m only going to do it once, and then I’ll ask for forgiveness.” Joseph said, “I’ve got God’s favor on my life. That’s something I can’t afford to lose.” How much is God’s favor worth to you today? Men, maintain your celibacy and keep God’s favor on your life.
Men we are called to show respect. A great example of how to do it is found in our New Testament Reading in Colossians 2:12-13 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Here are the kinds of clothes we need to put on for others in our home to say “wow what a man.” What kind of things are we to put on. First we are to put on compassion. Compassion is when we forget about ourselves, long enough to meet the needs of someone who is really hurting or has a need.
The opportunity for compassion shows up in many forms. We know someone has a need and we have the money to help meet the need. What do we do? That’s usually the easy compassion situation. But how compassionate are we, when we may be the source of another person’s pain. During an argument or discussion, we may have really hurt someone’s feelings and saying “I’m sorry “could make all the difference in the world.
But those words do not come out easily. We have to choose to let the Holy Spirit flow out of us, because the natural thing is to say, “I know I was right and I’m not apologizing for anything I said.” That’s not making us a candidate for the “wow—what a man award.” It does put us in the top 10 for wow-what a jerk.
I can confess that in my own life, I have failed to be compassionate when my wife has needed an arm, a touch or a hug from me in a dispute, but pride kept me from being compassionate. It made me so much less of the man that God is calling me to be.
Sometimes God is calling us to show compassion right in the middle of our desire to prove that we were right and the person got what they deserved. How many of us here can say we’d be happy if we received from God all that we deserved? How many are thankful that we serve a God of mercy and compassion?
Put on kindness. Kindness is looking for things you can do to be a blessing to others. If you’re the kind of person who believes only in being fair, you will fail to have kindness flowing through you. To be kind, you have to take the initiative and do things knowing, that others may not even be appreciative of what you’ve done. In going to the cross and dying for us, Jesus did a kind thing. He knew most people would never say thank you, and that many did not even care. But love moved him to do it because kindness was a part of who Jesus was. That’s why we can look at Jesus and say, “wow what a man.”
Don’t ever stop being a kind lover as a man. She’s still worth opening the door for her to get in the car, or go into the house. She’s still worth some flowers and a date. She’s still worth a surprise every now and then on something you’ve done just to be kind. Men what are we doing to be kind at home or in our relationships. It is so easy for us to want to sick back and be served, rather than take the initiative and serve
We are told to put on humility. Humility is not going around with our head s hanging down. Humility is a voluntary choice to do something you do not have to do. You recognize, that nothing God asks me to do is beneath who I am. We can all look like we are humble people. But when unhappy things happen to us, we demonstrate humility. When someone says something we do not like, the initial response is to come back with anger. We are blessed when we can control our anger.
On the way to the cross, Jesus was called all kinds of names. He had people spit on his clothes, and into his face. Some even took shots at slapping him. At the blink of an eye, he could have destroyed them all, but instead he chose humility. He didn’t even open his mouth.
He was not saying, “you have a right to treat me this way.” He was saying “I have the power to respond to you in the way I choose to respond. I’m choosing to follow the way of God even in this situation.” We live in a world where we don’t always agree with our kids, or we have to deal with ex-spouses. Do we consider humility as an option in those moments of conflict. What happens in your home when you disagree with your parents or on your job when you disagree with your boss.
As a man would you rather hear others say, “wow what humility he showed “ Or would you rather have the satisfaction of knowing, “ooh I got that person told.” Jesus wins every time we display humility. We’re not yielding to the other person so that they win. We are choosing to allow Jesus to win the battle that is going on, on the inside of us.
We’re told put on gentleness. Gentleness is choosing to step aside so that someone else can go ahead. It’s putting aside someone else’s needs ahead of our own. You ever hear the snarl in a dog’s voice, when it begins to get upset. For us as men, one area we need gentleness the most is the tone in which we speak. It’s easy to let that snarl get into our voice when other things are bothering us. Quite often, our tone will set the tone for the rest of the family atmosphere. How do you talk to your girlfriend or to your wife. Do others hear the gentleness in our voices, or do we simply sound angry
The last thing we are told to put on is perhaps the most difficult of all. We are told to put on patience. Just because we get saved, does not mean we become patient people. We still want, what we want, now. Patience means waiting a little longer and doing it with a smile in your heart. If you’re patient gritting you teeth, then you’re not being patient just tolerant.
We forget that the most important things we have in our lives are people. The greatest treasures in life are wonderful relationships. Being impatient can destroy the very relationships that God gave us to be gifts.
Patience is putting up with people or circumstances that irritate us or get on our nerves. We are tempted to think that the problem is the person whose getting on our nerves, but the real problem is the way we are choosing to respond to the person who’s getting on our nerves.
Is there anyone here who has sinned and asked God for forgiveness and then turned around and did it again and even more than three or four times. Has God ever said, “you’re about the biggest dummy that ever was. You never will amount to much of a child of God. You’re just wasting my time and yours. I’m just sick and tired of you doing the same ole same ole.”
That second leg of respect means we know how to treat others with compassion, with kindness, with humility, with gentleness and patience. The more of these qualities we possess, the more likely others will testify of us , “wow, what a man.
The final leg of the stool is Rebound. Even though Joseph resisted all of Potiphar’s advances she was determined to make him pay for rejecting her. You see sometimes, doing the right thing will land you in a world of trouble. One day she set Joseph up so that she was in the house all alone with him.
She tried to force him to have sex with her. He took off running but left his coat. She used it as proof that he had tried to rape her, but when she screamed he ran out the door and left it behind.
Joseph ended up going to prison as an innocent man. The bible says, the same God that was with him in Potipher’s house, was with him in prison. Men I can’t tell you that if you simply follow God, everything works out the way you want it to. But I can tell you, that the favor of God can find you wherever life might take you.
Joseph wasn’t in the prison long before he starting being responsible, and showing respect to others. He was on the rebound, and the next thing he knew, he was in charge of the whole prison. The prison warden had been observing him, and all he could say about Joseph was “wow—what a man.” Joseph didn’t know it but his next would be from the jail to the second highest position in the national government. When God’s favor is on our lives, the sky is the limit.
The Key to having God’s favor is to enter into a relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ. You see, without Christ, we can never reach our full potential as men or women. Without God in our lives, something is always going to be missing. It does not matter how much we accomplish or what we do, we all know that we are heading to the grave. When we arrive, God will either say, “wow, what a man,” or “wow what a fool” Only we can decide what the Lord will have to say.
Sermon Outline Pastor Rick 6/15/2003
Wow-What A Man
Genesis 39:1-23 Colossians 3:12-17
A. Being Thankful For Our Fathers
1. God’s Instruments For Our Blessings
2. Men Who Were There In Our Times Of Need
3. Men Who Made Mistakes But Made A Change
4. Young Men Who Choose Not To Make A Mistake.
B. Men Created With Possibility For Excellence
1. Leaving Others—“Wow What A Man”
2. Who Is Willing To Say It.
3. The Lie Of Car, Neighborhood, Status & Women
4. I Had It All, 1,000 Names In Black Book
C. The Blessing Is Already There—Open Your Eyes
1. Blessing To Be Loved
2. Blessing To Know God’s Presence
3. Blessing To Be Set Free & Kept Free
4. Jesus Still In The Changing Business
D. Life Can Take Some Strange Turns
1. From A Nice Walk To A Life Of Slavery
2. In A Land With Nobody Around
3. Whose Got Your Back, Whose In Your Corner
4. God Says-Wow What A Man—Sees Potential
5. Women With A Godlike Perspective
6. God Has Got Your Back
E. First Leg Of The Stool—Responsibility
1. Knowing How To Take Care Of Business
2. Man Of Word, Honest, Trustworthy, Fair
3. A Blessing To Others- Blessed By Our Presence
4. My Kids Deserve My Support—Drama Or Not
5. The Joy Of Being Responsible
F. The Second Leg Of The Stool—Respect
1. The Danger Of Being Well Built & Handsome
2. Being Hunted By Potiphar’s Wife
3. Knowing How To Stand Against Beauty
Genesis 39:8-10 But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" 10And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
4. Have Respect For Yourself & Position
5. Always Be Willing To Count The Total Cost
6. From Fine To Crazy—But Stuck With 18 Years
7. Have Respect For Women
8. Let No Mean No
9. Don’t Lose In Minutes What Takes Years To
Build
10. Have Respect For Friends, Workers, Parents
11. Have Respect For Your Relationship To God
12. Sin Is Still Sin—It Costs Us God’s Favor
G. Putting Respect In Action Daily
Col. 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
1. Putting On Compassion---Needs & Hurts
2. I’m Sorry Could Make All The Difference
3. What A Man Or What A Jerk
4. A Pastor’s Confession
5. Not Getting What We Deserve—Thanks!
6. Kindness—Actively Seeking To Be A Blessing
7. Jesus Going To Cross Was Kind- WWAM
8. Being A Kind Lover—Women Like It
9. Humility—Choosing My Course Of Attitude
10. Choosing Not To Respond In Anger
11. True Humility—Jesus On The Way To The
Cross
12. Dealing With Conflict With Ex’s, Bosses, Kids
13. What Humility—Or You Told Them Off
14. Making Jesus A Winner
15. Gentleness—Choosing To Step Aside
16. Removing The Growling & Snarling
17. Choosing To Set The Right Tone &
Atmosphere
18. Patience---When They Get On Your Nerves
19. Who Is The Problem When Patience Is Absent
H. The Third Leg Of The Stool Is Rebound
1. Potiphar’s Wife Is Going To Make Him Pay
2. Others Will Set You Up And Tell Lies
3. A Rape Attempt That Never Happened
4. An Innocent Man Goes To Prison
5. Following God Does Not Make It All Easy
6. God’s Favor Knows Where To Find Us
7. Back In Jail Putting Things In Practice
8. Warden—Wow What A Man
9. Back In Charge Once Again—God’s Favor
I. God’s Favor Comes With A Relationship To Christ
1. Reaching Our Full Potential
2. Getting Rid Of That Empty Feeling
3. What Will God Finally Say About Us.
Some Advice For Husbands & Fathers
Ephes. 5:21-6:4
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."
4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Sermon Outline Pastor Rick 6/15/2003
