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?
THIRDLY WE ARE MENTORS. WE MUST BE THE TEACHERS. HENRY WARDSWORTH LOGFELLOW, A GREAT POET, ONCE WROTE: “LIVES OF GREAT MEN ALL REMIND US, WE CAN MAKE OUR LIVES SUBLIME; AND DEPARTING LEAVE BEHIND US, FOOTPRINTS ON THE SANDS OF TIME.” WE HAVE TO BE MEN LIKE THE METAPHOR PAINTS, “AS IRON THAT SHARPENS IRON,” AND HORN THE LIVES OF OUR FAMILIES TO BE SHARP FOR THIS LIFE. WE SHOULD EFFECT AND INFLUENCE THE LIVES OF OTHERS SO, THAT WHEN WE DO DEPART THIS LIFE, THE MARKS WE LEAVE BEHIND WILL BE ETCHED IN THE MINDS OF MEN FOREVER. WE SHOULD BE MEN LIKE JACKIE ROBINSON, MARTIN LUTHER KING; MEN LIKE MOSES, LIKE THE APOSLES…THEY SHAPED OUR CHARACTER, NURTURED OUR SOULS; AND CALL US TO BE COMPLETE MEN, WHOLE MEN, AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD…HOLY MEN.
LASTLY, WE ARE CALLED TO BE FRIENDS. CALLED TO CONNECT TO THE NEXT MAN, WOMAN, BOY OR GIRL, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES. GEN. 2:18, GOD SAYS, “IT’S NOT GOOD THAT MAN SHOULD BE ALONE.” A MAN THAT CANNOT CONNECT WITH THE NEXT MAN IS A LONELY MAN. HE MIGHT SAY THAT HE DON’T NEED NOBODY, BUT THAT’S JUST SO HE WON’T HEAR HIS INNER MAN CRYING FOR A FRIEND, FOR SOMEBODY WHO WILL LISTEN. FRIENDS STAND BY YOU WHEN YOU’RE DOWN…FRIENDS ARE THERE WHEN EVERYONE ELSE HAS TURNED THEIR BACKS ON YOU. THE PROBLEM WITH THE WORLD TODAY IS BECAUSE MEN ARE FAILING TO CONNECT. IF WE COULD JUST SIT DOWN AT TABLES TOGETHER TO DISCUSS PEACE AND OFFER HELPING HANDS, BELIEVE ME WE WOULDN’T HAVE THE WARS WE DO HAVE. BUT MEN WOULD RATHER FIGHT AND KILL, ALL IN THE NAME OF GREED.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? DO WE RESPOND TO THE WORD AS AMBASSADOERS OF CHRIST, ARE WILL YOU REMAIN THE SAME. WILL YOU BECOME THE KING AND BE THE PROVIDER GOD MADE US TO BE? WILL YOU BE THE WARRIOR YOU ARE, AND PROTECT THINGS THAT ARE GOOD IN THIS WORLD; WILL YOU BE A MENTOR FOR SOME CHILD THAT’S LOST, TEACHING THEM HOW TO BECOME A MAN OR WOMEN, FILLED WITH WISDOM, INTEGRETY, AND THE LOVE OF GOD? WILL YOU BECOME A FRIEND TO SOMEONE TODAY WHO FEELS FRIENDLESS AND THINKS NO ONE IN THIS WORLD EVEN CARES? IF YOU OUT THERE TODAY ARE UP TO THE TASK OF BECOMING MEN THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOMORROW, THEN I OFFER YOU THE GREATEST KING, WARRIOR, MENTOR, FRIEND THAT I KNOW, HIS NAME IS JESUS. THEY CALLED HIM KING OF THE JEWS. HE HAS FOUGHT SOME GREAT BATTLES IN MY LIFE, AND THEN HE SAVED ME. HE TEACHES US TO LIVE LIKE TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, AND THANKS BE TO GOD HE IS A FRIEND OF MINE. THIS JESUS WENT TO CALVARY, DIED FOR YOUR SINS AND FOR MINE, GOT UP SUNDAY MORNING WITH ALL POWER IN HIS HANDS, WENT BACK TO GLORY, SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE FATHER PLEADING FOR YOU AND FOR ME.
GOD MADE THREE PROMISES:
HE PROMISED YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE IN THIS LIFE…HE PROMISED HE WILL BE WITH US…LASTLY HE PROMISED IF WE FOLLOW HIM, IN THE END IT WILL PAY OFF, BYE AND BYE.
