Show Yourself A Man Series

Three days after terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President George W. Bush designated Friday, September 14, 2001, as a national day of prayer and remembrance.

In Washington DC, the National Cathedral was filled to capacity. Political leaders, military brass, and 4 former presidents were there, along with hundreds of others to hear words of comfort and assurance in a time of National tragedy.

George Bush was facing the first real test of his 8-month-old presidency, and after several speakers, it was his turn to address the American people. He acknowledged our nation's need to depend on God, and the words of Romans 8 punctuated his message, reminding us all that “nothing shall ever separate us from God's love.”

After he spoke, George W. Bush returned to his seat and sat down next to his smiling wife. His father – former President George H. W. Bush – looked straight ahead, but reached his hand across Laura Bush for his son's hand. (Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois; www.PreachingToday.com)

You wonder, What was he thinking at the time? And what does a father say to his son in a time of crisis? What do we tell our sons in these days of uncertainty & peril?

If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 Kings 2, 1 Kings 2, where David has some counsel for his son in a time of uncertainty for Israel. He’s about to pass the baton of leadership on to his son, Solomon. But before he does, he wants to pass on some advice.

1 Kings 2:1-2 When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man… (ESV)

In other words, Be a REAL man, a HE-man, not a wimp, but a man of strength and character. Do you know, I can’t think of anything better for a father to say to his son in times like these – “SHOW YOURSELF A MAN.” The question is: What IS a man? What is a REAL man? Well, look at verse 3, as David gets specific with his son.

1 Kings 2:3 …and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn… (ESV)

If you want to “show yourself a man,” then 1st of all, you must…

BE A MAN OF THE WORD.

You must keep God’s word. You must obey God’s commands. Practice it daily.

Did you notice how David piles up one synonym after another for God’s Word here? He calls it “the charge of the Lord”, “His ways”, “His statues”, “His commandments”, “His rules”, “His testimonies” and “the Law of Moses”. 7 synonyms, the number of completion.

The point is a real man keeps the WHOLE law of God. He doesn’t pick and choose just those things that are convenient for him. He doesn’t say, “Lord, I like your ways, but I have trouble with some of your commands.” NO! A real man obeys it all.

Todd and Lisa, two young parents, enjoyed a romantic getaway in Italy for one week. They returned home on a Monday in September, rested and glad to see their boys, David, who was 3, and Andrew, who was 1 at the time.

The next morning, Todd, an executive with Oracle, had to be at a sales rep meeting in Northern California. So He kissed his pregnant wife, Lisa, goodbye and headed to the Newark, New Jersey, airport where he boarded a Boeing 757 for San Francisco.

About 90 minutes into the flight, three hijackers commandeered the plane with its 34 passengers and 7 crew members. The plane then made a sharp turn to the south.

By now, you know who I’m talking about – Todd Beamer, who was aboard that fateful flight on September 11th, which went down in Pennsylvania.

Todd reached for the GTE airfone in the back of one of the seats and got connected to a GTE supervisor on the ground. He explained to her what was happening, and the GTE employee told Todd what had already happened at the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

The hijacker nearest to Todd had a bomb belted around his middle. Even so, the former Wheaton College baseball player told the GTE representative that he and a few others were determined to do whatever they could to disrupt the terrorists' plan.

He then asked the person on the other end of the phone to call his wife and tell her how much he loved her. Then, before hanging up, this committed Christian and devoted family man, who taught Sunday school each week, asked the GTE employee to pray the Lord's Prayer with him. With the sound of passengers screaming in the background, they prayed together, and when they finished, Scott calmly said, “Help me, God. Help me, Jesus.”