Tender Warriors

"GOD’S KIND OF MEN; TENDER WARRIORS..."

{Top 10 lists...}

I. OKAY LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM;

"THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN"

Do you remember years ago watching the movie The Incredible Shrinking Man? In the movie the main character is a man who because of an exposure to a chemical slowly gets smaller and smaller until there is really nothing left of him.

WHERE IS HE SHRINKING FROM?

Today in American Homes, American Society, and in the Lord’s Churches the exact same thing is happening. Because of a prolonged exposure to a misguided culture.. manhood, true manhood and True Fatherhood is slowly getting smaller and smaller until there is now very little left of Them.

Far too many men have become detached, distant and passive in the 2 most important areas of their life -- Home and Church. They no longer take lead; or show the imitative, they avoid responsibility. They run away from commitment and resist obligation; and they renege on the promises that they made to their wives, children, Church and Lord.

What Are The Effects?

And this lack of manhood and father hood -- THIS shrinking away of true men has hurt our families, society and our churches...

. 25 million children (36.3%) do not live with their fathers.

. 40% of children in fatherless homes have not seen their father’s in a least 1 year. While 50% of children who live without their fathers have never stepped foot in their father’s home.

. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (FFH)

. 85% of children that exhibit behavior disorders are FFH

. 80% of rapists are FFH

. 71% of high school drop outs are FFH

. 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers are FFH

. 70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come FFH

. 85% of youths in prison are FFH

. 70% of teen pregnancies are FFH

. 72% of Americans polled recently said the physical absence of fathers is the most serious problem facing America’s families.

AND THE DAMAGE DONE IN THE CHURCH HAS BEEN NO LESS STAGGERING. MANY TIMES CHURCHES HAVE BECOME STAGNANT OR HAVE DECAYED, AS MEN COWER IN THE BACKGROUND AFRAID TO ACT; AFRAID TO LEAD; AFRAID TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY; AFRAID TO DO THE RIGHT THING...

AND MANY TIMES IN MANY PLACES THIS LACK OF MALE LEADERSHIP HAS CREATED A VOID THAT HAS BEEN FILLED BY THE LADIES OF THE CHURCH... WHO MANY TIMES DO MORE WORK, ARE MORE COMMITMENT, WILL SEE THINGS THROUGH TO THE END AND KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD...

MANY TIMES WHEN A JOB NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE CHURCH MEN WILL SAY, "I DON’T WANT BE IN CHARGE, BUT I’LL HELP -- IN OTHER WORDS I DON’T WANT TO BE A LEADER, I DON’T WANT RESPONSIBILITY, I WANT A WAY OUT..."

THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN OUR SOCIETY -- MEN ARE MISSING FROM ACTION -- THEY ARE SHRINKING AWAY FROM THEIR GOD GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY AT HOME AND IN THE CHURCH...

AND, not only are Men missing, THEY are also hurting. Despite the feminist rhetoric that would have us believe that females have suffered far more than men. The statistics show that modern society has taken a toll on modern man and He is in turmoil.

. 88% of drunk drivers are men.

. 83% of people arrested for serious crimes are men.

. 85% of all murders are committed by men.

. A man is 25 times more likely to end up in state prison.

. Men are more likely to have ulcers, and to die from cancer, pneumonia, liver disease, strokes, hardening of the arteries and heart failure.

. 75% of all suicides are men.

I have said all that I have said so far to underscore the fact that there are serious problems out there.... And I think you would have to agree with me that their are.... Do you remember what Harry Truman said, "The Buck stops here..." Why did you think he said that? Because he was the guy in charge, he was the leader -- an with leadership comes responsibility... And Harry Truman understood and accepted that.

God has ordained father rule in the home and man rule in his church... Men are the ones in charge.. They are the leaders and with leadership comes responsibility... And far too many men have abandoned these posts of leadership -- in the home, and in the church. They have left their posts and the damage has been great.

II. NOW, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PATTERN;

"TENDER WARRIORS"

I am convinced that the only way to even begin to repair the damage is for men to be real men... But just what does that mean? And where do you go to find an example of what a real men is? For you see, there is much confusing in our society, due largely to the influence of humanism, feminism and the overall lack of attention to the biblical teaching of manhood. All of which has led to some confusing role models...