Rev. David Holwick ZG Laymen Sunday
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
October 22, 2006
Jeremiah 9:23-24
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I. Is Christianity manly?
A. The ideal Christian man: Dog the Bounty Hunter.
1) He prays with those he arrests.
2) He is gentle with his wife and kids, who are in the
bounty business with him.
3) He gets rough when he has to.
4) He has bulging biceps, tall hair, and a can of Mace.
a) He can't carry a gun, because he has 18 arrests
for armed robbery and served five years in a
Texas prison for murder.
b) But, hey, even Christians aren't perfect!
5) Why are there more men like this in church?
B. Churches have a feminine reputation.
1) Men may say they don't go to church because of all the
hypocrites, but the real reason is the femininity.
David Murrow, "Why Men Hate Church"
Although males have not completely abandoned the church,
MANLY men have all but disappeared.
Tough, earthy, working guys rarely come to church.
These rough-and-tumble men don't fit in with the quiet,
introspective gentlemen who populate the church today.
The truth is, most men in the pews grew up in church.
There are also millions of men who attend services under
duress, dragged by a mother, wife, or girlfriend.
Today's churchgoing man is humble, tidy, dutiful, and
above all, nice.
What a contrast to the men of the Bible!
Think of Moses and Elijah, David and Daniel, Peter and
Paul.
They were lions, not lambs - take-charge men who risked
everything in service to God.
They fought valiantly and spilled blood.
They spoke their minds and stepped on the toes of
religious people.
They were true leaders, tough guys who were feared by their
Enemies and respected by the community.
All of these men had two things in common: they had an
intense commitment to God...
and they weren't what you'd call saintly.
Such men seldom go to church today.
#76
C. Churches are certainly filled with women.
1) Women outnumber men.
a) Not 100%, but more like 60% women to 40% men.
b) I can always get enough women to share testimonies
on Women's Sunday.
c) For this Laymen's Sunday, I got just one.
2) Some churches are trying to do something about it.
a) One liberal church has an annual "Bring a Man" Sunday.
b) A few mega-churches own vast sports fields. (We don't
have the room, unfortunately)
3) Masculinity and spirituality can go together.
a) The Bible provides the ultimate example - Jesus.
II. Jesus was a man's man. #2506
A. He had inner strength.
1) He radiated confidence and authority.
2) He knew why he was here, and where he was going.
3) He did not get side-tracked by the philosophies of his day.
4) He was not afraid of being thought weak when he cuddled
children or treated women with respect.
5) Public opinion did not alter his behavior, or pressure him
into conforming to the status quo.
B. He modeled masculinity.
1) He had a strong relationship with his father.
a) Many of the leaders of the secular men's movement in
the 1980's had alcoholic fathers.
b) Jesus was close to his father.
1> He communicated with him through prayer.
2> He submitted to his Father's will.
3> He conformed to his Father's principles.
John 5:19
Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth,
the Son can do nothing by himself;
he can do only what he sees his Father doing,
because whatever the Father does the Son also does."
2) He knew who he was.
a) Jesus didn't need 6-pack abs.
1> The Old Testament tells us there was nothing
attractive about him. Isa 53:2
2> His program was based on substance, not appearances.
b) He was strong enough to reject the world's standards.
1> As Jeremiah points out, those have always been
intelligence, physical strength and money.
A> We figure if we are smart, strong or rich,
then we have high self-worth.
B> The Bible shoots down each of these.
2> Jesus knew that it was better to know God.
A> He preached and practiced humility.
B> He preached and practiced simple living.
C> Only in his application of God's grace was
Jesus extravagant.
3) He was involved with others.
a) He was committed to his friends.
1> With some, he was especially intimate. (Peter, John)
b) He displayed authority and leadership, yet was not
ashamed to act like a servant.
1> Meekness was not weakness to Jesus.
2> Even with notorious sinners, he was gentle rather
than condemning.
C. Jesus went beyond maleness.
Lewis Smedes:
"That which is important about Jesus being a model is
not his modeling of maleness but his modeling of humanity."
III. Men need church.
A. Men have it tough.
The statistics are grim but telling:
Men are more likely than women to be arrested, die violently,
commit and be victims of crimes, go to jail, and be addicted.
They die more often on the job, have more heart attacks, commit
suicide in greater numbers, and live shorter lives than
women.
I could go on.
B. Men who attend church are better off.
If men want to avoid these pathologies, they should go to
church.
One study found that churchgoers are more likely to be married
and express a higher level of satisfaction with life.
Church involvement is the most important predictor of marriage
stability and happiness.
It moves people out of poverty.
It's also correlated with less depression, more self-esteem,
and greater family happiness.
Religious participation leads men to become more engaged
husbands and fathers.
Teens with religious fathers are more likely to say that
they enjoy spending time with their dads and that they
admire them. #32458
When a mother becomes active in church, the rest of her family
follows 17% of the time.
But when a father becomes active, the rest of the family
follows 93% of the time.
IV. The church needs men.
A. We must offer them challenges.
Sir Ernest Shackleton was obsessed with Antarctica.
In 1913 he recruited men for an expedition there, using
this announcement:
Men wanted for hazardous journey.
Small wages. Bitter cold.
Long months of complete darkness.
Constant danger.
Safe return doubtful.
Honor and recognition in case of success.
There were 26 positions; more than 5,000 men applied.
#33371
1) Jesus charged his disciples with turning the world
upside-down.
a) In one generation they spread through the Roman world
and beyond.
b) Often they were under conditions that were even worse
than an Anarctic expedition.
1> Consider Paul's experiences. 2 Cor 11:23-29
2> Our own church may have a mission trip to
Guatamala this coming spring.
A> If your faith needs to be challenged, consider
coming with us.
2) We are not called to church attendance - we are called to
greatness.
B. We must offer them relationships.
1) Men need other men.
a) Friendships are important.
b) We need to make time for it.
2) Take opportunities for Bible studies and fellowship.
a) Our church offers several man-oriented studies.
C. We must offer them God's principles for living.
1) Men prefer a practical faith.
2) The Bible contains much practical advice.
a) On family life.
b) On business ethics.
c) On priorities and time management.
V. It takes a real man to bow before God.
Tom Sirotnak was a chubby, slow, uncoordinated youngster who
desperately sought approval.
Mostly, he was laughed at.
But his red-letter day in elementary school came when he stood up
to the toughest kid in class.
Tom had made him mad on the playground and the bully came running
full speed at him.
Actually, Tom didn't stand up to him. He was scared to death.
When the bully swung, Tom ducked.
The bully missed and his momentum sent him flying over Tom.
Without realizing what he was doing, in the same motion Tom stood up
and caught the bully with his shoulder.
Tom tossed him in the air; the bully landed on his back, got up and
slumped off, crying.
Suddenly Tom was the school hero.
Though his success was a complete fluke, he thought, "Hey, look
at the acceptance I got through fighting this guy."
That launched his quest to become a "macho he-man" by building up
his body to ultra-tough proportions.
Tom thought being a man meant being physically intimidating.
Years later he arrived at the University of Southern California
boasting a 20-inch neck, 20-inch arms and a 54-inch chest.
(How many of YOU could ever boast this? Not me!)
Tom used his physique to land a job as a bar bouncer.
He wrestled bears.
He played on the varsity football team at USC.
Actually, he warmed the bench more than he played, but he was
on the team.
Beer flowed freely and women sought his company.
But despite his physical exploits and campus status, Tom was
empty inside.
He wanted to be a man but didn't know how.
He tried to satisfy himself with a steady diet of lust, pornography
and immorality.
Ironically, while he was partying away his college years, he called
himself a Christian and belonged to a campus ministry.
The hypocrisy and inconsistencies gnawed at him and during an
away game in Phoenix he aimlessly wandered the streets.
Fortunately, he later wound up in a Christian gathering.
The speaker was former LA Ram and Hall of Fame member Rosey Grier.
Seeing through Tom's counterfeit faith, Rosey challenged him to
get the sin out of his life.
The only way to serve God was to quit compromising, he said.
Tom repented, and God changed him.
He now believes that the measure of manhood is not muscles, but
Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the only way to true fulfillment.
For Tom -- and for you.
#3674
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 76 "Manly Men Have Disappeared," by David Murrow, from his book:
The Religion Of Masculinity: Why Men Hate Church. CBN.com.
# 2506 "Was Jesus Christ a Man's Man?" by Vivian Clark, Christianity Today
magazine, February 18, 1983, page 16.
# 3674 "Macho Image, Sports, Parties, Degree Left Him Empty," by Tom
Sirotnak, with Ken Walker, Online Christianity Today
(America Online), September 11, 1995.
#32458 "Men Are Better Off Attending Church," by Dr. Daniel Ó Connell,
Internet sermon.
#33371 "Hopeless Job Offer," by Dr. Daniel Ó Connell, Internet sermon.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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