Calling men to “do something” is not difficult. We are built and geared to be doers, to get it done, to make it happen. Men like action, activity, and would rather do it than talk about it. In fact, one of the first questions a man will ask another man is, “What do you do?”, since men place high value on what he does, and will either view himself or others through a certain lens (I’m a manager, owner, officer, captain, etc.). No, getting men to “do something” is not difficult. The difficult part is making sure the things that we are doing are the most important, the most God glorifying, and most Biblical activities. That is why a Biblical man must be a master, an expert, in these 3 areas:
WORSHIP: A man’s joyful priority
- The Westminster Shorter Catechism immortalized a response to an often asked question of what is the purpose of life. The answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
This means that the joyful priority of a man transformed by the gospel is to make it his greatest passion, greatest treasure, and most pressing activity to worship God in Jesus Christ. There is nothing better, nothing more important, and nothing that measures up.
- We worship as a way of life, becoming living sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1-2)
- We seek to worship with our head and our heart, through the gift of the Spirit and the instrument of God’s Word (John 4:21-24)
- We seek to worship with fear driven intimacy, never letting worship to become bland, boring, or vanilla, and keeping us from false worship, because God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:28; Matt. 15:8-9)
Our worship of God is all consuming, and we seek to be consumed with God through His Word through the leading of His Spirit. When we do this, we not only worship fully, but it lays the foundation to become true servants.
SERVICE: A man’s faithful duty
The greatest position to attain as a man is not CEO, President, Senior Pastor (if that is even a title anymore), Chief, Doctor, or Partner. It is the title of a servant.
- A true servant views himself as a servant, and does only what he is supposed to do (Luke 17:7-10)
- A true servant understands that greatness comes by following Jesus’ example of service (Mark 10:42-45)
LEADERSHIP: A man’s humble responsibility
When a man understands his primary priority, and then establishes himself as a servant, he is THEN ready to lead the way God intended. He is ready to lead the way God leads him, is ready to lead by example (not by barking orders), and will lead like a shepherd. This is marked by:
- A willingness to protect - Not just by brute strength and force, but protection from deception and false teaching, which means a man protects doctrinally through the Word. This also means a leader is willing to do what is right, even if it is not popular.
- A willingness to confront/correct - A shepherd was willing to wound a sheep if they were getting out of line. A man with a shepherds heart is willing to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15), risking a wound (Prov. 27:6) for the sake of the best of another.
- A willingness to nourish - A leader must be able to teach, by example, word, and deed. A husband's job is to be a part of the sanctification process with his wife (Eph. 5:28). Leaders are to know God's Word to help nourish disciples
- A willingness to love sacrificially - Love is the foundation of a willingness to die for others. Leadership requires that we give up our own comfort for the sake of others. A shepherd would always be willing to put himself in harm's way to save the sheep.
- A willingness to serve tenderly - A leader is tender, gentle, and compassionate, not abusive or harsh. Though he is willing to say the hard thing, it is always out of love
