Day One: Salt Anyone?
Recently I was watching a social media video where a young woman said that if "the God of the Bible" were to come down and appear before her, she "would still not worship Him." My first reaction was to chuckle and roll my eyes because I cannot fathom a response like that if God were to appear before me! My second, however, was more of a "wow". This young woman believes in this powerful being, yet even though He created the heavens and the earth, and her, she would blow Him off?
In Revelation 1:8, Jesus tells us "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." To that end, logically, if God, who created you and everything around you, appeared before you and said “kneel" I would think you would kneel. I know I would, out of nothing less than sheer fear at the least. To think you, created by Him, can somehow raise a finger as if to tell Him to "wait" is astonishing. We have been so accustomed to the world revolving around us, which is narcissism, that we feel it is ok to act like we are something so special, we can blow off God.
We know that God's Word is important to listen to. When He tells us to avoid something, or embrace something, we ought to listen. Look at Lot's wife. They were told not to look back, which for most of us is something we would have at least been tempted to do. But God tells them to flee and not look back. Why? For one thing, God does not need a reason, does He? But with every command, He displays His wisdom. In this case, He wanted them to flee the evil and not look back upon it. You may not turn to salt, but you very well may be pulled into something that could harm you physically, mentally, or spiritually.
Over the next four days, we will explore why authority, respect, and admiration are important for us, as Christian men, to model to our children, our co-workers, and others in our life. While God is seen as a father, friend, somebody to chat with, He is also God. He created all and He can end all. You cannot outsmart Him, outthink Him, or simply ignore Him.
Of course, this goes beyond just the lack of respect for our Lord. It is a cancer in our society where there is truly little respect for much of anything beyond ourselves. We, as men, must follow God's commandments. When we do so, we give strength to future generations, and those generations, my brothers, are facing unprecedented hatred towards their faith.
Challenge: Do you demonstrate respect for God? If not, what can you do to demonstrate how you respect Him?
Q1- Why should you respect God?
Q2- Does God tell us to respect others? Why or why not? Use Scripture to defend your view.
Scripture:
Genesis 19:26
Revelation 22:13
Revelation 1:8
1 Peter 2:17
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Day 2 Godly Authority
Recently my grandfather passed away, but I was fortunate to have spent a good deal of time with him. He had really come into his faith recently and had a desire to learn more about God. He told me during breakfast one morning that he looked back on his life of 95 years and now saw God's hand in everything; from getting jobs that he did not deserve, to things that impacted his life. He had a respect for God's providence and authority in his life.
He told me that he wished he had known much of this earlier in life, which was a way of telling me to understand this now. We often find ourselves struggling with life's challenges because we believe that God is not present in our misery. Whether it is because of sin, or things that change us that are not our own doing, the world affects us. In that moment, it is easy to forget that God has authority over all. While we must submit to God in obedience, which is an act we must take, make no mistake, He still has authority over us and our lives.
Non-Christians try to dismiss God's authority, or God completely. They call names, hurl insults, etc., but none of that changes His authority. We too must understand His authority. His authority is not militaristic; it is simply the Creator being able to do as He sees fit. We are fortunate because most "gods" created by man are vengeful. They are full of human characteristics because they were created by humans. Our God though, with the power to snap us into oblivion, instead sent His only Son to die on the cross so we may have eternal life with Him.
And with this example of authority, when we too have some authority over others, we ought to ensure we wield it with the same compassion and love. The authority we have bestowed on us as husbands and fathers is special. God has blessed us with leading them, and not alone! He walks with us!
UnCommen Challenge: Take stock of those who you have authority over (kids, wife, workers, etc.) and be real about how you use that authority. Does it honor God?
Q1: What is one account in the Bible where you see God exercise His authority in a powerful way?
Q2: What is another account where God's authority is verbalized by Jesus?
Q3: When you look at these accounts, do you know the purpose behind each?
Scripture:
Matthew 28:18
2 Peter 1:3
Luke 17:28-33
Day 3- Righteous Anger
Jesus walked into the temple with a pre-fashioned whip and flipped over tables and cracked the whip! He was angry because religious leaders allowed the temple to reflect culture. As men, we are often taught that being angry is wrong, and we should avoid it at all costs. Is there a time when anger is appropriate? Absolutely!
In our culture today, we see examples of people thumbing their nose at God. We see a lack of respect for His creation, His power, and His majesty, but all of that is expected. Jesus even tells us that the world hates Him, and in turn, they will hate us too. So, should we be angry and flip tables as an adult store opens? No. We can certainly protest, share Christ, and pray, but flipping tables here is not proper. Jesus did not go into a brothel and flip tables; He went into a temple and did it. Why? Because the religious leaders, who were supposed to be spreading God's Word, had taken a page from culture, so they could benefit.
It is bad enough when culture advocates for abortion, pornography, sex outside a Godly marriage, and on, but it is far worse when you walk into a church that is silent on these issues, or even worse, they advocate for it. This is no different than selling animals for sacrifice to profit from the faithful. A church who bows to culture or to profit (aka people in seats) is on the wrong path. Should men of faith flip tables? Men, you should be angry because church is meant to honor God and provide teaching for your wife, your kids, and yourself. When that is corrupted, your responsibility is to stand up and "flip tables.” Meet with church leaders and insist they find their way back to following Christ, not culture. And if this does not work, then I implore you, find a new church.
We should be like Jesus and, be angry enough that we are willing to stand for what is right. You do not have to flip a table to get attention, but we must stop being complacent and comfortable. The world has enough of people not willing to take a stand! The church, God's House, should be a respite from that for you and your family. It is where we go to learn about God's Word from those who are supposed to have a solid handle on it! Our anger is not meant to condemn, but it is meant to show love and correct the course. We want the church to succeed. We want it to be a place to learn and grow in our faith.
Challenge: Take a good look at your church and leaders. Are you actively listening to what is being preached and taught? Does it match Scripture? If not, engage them and find out why not
Scripture:
Matthew 21:12
John 15:18
John 7:7
Day 4. Looking Inward
One aspect of the story of Lot's story is that the city of Sodom was destroyed. Why is this important? God was handling the city and their depravity. He told Lot and his wife not to look back. He expected obedience from them. While we are not likely to turn into salt, we can fall where our lives are miserable because we are not obedient. She was so interested in seeing what God was doing behind her, that she failed to be obedient to what God had in store in front of her. Have you found yourself here? Paul reflects and says he does the things he hates and does not do the things he ought to do. He is stuck looking backwards and knows he should be completely looking forward.
In our culture, we are often doing something in our lives and then looking for validation. We do some noble thing for our community, like sharing Christ. And then after we do it, we post it on social media, even with intent to just model for others. But then you find yourself looking for those likes, and you go back repeatedly. Instead of looking where God wants us to be, we are worried about the "thumbs up" behind us.
And here lies the problem with many Christian men today, and I'll include myself in this. We know what God wants us to do, and He give us some extremely specific things to do. We are to lead our households, have a job, take care of our wife and kids, and share the Gospel. But in every aspect of that, we are inviting culture to have an opinion. Should I really lead my wife? Should I get and hold a sign that says, "I'm pro-life"? Should I share Jesus with my neighbor? Even though we know our path forward, we look to culture to affirm our path forward.
We are saying to God, hey I trust You, as you look over your shoulder for culture to affirm what you are saying.
Because I am talking to men here, some of which are going to be pastors, this is even more important for you. Our role as men in our family, and our co-workers, is to lead them to Christ. We need to be more worried about following God's path, rather than looking behind us. Look at the Holy Spirit that dwells within us and look less for that little number next to the heart or thumbs up.
Challenge: Spend some time today and see if you are leading your family forward, or if you (and them) are always looking back.
Q1: Why do you think Lot’s wife looked back? Do you have similar tendencies?
Q2: What is one thing in your past that you keep referring to? Why?
Q3: If you were to look at one of those scales they use to compare weights, for your life, does God tip the scales, or does culture?
Scripture:
Luke 17:28-33
Romans 7:15
Day 5 Manly, Godly Men, Lead Forward
Men, you have heard this before, but I want to say it again in the context of the last four days we have spent together: Be a Godly man and lead your family and community forward. If you look across the landscape we have today in this country, you will see a lot of division. Our political landscape is a nightmare, and our cultural norms are being dragged into a hedonistic, narcissistic, wasteland. What we would have considered out of the realm of possibility ten years ago, the normalization of sin, is now here. What this world needs are less emotional men who cry, whine, and complain about their circumstances, but instead lean into God's power and authority. Your wife, children, and community are relying on you to follow God.
We do not really know why Lot's wife turned around, but in our current culture, we often turn around, as do our wives and children. We do not trust God fully, and with our poor example, our families do the same. Our families desire to be led by men who honor God, charge ahead, and they will follow, because they know we are leading them precisely where God wants us. In some cases, culture speaks against this, and our loved ones may not even fully grasp what they are missing. In other words, your family, may not ask you to lead, but God has commanded you to.
We need to stand firm on Biblical Truth, which will be wildly unpopular. Even among churches, many have succumbed to culture. Their existence is not honoring God, it is ensuring a financial security. We are to put our trust in the Lord, not our bank accounts. We are to have righteous anger when the very house of God is turned into a reflection of culture. We are to press forward, not looking for culture's acceptance, firmly looking ahead and following the path God has set forth.
Jesus told us that following Him was going to be hard. He said they would hate us, persecute us, and in some cases, take our lives. However, when we follow Jesus, and rely on Him, we have nothing to fear. When we embrace this courage, put on the armor of God, and charge into battle, we set an example for our families. We tell them that we trust God! Do not let your family become a pillar of salt, a testament to culture!
Final Challenge: Make today the day you commit to following God’s commandment to lead your family. Use UnCommen to help you. There are many men here that are in the battle and will support you. Commit to active participation with men who can help you and where you can help others!