Shew Thyself A Man!

Temple Baptist Church - 6-15-2008

1 Kings 2:1-11

Introduction:

A. What to preach for Father’s Day? I am not “big” on preaching special occasions because, in a way, I feel confined to preaching just one certain type of message. I have looked forward to preaching this Father’s Day because I have a message for all of you Fathers and to men in general.

B. If you are a man—I am not talking about simply being male in gender this morning—you are both special and unusual! It is difficult in today’s society to find real men for they are a dying breed. The “old school” manhood is, for the most part, a thing of the past. We live in days of soft males; irresponsible males; whining males; subject males (subject to their wives)!

C. You men are special because God has given to you a special position and makeup. God intended you to be forceful in a godly manner, and masculine in a manly manner. God intended for you to be men! Many are born male in gender but are far from being men: boys who have been raised under weak men and under strong women. Their role models have become women because they are the authority figures of their lives. Our generation has raised a generation of sissies!

D. David is now ready to die. He has lived a life that was full. He has served the Lord well. He is now passing the “torch” to his son, Solomon—who will now reign in his stead. David did not advise Solomon to “say you are a man!” He said to “shew thyself a man!” That is a characteristic or action that is visible to others. A father needs to set an example of manhood for his sons and daughters. He then needs to make sure that his sons become men! Let me leave you with two things this morning:

1. God Help Us To Be Men! (Vs. 5-9) David was a Man’s Man! He was acclaimed by both men and women as a man’s man! In these verses, he is instructing Solomon to “shew thyself a man!”

2 Samuel 17:8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

1 Samuel 18:7 And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. (Nobody ever had to guess what gender David was! You men be a man’s man and your sons and daughters will know it. Your sons will want to be men and your daughters will want to marry men!)

a. Today, our society has males in gender who are soft in their appearance. The word “effeminate” is a New Testament word. Old Testament men were taught to be men.
Luke 7:25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft (also used for effeminate) raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously (illustrious or splendid) apparelled, and live delicately (softness, effeminate, luxurious living), are in kings’ courts.
Matthew 3:4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

1) Dress your boys in male clothing, not unisex clothing. I not only wanted to name my boys with male names, I wanted them to wear boys clothing! I wanted them grow up looking like men! Men need to wear “strong” man’s clothing. Your clothes distinguish what kind of a man you are. Most of today’s clothes designers are either sodomites or effeminate and design clothing to their taste. I know that it is an “in” thing but I still do not wear pink and lavender! When I was growing up, you wear either and you were a little more than “suspect!” I am not trying to push a preference. Society is the one that assigned pink to girls and sodomites use lavender as the color (interesting that lavender is a mixture of pink and blue!) representing their sodomite agenda. When I see a pink bow on a mailbox, I know the gender of the baby! Lavender is the color of the Gay Revolution. The “Lavender Magazine” is a gay-lesbian publication. The “Lavender Screen” is a gay-lesbian film production studio. There is a house that we come across here in Laurens that it lavender in color along with its outbuilding. I do not know who lives there but it sends me a signal nevertheless.

2) You do what you want, but my advice as a pastor is to dress your boys and girls in such a way that one does not have to guess. On occasion, I will call a baby boy a girl or a baby girl a boy. It is not my fault! The parent did not make the differentiation in their dress or hair! I do not name my boys girl or either gender names. I spell them as to make know what they are, boy or girl. I guess this is enough on the subject but I want you to get my drift this morning.

b. Today, our society has males in gender who are soft in their actions.

1 Corinthians 6:9, 11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind… And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

1) The word “effeminate” means “soft.” Many were used as male prostitutes because of their feminine qualities. When an effeminate gets saved, God makes a man out of him. If he remains effeminate, he needs to check up! Such WERE some of you! Effeminates are as lost as sodomites and normally turn into them.

2) Teach your young men to be men; look like a man, walk like a man, talk like a man, shake hands like a man, do the things that me do! Men do not play house and dress up. Men do not play with dolls. Men play ball, hunt, fish, swagger, play army and war, fight and eat bugs and dirt. Little Dennis the Menaces! I may spank them for doing some things but I will smile when they cannot see because they are all boy! Now the boys sway their hips, flip and flop their hands, roll their eyes, and speak with a lisp. These are feminine qualities and define the individual using them. “If it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck—you probably have a duck on your hands.

c. Today, our society has males in gender who allow their wives to run the household and family. God is looking for men who will run and lead their homes in a godly direction.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

1 Corinthians 11:3, 7-9 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God…For a man indeed ought not to cover [his] head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

Isaiah 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

2. God Help Us To Be God’s Men! (Vs. 3-4) David was God’s Man!

a. David said so! - Psalms 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Psalms 27:4 One [thing] have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

b. God said so! - Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the [son] of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Ephesians 6:10 Finarrlly, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

c. God is looking for a man to stand in the gap and make up the hedge! That means to occupy a portion of ground and defend it against an enemy. God is not a seeking a woman. God is not a seeking an effeminate. God is looking for men. Real men! Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. (God is having a problem finding real men: men to preach, men to serve, men to be faithful, men to witness, men to pray, men to lead, men to mentor.)

1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Conclusion: God’s looking for spiritual men; macho men; strong men! God has never called a “wimp” to do anything for Him and never will. He sought after a MAN! He calls men! Let us be men for God and our families in days of a “famine of men.” God bless you men! I pray that you have a great Father’s Day!