Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

MEN BEHAVING GODLY–PART 3

Introduction

Two weeks ago, on Father’s Day, we looked at this Psalm and saw the characteristics associated with men who are Godly.

Last week, I began to challenge our men in some specific areas that I believe will help us as we seek to become “Psalm 112” kind of men.

We looked at two areas:

I.         WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE POWER OF OUR INFLUENCE!

            We have a powerful influence upon our WIFE!

            We have a powerful influence upon our CHILDREN!

            We have a powerful influence upon OTHERS!

II.        WE NEED TO AVOID THE PITFALLS OF OUR MASCULINITY!

            A.        The Pitfall Of Being ARROGANT!

            B.        The Pitfall Of Being ABSENT or ALOOF!

            C.        The Pitfall Of Being ANGRY or ABUSIVE!

This week I want to look at two additional areas that can help us become Psalm 112 kind of men:

III.      WE NEED TO PROPERLY ARRANGE THE PRIORITIES OF OUR LIFE!

I believe one of the biggest problems with men (and women) today is that their priorities are all mixed up.

If we were to look at families that break apart, I believe we would find that the cause for break-up in most cases (if not every case) can be traced to priorities that are messed up.

If we don’t get our priorities arranged the way they should be, we can just expect problems:Problems with our marriage.

                                    Problems with our children.

                                    Problems with our health.

                                    Problems with our work.

                                    Problems with most every important area of our life.

            I believe we see a scale of right-priorities implied in Psalm 112.

            A.        A Man’s First Priority Must Be His God. (Psalm 112:1)

In Revelation 2:4, Jesus said to the church at Ephesus, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

                        The word “first” there means “foremost in time, place, or importance.”

He then exhorted them to do three things:

                        1.         Remember. “from whence thou art fallen.”

                        2.         Repent. This is a change of mind that results in a change of direction.

                        3.         Repeat. “do the first works.”

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

                        Is Jesus Christ your first love? Don’t answer too quickly! Think about it!

                        • Do you have a hunger and a passion to know Him better?

Matthew 5:6–“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Philippians 3:10–“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

• Are you pursuing the knowledge of Christ through prayer, the study of God’s Word and faithfully submitting yourself to Bible teaching and preaching? 2 Peter 3:18–“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

• Is God first and foremost in your thoughts when you are making the decisions about your “secular” life? (i.e. Your life outside of Church–job, leisure activities or recreation, personal finances, education.)

Proverbs 3:5-6–“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

                        • Do you give the LORD first place in your time priorities?

What does your calendar reveal about the importance that you place on the things of God as opposed to the things of this world.

When you show up consistently on time for work or a ball game or anything else, but you can’t be consistently on time for Church, what does that say about your priorities?

What does it say about you when you can be depended on at your job, but you can’t be depended on at Church?

                        • Do you give Him first place in your finances?

What does your checkbook reveal about what is important to you. If someone dug up your checkbook or financial records in the year 3000, what would they conclude about you and your life?

God may have a place in your life, but is it first place?

Matthew 22:37–“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment.”

                        A Man’s First Priority Must Be His God!

            B.        A Man’s Second Priority Must Be His Family. (Psalm 112:2) 

                        1.         I believe a lot of men are failing when it comes to their families.

                                    • some are failing to spend enough time with their families.

                                    • some are failing to meet the needs of their wives.

• some are failing to get in touch with their children. They are failing to express adequate affection and approval to their children.

• some are failing to communicate godly values and spiritual truths to their families.

                                    • some are failing to lead their families into holiness and righteousness.

                        2.         By nature, most men are “task oriented” and most men tend to find their identity in their work. It is the “conquer” or “Git ‘R Done” mentality.

Consequently, they tend to take their jobs way too seriously and neglect their families.

There is no career worth losing your marriage or your children over!

                                    That goes for both men and women!

            C.        A Man’s Next Priority Must Be To Himself (But Not In A Selfish Way).

He must make a priority of developing inner CHARACTER and personal RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Psalm112 shows us the result of a man who has made a priority of developing his inner character and personal righteousness.

                        Just look closely at the kind of man this is.

                        • He is “upright.” (Vs 2 and 4)

                        • He is righteous. (Vs 3, 4, 6, 9)

                        • He is gracious. (Vs 4)

                        • He is full of compassion. (Vs 4)

                        • He is a “good man.” (Vs 5)

                        • He is discreet. (Vs 5)

                        • He is fearless. (Vs 7-8)

                        • He is a reliable man of faith. (Vs 7)

                        • He is charitable. (Vs 9)

                        • He has power with honor. (Vs 9)

We need to make a priority of developing our inner character and our personal righteousness.

Unfortunately, too many men are more focused on selfishly fulfilling their lusts than they are on developing inner character.

Men, life is not all about US! It is about God. It is about His Person and His plan for us!

Let me challenge you all, especially you men to start giving as much attention to your inner character and your personal righteousness as you give to your careers and making money.

Your wife and children don’t need a RICH husband and father. What they need is a RIGHTEOUS husband and father.

                        Think about your priorities. Are they where they should be?

            WE NEED TO PROPERLY ARRANGE THE PRIORITIES IN OUR LIFE!

IV.      WE NEED TO ASSUME THE PLACE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES!

We’ve seen how that Psalm 112 describes a man who both fears the LORD and finds great delight in the LORD’S commands.

When we fear the LORD and find great delight in God’s Word, we come to realize the various places of responsibility that God has given to us in this world and of the need to fulfill them by the grace of God.

            We have responsibilities in our families! (As husbands and as fathers!)

We have responsibilities in our society! (As citizens and as business men or as employees!)

            We have responsibilities in our Churches! (As members of the Body of Christ!)

Conclusion

We need to realize that some day we are going to give an account to God on how we conducted our life and how we fulfilled the various roles that God has given to us!

God is calling some of you men to make some serious changes in your life TODAY.

Some of you might be tempted to put off doing what you know you need to do. You might shrug off what God has spoken to you today and in the last few weeks. You may try to convince yourself that you can deal with all of this later. You’ve just got too much going on right now to try to straighten things out.

Both Satan and your flesh will tempt you to just wait. But if you’re not careful, you’ll wait too late.

I wonder if there are some men here today who are man enough to deal with the sin issues in your lives today?

I wonder if there are some men here today who are willing to stand up and be real men. Psalm 112 type men. Men who will behave Godly because they are Godly with a healthy fear of the LORD and a delight in the Word of the LORD.