The Christian Man #1

Welcome to the Truth Pulpit with Don Green, Founding Pastor of Truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hello, I'm Bill Wright. Today, Don continues teaching God's people God's Word as he begins a new series titled, Living as God's People. Let's join Don now with part one of a message called, The Christian Man.

It's a very convicting passage of Scripture that addresses everyone, older men, older women, younger men, younger women. All of us are going to be addressed by this soon enough, and so we need to be gracious with one another as we do. And we also need to adopt a posture of a teachable spirit before what God says. None of us have been made perfect yet.

Even the Apostle Paul said that he had not yet attained to perfection. And so we expect the Word of God to convict us and to show us our shortcomings. We need to embrace that and to accept it and to be willing to respond to the Word of God as it does. This is the order of God. This is the Word of God to us.

And he says, Titus wraps it all up, let me just remind you, these things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority, with all command in other words, let no one disregard you. So we're here before it, recognizing the difficulties that life has to offer to us in this section, in this chapter, this season of life. Now for all of that that we've said in a sympathetic way, let's just be honest. I can be transparent and speak autobiographically in what I'm about to say, knowing that I'm speaking and describing the experience and life failures of many of you as well.

Older men have seen all of these things. And the challenge for us is that in them, it is possible to become narrow-minded and grumpy about it all, to just have a complaining spirit about the state of society, the state of politics, the state of the church, the state of whatever it might be, and to just be filled with grumbling and discontent in the situation. And forgetting, perhaps, look over at Philippians chapter 2, look over at Philippians chapter 2, forgetting that we're called to live differently and to have a heart that is different from that grouchy old man perspective that our carnal flesh would lead us into. Philippians chapter 2, verse 1, written by a man who was in prison at the time, the apostle Paul said, Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.

Do not merely look out for your own interests, but also for the interest of others. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus. And so Scripture calls us to a high standard of heart, a high standard of disposition. And men, we are not excluded from that. Indeed, we are to be the leaders and exemplifying what Christ has called us all to be.

And so we see that in chapter 2, verse 2 of Titus. And men, you and I are responsible to make the effort to rise above the grumpiness and disgruntledness of this world and to exemplify in fidelity vertically to Christ and in fidelity to those that look to us for life example and life leadership, the things that are discussed in this passage. And so we find that we have the opportunity, we have the responsibility, men, to grow spiritually even if we are declining physically.

We cannot neglect that without being disobedient to the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. And so what I want to show you in this text here today are just two basic principles that will illustrate from the terms that are used that older men are particularly called by God to manifest a dignity in life and a maturity in faith. Dignity in life and maturity in faith.

Let's look at the first point here. Dignity in life. And what God calls older men like you and me to do and to be, more importantly, God calls us to a gracious, serious demeanor that is fit for Christ. In other words, we realize that life is serious and we outgrow, we put aside the childish things that perhaps once infatuated us or entertained us. We realize that we need to put those things behind in order to live in a way that is worthy of Christ.

You see it here in Titus chapter 2 verse 2. He says older men are to be temperate. The English Standard Version says that it uses the term sober-minded to translate the underlying Greek term. Fundamentally, this word refers to someone who is not overrun by the use of alcoholic beverages.

That's the fundamental idea of sobriety rather than being under the influence of alcohol. And the idea thus is that older men are to be clear-headed, clear thinking in the way that they approach life. But the term, as Paul uses it, goes beyond that original fundamental meaning to indicate that older Christian men should carry themselves with thoughtful judgment, with a discriminating, discerning eye toward life. You could say this in a way that applies. We set the tone for others in the congregation.

Beloved, listen. This is such a vital principle. Older Christian men are called away from being impulsive, from being erratic in life decisions, and going here and going there in just a hurried way without thinking through the implications of what is being done. Look back at the book of Proverbs with me for just an Old Testament hint of this. Proverbs chapter 19. In Proverbs chapter 19, verse 2, we read Solomon saying, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs.

And literally, he who hurries his footsteps sins. Older men have been around long enough to understand that life is serious and that hasty, rash decisions are not the way to live life. There is to be a self-control and a moderation to the way that life is approached, so that there is a temperate thing that is not overreacting to circumstances, not overreacting to provocation, not overreacting to people, but showing a measure of self-restraint in the entire spirit in which you live life.

Now, Paul goes on further with a related character trait. This is all part of dignity in life, and you see him using this term in verse 2. Older men are to be temperate. They are to be dignified.

They are to be dignified. Christian men should manifest an integrity and a sober-mindedness that commands respect. Now, a few years ago, there was a pastor on the West Coast who was known for wearing a Mickey Mouse t-shirt when he preached the Word of God.

His church, not surprisingly, collapsed, not because of Mickey Mouse, but because of the attitude that would cause you to do that. But understand this, beloved, and I'm just using this as an illustration, that for a man who is professing to lead a church, to be held forth as one that has spiritual responsibilities and spiritual leadership as a pastor or an elder, do you see the wickedness of doing what I just described? To epitomize, to stand in front and to have a Mickey Mouse t-shirt on while you're proclaiming the Word of God? That there's nothing dignified about that? That the mere clothing that you choose to wear undermines the seriousness of the message that you say that you believe?

It's not dignified. This is harmful to the gospel. And we take that little illustration and we pivot and we realize that as older men, we need to be aware of how we are living, what we find enjoyment or even humor in, and recognize that the whole manner and demeanor in which we live life is a reflection of the truth that we claim that we believe, of the truth and of the gospel that we claim is of supreme importance.

Well, beloved fellow older men, there comes a time where we have to realize that we've got to put childish things aside, that we don't have the luxury of being immature now. We realize that the gospel is serious. We realize that the eternal souls and their destination of men is of great consequence.

And we conduct ourselves in a way that is appropriate for that. Now that doesn't mean we don't laugh, we don't enjoy each other, that's not what we're saying, but the fundamental way that we carry ourselves shows forth the gravity of the gospel, shows forth the seriousness of Jesus Christ. For a man to stand in a pulpit wearing children's clothing is disrespectful. It makes a mockery of the Christ whom the man claims lived and died for him. Can you imagine, just think about it this way, I often think about this, just a mental picture to kind of set forth and illustrate things. Imagine time traveling, going to, standing in front of the three crosses, robber on the left, robber on the right, and the Lord Jesus Christ hanging literally between heaven and earth, sacrificing his life for the sins of his people, crying out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Can you imagine in that moment, standing before him with a Mickey Mouse shirt on, demeaning his sacrifice by the attire that you chose to wear?

No, it's just a picture, it's an unrealistic, unattainable hypothetical. But beloved, you see that when we open the Word of God, when we live our Christian lives, that we are projecting an image about what we believe about Christ. And it goes beyond the attire that we choose, but into the attitudes with which we live. Scripture calls us to be temperate and to be dignified, to walk in a way that is respectful of the gospel, and that calls forth respect from those who observe us. Go back to 1 Corinthians with me for a moment. 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the great love chapter, although I'm not going there in particular, Paul's description of love, 1 Corinthians 13. Actually, let's do read.

I'll read a little more than I had intended as my eye falls on the page. What is Paul here in this chapter is calling us to the spirit of love, and he describes love and what love is, what true Christian love is, not the perversion of it that is offered to us in society today. We see in 1 Corinthians 13, 4, love, and that informs our sense of what dignity is. Love is patient. Love is kind and is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly. In other words, it's dignified. It does not seek its own. It is not provoked. It does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. Let me now drop down to verse 11 in that chapter, and you'll see why I turned here. Men, as we have walked with Christ, as we come to know Christ, as we've grown in the grace and knowledge of Christ, we realize that there are things that we leave behind as a consequence of that, and we move on toward maturity. Paul describes that in verse 11. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child.

When I became a man, I did away with childish things. And so scripture calls on us to leave behind the immaturity of our youth and to embrace and enter into the maturity that Christian experience and sanctification should lead a man to embrace and to model. Look at chapter 16 of 1 Corinthians.

Just two brief verses there in verses 13 and 14. Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong.

Let all that you do be done in love. What is this dignity of which scripture speaks? It's strength. It's confidence.

It's maturity. There is a courage that is involved in being a Christian man. There is a maturity that is involved in being a Christian man. That when others run in fear, the Christian man stands firm.

He stands strong. When others dabble in false doctrine, the Christian man rejects the worldly thinking and stands on the truth that has been revealed once for all to the saints. He contends earnestly for the faith.

He realized that doctrine matters. He realizes that the Word of God is under attack. He realizes that he has been entrusted with a gift, with a treasure, with a pearl of great price, and that in the gospel, Christ is revealed. And he gives his energy. He gives his time.

He gives his affections. He gives his heart to these things of transcendent value. He's dignified. He's strong in the faith.

He's mature. He recognizes men, going back to something I said last week, we need men in the church broadly, and we need men in Truth Community Church who do this, who live and lead like elders, whether they have the title of elder or not. We need men who embrace the importance of truth and who realize the importance of communicating that truth to the upcoming generation and take an interest in souls, take an interest in the body of Christ, and saying, I will be one who contributes to the strength of the body and not simply live my own selfish little life, pursuing my own little interests and pleasures in disregard to how the body of Christ itself is doing. Men who will step up in times of weakness and conflict in the church and be a voice for strength and fidelity to Christ and love and forgiveness and unity. Men who will undertake that and say, those principles matter and my life will be given to uphold them. That's what God calls us to. That's what the Church of Christ needs.

The men that are like that, beloved, just to be real practical, the men that are like that don't come in late and leave early. They're interested in the body of Christ. They're interested in the people of God.

They come into the gatherings with a mindset, not simply, what can I get out of this? I hope we sing my favorite hymns. I hope I like the message and all of that self-centered stuff, coming into the doors, coming together with the people of God with a mindset that says, I hope the Lord gives me an opportunity to strengthen and encourage someone today. I'm going to be mindful and alert to the providential conversations that the Lord gives to me to see if there's a word of encouragement or admonishment that I need to give there. In love, in grace, having examined my own life, I'm grateful that we have men like that. But for all of us, we need to understand this is the standard of God, this dignity, this concern for the people of God and recognizing that your gray hair gives you a position in which to speak. And so, recognizing these great lofty themes and embracing these great lofty responsibilities, what do older men in the church do? We do this.

We set aside worldliness to model integrity that produces respect. Look at the book of 1 Peter, which is just shortly after the book of Hebrews. Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 1 Peter 4, 1 Peter 4, beginning in verse 1. Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. Peter says, look, you've had your time where you flirted with sin. The time in your past where you pursued these sinful lusts, those are over, Christian man, and you need to look at that, disown it, repudiate it, and close and lock the door and say, I'm never going back to that, not only to the activities, but the mindset that even wanted them. It's time for me to move past the sinful immaturities of my youth and to embrace the purposes of Christ and the loftiness of living for him, loving him and proclaiming him.

That's what I embrace now. And in so doing, you step out of immaturity and toward maturity, you step out of fleshly carnality and into the spiritual life that God has called you to lead. Men, this is our responsibility.

This is our call. This is what is uniquely assigned to us as men, older men in the church. You see, all that we do reflects on the gospel. We have to put aside foolishness and worldliness for the sake of Christ.

I got a lesson in that, thankfully a positive lesson, just a couple of days ago. I'm just walking through Costco minding my own business in my own little world of thought as I'm heading toward a corner of the store, let's say, and someone behind me calls out and he recognized me. He knew me. It's not a man from our church, but he had seen me in other places and he knew I was a pastor and he called out to me and wanted to engage a conversation with me. Immediately I said, man, what was I just doing?

Is this okay? And we had a very pleasant conversation, but it just reminded me that eyes are on us, men. Eyes are always on us. And so we don't have the luxury of foolishness. We need to walk in a way that manifests the dignity that Christ calls us to.

It's not a show, in other words. This is not something that we put on to be at church with for 90 minutes, and then we go back and turn it off and go into something else and go back to the foolishness of life when the lights aren't on. Beloved, the lights are always on in the purposes of God. In the omniscience of God, the lights are always on.

And so this is a dignity that we carry in our homes as well as in public. That's Don Green with part one of a message called The Christian Man, part of a new series, Living as God's People, here on The Truth Pulpit. Now, before we go, here again is Don with a closing thought. Well, my friends, if you're familiar with my ministry at all, you probably know that I have a long history of connection with John MacArthur. And not too long ago, the Lord gave me opportunity to write a book about him titled John MacArthur, an insider's tribute.

And it's an inside look based on my personal relationship with John to give you a glimpse of what the man is like in private and in other aspects beyond his pulpit ministry. Again, the book is John MacArthur, an insider's tribute. You can find that book available at thetruthpulpit.com.

That's thetruthpulpit.com. Look for the link titled Don's Books. Thanks, Don. And thank you, friend, for joining us today. We'll see you next time as we continue teaching God's people God's Word on The Truth Pulpit.