Real Men

The Gospel for REAL Life - A Study of 1 Peter  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  43:18
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Happy Father’s Day!
What do image do we have of God? Do this for a moment...
Close your eyes. Now, picture God… Granted He is spirit, and we do not have a detailed description in the Bible. But, picture God, for a moment. What do you see? What image do you have of God?
Open your eyes. What did you see in your mind?
For many people, thinking of God brings images of the glory of God shining, as He sits on His throne. Usually the image is of an elderly, yet strong, stern, God with shoulder length, white hair, white flowing beard and a scowl on His face.
The image we have is of a God who is always disappointed in us. A God who is just waiting to tell us what we are doing wrong. A God who is anxious to punish us.
When we read in Exodus...
Exodus 32.11
Exodus 34:5–7 NIV
Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
We tend to read this passage and focus on punishes the guilty… punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.
Somehow, we skip over the compassion. The Grace. The slow to Anger. The abounding in love and faithfulness. Maintaining love to thousands. Forgiving!
Why do we have the image of God that we do?
It may be because of the way we were taught. Or, it may be because of the way we were brought up.
One of the common images of God in the Bible is that of Father. He is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, in role within the Godhead, not that Jesus was ever born or created. They are both, along with the Holy Spirit, from everlasting to everlasting, creator of all that is, fully God.
He is Father to Israel. He is Father to you and me.
Peter latches on to this image of God as Father. Please open your bibles to 1 Peter.
In the opening of his letter, Peter refers to God as Father 3 times.
1 Peter 1:2 NIV
who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
1 Peter 1:1 NIV
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
1 Peter 1:3 NIV
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:1
1 Peter 1:17 NIV
Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.
But what does the bible intend to convey when it gives us the image of God as Father? Does it mean to convey the angry, punishing God? Certainly the scriptures do speak of God as the Father who disciplines. But how does the Bible put it?
But what does the bible intend to convey when it gives us the image of God as Father? Does it mean to convey the angry, punishing God? Certainly the scriptures do speak of God as the Father who disciplines. But how does the Bible put it?
Proverbs 3:11–12 NIV
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
He does discipline. He disciplines those He… what is the word? “Loves.” How else does He describe it? “As a father the son he delights in.”
Disciplines, but the heart and attitude is all important.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I believe when Peter says to live in ‘reverent fear’ in the context of calling God Father, he means we want to live pleasing to our Father who loves us and disciplines us for our good. He delights in us and we do not want to disappoint Him.
The challenge this week is two-fold.

Big Question: How do you view your Heavenly Father?

This first question is for all of us. We all need to examine our view of God. We need to view Him as our Father, the one who loves us and wants us to have a tender, close relationship with Him.
The second question is for us men.

Secondary: How do REAL Men reflect the Father properly?

I wonder if so many have a wrong view of God, because of their fathers? Though God intends the image of being our Father to convey one of love, compassion (, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”) and yes, loving discipline, do we view fathers differently? If so, why? Could it be because we ‘fathers’ have given a wrong impression? We are failing to be REAL men, and others suffer for it.
There are a lot of ways we can give the wrong impression. How we discipline. How we show love. How we show compassion. How we respond to events. Too many ways to address in one morning. I don’t know about you, but I cannot handle working on more than one thing at a time. So this morning we are going to focus on one way we can reflect the Heavenly Father, and thus give a truer impression of who He is. One way we can be REAL Men.
Let’s pray.

What is a REAL Man?

We are studying through Peter, so today we will focus on one way Peter tells us to be REAL Men.
What is a REAL Man? The world would tell us a REAL man is tough. Don’t cry. Take it like a man! A REAL Man ‘takes a stand’ and lives ‘in charge’. Don’t be a wimp. Don’t let them push you around.
But what does God say a A REAL Man is?

A REAL man knows who and what he is, and lives accordingly.

Peter speaks to this briefly, yet powerfully in his letter.
Peter speaks to this briefly, yet powerfully in his letter.
As I read 1 Peter over again and again, I keep getting stuck on .
1 Peter 1:2 NIV
who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Who am I? Created by Him and for Him. Created to be holy and righteous, in His image. Chosen by my Father. Set apart, made to be holy by the Spirit. To be OBEDIENT to Jesus, and sprinkled by His blood.
Who am I? God’s chosen creation.
What am I? Set apart for God to be holy.
How do I live accordingly? In obedience.
, , ;
I expect my children to obey. Am I obeying?
I believe we men would do well to take this to heart, and help the next generations to better understand God as their Father, because they have seen good examples of REAL men who truly reflected God as Father.
There are a lot of instructions, but today, we are going to focus on .
1 Peter 3:7 NIV
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
To be a REAL Man, to set a good example of what our Heavenly Father is like, we men need to live in obedience to God, and treat our wives properly.
The children are watching, fathers. I know, because I see it in my home. I need to treat my wife properly so my kids see what a father is supposed to be. What a REAL Man is supposed to be.
Peter begins the instruction this way.

In the same way...

I want to talk a little about grammar.
Participles versus commands. Driving example.
What is the verb here? What is the command?
In the same way… There is NO VERB or COMMAND in verse 7. In the same way points back to what was commanded previously.
If you look back to , it has the same phrase, and again there is no verb/command in that verse, just participles again.
So we go back, and the main command is actually found in . Submit yourselves. Then, the command is reiterated and expanded in .
1 Peter 2:17 NIV
Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
The main command is submit. As I taught before, going through the instructions to the women in , this means to play your proper role.
Submitting to Governmental authorities means play your proper role in regard to them.
Submit to masters means to play your proper role at work.
Submit to husbands means to play your proper role regarding your wife. It does not mean, “Submit and give her ‘her way’.” It does not mean let her be in charge and you just obey. It means play your proper role.
Oh, so then I need to be the boss. No, you need to be the husband who is like Christ...
Ephesians 5:25–27 NIV
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:25 NIV
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
So, the first part of being a REAL Man is to obey God, and play your proper role: LOVE YOUR WIFE.
What is love? .
If we are REAL Men who show love to our wives, our children will see what our Heavenly Father is like, the One who truly loves.
So, REAL Men are to play our proper role. Peter then goes on to give instruction about how to do that...

Living with your wives

Be there. Do not get so caught up with activity outside of the home, or with others that you are not living life, spending time with your wife.

Being Considerate

Literally REAL Men live with their wife ‘with knowledge.’
I do not do this enough. What does she need? What does she want? What does she struggle with? What does she love? In what ways does she need your patience? In what ways does she need your kindness? In what ways does she need your gentleness?
Peter qualifies this by saying she is the weaker vessel. It does not mean she is less. We are all weak according to . We were all helpless according to . In what areas is your wife needing you to be strong for her? REAL men are strong, and care for their wives instead of putting them down for any weakness they have.
Again, we all have weaknesses. A REAL Man knows his own, and knows his wife, and is strong for her. To do that takes consideration. It takes knowledge. Think about this. Consider it. How will you be a REAL Man for your wife?

Assigning Honor

Next, Peter says a REAL Man is living in his proper role, and assigning honor to his wife.
It is so easy to tear someone down isn’t it. Sometimes the world thinks a REAL Man can show how good he is, and can tear others down.
God says a REAL Man assigns honor. That means when your wife does not see herself as worthy, you give her honor. You make it known she has great value and honor.
This is the same word used in .
1 Peter 2:7 NIV
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
Peter is referring to Jesus. Does Jesus have honor? Is He precious? YES! Jesus has all honor! Jesus is the most precious!
Well, now Peter is using that same word for honor, value and preciousness, but he adds the participle, “assigning.”
REAL Men “assign” value to their wife. They do not wait for her to show herself honorable. They do not wait for her to be respectable. The find value in her, and assign value to her because she is their wife. And for those wives who are believers, they assign and show them their great honor and value as believers.
As believers they are co-inheritors of grace and life through Jesus Christ!
Galatians 3:28 NIV
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:17 NIV
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Ephesians 3:6 NIV
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
Your wife has great value because God has made her valuable, precious and co-heir with Christ!
REAL Men will assign honor to their wife, and be sure their children know it.
And IF you are a REAL Man doing these things: Obeying God by playing your proper role of loving your wife, living with her, considering and knowing her, and assigning her honor as God has, THEN your prayers will not be hindered.
Who wants their prayers to be hindered? Well, when we walk in disobedience we are not in fellowship with God. How can we expect Him to bless us by hearing our prayers?
Do you want your prayers to be unhindered? Trust and obey. The bible says that God does not answer prayers that are not offered in faith, and prayers are hindered when we walk in disobedience.
Let’s not hinder our own prayers.
To sum up, this week, I hope and pray we will all grow in our knowledge of God as our Father. A Father who loves His children. And yes, a Father who disciplines, but one who disciplines in love. The Father who is like that prodigal son’s father, watching and waiting for the return of his dearly loved son, and who runs to meet, embrace and restore. A truly loving Father.
I also hope that we men will be REAL Men. Not the strong independent, make my own way men. Those are not REAL Men.
REAL Men know who and what they are, and live accordingly.
REAL Men know they are created in God’s image for His Glory. They know they are chosen, not because they are something special, but because God is gracious.
REAL Men know they are set apart to be holy. They know they are not independent by dependent upon God. They are to be obedient.
REAL Men live accordingly.
REAL Men live humbly as God’s graciously chosen men, they live in obedience fulfilling their proper role.
REAL Men live in their role: living with their wives, considering and loving their wives, assigning them honor.
If we live as REAL Men, maybe the next generation will have a better understanding of God as their loving, considerate Father who assigns them honor and value, making them co-heirs with Christ.
God says a REAL man is one who lives out the purpose and role God has given Him. That is, one who recognizes God as his Creator; God as His Father, and lives to reflect Him. That is what a REAL Man is.
Let’s be REAL Men.
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