God’s Plan for Men • 06.26.22
Nick Lees   -   June 27, 2022

God’s Plan for Men

Embracing the beauty of God’s good plan for men

  1. Love God with all your being
  2. Love your neighbor as yourself
  3. Rule over creation
  4. Recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s plan for men

 

Good morning church family! It’s good to be worshiping with you this morning. Over the last 48 hours I had the privilege of traveling to Indiana with the Flahertys and Brays to watch Jack + Jordan receive their Master of Divinity diplomas. They are officially gradumacated! 😊 Praise God for His work in them over the past 3 years. I just wanted to share that reason to rejoice with you this morning.

Before we go any further…

Dismiss 4th & 5th graders

Ushers + Bibles (We’re going to be moving between texts. They’ll be on screen.)

If you’re new, welcome! My name is Nick Lees and I serve as the senior pastor. I have the honor of studying God’s Word with you this morning. Today is our second week in our series on Biblical Roles: God’s Good Design. I mentioned last week that the format for this series is different than our usual preaching style. Rather than going verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible, we’re going to trace an idea/theme throughout Scripture. Last Sunday we studied God’s Design for Men, as revealed in the book of Genesis.

Today we are going to study God’s Plan for Men by looking at how man is called to relate to God and others in the various roles he inhabits. The structure for this sermon stems from a very important interaction Jesus had with the Pharisees during his life and ministry. Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Matthew 22. That’s page 483 of the Blue Bibles.

The context of this interaction is that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day are trying to trap him. They’re trying to drum up some reason to arrest him and get rid of him! So, first they try to trap him by asking about taxes (vv15-22), then when that doesn’t work, they try to trip him up with a theology question about the resurrection (vv23-33), but that backfires on them too when Jesus not only answers the question but points out their lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. So, they try a 3rd time to trap Jesus, which takes place starting in verse 34. Let’s pick up and read vv34-40.

Matthew 22:34–40 (ESV)

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Pharisees try to trap Jesus by bringing in the expert of the law to test him. They’re giving him one of their most debated issues! “Which is the great commandment in the Law?” They want to know what Jesus would say is the most important aspect of the commands of God that guide them. Jesus’ answer pulls from two Old Testament passages, Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV)

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Leviticus 19:18 (ESV)

18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Jesus emphasizes that loving God with all your being is first and foremost, but there is a second component that is intrinsically tied to it – loving your neighbor as yourself. These two commands go hand-in-hand. If you know and love God, then you will love your neighbor. And you cannot truly love your neighbor without first knowing and loving God. These two commands are what drive the Scriptures.

Love for the Lord and love for others are foundational to God’s plan for humanity. As we heard last week from Genesis 1, God also created humans to have dominion or rule over creation. Taken together, these 3 components flesh out our bulletin outline of God’s Plan for Men.

  1. Love God with all your being
  2. Love your neighbor as yourself
  3. Rule over creation

I’ll give you point #4 later 😊 Are you ready to dig into God’s Plan for Men? Our goal today is…

Embracing the beauty of God’s good plan for men

I hope we will continue to agree with God – “This is very good!” And then, as men, we’d get after it in our daily lives! Our starting point this morning is…

  1. Love God with all your being

This is really where it starts, men. Without love for the Lord, everything else in life becomes an exercise in futility. When I think about this aspect of biblical manhood – to love God with all your being – it really comes down to two questions – why and how? Let’s start with why.

Why should you love God with all your being? First, because of who He is!

He is your Creator! He is the source of your life. King David pens the following in Psalm 139.

Psalm 139:13–14 (ESV)

13     For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

14     I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

        Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

Put simply, God made you. You would not exist if it were not God’s will for you to exist. For that, he’s worthy of your love. But that’s not the only reason. Consider the Prophet Isaiah’s words from God:

Isaiah 40:25–26 (ESV)

25     To whom then will you compare me,

that I should be like him? says the Holy One.

26     Lift up your eyes on high and see:

who created these?

        He who brings out their host by number,

calling them all by name;

        by the greatness of his might

and because he is strong in power,

not one is missing.

 

Our God is the incomparable God. No one else created the stars in the heavens. No one else keeps them in their place. God alone does it. Not only is he your personal Creator, he is the Creator of the entire universe.

If that wasn’t enough, consider that not only is the source of your life and all the created universe, but he is also the source of truth, goodness, righteousness, and every good thing we’ve ever experienced. James would say this about God:

James 1:17–18 (ESV)

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Some good gifts are from above? NO. Every good gift! All of it finds its origin with the unchanging God. He is the One who made me/us. All that I have and all that I am are because of God’s character and kindness expressed towards me. Nick Lees exists and has the blessings he does because of God’s will and creative power. The same is true for you. God is indeed incredibly worthy of your love and worship.

So, you should love God with all your being because of who He is, but you should also love him because of what He has done! Love is our appropriate response to God’s initiatory love. The Apostle John put it this way:

1 John 4:19 (ESV)

19 We love because he first loved us.

How did he love us? Well, as we’ve already stated, he made us. But beyond that, he sustains us and sent His Son to save us from our sin. Do you realize that you continue to exist and draw breath because he empowers you to do so? Listen to author of Hebrews on this:

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Jesus upholds the UNIVERSE by the word of his power! Which includes you and me. Take a deep breath… let it out! (I can’t be having you pass out during the sermon!!) That breath was given to you by your Creator and Sustainer! His power enabled you to take that breath. And when the moment comes that God has appointed for your life to be over, you will cease to breath. *Pause* God sustains you for every one of your days. So, love God with all your being in response to His daily sustaining grace in your life.

But that’s not even the most significant thing he’s done for you. Which is saying something because drawing breath and having life is significant! He has gone beyond this life to provide eternal life through His Son.

You heard Romans 3:23 last week. Listen to the hope God provides in this progression of verses.

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 5:8–9 (ESV)

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

From no hope (dead in sin) to hope in Christ. We can be declared righteous and saved from the wrath we deserve through Jesus! The Apostle Paul applies this hope to himself:

1 Timothy 1:15–17 (ESV)

15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Paul gets it. He understands what God has done for him. His pride has been stripped away. He doesn’t waste his time pretending that he was a pretty good person who just needed a little help to get to heaven. No, he identifies himself as the Chief of Sinners. But Jesus came for him. Jesus personally made a way for the Chief of Sinners to be rescued and redeemed. In doing this, Jesus is incredibly merciful – showing love to one who doesn’t deserve it – and incredibly patient – after all Paul had done some very sinful things in his lifetime and so have I (and so have you, btw)! God gets all the glory for his incredible love.

Men, is God’s forgiveness personal and precious to you? Do you understand that you are the Chief of Sinners? Have you recognized your need for Jesus to save you? It’s an incredibly humbling thing to realize the Son of God humbled himself to death on a cross so that you could be saved. That kind of radical, generous love transforms a man.

It should not be awkward for men to talk about loving the Lord because He has first loved us with an unfathomably deep and wide love. It’s a love so incredible that Paul prays for the Ephesians to have the ability to comprehend it! God’s love for you is so great you can’t search out the ends of it and nothing can separate you from it. And that ought to drive us as men to a particular response. Love God with all our being.

He is worthy of our wholehearted, whole-souled, whole-bodied adoration and love. There is no object in the universe more worthy of our love than God.

Which brings us to the second question – how?! I look again to the Apostle John.

1 John 5:3 (ESV)

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Loving God at the very least looks like obedience to God. And not some sort of begrudging, dragging my feet obedience. John says, “his commandments are not burdensome.” These are a joy and a delight to obey! They are for my good and his glory. The commands of God are intended to provide life! They are the way of wisdom that leads to a righteous and holy life, the fruit of which is sweet indeed. This is a consistent refrain of the Scriptures – God’s way leads to life. At his right hand are pleasures forevermore. In his presence is fullness of joy. It is good and right to love God by obeying him.

Another component of loving God is putting him first. The very first commandment in the “Big 10” is “You shall have no other gods before me.” This has always been humanity’s biggest challenge – putting something before God. Whether it is a physical object like the idols of the Ancient Near East or something more nebulous like the approval of man or the pursuit of pleasure or power, it is incredibly easy to forsake loving God by instead loving something else first and most.

Jesus highlighted this common problem of man in his famous Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6 he warned the people about where they store up their treasures. His counsel was to not store up treasures on earth, but in heaven. Not only could things on earth be stolen, but a more serious problem comes from this lifestyle:

Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Putting anything before God is choosing to serve and love it rather than God. Which is why the greatest command is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength! All that you’ve got!

What would that look like for you? For God to be your first and foremost priority?

Perhaps it would be helpful for us to use some analogies to think through this.

  • What would it look like for your lawn to be your first and foremost priority?
    • Well manicured!
    • Any weeds? NOT A CHANCE.
    • How is the edging? METICULOUS.
  • What would it look like for your job to be your first and foremost priority?
    • It gets the majority of your time and energy, or perhaps another way of putting it is not the majority but if there is a conflict, your work is getting your attention.
      • You’ll sacrifice time with the family.
      • You’ll put friendships on hold.
      • You’ll neglect your health.

With that in mind, what does it look like for you to put God first? To love him with all your being? As we’ve heard, it looks like joyfully obeying him and giving him the best of your time, talent, and treasure. I want to encourage you to wrestle with what the specifics of that will look like in your life.

One of the most tangible ways love for God plays out is just as Jesus said it in Matthew 22:39 – to love your neighbor as yourself. Which is our second opportunity to embrace the beauty of God’s good plan for men. (24:26)

  1. Love your neighbor as yourself

Men, this is our calling. Let’s consider the various ways that ought to play out. There are a variety of roles that you may be called to inhabit during your lifetime. I want to survey what it would look like to love your neighbor in these roles.

Let’s start with the spouse relationship.

  1. Man as a husband

Loving your neighbor who is your wife. How does God call us to do that in the pages of Scripture?

Let’s look at Ephesians 5:25-33 first:

Ephesians 5:25–33 (ESV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body.

31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Men, God has given you a clear example of what your love is to look like for your wife through Jesus’ love for his church. And Jesus gave himself up for the church! He laid down his life so that the church might be sanctified or made holy. Jesus’ example is sacrificial, servant leadership for the good of the church.

Men, that standard must be your reality.  You can’t buy into the lies of our culture about what love is.  Love is not first some kind of warm fuzzy feeling that you get when you look at your wife. God and Jesus Christ have shown us what real love is. Love is INTENTIONAL and ACTIONAL. God loved us so much that He sent His son to redeem us. Jesus loved us so much that He gave everything up for us. Your love must be intentional and actional too!

Jesus laid down his life so that his bride might be made holy. You must do the same in your marriage. Your calling is to die to self for the sake of your wife’s holiness. Die to yourself when you want to veg out in front of the TV and instead study God’s Word with her. Die to yourself when you’re tempted to be selfish and stay up late instead of being disciplined so you can lead by example. Look for opportunities to shepherd her through hard things, even if they come at inconvenient times.

All of this requires you to know the WORD. You can’t wash her with the water of the word if you’re in a spiritual drought! If you’ve not invested significant time in knowing and living the word, you’re going to fall short of your God-given calling as a husband (or in any part of our role as men).

Paul says that loving your wife this way is like loving your own body. Men, what do we do when we’re hungry? We get something to eat! What about when we’re tired? We’re known for our ability to take power naps at anytime/anywhere! But are we known for bringing the Word to bear in a loving manner to our wives? Are we known for sacrificial service or selfishness?

God calls you to rise up and be the spiritual leader. Be intentional. What’s your plan to wash your wife with the water of the word?

It could be spending 15 minutes a night talking through a passage together. It could be asking what challenges she’s facing and then going to the Word to see what counsel it offers. Then take a few minutes to pray together! These are simple, yet powerful ways to intentionally love your wife.

Men, God expects you to be a strong spiritual LEADER in your home.  You are the head of your wife as Christ is the head of the church. The responsibility of headship falls on you and where God gives responsibility, there is also accountability. God will hold you accountable for how you lead your home.  Pattern your headship after Christ’s headship of His Church. You are to be a source of refreshing, life-sustaining, spiritual nourishment by leading your family to dwell richly in God’s word, to depend greatly upon God in prayer, and to represent your God well among people and the community. Your leadership should help your wife give a good account when she stands before her ultimate groom –not you—but her Savior Jesus Christ.

Scripture also warns about some of the ways men could handle this area poorly.

Colossians 3:19 (ESV)

19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

Literally do not make them bitter. Do not treat them in a way that will tempt them to be sinfully angry with you. If you’re acting in a way that tempts them towards sinful anger, confess it and turn from it. In a similar vein, Peter says:

1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

This is a strong statement from God. If a husband fails to live in an understanding way with his wife and does not show her honor, then God will not listen to that man’s prayers! God cares about how you treat his daughters!!!

It is of the utmost importance that men be good listeners. That certainly goes against the cultural norms, doesn’t it?! We must listen for understanding that we might lead and serve our wives well. We must create an environment where she feels protected and cared for. Women are heirs with us in the grace of life and are worthy of our protection and care! There is no excuse for a man to be a bully or a passive leader. There is no room in biblical manhood for the man to be uninformed, out of the picture, simply putting money in the bank account but not actively involved in the lives of his wife and kids.

Scripture does not call a wife to be the primary leader of the family, but the husband. Men, if your wife is the primary source of spiritual leadership in your home, you’re not doing your job. You are to set the spiritual pace and tone of your home. You are to lead from the front, not the back. Should you encourage your wife to use her gifts and abilities? Absolutely! Micaela adds so much depth and breadth to the spiritual care of our home. But don’t let your wife’s giftedness be an excuse to kick your feet up and do nothing. (34:25)

That’s the man as husband, let’s move on to another possible role…

  1. Man as a father

This is another important neighbor relationship in the lives of many men. As a father, you are called to lead your children. Let’s revisit Deuteronomy 6 and I want you to pay attention to what comes after the call to love God with all your being…

Deuteronomy 6:5–9 (ESV)

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

There was an expectation that men would know and teach the Word through all of life’s circumstances. That they would diligently teach their children! You don’t accidentally become diligent. It’s an aim/goal. If you’re going to teach the Word in all of life’s circumstances, it’s got to be in you and then intentionally coming out of you.

Men, do you have that kind of love for the Word? Is it on your heart and mind? How often does it come out? Are you able to confidently help your kids work through a conflict? Can you easily identify sin and help them get to the heart of why they did what they did? What about when your children have big apologetic questions about God – are you able to take them to God’s Word and provide compelling answers to their questions?

If not, you have some work cut out for you today. That’s your job. What’s the next step you’re going to take this week to address it?

  • Get a book – “Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Ted Tripp| For the Love of Discipline – Sara Wallace”
  • Get a mentor
  • Confess/pray
  • Plan a time to invest in them

I want you to write down Psalm 78:1-8 too. While we can’t read that for sake of time, it is another great passage about men training up their children to know God and his law. The point is that God clearly expects men to invest in their families – specifically to teach them about God and his ways. Men, that’s our calling. *Pause* (40:24)

Most men enjoy having a job/career. We like the challenge of it, the feeling of accomplishment when we finish a task, and the reward of the paycheck or promotion or product. But do we look at our responsibility to our home with the same commitment? Do we view it as a burden or a stewardship opportunity? How can I help him or her to take the next steps in their walk? I see they’ve been struggling with anger/despair/people pleasing/whining, I’m going to do _______ to help them grow. Are we thinking intentionally like that? If not, if your kids are still in the home, it’s not too late! Take steps to grow and help them grow!

Again, there are words of warning for men on this topic too. Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21 both warn men not to provoke their children – meaning to stir up anger – because it will hinder their growth and discourage them. God knew men would struggle with anger or making others angry! Men, how’s your fight to be patient with your kids going? Are you able to put aside the temptation to blow up in sinful anger so you can instruct your child in the way of righteousness? This is a real battle for us as men. If you’re losing this battle, please reach out for help! SG men, pastor team.

Man as husband and father, but now let’s move on to our broadest category…

  1. Man as a member of society

You could call this the catch-all category 😊 The reality is not every man is a husband or a father, but every man is called to these other roles or activities.

For example, as we heard last week, every man is called to be a hard worker. God has designed us to work and not be lazy. There are good works that he has prepared in advance for us to do. A godly man stays active in the different seasons of life to be a blessing and not a burden to others. Paul warned the church in Thessalonica that if a man was not willing to work then he should not eat. There is no excuse for someone to be idle when there is plenty of work to be done to glorify God and serve others.

A significant part of our calling as men in society is to be disciple-makers. When Jesus began his earthly ministry, he immediately set about calling other men to follow him, so that he might transform them into disciple-makers.

Matthew 4:19 (ESV)

19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Paul would later call his disciple, Timothy, to do the exact same thing.

2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV)

2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

Men, you were made to make disciples. Part of your role in society is to train up other men to follow Christ.

Do you feel a burden to tell others about Jesus? Have you ever met with another man to help them grow in their walk with Christ? Who are you doing that with now? Every Christian man should have an answer to these questions. This is the Great Commission that Jesus has given all his disciples! There are no benchwarmers in the Christian race. We are all in the race, co-laborers together. Are you actively running the race? Or are you sitting on the sidelines? If you’re not sure where to start, again, please reach out for help in your SG or with the pastors! We’re here to equip you. *Pause*

As members of society, men are also called to promote purity and righteousness. Unfortunately, many men indulge in sexual immorality, whether virtual or physical. Pornography and sexual licentiousness are real problems in our day. Many men have been led astray by their desire for physical pleasure or the allure of intimacy. The biblical views on marriage have fallen out of favor in our times. Sexual intimacy is often considered part of the dating process. Couples now co-habit before marriage. And monogamy is viewed as antiquated idealism. And while both men and women have responsibility for how they conduct themselves in these areas, my focus today is on men, and men must lead the charge in purity and righteousness!

Godly men refuse to take advantage of others for their own personal, sinful gain. They flee temptation when it arises. Consider God’s take on this matter:

1 Thessalonians 4:3–4 (ESV)

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

Biblical manhood treats your own body and others with the dignity and respect due to an image-bearer of God. The price of forsaking God to indulge in sexual immorality is HIGH. The damage it has done to our society is great. It is necessary for godly men to rise up and live differently. For men to respect women and refuse to treat them as less than an image-bearer of the Creator. For the sanctity of marriage to be reclaimed as between one-man and one-woman. For sexual temptation of any type to be fled from and counsel to be sought out. Men, Jesus Christ redeems us from these struggles! (46:58)

Finally, a godly man must be zealous for good works. This ties into the good works that God has created in advance for us to do from Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 2:14. In fact, in Titus, Paul repeats the call to good works multiple times, ending the letter with this admonition:

Titus 3:14 (ESV)

14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

Men, we need to be devoted to good works. To have a sincere desire for doing good to others. There are hurting people within the church and community that we can come alongside of. There are people all around us that need help. We know that there are admonitions throughout Scripture to care for the orphan/widow/poor. Are we, as men, thinking about that call on a regular basis? Our job is not complete when our family has a roof over their head and food on the table. That’s great. But let’s turn our attention outwards to see who else has urgent needs that we can help meet. That’s a real challenge for us, isn’t it? With as much brokenness as there is in this world, it can be daunting to look outwards! But this is an obedience issue. Will I/will you care for those who cannot care for themselves? Let’s be on the lookout for opportunities to demonstrate steadfast love and loyalty to others.

Well, for the sake of time, I’ve got to move on. I think I probably bit off more than I ought to for this sermon! Rule over creation is the next opportunity to embrace the beauty of God’s plan for men.

  1. Rule over creation

As we discussed last week, God created us to have dominion or rule over creation. For the sake of time, I’m not going to review all of that today, but I did want to remind us that this is a significant sphere of God’s plan for man. We’ve already discussed aspects of it today and last week.

  1. Man as a working being
  2. Man as a provider
  3. Man as a ruler/authority

It pleases the Lord when we use the time/talents/treasures he gave us to effectively create and rule over the earth. Ideally, as you cultivate and care for what you’ve been entrusted with the world will be a better place. Lives will be built up and society will be influenced towards righteousness.

With these three components of God’s plan for men before us, we now arrive at our final point to embrace…

  1. Recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s plan for men

Jesus not only commanded love of God and love of neighbor, he also demonstrated it by his life and ministry! He perfectly loved God the Father, always doing what pleased him. He perfectly loved his neighbors! He cared for the weak and weary, the sick and the poor, the outcasts of society with whom no one else would associate. He loved those who hated him, washing the feet of Judas his betrayer, dying to save sinners like us.

There is no one more qualified to hold men to this standard than Jesus. He lived it with every fiber of his being. Which is why he could challenge his disciples with this:

John 15:12–13 (ESV)

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus, the sacrificial, servant leader is calling all who follow him to love as he loved. And he laid down his life for the good of many. Men, this is our example.

Not only did Jesus perfectly love God and his neighbors, he also demonstrated perfect authority over creation. He spoke and the winds and waves obeyed. He touched the lepers and they were healed. He prayed and the loaves were multiplied. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan for men. He is exactly what we are called to be, which is why we are called to be conformed to his image! As we fix our eyes on Christ and pursue him, he refines us, removing the rough edges of our sinfulness and replacing it with holiness.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Men, I want to call you to fix your eyes on Christ. He has made a way for you to love God, love others, and to rule over creation in a godly manner. He delighted to create you, sustain you, and call you to follow him. Answer that call today. Be the man God has created and called you to be! *Pause* (53)

As we close out our service today, we’re going to do so with a celebration of the Lord’s Table. This is an opportunity for Christians to remember all that the Lord has done for us through Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. As we’ve considered Christ’s love for the church today, I thought it would be a great way to end our time in celebration.

We will celebrate by partaking of both the bread and the cup as a symbol and reminder of Jesus’ body broken in our place and his blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Communion is an opportunity to remember how great a price was paid so that we could be saved from our sin. It is a sobering, yet joyful celebration for Christians. Sobering that the Son of God would give himself for us as a ransom. Joyful that he did, and the result was a living hope that cannot be taken from us! Jesus is victorious; therefore, we have the hope of heaven with Him!

At this time, I’d like to invite the ushers forward with the elements.

Before we pass the elements, I want to share the biblical requirements for joining in this celebration.

This celebration was given by Jesus to his followers. It is an opportunity to remember all that he has done for us. We invite anyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation to join us in this celebration today. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone, then we would encourage you to let the elements pass by you and simply consider what you’ve heard so far during the service this morning and reflect on what is keeping you from trusting him. No one will judge you for not partaking.

The second requirement we see in Scripture is a call to examine ourselves. This is the idea of making sure that you’ve confessed any known sins and sought to turn away from it. It would not be wise to partake of the table if you have sin in your life for which you are not repentant. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that taking the table while living in sin is eating and drinking judgment on yourself. I would ask you not to do that, for your sake and the sake of God’s glory. Instead, I would encourage you to use this time to confess that sin and make a plan to address it right away. If you know you need to be reconciled to someone else in this church, please take care of that during this time. The table is time to protect the unity of the church.

The ushers are going to pass the elements now as we have a time of silent reflection and prayer to prepare for the table. Please use this time to reflect on all that we’ve talked about today and to prepare yourself to take communion by confessing and repenting of any known sin. After the elements have been passed, I’ll lead us in prayer and taking communion together.

Ushers pass elements

Silent prayer. Corporate prayer.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Take bread.

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Take cup

Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!

Let’s stand and worship our faithful God together!