Stewardship - Making of a Man

3 Things For Men To Do:

Series Question: What makes a man?

Are men:

The world needs more men

….more men like Jesus.

Romans 6:16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Men live to give.

1. Their presence

Luke 12:13-15 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” “Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?” He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

Then how do I relate to my stuff?

You don’t.

Luke 12:16-19 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’

Time for some of us is not a resource but a curse.

Illustration: First church planted

Luke 12:20-21 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Illustration: High School boys at restaurant

Genesis 29:20-22 Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and watch over me during this journey I’m making, if he provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safely to my father’s family, then the Lord will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to you a tenth of all that you give me.”

Two sagas

Closing: Jesus pays our tab

Next Steps:

The Making of a Man

Encouragement, building up the body of Christ, and

June 2nd - Collecting Dust

What Makes a Man?

When does a boy become a man?

How do you define a disciple?

LK 5:1 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” 6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.

Jesus doesn’t call qualified people.

The Qualified Dichotomy

Rebuttals to Following God’s Ask

Disciples are Covered in Dust

1 Cor 9:26-27 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Disciples Have Discipline

MT 28:19-20 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Disciples make more Disciples

Jesus Doesn’t call Qualified People

Next Steps

Small Group Questions

Why do we have rebuttals to Jesus’ call on our lives both personal and communal.

What ways do you feel disqualified or unworthy to be a disciple of Jesus?

What does it look like to be covered in the dust of Jesus?

What role does or should discipline play in your every day life?

Dear Church,

Revelation 19:11-17 — The Last War

The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This describes the second coming of Christ and the final battle against Satan.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.”

There are two feasts and two destinations for everyone:

Revelation 20 — Christ’s reign and your fate

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Premil — Jesus comes before 1,000 years of peace on earth.

1st Death — Bodily death

2nd Death — Spiritual death (Hell), comes with 2nd coming judgment.

Revelation 21-22 — All things New, not all new things

Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

Then he said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy still be filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; let the holy still be holy.”

“Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Dear Church,

What makes something evil?

Revelation 15:1, 5-7 Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven last plagues; for with them God’s wrath will be completed.

After this I looked, and the heavenly temple—the tabernacle of testimony—was opened. Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes wrapped around their chests. One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.

What is the “wrath of God”? It is not an irrational passion, or an emotional flare-up. It is “God’s strong and settled opposition to all that is evil.” It arises out of God’s nature. God loves what is good and right and has a hatred for what is wrong and evil.

Revelation 16 - Bowls of Wrath

The bowls of wrath poured out on Earth are like the plagues God brought upon Egypt.

God’s judgment is:

Horrible - It should lead to repentance and regret.

Revelation 17 - the Beast & the Prostitute

The Beast: Any kingdom opposed to God

The Beast and the Prostitute in Revelation are universal symbols.

The Beast controls though Fear - passive, avoid pain at any cost for me.

Revelation 18 & 19 - Ending and Beginning

Next Steps:

Be patient with God.

Next Week: Dear Church, this is the end.

Dear Church, know your enemy

Key Verse:

Scripture: Revelation 12-14; Ephesians 6:10-18; Matthew 24:23-24;

The Unholy Trinity

Holy deception by the master counterfeiter

Hearing God’s voice

Small Group questions:

There are a lot of symbolic characters in Revelation. Specifically, we see reference to the dragon, woman and the birth in Revelation 12:7-13. Who do you think the woman and child represent in scripture? And what about the dragon? And how does the imagery connect to Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9-10?

Dear Church,

The book of Revelation seems to be weird.

The book of Revelation is actually a blessing, when you understand how to read it.

The book of Revelation helps us unveil God’s heavenly perspective on our earthly life.

Revelation 1:1-3

The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatever he saw.

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near.

When reading Revelation, most people focus on the when, or how, rather than the who and why.

Unlocking Revelation: Mastering the 5 Key Concepts

Revelation uses three styles of literature

Letter - Addressed to specific churches.

Revelation uses symbols and imagery to convey information and ideas.

Light vs. Dark = Good vs. Evil Horn = Strength

Unity, Stands Alone Complete, Perfect

The end of the world and the final judgment are described many times throughout Revelation. See Revelation 6:12-17; 11:15-18; 16:17- 21; 19:19-21; 20:11-15; 21:1-8

There are major themes that form the backbone of Revelation.

The authority and power of Jesus.

The setting and context tell us why Revelation was written.

The electric chair vs the easy chair

1st Century believers face severe persecution, and cultural seduction.

Revelation chapters 4–5: A key vision and two key questions

Why should you love God?

Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!

How should you worship God?

Unity and Diversity in the Church

One of the most challenging things about life is to have unity and diversity in a community.

Being unified is only possible through God, and being diversified is a gift from God,

John 17:20-23 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.

I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

Ephesians 4:1-6 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to:

Spiritual gifts and offices are not a way of measuring importance, they’re God’s way of directing service.

(1) equip the saints for the work of ministry, (2) to build up the body of Christ, (3) until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, (4) growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Next Steps

Get equipped: Take a class, join a team, pray for God to use you in the local church.

Society and the church

You can’t be close to God, and distant from the Church,

Jesus Continued: Jesus gave the church a beginning, and He invites people to help Him build it.

For Christians then and now:

Transformation: Receive eternal life from God through Jesus Christ.

The Book of Titus

Godly living - We must live as if our lives belong to God, rather than ourselves.

Good works - We must separate good works from earning salvation, but not as an effort from salvation.

Titus 1:5-16

For there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly.

One of their very own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

This quote is accurate, those guys are jerks.

This testimony is true. For this reason, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith and may not pay attention to Jewish myths and the commands of people who reject the truth.

Titus 2-3

But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching.

Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.

In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good…

so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered.

In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching.

Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.

But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone.

Next Steps

If you are older: Prioritize passing down your faith, modeling integrity and wisdom.

Volunteer in the kids Ministry

If you are younger: Prioritize leaning into your faith, acting with self-control and doing good works.

Attend on Sundays & join a group

Opposition To The Church

Mission means opposition.

Acts 13:4-12 So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. When they had traveled the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil and enemy of all that is right. Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? Now, look, the Lord’s hand is against you. You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Mission means opposition.

The Gospel message is not about our performance or failure, but God’s power to save.

Acts 13:42-52 As they were leaving, the people urged them to speak about these matters the following Sabbath. After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God. The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him. Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district. But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Mission means opposition.

It’s easier to take shots from the cheap seats then get back on the field and play the game.

Acts 14:8-20 In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth. He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice. The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting, “People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way, although he did not leave himself without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them. Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages” - Charles H. Spurgeon

Mission means opposition.

Next Steps:

Small Group Questions

1. What is the main point of Acts 13-14? What are some important themes?

2. Why is the Gospel worth all the work of Paul, Barnabas and their companions?

3. The sorcerer Bar-Jesus worked to keep the Proconsul from believing in Jesus. What kind of spiritual opposition do we face when trying to make disciples?

4. The Jewish leaders in Pisidian Antioch became jealous of Paul’s success and undermined him. How have you been jealous of others succeeding where you have failed?

5. In Lystra, Paul is stoned and left for dead because he refused to be worshiped as a god. How is idolatry (the worship of false gods) a danger when on the mission of Jesus? How have you or others idolized others?

6. In 100 years, all that will matter is the glory of God and souls of people. Do you as a group truly believe this? What steps can you take collectively to get back on the field and make disciples?

7. Paul and Barnbas left their home church to make disciples in other cities. Pick a nearby city and pray as a group for the souls of the men/women/children. What would it take for the gospel to take root in flourish in that city?

8. Do the math and find out roughly how many believers are in the city you’re praying for. Search Google for churches, take the total number of churches and multiply by 90 people (average church attendance), and compare this to the total population.

Foundations of the church

Jesus Continued: The beginning and building of the church

Scriptures: Matthew 7:24-27; 28:19-20; Luke 3:16; 10:19-20; Acts Acts 1:8; 2:1-8; 42-47, Acts 4:19-20; I Corinthians 3:10-11

Preparation to carry out the Great Commission:

Next Steps:

Next week: Opposition to the church

Small Group questions:

How do you connect Luke 3:16 and Luke 10:19-20 to the day of Pentecost? What important character traits are required of the disciples as they prepare for the Holy Spirit? What foundation is Jesus helping build into their lives?