The Indy 500 is probably the most exciting American automobile race of the year. I mean, you can almost feel the anticipation growing during the time trials and the qualifying events that lead up to the big race. And then, on the day itself, the engines rev, and the fans and the promoters cheer, and the cars make their first drive around that legendary track in Indianapolis. But there's really no race until that first lap.

They're all going the same speed, led by some guy with flags flying out of his car window. Who is that guy? He's the pace car, and everyone starts the race at the pace he sets. You know, everybody's race has a fellow like that.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When a Man is a Man."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God goes right back to the beginning of time - the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:6. "And when the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it." Verse 8 says, "The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord called to the man, 'Where are you?'"

Notice here that God comes looking for the man. The woman sinned first, but He comes looking for the man and He addresses only him. Why is this? Because Adam is meant to be the pace car for Eve. See, God gave all the instructions about the tree to Adam. There is no record, though, of Adam giving them to Eve. Apparently Adam transmitted them to her, and I don't know if he got them across or not; she watered them down.

God seems to say, "If Eve is having a problem, I'm going to go looking to Adam for the reason. Adam, where are you?" Now, there's a principle here that really goes throughout creation: if Adam isn't right, then Eve isn't right. Maybe there's a man listening today who is wondering why his wife is nagging so much. Maybe it's because he isn't listening and she's doing everything she can to be heard, to get your attention.

Why is my wife so bossy? Maybe it's because you're not leading. Why is she so detached? Maybe you haven't had time for her. If the pace car isn't pacing, then Eve's car starts veering, and sliding, and going too fast or going too slow. If Adam isn't right, Cain and Abel aren't right either. The kids act out of either not enough love or not enough discipline, if Dad neglects his leadership in their lives. He's their pace car too. God just made it this way.

If Adam isn't right, the garden isn't right either. There's stress, conflict, confusion, decisions not made if the man who is supposed to be leading isn't doing it. Think about it today if you happen to be on Adam's side of the human race. Could some of your frustrations be because you've been neglecting your God-given responsibilities to your wife, to your children, or to be the spiritual leader?

See, throughout the Bible the buck always stops with the man. If the cars around you are speeding, and swerving, or crashing, take a good look at the pace car. That's you, man!