Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. — Proverbs 29:18
Our Vision — Purpose For Our Mission
I believe the Lord has entrusted us with a
mission: A mission to be a Christian man - a man of God. Our primary
purpose is to bring together Christian men in friendship and fellowship, and to
share God's Plan of Salvation with a lost world.
Another purpose of the group is to read and
understand the Bible and how it relates to each individual.
Most of us have many tasks today - I don't
have to tell you. A man can be a Christian, husband, father, grandfather, son, brother,
and a friend. A man can be single, married, widow, single-father and so on.
Just think about other things a man can be like work outside the home, teach, and
be a pillar of strength, a prayer warrior, counselor, big brother, etc. And we
may not have all the answers, but as Christians we have that connection with
the Lord that never fails. We have to remember that in any situation we find
ourselves in, the Lord is in charge and He will help us to do our best.
I really believe the Lord has opened a door
for us to grow, explore and find the many gifts He's offering us. But remember
that this can only be accomplished by having a close relationship with Him.
What Happens When We Are Concerned for Our Brothers and Sisters in the Lord?
1. We don't ignore our brother's need or pain. (John 13:34; John 17:26; 1 John 2:9; 3:10,18,23; 4:8,20; 2 John 6)
2. We have compassion or God fearing love. (Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; 1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:7; 1 Peter 3:8)
3. Compassion translates into action. (Mt 3:8; 21:30; 5:20; Mt 15:8-9; 25:31-46)
4. Action becomes sacrificial without resentfulness. (Rom. 12:1:1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6; Amos 5:21 -24).
5. We demonstrate concern for any brother or sister regardless of race, gender, age, cultural background, etc. (All of the above verses)
Men's Ministry — In order to have a strong and balanced Christian men's ministry, we need to build a framework of non-negotiable Biblical values. Here are eight biblically-balanced benchmarks for a healthy ministry to men.
1. FILLING — God's man is a self-feeder. Consistently studying and applying God's Word independent of the church or small group. To do this, a man must be taught how to study the Bible. (1 Peter 2:1-3; Psalm 1:1-3)
2. TRAINING — God's man receives regular/weekly biblical instruction (1 Thessalonians 2:13). This can be achieved through mid-week prayer night Bible study and Adult Sunday School Bible study, and other Bible classes in the church.
3. PRACTICING — God's man learns how to apply God's Word to all areas of life for the purpose of consistency and obedience to God's Word (James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-32).
4. UNITING — God's man makes it a priority to connect with other men at least two times a month for the purpose of community, accountability, confession, and prayer (Galatians 6:1-3; James 5:16; Hebrews 10:23-24).
5. SURVIVING — God's man learns to address major life temptations and/or crises according to his need and life-stage. Support and encouragement from church leaders and small group is essential (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
6. REACHING — God's man gets involved in some form of men's ministry based on his gifts and talents. God has called each of us to pour out to others what He has poured into us (1 Peter 4:10-11; Ephesians 4:11-13).
7. IMPACTING — God's man invests time and resources into the lives of other men, suggesting one-on-one connection through shared activities, spiritual mentoring, and modeling (2 Tim. 2:22; Proverbs 27:17; Mark 3:13-14).
8. SHARING — God's man learns to actively share his faith in order to lead others into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 28:18-20).
Mini-Object Study of Romans 12:1
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." — Romans 12:1
The believer is to present his body to God. The dedication...
is not to be made to self: living as one wishes; doing one's own thing.
is not to be made to others: living for family, wife, husband, child, parent, mistress,
companion, sexual partner, or employer.
is not to be to something else: houses, lands, property, money, cars, possessions,
profession, recreation, retirement, luxury, power, recognition, fame.
In summary, the believer is to dedicate his body to God as a living sacrifice in the home, church, school, office, plant, field, restaurant, club, plane, car or bus. No matter where the believer's body is, his body is to be sacrificed for God. Sacrificing to God is not something that is transacted in a church. Sacrificing to God is transacted in every act of the human body. The world, that is, the whole universe, is the sanctuary of God; and the believer's body is the temple of God. Therefore, every act of the believer's body is to be an act of service to God.
"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:20).
Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible - Romans.
In Christ,
Brother John Amato