Ask about being manly: What does it mean to be manly?…Every culture has a different meaning of that word. The two primary cultures with opposing meanings of the word are the American and Christian cultures.
Talk about man of God: Today, we will be exploring what it means to be a man of God.
Read 1 Timothy 6:1-16…Timothy was a gifted pastor. The apostle Paul observed and saw everything that Timothy was doing. He saw that what Timothy was doing was what God would want Timothy to do. Paul recognized Timothy as a man of God and verbally emphasized that to Timothy in verse 11. Paul reminds Timothy to stay on the path of being a man of God, which includes striving for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. All of these characteristics are what Jesus had as well.
Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17…Paul refers to all individuals that are devoted to God and his teachings. As a man of God, we should use Scripture to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness.
Ask about God’s man and world’s man: As a man, are you God’s man or the world’s man? These are the choices and you have to choose one or the other. Read Matthew 6:24
Ask about God’s man: What does it mean to be God’s man?…A man who belongs personally to God, a man who, in the truest and highest sense, God owns or possesses.
Ask about a relationship with God: Do you feel that you have a personal relationship with God?…In which you are not a man who belongs to the world nor a man who belongs to culture, not even a man who belongs to a particular church denomination or building.
Talk about belonging to God: A Godly man knows that he belongs to God and God only. We may be a part of the church or other organizations, but we do not belong to them. We are property of God, not property of an establishment or a group.
Ask about the world’s man: What does it mean to be the world’s man?…
Read 2 Timothy 3:1-9…The World’s man is “selfish, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”, etc.
What are qualities of a Godly man?… Step Up, initiate, be a man of action, assume it is your job and your responsibility, hate apathy and reject passivity.
Read 2 Sam 10:7,12… “Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what is good in His sight”.
Read Ezekiel 22:30… “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one”.
Define Leadership: Leadership is defined as guiding others to a positive conclusion.
Define Initiate: Initiating is defined as recognizing and doing what needs to be done before asked to do it. (Example: Setting boundaries in a relationship, seeing what is wrong and taking action to stop it)
Talk about being a man of action: Being a man of action means that you “get things done” (Example: busy, productive schedule)
Talk about assuming that it is your job: An example of “assuming that is your job” is to be chivalrous
Define apathy: Apathy (def): lack of interest/enthusiasm. God calls us to hate apathy.
Define passivity: Passive (def): accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without response. Instead, do what is Biblically good, step up, and take action if you see that something is wrong.
Talk about the 4 marks of a Godly man…There are 4 marks of a Godly man and we will discuss them
Talk about the 1st mark of a Godly man…The 1st mark of a Godly man is “The man of God is known or marked by what he flees from”
Glance back to 1 Timothy 6: 1-16
Ask about what the Godly man flees from: What does the Godly man flee from?… sin, love of money, selfish cultural values, unrighteousness, etc.
Ask about what a worldly man flees from: What does a worldly man flee from?…As indicated on verse 3, the worldly man flees from sound doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching.
Talk about the sinful traps in this world: Let’s stay aware and motivated to not get caught into the traps, temptations and foolish lusts that plunge people into ruin and destruction. One of the many traps in this world is materialism. Materialism basically means “Loving money and stuff”. Please don’t get caught in this trap. It’s a dangerous one.
Talk about sinful traps: What are some other sinful traps that the world tries to entangle us in?… Read 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Read 1 Corinthians 10:14-17, Read 1 Timothy 1:3-7, Read 1 Timothy 6:20-21…sexual immorality, idolatry, false doctrine, and godless chatter are some sinful traps that the world may try to entangle us in.
Talk about the 2nd mark of a Godly man: The second mark of a Godly man is “The man of God is known not only by what he flees from but what he follows after”. 1 Timothy 6:11 mentions that the man of God pursues “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness”. Your Christian life is an effort to run from evil and to pursue God and spiritual virtue.
Ask about your goals: What are your goals/What are you living for?…Succeeding in school, living for God, getting a girlfriend, having a social life, doing things for others, doing things to please yourself, etc.
Ask about goals: What should be our goal/goals?…To please God. We need to run after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, gutlessness, instead of selfishness.
Talk about the 3rd mark of a Godly man: The 3rd mark of a Godly man is “The man of God is known by what he flees from, what he follows after, and what he fights for”. We are fighting a good fight for our own faith and the faith of others. We understand the spiritual battle that occurs within ourselves and within others. What is your weapon in this war? How are you preparing yourself for each battle? How are you preparing others for each battle?
Read Ephesians 6:10-20
Talk about the 4th mark of a Godly man: The 4th mark of a Godly man is “A Godly man is marked by love, agapan, volitional love, unrestrained, unrestricted love toward God and others. A Godly man follows what it says in Luke 10:27. A Godly man is devoted to the Lord, committed to self-sacrificing in service and actions. A Godly man gives his life to others. Moreover, a Godly man gives his time, money and energy for the sake of loving others.
Read 1 Timothy 4:11-16
Conclude the lesson: Are you a man of God? Do you have the love of God? Do you pour yourself into the world? Are you willing to change for the better?…As a man of God, we should love as God loves and be devoted as Jesus was. Follow the commandments and love everyone!
References:
Bible Study Tools. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.biblestudytools.com/
Broadwater, Terry. (2013). 4 Marks of A Man of God. Retrieved from https://terrybroadwater.com/2013/06/20/4-marks-of-a-man-of-god/
NIV Life Application Study Bible. (2011). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. (2004). Colorado Springs, Colorado: International Bible Society.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament. (2004). Colorado Springs, Colorado: International Bible Society.
Unger, M. F. (1976) Unger’s bible dictionary. Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.