The conference this morning is being held in the chapel/gymnasium at The Master’s College. Approximately 700 men from our church have gathered to be challenged and encouraged by the theme of this year’s conference: Time to Act Like Men. It’s a joy to see the many men who have come. In a way, it feels like a scaled-down Shepherds’ Conference – with hundreds of men gathering for a common purpose: in this case, to grow in Christ specifically in the area of spiritual leadership and biblical masculinity.
The morning opened with a song, led by Bill Brandenstein, and a prayer by Bruce Blakey. Bruce introduced the first speaker this morning, John MacArthur. Pastor John is well-known to all of the men here, and Bruce thanked him for his faithfulness over his many years of ministry.
After another song, John MacArthur took the platform.
John began by giving a short endorsement for The Master’s College — discussing the college’s high athletic and academic standards; but emphasizing, more importantly, the college’s commitment to biblical authority. The college’s faculty and staff are resolved to stand firm for the truth. John also highlighted some of the ways that the college is expanding, both in terms of infrastructure and in terms of financial blessings. The Lord is helping the college do what He has called them to do.
Our attention is now turned to the biblical text.
Let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 16, so that we can lay the foundation for what it means to act like men. This starts in verse 13 of chapter 16, where Paul commands his readers to act like men, to be strong, to stand firm in the faith, etc. Just focusing on “act like men” we are really talking about courage. Biblically speaking, Men are not to be vacillating or weak, but as those who face life with courage and strength.
Paul does not give much explanation with this command. Yet this theme, to act like men, runs throughout the Old Testament.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, for example, Moses told the people of Israel to be strong and courageous. Then in verses 7–8, Moses told Joshua to similarly be strong and courageous. Those who have been involved in athletics are familiar with these kind of speeches. The Israelites under Joshua were about to embark on a major initiative in Canaan and this is the “pre-game” pep-talk. In verse 23 the command is again reiterated, to be strong and courageous. This is strength and courage that is based upon the power of God and the sovereignty of God. There is no fear to go forward in obeying the command of the Lord, because He will also enable and guarantee the results.
In 2 Samuel 10:12 we have a similar situation. David and his army have the same commitment to be courageous in the power of the Lord. David passes this charge on to Solomon (in 1 Kings 2:2-4), that Solomon would also be strong and courageous in his dependent obedience on the Lord. This same charge is echoed in 1 Chronicles 22:10–13.
In 2 Chronicles 32, Hezekiah took courage in the face of the invasion of Sennacherib, and called his soldiers to be courageous also. Why? Verse 8 explains: because “with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”
When Paul says, “Act like men, be strong” he is speaking from his own rich understanding of the Old Testament. So the phrase itself is loaded with theological significance.
Joshua 1 is a primary passage in understanding what it means to be courageous and strong. Verse 5 gives us the foundation and basis for our courage – it is the promise of the Lord that “I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” True courage comes from obedient dependence on the Lord.
These verses (vv. 2–9) comprise one of the most formidable “pep-talks” on the pages of Scripture. What is it to be manly? It is to stand firm in the principles and purposes of God, to go forward for the sake of the kingdom, knowing that God has given us the strength and promised us the victory.
When we study the Bible we begin by finding out what is there (cognition), but then it moves from knowing the information to embracing it as true (conviction). Then we move from conviction to affection, where it is not only something we know and believe, but something we love. And we love the Scripture because it is through the Scriptures that we learn about our Savior.
It is our affection for God and for His Word (in which He has revealed Himself to us) that undergirds our courage. True courage is not motivated just by knowledge or by principle. It is motivated by affection. Godly husbands would not defend their families merely out of knowledge or conviction, but out of love for their families. Godly pastors would not boldly protect their church merely out of knowledge or principle, but out of love for their sheep. As men, we must be motivated not just out of head knowledge or even moral obligation — but out of love for the Lord. That is where true courage begins, with affection for God.
It is important for people to understand that we must go from information to conviction that the information is true. But it must not stop there. It must go to affection. When we love the Lord and love His truth (in addition our love for the church, our wives, our families) it makes us courageous. True spirituality is really defined by the strength and courage that the Apostle Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians 16. It is strong. And that strength comes from loving God, and obeying His commands because of our love for Him (cf. Mark 12:30–31).
In many ways today, we are watching the emasculation of the church. We have a church without courage, without conviction, in which the Word of God is de-emphasized. What we need is men who love Christ, love the truth, and stand boldly for what they love.
In 1 Peter 1:13–16, Peter gives a similar call to his readers. Men are to be sober (with an eternal perspective), obedient and holy (not characterized by the lusts of our pre-Christian experience). This is how Christian men act.
In closing, John noted a book he had recently read entitled, A World Lit Only By Fire, about the dark ages. It was a very sad and spiritually dark time in medieval history. The catholic system was corrupt beyond comprehension. Where were the men? Where were the preachers who were standing for the truth? During that time, there was an utter absence of strength.
And as you read through that, you suddenly come to Martin Luther. Because he had so much conviction and affection for the truth, he was an utter anomaly. The catholic church didn’t know what to do with Luther, because he had so much passion for the Word of God. In fact, he had been so captured by the truth, that he refused to let go until he brought down the whole corrupt system and launched the Reformation.
Another book, Masters of the Air, highlighted the Eighth Wing of the US Air Force during World War II. They went over to Europe to fly high altitude bombers over Germany, trying to put an end to Hitler’s advances. In this engagement, some 26,000 flyers died. And they were mostly 17 to 20-year-old kids. One of the statistics was that, somewhere between 65 and 75 percent of these guys did not survive. And yet they kept coming, signing up, and going.
We don’t live in a world like that any more. We don’t live in a culture that breeds that kind of fortitude. We live in a soft culture. Just go to the mall and see what today’s 17 and 18-year-olds are like.
And this soft attitude is creeping into the church. As men, we have to stand firm in both the church and in our homes. We need to be men, informed by Scripture, who will act courageously out of their love for Christ. We need to be counter-cultural. We need to be strong and courageous.
The morning opened with a song, led by Bill Brandenstein, and a prayer by Bruce Blakey. Bruce introduced the first speaker this morning, John MacArthur. Pastor John is well-known to all of the men here, and Bruce thanked him for his faithfulness over his many years of ministry.
After another song, John MacArthur took the platform.
John began by giving a short endorsement for The Master’s College — discussing the college’s high athletic and academic standards; but emphasizing, more importantly, the college’s commitment to biblical authority. The college’s faculty and staff are resolved to stand firm for the truth. John also highlighted some of the ways that the college is expanding, both in terms of infrastructure and in terms of financial blessings. The Lord is helping the college do what He has called them to do.
Our attention is now turned to the biblical text.
Let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 16, so that we can lay the foundation for what it means to act like men. This starts in verse 13 of chapter 16, where Paul commands his readers to act like men, to be strong, to stand firm in the faith, etc. Just focusing on “act like men” we are really talking about courage. Biblically speaking, Men are not to be vacillating or weak, but as those who face life with courage and strength.
Paul does not give much explanation with this command. Yet this theme, to act like men, runs throughout the Old Testament.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, for example, Moses told the people of Israel to be strong and courageous. Then in verses 7–8, Moses told Joshua to similarly be strong and courageous. Those who have been involved in athletics are familiar with these kind of speeches. The Israelites under Joshua were about to embark on a major initiative in Canaan and this is the “pre-game” pep-talk. In verse 23 the command is again reiterated, to be strong and courageous. This is strength and courage that is based upon the power of God and the sovereignty of God. There is no fear to go forward in obeying the command of the Lord, because He will also enable and guarantee the results.
In 2 Samuel 10:12 we have a similar situation. David and his army have the same commitment to be courageous in the power of the Lord. David passes this charge on to Solomon (in 1 Kings 2:2-4), that Solomon would also be strong and courageous in his dependent obedience on the Lord. This same charge is echoed in 1 Chronicles 22:10–13.
In 2 Chronicles 32, Hezekiah took courage in the face of the invasion of Sennacherib, and called his soldiers to be courageous also. Why? Verse 8 explains: because “with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”
When Paul says, “Act like men, be strong” he is speaking from his own rich understanding of the Old Testament. So the phrase itself is loaded with theological significance.
Joshua 1 is a primary passage in understanding what it means to be courageous and strong. Verse 5 gives us the foundation and basis for our courage – it is the promise of the Lord that “I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” True courage comes from obedient dependence on the Lord.
These verses (vv. 2–9) comprise one of the most formidable “pep-talks” on the pages of Scripture. What is it to be manly? It is to stand firm in the principles and purposes of God, to go forward for the sake of the kingdom, knowing that God has given us the strength and promised us the victory.
When we study the Bible we begin by finding out what is there (cognition), but then it moves from knowing the information to embracing it as true (conviction). Then we move from conviction to affection, where it is not only something we know and believe, but something we love. And we love the Scripture because it is through the Scriptures that we learn about our Savior.
It is our affection for God and for His Word (in which He has revealed Himself to us) that undergirds our courage. True courage is not motivated just by knowledge or by principle. It is motivated by affection. Godly husbands would not defend their families merely out of knowledge or conviction, but out of love for their families. Godly pastors would not boldly protect their church merely out of knowledge or principle, but out of love for their sheep. As men, we must be motivated not just out of head knowledge or even moral obligation — but out of love for the Lord. That is where true courage begins, with affection for God.
It is important for people to understand that we must go from information to conviction that the information is true. But it must not stop there. It must go to affection. When we love the Lord and love His truth (in addition our love for the church, our wives, our families) it makes us courageous. True spirituality is really defined by the strength and courage that the Apostle Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians 16. It is strong. And that strength comes from loving God, and obeying His commands because of our love for Him (cf. Mark 12:30–31).
In many ways today, we are watching the emasculation of the church. We have a church without courage, without conviction, in which the Word of God is de-emphasized. What we need is men who love Christ, love the truth, and stand boldly for what they love.
In 1 Peter 1:13–16, Peter gives a similar call to his readers. Men are to be sober (with an eternal perspective), obedient and holy (not characterized by the lusts of our pre-Christian experience). This is how Christian men act.
In closing, John noted a book he had recently read entitled, A World Lit Only By Fire, about the dark ages. It was a very sad and spiritually dark time in medieval history. The catholic system was corrupt beyond comprehension. Where were the men? Where were the preachers who were standing for the truth? During that time, there was an utter absence of strength.
And as you read through that, you suddenly come to Martin Luther. Because he had so much conviction and affection for the truth, he was an utter anomaly. The catholic church didn’t know what to do with Luther, because he had so much passion for the Word of God. In fact, he had been so captured by the truth, that he refused to let go until he brought down the whole corrupt system and launched the Reformation.
Another book, Masters of the Air, highlighted the Eighth Wing of the US Air Force during World War II. They went over to Europe to fly high altitude bombers over Germany, trying to put an end to Hitler’s advances. In this engagement, some 26,000 flyers died. And they were mostly 17 to 20-year-old kids. One of the statistics was that, somewhere between 65 and 75 percent of these guys did not survive. And yet they kept coming, signing up, and going.
We don’t live in a world like that any more. We don’t live in a culture that breeds that kind of fortitude. We live in a soft culture. Just go to the mall and see what today’s 17 and 18-year-olds are like.
And this soft attitude is creeping into the church. As men, we have to stand firm in both the church and in our homes. We need to be men, informed by Scripture, who will act courageously out of their love for Christ. We need to be counter-cultural. We need to be strong and courageous.
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