Good Men Learn To Lead
Another mark of those good men so needed by the world and Kingdom is that they have learned to lead. Is that an out front, take charge kind of thing? Well, it might be. But 
let me give you a few other thoughts. The Word says they’ve learned to lead their flesh. We see that in Galatians 5:16-17 –
So I say walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, or the flesh desires, what is contrary to the spirit and the spirit, what is contrary to the flesh, they are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want out,
Good men learn to lead their flesh
Galatians 2:19-20 says,
for through the law, I died to the law so that I’m not live to God, I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
So if we’re going to lead, we must lead our flesh, but we also must lead our families .You’re familiar with Ephesians 5:23-25. It addresses leadership in the home:
…the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also as the head of the church, He Himself being the savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
Now, contrary to bad theology that exists in abundance in today’s world, being the head is not being a dictator but leading through:
- love, service, sacrifice, humility
Who did that? Jesus did that. That’s how He led. And He was:
- Son of God; God in the flesh
Good Men – Good Example
Jesus could have done it any way He chose to do it and it would have been right. But He chose to set an example for us. His example was one of the humble, suffering servant who sacrificed Himself for the good of others, and the empowerment and the creation of his bride, the Church. And the Church is comprised of men and women who are loved by God and created for His purposes.
There are not 47 genders. There are only two. And that by sovereign design and wisdom. God created us male and female. We are different, but He loves us equally. It doesn’t mean I’m less, or more because I’m one or the other. Rather it means that God has assigned us our rolls. He’s not a respecter of persons. We’re all equal in His sight.
But His Word does call the woman the weaker vessel. And that doesn’t mean less valuable. It means in some ways, a little bit more fragile, and in need of the loving, sacrificial leadership that God’s Word calls the husband to give. That is God’s design.
But think of it like two fabrics. In this hand, I have a bolt of silk. In the other hand, I’ve got a bolt of burlap. Okay, are both useful fabrics? Of course. Which one of the fabrics is most fragile? The silk! Which one is the most valuable? Silk of course.
But once again, God loves us equally. And He’s given us our place and our role. But there’s something we should always remember. In the world of biology, healthy things have one head. If it has two heads it’s a monster. So being the head is a whole lot more about responsibility than it is privilege.
Now, there are too few good men in today’s world who can be a godly husband and father. And that’s not a new problem. Eli could lead the worship at the temple but he couldn’t lead his family. And David led a kingdom, including the armies of Israel, but he failed to lead his children.
Good Men lead
- Our flesh
- Our families
- The fallen
Hosea chapter 6:6-7 tells us:
For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But they, like Adam, have violated the covenant, there they have betrayed Me.
These were men who were not exhibiting the heart of God and not declaring the love of God. And the people around them desperately needed to know God’s Word and His love.
God loves obedience. Somehow we think:
I did well, I put I put a check in the offering plate.
Few find the narrow gate and straight path that leads to life.
That check is necessary. It’s how God gets His work paid for. But God is looking at the heart. He’s looking for the heart that loves Him, that reveres Him. But most do not. Those are the fallen and they are all around us.
Remember that wide gate and the wide path that leads to destruction. We know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Add to that Romans 5:12 –
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.
A few verses later, Paul also wrote:
So then, as through one transgression there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteious act there is justification leading to life for everyone. For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Now, how will many be made righteous? How will they be made alive to Christ, unless we are leading the fallen to Christ? That’s not just a job for the few good men we find among us. But that is the example that good men will set before us. Good men learn to lead the fallen and they help others do the same. So we have good men today here in this place who’ve learned to do that. They’ve learned to lead in that way. And I am grateful, so very grateful for each one!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Too Few Good Men – Part IV
