Father’s Day Sunday morning, June 16, 2024
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2Timothy 2:1-15)
Our culture has done its best to rid us of real men. We see a stripping away of manhood. Men and fathers have always been the leaders in this world and in the home. No wife will follow a wimp who only cares about having his own needs met and gets offended when things don’t go his way. Commercials picture the man of the house as incompetent, stupid, and inept. Masculinity is bad. Men are no longer necessary in the home, the military or in business. They are weak, without the ability to cope with anything, to stop looking at porn, keep a job, keep their pants zipped, or remain faithful. They can’t make a commitment and keep it. The modern American man has little discipline in holy things and is not a leader. Some men are strong physically, they visit the gym regularly, but are not by grace spiritually strong like the following Bible men.
I. Strong Men of the Bible In contrast to all of this we have the strong virile men of the Bible. Real men. Leaders. Men who are the heads of their homes, leaders in battle, warriors, protectors and providers.
Noah lived as the only holy man in a whole wicked world and with his three sons built a gigantic Ark that saved the human race. Abraham is the typical man of the Bible. God said of him, “I know him that he will command his children and his household that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice.” (Gen.18:18-19) When 85 years old he armed 380 men of his household and pursued four kings and their armies who had invaded and captured five kingdoms, including Abraham’s nephew. He led them in chase and fought the enemy armies in hand to hand combat, defeated them and brought back all the captives. “So he brought back all the goods as well as the women and the people.” (Gen.14:1-16)
How about Moses? This man of God, between the ages of 80 and 120, broke the back of the most powerful nation in the world using only a stick in his hand, made seven trips up and down Mt. Sinai, defeated every military nation that Israel encountered on their way to the Promised Land. Joshua led a nation of former slaves to conquer seven nations rooted in their homelands. Time would fail to tell of Samson who ripped a lion apart with his bare hands and Samuel who chopped the head off of the king of the Amalekites, and David who faced off against Goliath, killed him and removed his head from his shoulders, and “killed his ten thousands.”
Jesus tops them all. He cleared out the Temple with a whip, overturned the tables of the moneychangers, and endured the sufferings of a mock trial, brutal beating and the cross. Salvation is making us like Jesus
II. Strong Men of this Text Take note that it is the grace of God that makes us strong. It is not that we are strong in ourselves or just in our physical bodies. Samson was not strong because of his muscles but because of the Spirit of God who came upon him. God makes strong men and fathers. Put Him first and He will make you strong. Look at the
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