Pastor J.D. discusses God’s design for men according to Genesis 2 and 3.
A glimpse inside this episode:
It goes back to Genesis 2–3.
Spiritual Leadership:
- Woman brought into a situation where he already has a walk with God. He is supposed to explain the commands of God to her.
- He names the animals, even names her!
He’s given the responsibility to lead the family. Not only spiritually:
- She’s brought into a home where he is providing.
- He takes initiative in romance: Adam’s first words were a love poem.
- He takes responsibility to love and protect: “This is now bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.”
When you look at Genesis 3 you can see that humanity’s fall happened, in part, through a failure of the man to lead. He was “with” the woman when she ate. He was standing there, wondering if Genesis 2:17 was true.
- How I know: Genesis 3:9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” “Where were you?”
- The first sin was not one of commission, but omission.
- Just sitting back.
- It’s no secret: Women are more faithful to volunteer in the church than men.
- More initiative with the kids.
- More initiative with the relationship.
- They show more initiative in mission. (IMB: 4 to 1)
- They show more initiative to grow: my publisher advised me that women are reading more and you can’t write just to men.
Genesis 3:9 is still his question. Where are you, men? We’ve got a generation of males that never grow up to be men who take up their role as leaders.
Dr. Anthony Bradley, sociologist:
- 85% of youths in prison come from fatherless homes
- 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes
- 90% of all homeless & runaway children are from fatherless homes
- 60% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
Just as the fall of humanity came through the failure of a man to lead, so salvation comes when a man takes up his leadership role.
- Jesus is the Second Adam
- And so with us… (no disrespect to the ladies)
Tony Evans: “As goes the man, so goes the family. As goes the family; so goes the church. As goes the church; so goes the community. As goes the community; so goes the nation. So if you want to change the nation; change the community; if you want to change the community change the church; if you want to change the church; change the family; if you want to change the family, change the man.”
Tony Evans: If the child is first to come to Christ, there is a 3.5% chance everyone else in the household will follow; if the mother, a 17% chance; if the father, a 93%.
What to do:
- Commit to growing as a disciple (which you can hear about in last week’s episode)
Commit to re-order your relationships:
- Anthony Bradley, like we said before:
- Wife before children
- Children before work
- Friendships before solitude
- God before all of it.
