Embodying Godly Manhood: A Counter-Cultural Call

Devotional

Day 1: God as the Perfect Father

God's unwavering love redefines fatherhood.

Regardless of our earthly experiences with fatherhood, God is the perfect Father who never abandons us. This understanding allows us to draw near to Him and extend grace and forgiveness to those who have hurt us. Our relationship with God redefines our understanding of fatherhood and empowers us to live out this role through His strength. [32:08]

Psalm 68:5-6 (ESV): "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land."

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt abandoned or hurt by someone close to you. How can you draw near to God today and allow His perfect fatherhood to bring healing and forgiveness into that situation?

Day 2: Counter-Cultural Living

Living out the radical values of God's kingdom.

The Sermon on the Mount calls us to live in a way that is radically different from societal norms. This counter-cultural lifestyle is not just about being different for the sake of it but about embodying the values of the kingdom of God. This includes being poor in spirit, meek, merciful, and peacemakers, among other qualities. [01:00:11]

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV): "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Reflection: Identify one area in your life where you conform to societal norms rather than the values of God's kingdom. What practical steps can you take today to live out the counter-cultural teachings of Jesus in that area?

Day 3: The Power of Repentance

True repentance brings comfort and breaks the cycle of shame.

Mourning over our sins leads us to repentance, which is more than just confession. Repentance involves a genuine turning away from sin and moving towards God. This process brings comfort and breaks the cycle of shame that many Christians experience. [01:21:28]

2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV): "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."

Reflection: Reflect on a sin that you have been struggling with. How can you move beyond mere confession to genuine repentance today, turning away from that sin and moving towards God?

Day 4: Meekness as Strength

Gentleness and humility as true strength.

Meekness, often misunderstood as weakness, is actually a form of strength characterized by gentleness and humility. Jesus exemplified meekness, and as His followers, we are called to interact with others in the same gentle and humble manner. This quality is essential for inheriting the earth and living a life that pleases God. [01:24:06]

James 3:13 (ESV): "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom."

Reflection: Think of a recent interaction where you responded with pride or harshness. How can you approach similar situations with gentleness and humility, embodying the strength of meekness?

Day 5: Persecution as a Mark of True Discipleship

Embracing persecution with joy and steadfastness.

Persecution is a normal part of the Christian life and serves as a testament to our faith. While it may seem foreign in certain cultures, it is a reality for many believers around the world. Embracing persecution with joy and steadfastness is a sign of our commitment to Jesus and His kingdom. [01:34:26]

1 Peter 4:12-14 (ESV): "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

Reflection: Consider a situation where you have faced or might face persecution for your faith. How can you prepare your heart to embrace such trials with joy and steadfastness, seeing them as a testament to your commitment to Jesus?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we gathered to honor not just fathers, but all the men in our church who strive to live godly lives in a culture that often misrepresents manhood. We acknowledged the complexities and emotions that Father's Day can bring, especially for those who have lost their fathers or have strained relationships with them. We were reminded that God is the perfect Father who never abandons us, and it is through His power and the gospel of Jesus Christ that we can truly understand and embody fatherhood.

We also celebrated the concept of being counter-cultural as followers of Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount, which we began studying today, is a call to live differently from the world. Jesus' teachings in this sermon are radical and go against the grain of societal norms. We are called to be poor in spirit, to mourn over our sins, to be meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and to endure persecution for righteousness' sake. These qualities are not just for a select few but for all who follow Jesus.

The Beatitudes, as these teachings are known, promise profound blessings: inheriting the kingdom of heaven, being comforted, inheriting the earth, being satisfied, receiving mercy, seeing God, being called children of God, and receiving a great reward in heaven. These promises are not just future rewards but present realities that shape our lives and our happiness in God.

We also took time to commission our Centric Kids and Greece Go Team, sending them out with prayers and blessings to serve and spread the gospel. This act of commissioning is a reminder that our faith is active and outward-focused, seeking to make a difference in the world through the power of Jesus.

###

Key Takeaways

1. Cultural Living**: The Sermon on the Mount calls us to live in a way that is radically different from societal norms. This counter-cultural lifestyle is not just about being different for the sake of it but about embodying the values of the kingdom of God. This includes being poor in spirit, meek, merciful, and peacemakers, among other qualities. [01:00:11]
3. The Power of Repentance: Mourning over our sins leads us to repentance, which is more than just confession. Repentance involves a genuine turning away from sin and moving towards God. This process brings comfort and breaks the cycle of shame that many Christians experience.

4. Meekness as Strength: Meekness, often misunderstood as weakness, is actually a form of strength characterized by gentleness and humility. Jesus exemplified meekness, and as His followers, we are called to interact with others in the same gentle and humble manner. This quality is essential for inheriting the earth and living a life that pleases God.

5. Persecution as a Mark of True Discipleship: Persecution is a normal part of the Christian life and serves as a testament to our faith. While it may seem foreign in certain cultures, it is a reality for many believers around the world. Embracing persecution with joy and steadfastness is a sign of our commitment to Jesus and His kingdom.

### [60:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:00] - Celebrating Godly Men
[32:08] - God as the Perfect Father
[33:01] - The Power of the Gospel in Fatherhood
[34:06] - Prayer for Fathers and Men
[35:04] - Reversing Cultural Norms of Manhood
[36:04] - Leaning into God's Strength
[36:45] - Worship and Praise
[37:24] - Global Outreach: Go Time
[38:10] - Celebrating Empty Seats
[39:06] - Commissioning Centric Kids
[42:06] - Prayer for Centric Kids
[43:31] - Sending Out Greece Go Team
[44:59] - Mission to Athens, Greece
[46:17] - Serving Refugees
[47:52] - Call for Financial Support
[51:33] - Introduction to Sermon on the Mount
[52:49] - Counter-Cultural Teachings of Jesus
[54:15] - Personal Counter-Cultural Experiences
[59:42] - The Radical Call of the Sermon on the Mount
[60:11] - Living Differently as Followers of Jesus
[63:47] - Context of the Sermon on the Mount
[69:54] - The Beatitudes
[74:25] - Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
[80:25] - Blessed are Those Who Mourn
[84:06] - Blessed are the Meek
[88:05] - Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
[89:51] - Showing Mercy
[90:55] - Pure in Heart
[91:54] - Peacemakers
[94:26] - Persecution for Righteousness
[97:31] - Reflecting on the Beatitudes
[99:36] - Response Time: Worship, Communion, and Giving

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 5:3-12 (The Beatitudes) — - "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Observation Questions

What are the qualities listed in the Beatitudes that Jesus says will bring blessings? (Matthew 5:3-12)
According to the sermon, how does Jesus redefine the concept of meekness? [01:24:06]
What does the pastor say about the relationship between mourning over our sins and repentance? [01:21:28]
How does the sermon describe the role of persecution in the life of a true disciple of Jesus? [01:34:26]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus consider being "poor in spirit" a blessed state, and how does this relate to inheriting the kingdom of heaven? [01:14:25]
How does the concept of being "counter-cultural" as described in the sermon challenge modern societal norms? [01:00:11]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that meekness is a form of strength rather than weakness? [01:24:06]
How does the pastor explain the importance of embracing persecution with joy and steadfastness? [01:34:26]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you struggle to be "poor in spirit"? How can you cultivate a deeper sense of spiritual humility? [01:14:25]
The sermon calls us to live counter-culturally. What specific societal norms do you find most challenging to go against as a follower of Jesus? How can you address these challenges in your daily life? [01:00:11]
Meekness is described as gentleness and humility. Think of a recent conflict or interaction where you could have responded with more meekness. How can you approach similar situations differently in the future? [01:24:06]
The pastor emphasized the power of repentance over mere confession. Is there a sin in your life that you have confessed but not fully repented from? What steps can you take to turn away from this sin and move towards God? [01:21:28]
Persecution is a mark of true discipleship. Have you ever faced any form of persecution for your faith? How did you respond, and how can you prepare yourself to embrace future persecution with joy and steadfastness? [01:34:26]
The sermon highlighted the importance of being merciful. Identify someone in your life who needs your mercy. What practical steps can you take this week to show them compassion and forgiveness? [01:29:51]
Reflect on the Beatitudes as a whole. Which of these qualities do you find most difficult to embody, and why? What specific actions can you take to grow in this area? [01:09:54]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Hey, listen, some of us are here today and this is our first Father's Day without our dads. Maybe some of you have suffered loss this past year. Maybe some of you had a negative relationship with your biological father. Maybe you're even like me who maybe grew up not even knowing your biological father. I realize there are probably so many stories in here and maybe even others who would say, no, I grew up with a dad and had a dad, but maybe that relationship has always been lacking or wanted for And hey, today, I just want to point us to the fact that God is a perfect Father. Amen." (46 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The whole way we get fatherhood is not from our earthly family unit, but from the picture of who God is. And I get it. Sometimes we take a negative view of dads and we put that on God. But hey, listen, I just want to tell you right now, here today, God is a perfect Father. He will never abandon you. He will never let you go. He will never fail you. He will never fail you. He will never not show up for And so what that does is, one, it allows us to draw near to the heart of God as our Heavenly Father, and two, it allows us to show grace and forgiveness to maybe the ones who have hurt us or the ones who haven't quite measured up to us." (50 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Without the gospel, fatherhood means nothing. But because of what Jesus did for us, because of his death and his resurrection, he has brought us near to a relationship with the creator of the universe. So I want you to hear today that the only way, if you're a dad, that you can continue to be a dad is through the power of Jesus in your life. The only way that you can forgive a dad or show grace to a dad is through the power of the gospel in your life." (31 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "An empty seat means one of two things. It either means, one, that it represents someone who is not a Christian. They're not here because we have sent them out with a mighty kingdom purpose to go share the gospel. Or two, it represents one of the hundreds of thousands of people in our city who don't know Jesus and aren't here yet." (24 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "The whole theme of this is once you repent and follow me, your life should be different. Once you repent and follow me, your life should be different. Here's why this is important. If you're here today and you have never chosen to follow Jesus, like you've gone to church, maybe you've been baptized, you've done the religious things, but you've never actually given your life, your heart to follow Jesus. Like, you're here today and maybe you're skeptical and you're like, I'm not so sure about this whole Jesus thing. Listen, if that's true, doing all the things that Jesus tells us to do, in the Sermon on the Mount, is not going to change your heart. Okay? Only repenting of your sins and trusting in Jesus to change you is going to change your heart." (53 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "The poor in spirit is basically the acknowledgement that we bring nothing to the table when we come to God. Being poor in spirit is acknowledging the fact that we bring nothing to the table in That we, inside of our spirit, are poor. That we are spiritually impoverished. It's kind of like that whole thing where the bill collectors are calling, right? They're constantly calling. And the spiritual bill collectors call not to tell you that you owe God money. The spiritual bill collectors call to remind you that your life is not measured up to God." (48 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The problem is that in the church today, we've gotten decent at confession, but we don't like repentance. See, confession is me saying, yes, I struggle with pornography. Repentance is turning my back on it and taking glorifying steps away from it and towards Jesus. Now, I don't mean to say that that's an easy journey, but what I do mean to say is that Jesus will be with you in the journey. And the times that you stumble or you fall or you're tempted to go, Jesus isn't looking, I can look back. Jesus will comfort you. Jesus will hold you. Jesus will be with you." (44 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Having meekness is not a weakness. See, Jesus, I make a joke, but Jesus is always in the core of who he is. He is gentle. In fact, he describes himself in Matthew 11 as gentle and lowly in heart. This is who Jesus is. And so guys, for us, especially men, men a lot of times have a hard time with meekness. Because they think meekness is weakness. But guys, listen, having a true view of yourself, being humbled that it is only by God's love and grace in your life, will overflow into your relationships and how you treat other people." (39 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. I love this. Because, we talk about purity. Purity is unity in our relationship with God. But peacemaking is unity in our relationship with God. So listen, we should all be peacemakers in our church and in our community. Isn't that amazing? That we're not peace maintainers. We are peacemakers. Which means we intentionally go to places where there is not peace. And in the power of the gospel, through the gentleness and the meekness of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we make peace." (46 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "In the most persecuted areas of the world, the church is the fastest growing in the whole world. Well, blessed are the persecuted. Blessed are they. Because that's who the kingdom of God is for. Guys, we're not, in America, we're not going back. We are looking straight ahead. And I'm just telling you that as a follower of Jesus, you need to ready your heart to say, listen, if I don't get that job, if they try to shut down the church, if I don't get this promotion, if something happens, because of my faith in Jesus, you need to realize, it's like, that's normal. That's normal for those who follow Jesus." (52 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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