How to be Sexually Pure

Men,

This is a short message to help point us in the right direction. Many of us desire sexual purity. We want to honor women. We want to honor our Creator by not having even a hint of sexual immorality.  My question is how? How do we live pure lives?

Well, the traditional religious approach is to do more, try harder, and struggle more to be pure. Typically, our own human efforts result in failure. Then, we start the cycle over and "try harder."

I submit  a different approach. Remember that God's strength is made known through our weakness. Please consider victory through "giving-up," or surrender.  All we need was accomplished by Jesus through His death on the cross. It is God's power that overcomes sin, not ours.

Men, it is time to show the world God's power over sin, lust, and immoral thoughts and behavior.

Father, glorify Your name in us.  Yes, we will be the men you created us to be. True men. Real men. Pure men.

Steve

Lesson Four: REAL Men Love Life--Jesus is Life

REAL Young Men’s Lesson Four—REAL Men have real life—Jesus is life

25 Oct 10

Welcome, missed you

Quick Review of R.E.A…. We saw David as an example of Radical faith, David’s mighty men as empowered. We will review the fact that we cannot have faith, be empowered, or be an ambassador for God unless we are His.

Tonight is L…Life

“The Game of Life”

·       My daughter loves to play this game, have you played it? (get out game)

·       According to this game…what is Life?

1.     Get education, Get great job, get a car, get a house, pay bills/insurance, Get married, Have kids, accumulate stuff, retire with wealth, die

·       So what would the game of life board look like for you as a teenager?

·       What would you say Living the Life is?  When do you feel like you’re livin’ the life?

So, is this really life? (great job, success, beautiful woman, good grades, happiness…etc)

John 14:6

⁶ Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

·       So, who is life then?

·       How do we get this life?

·       How long is this life, He is talking about? [being a Christian?]

·       Well, then, what is a Christian?

Today we focus on Jesus. He is the ultimate satisfaction in life. My issues—though saved I sought security in music and girlfriends…

Until God showed me He was enough—if I never married He was enough. I could be satisfied in Him.

How do you seek to be satisfied? (X-box, food, girlfriend)

We saw David as an example of Radical faith, David’s mighty men as empowered. We cannot have faith, be empowered, or be an ambassador for God unless we are His—We are in Him.

Today we will look at the Apostle Peter. Jesus was his life. He thought he had it right before Jesus went to the cross, but he was mistaken. Matthew 16:23 (NIV),
²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

I will never forsake you, then in Acts 4:13

Acts 4:13 (NASB)
¹³ Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

So to be clear, a REAL Man is a Christian, but what is a Christian?      A.W. Tozer’s quote

We can train a chimp to eat with silverware—that does not make him a human. Likewise, we are not a Christian just because we act like one or look like one. True Christianity flows out of a completely changed heart. God empowers us to obey the law He writes in our hearts—and He enables us to BE in HIS presence!

Peter before and after Holy Spirit Acts 4:13

My testimony-divorce, salvation, insecurity, dating, Lisa…

Going Deeper:

Tonight, Let’s ask God to take us deeper with Him. David prayed that God would give him an undivided heart for Him…

Psalms 86:11 (NIV)
¹¹ Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Pray,  1) Lord, give us a longing for You above everything/anyone else.

          2) Lord, give us Your heart of compassion to love others.

Small groups—discuss and then pray about how you will live out a deeper desire for God (longing for Jesus) during the next month.

Will you pray more? Will you read His Word more. Will you ask God daily to raise your passion for Him?

How will you live out a deeper love for others this month. Will you pray daily that God will give you a passion for people like He has? Will you ask God to bring to your mind opportunities to share God’s Word.

  

Small groups…pray

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Romans 8:31 (NIV)
³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 6:23 (NIV)
²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Lesson Three: REAL Men are Ambassadors for Christ

REAL Young Share Jesus—REAL Men are Ambassadors for Christ

17 Dec 10

REAL Men share Jesus. Their whole life is connected to the passion to see others come to know Jesus. To see others repent from sin, turn to Christ, be baptized, be discipled, and in turn lead others to do the same. To the degree that this is our heart is the degree that we are REAL Men. In other words, because of the Holy Spirit leading our lives, we will be consumed with those things which God is consumed about—God’s purposes, God’s will, His name being glorified, men and women pursuing Jesus above all else.

As we are in the season of Christmas, let’s look at:

1) How the Heavenly Father gave His Son and how Jesus willingly took on our human frailties and weaknesses in order to live a perfect sinless life and become the sacrifice for our sin and to purchase a place for heaven for us.

2) How a REAL man responds to God’s gift of His Son, complete forgiveness, eternal life, and abundant life.

In a sense, our heavenly Father is the ultimate REAL Man because He gave His son for us

So, Review of God’s gift…

Luke 2

Jesus lives a perfect life.

He shows us how to seek God.

He praised those, even women who at that time and in that culture were less than men, who chose to sit at His feet (Mary) and cry at His feet (the woman of sin in Luke 7).

He died for our sin—granting us complete forgiveness and eternal abundant living in Him.

Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)
⁴¹ "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,
⁴² but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Luke 7:50 (NIV)
⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

What Jesus did for us at the cross…

Colossians 2:14 (NASB)
¹⁴ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Ephesians 1:1-4 (NASB)
¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:
² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

Okay, how do REAL men respond to this amazing gift…?

Answer: REAL MEN SHARE JESUS! Read first paragraph again.

Have you ever wondered why it seems that so few of us are “compelled” to regularly share our faith, or be actively engaged in making disciples one-on-one or in a group?

I submit to you that new believers are imitating the kind of Christianity which we live. Not the kind of Christianity we think we live, but how we actually live. For Paul, there was no difference between how he thought he lived and how he actually lived. This is why he could say imitate me as I imitate Christ. Let’s look at a couple of modern examples of new believers who came to know Jesus in a culture which was hostile to the gospel.

The first example is a young woman who converted to Christianity from Islam. The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptists shared about this true story in the publication Commission Stories Volume 2, no 2,

 “Fatima Al-Mutairi knew the consequences could be harsh. The 26-year-old woman told her family that she had forsaken Islam to follow Christ—brazenly asserting that the way of Jesus was more righteous than that of Muhammad.  Her brother, a member of Saudi Arabia’s religious police, accused her of blasphemy and demanded she recant her belief. When she refused, he brutally murdered her.”

Our second example is a Christ follower in Iran who received the death sentence by hanging because he shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. This Christ follower embraced the full gospel. He knew he was saved not just so that he would enjoy eternity with the Father, but so that he must share the gospel with others.

What about you? Are you dissatisfied with the passion level you see around you for the lost? For prayer? For serving people? For actively witnessing? To help increase our passion for these things, I suggest that we start by looking in the mirror, with some help from the Holy Spirit. Let’s ask God, “How am I modeling faith in Christ?” Ask God to show you if your church family were to model your life in every way to include: finances, prayer life, relationships, work habits, speech, hobbies, leisure time, and school then what would your church look like? Would it be more or less passionate for Jesus, His word, prayer, and people?

The Muslim convert above came to Christ in a cultural context which made her conversion costly—she knew that, she embraced that. This persecution was a very real part of her faith. The Iranian evangelist knew the risk for sharing the gospel in his country—he embraced that. Again, this persecution was a part of his faith.

What can sometime happen in cultural contexts where the gospel of Jesus Christ is not persecuted is that the gospel as a free gift is clearly communicated, but the element of faith that Jesus Himself demonstrated which included costly risk taking and sacrifice (not to earn salvation—but as a compelling outgrowth of salvation) is somehow not communicated.

This lack of communication happens primarily because Christ followers do not live it. So here is our question…Is it possible that my life is demonstrating or modeling a partial or watered-down gospel? How about yours?

Paul had it right…

Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
²⁰ "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.

Lesson Two: A REAL Man Lives an Empowered Life

REAL Young Men’s Lesson Two—A Real Man Lives

an Empowered Life

27 Sep 10

Today we will look at the second letter of REAL—E. E stands for empowered. A Real man lives an empowered life.

John 15:8 (NIV)
⁸ This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Empowered = living in God’s power for His purposes = maximal impact for eternity

Not empowered – living in our power for our purposes = minimal impact for eternity

Two Empowered men: Jashobeam/Baniaiah from David’s mighty men!

1 Chronicles 11:11 (NIV)
¹¹ this is the list of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

1 Chronicles 11:22-23 (NIV)
²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
²³ And he struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver's rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV)
¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

“A young man approached an older Christian with this question: What does it mean as far as this life is concerned to be crucified with Christ? The believer replied, “It means three things: (1) a man on a cross is facing in only one direction; (2) he is not going back; and (3) he has no further plans of his own.” Commenting on this, T. S. Rendall wrote, “Too many Christians are trying to face in two directions at the same time. They are divided in heart. They want heaven, but they also love the world. Remember a crucified man is not coming back; he is not going to return to his old life. Also, a crucified man has no plans of his own. He is through with the vainglory of this life. Its chains are broken and its charms are gone.”

2) So, How do we live empowered?

John 15:5 (NIV)
⁵ "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Nothing means absolute negative—nothing.

Hudson Taylor

“I besought Him to give me some work to do for Him as an outlet for love and gratitude…well do I remember as I put myself, my life, my friends, my all upon the altar, the deep solemnity that came over my soul with the assurance that my offering was accepted. The presence of God became utterably real and blessed and I remember stretching myself on the ground and lying there before Him with unspeakable awe and unspeakable joy. For what service I was accepted I knew not, but a deep consciousness that I was not my own took possession of me which has never since been effaced.”

Lesson One: REAL Men have Radical Faith in Christ

REAL Young Men’s Kick-Off Lesson One—A Real Man has Radical Faith, Aug 2010

Intro

Radical according to Webtser’s Dictionary:

Going to the root or origin or touching what is fundamental; A radical change is thorough/extreme

One who advocates change by direct and uncompromising methods

Would it be easy or hard for us lead a radical life?

Which is easier? To be a radical sports dude or a real man who lives life to glorify God? Why?

Why is it that we would esteem or respect a sports dude but not esteem or respect a guy who loves God and seeks His glory, seeks to be pure? Or would we?

How can we live a radical life?

Do you want to be radical?

We are a REAL Young Men’s Group—

Radical, Empowered, Ambassadors for Life (Jesus is life)

Tonight we start with a lesson on being radical/having Radical faith—After tonight, we want to be able to define what is radical? Hopefully, we will have a growing desire to be radical--a radical man towards God.

1) King David was Radical according to God:

King David        22 "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.”       Acts 13:22 (NASB)

What does God mean when He says David was a man after His own heart?

Would that be a characteristic that we would use to describe us? Why or why not? 

Paul        7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.   Phil 3:7-14 (NIV)

REAL Men Group

Definition of a real man by Steven Arteburn and Fred Stoecker, in their book every man’s battle:

“When it comes down to it, God’s definition of real manhood is pretty simple: It means hearing His Word and doing it. That’s God’s only definition of manhood—a doer of the Word.  And God’s definition of a sissy is someone who hears the Word of God and doesn’t do it.”

Let’s go deeper:

A real man is a man who sets his heart on seeking and knowing (not just knowing about) Jesus Christ. A real man prays. A real man is not defined by his culture—he surrenders and submits to Jesus and allows Jesus to lead, empower, and live through him.

Hosea 6:3 (NASB)
³ "So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."

A real man honors females by bouncing his eyes and praying for them—not lusting after them.

He reads, meditates, and memorizes the Word of God. He obeys God. He shares his faith regularly. 

This group is about being a real man from God’s perspective, not your perspective, not necessarily your parents’ perspective, not my perspective, but God’s perspective as we find His perspective revealed in His Word. God’s Word is truth. More than that, Jesus is the Word.

Religion—this is not about religion. It is about a relationship with Jesus.

This REAL Men’s group is not just about playtime, while it is a brotherhood and we will have fun, it is not just about buds and fun, in fact, it is not about you--we are about God, His Word, and boldly believing and obeying His Word, enjoying his presence. We will seek to remove the comfortable American-Dream kind of life where comfort and security rule. No, we want all God has for us, whatever that means. Jesus is the only true satisfaction in this world. He created you with desires. The strongest desire we have is for connection with God--Jesus is this connection.

So, we have two paths before us—which path do you want to be on?

1)     Path one—heads toward a life for yourself. Live for your desires. Live as your culture pushes you around to live—float or drift along through life. Live for the temporary—live for the lesser things. Live as a taker and a user, not a giver.

Or

2)     Path Two—head toward a life for God. Step up to real manhood--live for Christ. Live for eternity. Live in the supernatural. Live to see eternity effected. Live in real power. Live in passion. Live for life. Live for purity. Live in Christ—be a REAL man from your Creator’s perspective.  

Radical, Empowered, Ambassadors, for Life

A couple more examples of Radical Real Men:

Noah—What did God ask Noah to do? What did Noah do? How long did it take?

Paul—What did Paul do, before the Damascus road experience? Acts 7:57, 8:1, 9:1-12

Peter— Johnh 18:17, 25, 27   Acts 2:14-37

Let’s look at the conversion to Christ of a mighty missionary to China (late 1800’s to early 1900’s). It has been said that God used Hudson Taylor in a mighty way to impact tens of thousands of lives for Christ (Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret).

Let’s look at how God got a hold of this young man:

Our story begins with a mother’s prayer (all of these quotes are from Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret):

“The beginning of it all was a quiet hour among his father’s books, when young Hudson Taylor sought something to interest him. His mother was away from home and the boy was missing her. The house seemed empty, so he took the story he found to a favorite corner in the old warehouse, thinking he would read it as long as it did not get prosy.

Many miles away, the mother was specially burdened that Saturday afternoon about her only son. Leaving her friends she went alone to plead with God for his salvation. Hour after hour passed while that mother was still on her knees, until her heart was flooded with a joyful assurance that her prayers were heard and answered.”  p 17

Meanwhile…

Hudson was reading as the words, “The finished work of Christ” arrested his attention. He wondered why the writer used these words. He thought, “What was finished?”

Again, from the book…

““A full and perfect atonement for sin,” his heart replied. “The debt was paid by the great Substitute. “Christ died for our sins.” And “not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.”

Then came the thought with startling clearness, “If the whole work is finished, the whole debt paid, what is there left for me to do?”

The one, the only answer took possession of his soul: “There was nothing in the whole world for me to do save to fall on my knees and accepting this Savior and His salvation to praise Him for evermore.”

Back to King David

Read 1 Samuel 17:21-52 (NIV)
-When the Israelites saw and heard Goliath, how did they respond? What was their perspective? Where was their focus?

-When David saw and heard Goliath, how did he respond? What was David’s perspective? What was his focus?

-When David was brought before the King—what did he say to the King?

This was the voice of a young man with radical _______  in  _______.

-What did King Saul tell David?

-Why was David confident he could take Goliath?

Closing…

What is like a “giant” in your life you are facing?

How can you approach your “giant” with radical faith like David did?

REAL Young Men Mission Statement

Visionary Document

REAL Young Men’s Group

Radical, Empowered, Ambassadors (for) Life

14 Jul 2010

Steve and Tyler Kindermann, Josh Harris

Mission Statement

          “Our mission and passion is to chase after God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to tell the good news of Jesus Christ to others, and guide/encourage those who believe, to full maturity in Him.”

Vision statement

          “We envision a Young Men’s fellowship which in everything follows the truth of God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. In close relationship with God through prayer we reach others for Christ. God uses this group to develop people to pray, walk in obedience to God’s Word, serve others, and regularly and actively share the good news of Jesus Christ.  The Young Men’s Group is made up of high school-aged young men who give their lives to Christ so that God will use them to impact His kingdom as He sees fit. We commit to complete surrender and undistracted devotion to Christ.

          The REAL Young Men’s Group is working to develop healthy relationships with other young men. We connect to those who are following Christ as well as those who do not.  The young men in this ministry are involved in serving the church and community. The Young Men’s Group becomes known for its wholehearted passion for Jesus, prayer, actively-building disciples and sharing the gospel. In short, we will influence this world for Christ—not be influenced away from Christ! We will not drift through life. We will fix our eyes on Jesus and run after Him. We will seek to have an answer for anyone who asks us about the faith we have in us.

Values

1.     We value humility over selfishness

2.     We value purity

3.     We value integrity

4.     We value prayer

5.     We value seeking God through God’s Word and prayer

6.     We value a close relationship with God and others

7.     We value unity in our group and the church – Romans 15:5-7

3 Year Vision Goals

1. Young Men who impact others for Christ with a resolute heart after God through college and beyond

            2. To see each young man active in sharing the gospel.

3. To see each young man passionate about Jesus above anything the earth has to offer.

            4. To see future marriages resulting from this ministry –100% success rate, no divorce

5. To be known in our region as a group of uncommonly devoted Christ followers with a passion for Jesus, His Word, and prayer.

6. To help others wholeheartedly follow God—we must model this