I Corinthians 16:13 13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

Larry Cline – Hardin Valley Church Of Christ – 5/4/2014 “Quit” Like A Man! Larry Cline – Hardin Valley Church Of Christ – 5/4/2014

Set the captives free

What we have now is a world of uninitiated men. Partial men What we have now is a world of uninitiated men. Partial men. Boys, mostly, walking around in men’s bodies, with men’s jobs and families, finances, and responsibilities. The passing on of masculinity was never completed, if it is was begun at all. The boy was never taken through the process of masculine initiation. That’s why most of us are unfinished men. (John Eldridge)

Adam makes three mistakes: Sitting Hiding Blaming

Three Challenges:

1. Quit Sitting Adam’s passivity and neglect caused great harm.

There is a great contrast in the way Adam treated Eve and the way Jesus treated women.

“Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me wrong “Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” “Be strong, Polycarp, play the man.”

“When I became a Christian, I understood that Jesus took my sin away “When I became a Christian, I understood that Jesus took my sin away. What I never heard from Him was that He intended to take my backbone away.” (R. D. Sproul)

2. Quit Hiding 9Then the LORD god called to the man, and said to him, “where are you?” 10he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:9-10)

Instead of confronting the issue, men tend to hide Instead of confronting the issue, men tend to hide. they hide behind “fig leaves”. they hide behind “trees”.

Too many of us are experts at repression… and that’s AWFUL! Repression is the opposite of confession. We repress and live what Henry David Thoreau called, “Quiet lives of desperation.”

Real men don’t repress. Real men confess.

3. Quit Blaming And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:11) The man said, “the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12)

Instead of confessing his sin, Adam plays the blame game.

For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the savior of the body. (Ephesians 5:23)

If you view headship as a right you’re headed for trouble If you view headship as a right you’re headed for trouble. If you view headship as a responsibility you’re headed for blessing. “Despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, I still haven’t answered the question, what is it a woman really wants?”

A man who will… …fight for her. …lay down his life for her. …go to the cross for her. …make sacrifices for her.

It’s not about finding our manhood through our wives… it’s about offering our manhood to our wives. It’s not about getting our needs met… it’s about making sure family needs are met. It’s not about finding strength in our wives… it’s about offering our strength to our wives.

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (I Corinthians 16:13-NAS )

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (I Corinthians 16:13-KJV )

“QUIT” Sitting Hiding Blaming PLAY THE MAN!

“QUIT” Sitting Hiding Blaming be THE MAN!