Men's Fraternity Week 2

Men’s Fraternity
Week #2 Lead Like Jesus

Pastor Brian opened our session today by recalling us to one of our verses from last week, Hebrews 2:1. He said that he wanted this verse to become kind of a theme for us throughout the duration of this course.

Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Next, we watched the following video* about a couple of elderly men lamenting that they have never accomplished anything worthwhile with their lives. It’s a very funny skit and the moral is that it’s never too late to jump-start your life.


*This video is not mine, it was posted on YouTube by “theskitguys”, where they have many Christian based videos published. The videos can also be found on their website SkitGuys.com

• Men were created for a noble purpose. Here, Brian asked us to define the word “noble” and some suggestions were “honorable” and “having a higher purpose.”

Acts 13:36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.

God’s Design for Man:

• Life is not performance based.
• God created man in his likeness.

Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Brian pointed out here that this doesn’t just mean we were created in God’s physical likeness but we also share his mentality and personality. We are creative because God is creative; we are intelligent because God is intelligent, etc.

• God called man to be a leader.

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And god said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

• Leadership God’s way takes courage.
• Without courage those we are to lead are left guessing.

Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Question: Since God called man to lead, what takes place when man ignores this calling from God? (Family, church, workplace, community, world). How would you make a leadership change in your life today that will honor God’s call on your life to lead?

Here, the general consensus was that without a leader things tend to fall into disarray. I was reminded of a line from a poem by Yeats that goes “Things fall apart if the center does not hold.”

• Adam chose the fruit over obedience to God. And here I wrote down “We often follow what we see.”
• In Adam’s disobedience, his relationship with God and Eve changed.

Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Brian talked about how we cover our “nakedness” with masks, in an attempt to hide our true selves from God and from others.

In answer to the sin and subsequent spiritual death of Adam, God responded with Grace.

Genesis 3:21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

From our discussion here I jotted down that God never says, “I told you so.” When we mess up we often try to hide from God, but He will always seek us out to help us get back onto our feet again.

The Only Way Back to God:

• We can be made righteous once again in Christ.

Romans 5:8 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Where Does a Man Find Fulfillment in Life?

• Men today believe that manhood is defined not by what you build but by what you consume. This goes back to an earlier point that life is not performance based.
• When men live as consumers instead of builders they live as children not men.
• However, God created men to create, add value, give and build that which will last for all of eternity.

Here, Pastor Brian encouraged each of us to develop a purpose statement for our own lives and to think about choosing a life verse from the bible.

• Without Jesus Christ you will continue to struggle and remain dead in your sin and selfishness.

1 Corinthians 15:45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit.

• Jesus modeled authentic manhood by living His life to bless others.
• Men who follow Jesus know they are put on this earth for more than to seek their own pleasure and then die.

Start Today

• Know that God in His Son has made a provision for your sin.
• Accept and carry out God’s call on your life to live a life of purpose
• Pray that God will use you to influence and encourage others.

Next week we are going to talk about how Jesus lived out on earth what we talked about today!

Group Questions:
1. In 1 Corinthians 14:45 we read that Jesus was a “life-giving Spirit.” In what particular ways are you reflecting the person of Jesus Christ in your most important relationships? Would others call you “life-giving” or something else in describing your contribution to their lives?

Here I jotted down that an important part of being a leader is the ability to speak the truth with sensitivity.

2. Your leader shared their life purpose. What would you say is your life purpose? Are you fulfilling the purpose in your life at this time? Why or why not?

3. Have you ever thought that there was a higher calling on your life? What is it about the leadership and life giving nature of Jesus Christ that spurs you on to love and good deeds?