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[0:00] The Man of God.

[0:11] 1 Timothy 6 from verse 11 through to 16.! 2 Timothy 6 from verse 12.

[1:00] 3 Timothy 6 from verse 12.

[1:30] The preceding verses it talks about the love of money, of foolish and hurtful lusts. Flee those things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

[1:44] Flee, follow and fight. We're just really concentrating on the follow, on what the man of God should be about. And God is looking for a man.

[1:55] In Ezekiel 22, 13 he was seeking for a man. He sought for a man to stand in the gap. But he says, but I found none.

[2:09] He was searching for a man to intercede for the nation. God is searching for man. God is looking for man. Where are the men? Where are the men? The man of God.

[2:21] This term, man of God, occurs often in some 73 verses. Man of God is a term used of Elijah of Moses, of Samuel of Elijah, of Elisha.

[2:33] God's man. God's man. God's man. God's man. God's man. It's no longer a man of the world, but a man of another world. A man born of God.

[2:47] What a joy that a man, in all his weakness and unworthiness, can know God. Can be filled with God. God's man.

[3:27] Of a Christ-like life, the marks of Christ himself, our ultimate model. Now, ladies present, you don't have to switch off today. Ladies present, you may want to search for and encourage these qualities.

[3:42] These qualities in the man, in your life. Pray for your sons, your dads, your husbands. If you are unmarried today, pray, if God wills, that you will have a godly husband, a man of God.

[4:01] Settle for nothing less. If you have married a man who is not a man of God, pray for him to be saved and to become a man of God.

[4:14] He can. I'm unworthy as I am. I thank God. He saved me. He saved me. He changed me. He can do that for you today.

[4:26] And in fact, the women of God also need these character traits too. But we're talking to the men. What marks the men of God? What marks men these days?

[4:37] The typical Aussie man. You could say the typical Aussie male today sounds a lot like the folk in Philippians 3 verse 19. It says, Whose end is destruction.

[4:49] Whose God is their belly. Now some of them it's their beer belly. Whose glory is their shame. Who mind earthly things.

[5:00] God forbid that you're not a man like that today. Or if you are, God can save your soul today. Whose God is their belly. It's got the sense of the bowels, of the appetites, of the emotions, of their feelings.

[5:12] That's what drives them. And sadly some churches cater for this. They cater for the bowels, for the feelings, for the emotions. Such that they've forgotten the soul, the spiritual. Men, who is your God?

[5:25] Who is your God? Men, what should you chase after? Some chase after the almighty dollar. As was referred to in the previous verses here of the love of money.

[5:36] The root of all evil. But Paul writes, Follow after these things. Chase after these things. Pursue them. And it's an ongoing command. It's a command that is ongoing for us to apply day by day.

[5:49] So there's a number of marks here. A number of marks. Often they're missing marks in men today. Missing marks in men today sadly. The marks of the man of God.

[6:01] God is looking for men. Now I thank God my mother and father called me Andrew. It means manly. It means manly. And we need men who are manly today.

[6:12] The world today is filled with unmanly men. Effeminate men. Soft and soppy men. We need men who have got stamina. Who have got spine.

[6:23] Men who will be man. But most of all men will be God's men. Men of God. Men of God. And the first mark is righteousness. Righteousness. Man, choose what is right.

[6:35] Choose what is right. It's about choosing that which is right. Which is holy. Which is godly in character. In honesty and truth. It's about your example.

[6:46] Righteousness is about your example. In your business dealings. In paying your debts. In your tax affairs. In your character. In acting in a good conscience.

[6:58] So that whatever you do. If people were to scratch the surface. They would see that you're still the same. Under those layers that the people see. That it's not just skin deep. Your Christianity.

[7:09] Your righteousness is in your very core. It's about who you are. As a person. I know I was talking to a Christian businessman lately. And he was saying. We always pay our GST. You know.

[7:20] He could have juggled the books. And diddled the books. It's easy enough to trick the tax man. If you can use a few little tricks here and there.

[7:30] But brothers and sisters. Men of God. We know that we have someone to account to. Is beyond the ATO. And the Prime Minister of Australia. We have to deal with the God.

[7:43] With whom we have to give account. Be a man of God. Be righteous. Be right. Do right. Do the right thing. Righteousness. And the good thing about being a Christian. And your righteousness. Is that your righteousness.

[7:55] Is truly his righteousness. When you know Jesus Christ. He gave you his righteousness. Be man enough to say no to sin. And to say yes to God.

[8:06] A man who will stand tall. Stand up. Stand strong. Philippians 1.11 it says. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness. Which are by Jesus Christ.

[8:17] Unto the glory and praise of God. As a son. As a husband. As a father. Aspire for righteousness. It's a mark. Of the man of God.

[8:28] The first two marks here. Righteousness. Is evidence towards men. You could say. And godliness. Is evidence towards God. And Isaiah 54.17 it says.

[8:39] Their righteousness. Is of me. Saith the Lord. Isn't that good? To know that. Your righteousness. Is of the Lord. It's his righteousness. As 2 Corinthians 5.21 says.

[8:50] For he hath made him. To be sin for us. Who knew no sin. That we might be made. The righteousness of God. In him. Righteousness begins.

[9:01] And it's maintained. In him. And the kingdom of God. Is not in meat and drink. But righteousness. And peace and joy. In the Holy Ghost. Romans 14.17.

[9:12] So. Men. Be a man of integrity. Be a man of righteousness. Man of righteousness. And secondly. Man of godliness. Man of godliness.

[9:23] You know. Not far from where. Our brother read earlier. In Genesis. It says. Man was made. In the likeness and image of God. You were made that way man. In the beginning.

[9:33] But we know. Man was marred. And. It repented God. That he made man. Because man made such a mess. And distorted the image so much. As sin.

[9:45] Invaded. His life. Godliness can be refreshed. In your life. In your home life. In your work life. In your spiritual life. That you can be a man of God. A man with godliness.

[9:56] 1 Timothy 4.8. Paul exhorts Timothy. That. Exercise. Profits a little. For the body. But godliness is profitable. Unto all things.

[10:07] Godliness is profitable. It will do you good. Godliness. It speaks of reverence. It speaks of holiness. Of devotion. Some have put the cart. Before the horse.

[10:18] They think that. It's all about happiness. But. God has called us to holiness. Not happiness. You know. Some. Put all the emphasis on the happiness.

[10:28] The happenings. The happenstance. But god wants you to be holy. A holy people. And godliness is profitable. It will bring reward. To your life. In the day by day.

[10:39] Where the rubber hits the road. You can raise the banner. You can raise the standard. And aspire to godliness. The third mark of the man of god. Is faith. Faith.

[10:50] Or faithfulness. Really. To be a man of god. It starts with faith. You might have all these character traits. In the. Greater or lesser degrees. But if you lack faith.

[11:02] It's impossible to please god. Without faith. It is impossible. To please god. There's some. Very nice people in our world. That don't have faith in christ. They will not see him.

[11:12] They will not see heaven. They will see hell. And it's not just any old faith. There's people with faith. In a generic sense. It's faith in christ. As your lord and saviour. Your master.

[11:23] Life changing faith. Eternity changing faith. Faith in christ. Faith in the saviour. And faith is a mark of the man of god. It makes us born again.

[11:34] Faith. As you trust him. You're born again. You become that man of god. By faith. You're born. Into god's family. That trust in christ. That saves us all.

[11:46] It will carry you through that life. As a man of god. A man of conviction. A man with loyalty to god. A man of faithfulness. Faith or faithfulness.

[11:56] This is the mark. Faithfulness is lacking today. Amen. Faithfulness. A dependable man. One that can be relied upon. One that can be counted upon.

[12:07] I thank god that in my absence. And generally in his absence. Faithful men have stood up and filled the gap. As it has happened. As there's been need to fill the pulpit.

[12:18] And to cover activities in the church. I thank god. The faithful men. That's what we need. Amen. We need some more faithful men. You can be a faithful man.

[12:29] You have not been so faithful. God can make you a faithful man. And Proverbs 28.20 it says. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

[12:43] You can be a faithful man. God will help you. Faithfulness in your marriage. Faithfulness in your church life. Faithfulness in your spiritual life. It's a wonderful character trait.

[12:55] I read a quote lately. It said. Most people in our day have joined the cult of the uncommitted. Preachers dare not declare the whole counsel of God.

[13:06] Lest they offend. This is very little commitment among professing Christians today. Faith. They say. Be open minded. Be tolerant. Of everything and everybody.

[13:18] Right or wrong. Where is the faithfulness? Faithfulness to the word. Faithfulness to the saviour. Faithfulness to your calling. Man who will be standing strong.

[13:29] And faithful. Who will not bend or be bent. Who will be firm and faithful. Faithfulness. Faith. Fourthly. Love. Love. Love is a mark of the man of God.

[13:42] Love that's active. That's about the work. That's about the service of the saviour. And of man. We are to live out our faith.

[13:53] Galatians 5.6 it says in part. Faith which worketh by love. Our faith works by love. Our faith should be evident in how we love.

[14:04] In how we care. In how we are activated. 1 Thessalonians 1.3 talks about a labour of love. Work of faith. And labour of love. And friends when the word of God.

[14:16] Largely the word is agape. We are mentioned. Agape in the Greek. Is sacrificial love. It's self-sacrificing love. And I'm told that agape.

[14:28] This particular word. From which we translate love. Love. Largely in the New Testament. Is not appearing in Greek literature.

[14:39] Before that. Except for an occasional time. Where it was used to translate. The Old Testament. In the. The Greek version of the Old Testament. Brothers and sisters. God's love.

[14:50] Is special. It's beyond the love. Of this world. It's self-denying love. Self-sacrificing love. And think of love. You know. Sometimes we don't think to love.

[15:01] I know a lot's been said about love lately. In some of the messages. Brother Phil last week. The love of God. The love of Christ. The love of the saints. The love of God.

[15:14] Should be manifest. It should be evident. Self-sacrificial love. And think of it. It's been said that. If you only had five minutes. Left. What you would do. And someone said.

[15:25] The phone box would be crammed with people. Trying to ring someone. And say. I love you. I love you. I love you. Those that we care about. Those that we. That we have compassion for.

[15:36] Why wait. Until the last five minutes. Before you tell someone. You love them. That you love them. Men. You can say I love you. You can say I love you.

[15:47] To your spouse. To your children. To your friends. Say I love you. While you have time. Be a man. After God's own heart.

[15:57] Think of the heart of Christ. Think of God's own heart. And be a man. After God's own heart. What is love? Someone put it. It is silence. When your words would hurt.

[16:10] It is patience. When your neighbours hurt. It's deafness. When a scandal flows. It's thoughtfulness. For others woes. It's promptness. When stern duty calls.

[16:21] It's courage. When misfortune falls. Love. Love. Man of God. Be marked by it. Be marked by that love. By that compassion. By that tender heartedness.

[16:32] That heart of God. Walk in love. Act in love. Speak the truth in love. Another mark. The fifth one here. Is patience. Patience. Well you could say perseverance.

[16:44] Endurance. Steadfastness. Steadfastness. What kind of man will you be. When the blow torch comes. When the heat is applied. When you feel the true test.

[16:58] Whether it be flood or fire. You know we've had some flood. In our house you might not have heard. Half our house got flooded lately. And the test comes. The floods come. The fire comes.

[17:09] It hasn't come yet. Hopefully you don't get that as well. But brothers and sisters. The test comes. The blow torch comes. And you are called man of God. Women of God. To endure.

[17:20] Endure hardness. As a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He will see you through. He'll stand by you through trials. He'll stand you through. It's about being consistent.

[17:32] And sticking with it. 2 Thessalonians 3.9.13 Be not weary in well doing. We can get weary. All of us can get weary. In well doing.

[17:44] But God wants you to be faithful. To be steadfast. It's in fact one of God's names. In Romans 15.5. It calls him. The God of patience. Or the God of perseverance.

[17:55] And consolation. Romans 15.5. The God of patience. Is your God. And how should we be more like him? Think about how patient. God is with you.

[18:07] How patient he is with you. In all of your. Meanderings. And wanderings. All we like sheep have gone astray. How patient he is with us. How patient.

[18:18] How loving kind. How persevering. How patient. And knowing this. That the trying of your faith. Worketh patience. It says. In James 1.3. And 1 Corinthians 15.

[18:30] 15.5. Where earths be steadfast. Unmovable. Always abounding. In the work. Of the Lord. Will you be that one?

[18:41] Steadfast. Unmovable. Always abounding. In the work. Of the Lord. Young William Wilberforce. Was a man. A God. Used in the government. Of his day.

[18:52] As a Christian man. And one day. In the early 1790s. He had another defeat. In his 10 year battle. To free. England.

[19:02] From the slave trade. As he battled. Against slavery. Tired and frustrated. He opened his Bible. One day. To leaf through it. And a small piece of paper. Fell out.

[19:13] And fluttered to the floor. It was a letter. Written by John Wesley. Shortly before his death. And Wilberforce. Read it. Again. Unless the divine power.

[19:23] Has raised you up. I see not how. You can go through. Your glorious enterprise. In opposing. That abominable practice. Of slavery. Which is the scandal. Of religion.

[19:34] Of England. And of human nature. Unless God. Has raised you up. For this very thing. You will be worn out. By the opposition. Of men and devils. But. If God. Before you.

[19:46] Who. Can be. Against you. Men of God. Oh. Be not weary. Of well doing.

[19:56] Go on. In the name of God. And in the power. Of his might. If God. Before you. Who. Can be. Against you. Men of God.

[20:07] Don't be put off. Don't be deterred. From the walk of faith. From the life of faith. When your faith is tested. It will produce perseverance. It will produce patience. God is looking for man.

[20:20] Man. Man with patience. With endurance. With steadfastness. Man of grit. Man with guts. Man with perseverance. Man with resolve.

[20:31] Man with determination. We know some folk. Can test our patience. Sometimes it's the. It's the neighbour next door. Or our spouse at times.

[20:42] Or whatever it might be. Someone that gets under your skin. From time to time. People can test your patience. But we are to be patient. Towards all. It says.

[20:52] 1 Thessalonians 5.14. We exhort your brethren. Warn them. That are unruly. Comfort the feeble minded. Support the weak. Be patient. Towards all men. So you've got no excuse.

[21:04] Whoever it is. That you have trouble. Being patient with. I know someone's talking about their boss. Early today. Be patient. With all men. With all men. Be persevering. Be enduring.

[21:14] Be steadfast. And sixthly. Meekness is the. The last character trait here. Meekness or gentleness. And really. It's been said that meekness is the opposite.

[21:26] Of self assertion. And self interest. You know sometimes. This world. And it's psychology. Would. Emphasise self esteem. And self assertion.

[21:37] And. Maybe there's some. Value in that. In certain circumstances. But the word of God. Exhorts you to meekness. To lowliness of mind.

[21:47] To humbleness. To putting yourself. In the last place. In the lowest place. It's really the opposite. Of self assertion. And self interest. Because really. Our value.

[21:58] Is not from our self. But from our saviour. Isn't it? He is the one. Who is everything good. About. Us. And Matthew 11. 29. He says. Take my yoke upon you.

[22:08] And learn. Of me. For I am meek. Meek. And lowly. In heart. And you shall find rest. Unto your souls. Learn of that one. The lowly in heart. The meek saviour.

[22:21] Of course we know. There's times. When he was strong. As he threw the. Money changers out. Of the temple. He was strong. When he rebuked. The Pharisees. The Sadducees.

[22:32] The hypocrites. And he was. Reaching out. To the. The castaways. Friends. Being like Moses. He was very meek.

[22:43] It says of him. Numbers 12. 3. Very meek. Above all the men. Which were upon the face of the earth. Will you be meek? Will you be a man of God. Who is meek. Before him. Humble yourself.

[22:54] Under the mighty hand of God. That he may exalt him. In due time. James it says. Receive with meekness. The engrafted word. Receive the word. Meekly. Obey it.

[23:05] Take heed of it. Don't refuse it. Don't neglect it. And it says in Titus 3. 2. Showing meekness unto all men. To speak evil of no man. To be no brawlers but gentle.

[23:16] Showing meekness unto all men. And love. Charity suffereth long. And is kind. Charity andeth not. Vaunteth not itself. Is not puffed up.

[23:26] You know sometimes men. We can get puffed up. Puffed up. With our own sense of importance. Puffed up. With our status. With our background. With our learning. With our job.

[23:37] With whatever it is of our life. But really the only thing. That should inflate us. Is the wonder of Calvary. The wonder that Christ would pick me. Out of the miry clay.

[23:48] And put my feet on the rock. That God in his mercy. Would cleanse my heart. From all its sin. And come and live within that cleansed temple. And put his Holy Spirit within me.

[24:00] That is the wonder. That is what enthralls us. That is what elates us. Friends today. Someone wrote this in Daily Bread. It says. True meekness is best seen in Christ.

[24:13] He was submissive. Never resisting. Or disputing the will of God. His absolute trust in the Father. Enabled him to show compassion. Courage. And self-sacrifice.

[24:25] Even in the most hostile situations. Now let's apply this to ourselves. When we are meek. We will bear all insults. Without lashing out in proud resentment.

[24:37] Or retaliation. We'll thank God in every circumstance. Good or bad as an occasion. To submit to him. Meekness would be weakness.

[24:48] If it meant yielding to sin. But because it stems from goodness and godliness. It's a great strength. Meekness means our relationship with our Saviour.

[24:59] That we'll humbly bow our heart. Our will to him. And do it. Friends. It's meekness. We see those character traits. These six marks. Six missing marks of men.

[25:10] Sadly. Let it be a mark. That you aspire to. These six marks. As I appeal just in closing. Paul concludes this section by saying fight.

[25:21] Fight. Verse 12. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life. Whereunto thou art called. And hast professed a good profession. Before many witnesses.

[25:34] With something to fight for. Something to fight for. To fight for. The good fight. Of the faith. You could put it.

[25:45] The good fight of the faith. Jude wrote. Contend earnestly for the faith. And the Saviour says. Will he find faith. Will he find the faith.

[25:56] On the earth when he comes. Friends. We're in trying days. I'll be talking further about this tonight. This message will continue tonight. So as an advert today. Fight the good fight.

[26:07] Fight the good fight. Where are the men. Where are the men. Strong enough. In God. To stand. Strong enough to fight.

[26:19] To stand up. To stand up for the faith. The faith once delivered. To the saints. Now. Fight the good fight of faith. You could translate it. Agonise the good agony.

[26:30] It's the Greek underlying the word. Fight. Or fight. Fight the good fight. Is agony. Agonising. Agonise the good agony.

[26:42] Combat. The good combat. Contest. The good contest. Struggle. The good struggle. It's the sense of the contest. Of the contending. Of the competing.

[26:52] We've had the commonwealth games. Of athletes competing. Of the athletes competing. Testing their sinews and strength to the ultimate. What about you with your faith?

[27:04] Men of God. Will you fight? Will you fight? No. I'm encouraged by men who will fight. I've seen men stand. On street corners. Preaching the gospel. No matter what.

[27:16] The crowd might do or say. Men of God. Men who won't care. What mockery they get. You know. I've had my share in the workplace too. Friends. Men who will stand.

[27:27] Who will stand for Christ. Be that man. Be that man. Who will fight. The good fight. What are we to fight for? The faith. The fight. It's the good fight.

[27:38] It's noble. It's beautiful. It's good. Man of God. You are urged today. To contend for the faith. It's a contest. It takes sustained effort.

[27:49] And training. Just like the athletes. Go into training. You know. Paul writes to Timothy. To exercise yourself.

[28:01] It's got the sense of go into the gym. Gymnazo. Go into the gym. You know. There's some men here who look like they spend a bit of time in the gym. Or maybe they've got some weight lifting stuff at home.

[28:12] But how much more? Bodily exercise. Profit at the little. But godliness. Is so much. So much the more.

[28:23] Friends today. It's a conflict. It will be a conflict for you. Men of God. As you stand for Christ in your workplace. As you be a testimony for Christ. In the day by day.

[28:34] And when they scratch the surface. It won't be something else underneath. You'll be the real deal. It's a conflict. It takes resolve. It takes struggle. And have courage today.

[28:44] Don't quit. Fight back. Fight back. When the enemy comes. Fight. Be a man. A real man. A Christian man. And man of God.

[28:55] Have you failed? For some today you might think. Well. I've blown it on all accounts here. Six marks of the man of God. I don't think I've got much to show. Man of God. Don't lose heart.

[29:06] Don't lose heart. He can pick you up. It says in Proverbs that if a man falls seven times. He will get back up. And friends. God can lift you back up again.

[29:17] You can be lifted up again. You can start over. Don't lose heart today. And finally my brethren. Be strong in the Lord. And in the power of his might.

[29:31] Be man enough to stand. To fight. As a man of God. To live. As a man of God. And friends. Think of it. Of those marks just to repeat. Follow.

[29:43] After. Chase. Pursue. Aspire. To these six things. Righteousness.

[29:54] Godliness. Faith. Love. Patience. Meekness. And fight the good fight. Of faith. Let us pray. Dear Lord.

[30:05] We thank you that you are. The model man. The God man. And for any man here. All we can do is. Seek to tread tenderly in those footprints.

[30:16] Before us. That you have. Taken to the cross. Help us Lord. To be that man. To take up our cross. And follow you. For the women here too. They will aspire. To see their men.

[30:28] In their lives. Become men of God. And that each one of us. Whether man or woman. Can aspire to these traits. Of godliness. And character. Help us Lord. To fight the good fight.

[30:39] To lay hold on eternal life. If there be any here present. They haven't yet. Come to faith. We know your word says. Without faith. It is impossible. Impossible.

[30:50] To please God. Lord. We pray that faith might be. Springing up in hearts. Faith might spring up. Like a tender shoot. Like a little plum.

[31:01] It might break through the soil. Today. And someone might have. That faith. That spark. That simple. Germination of truth.

[31:12] In their heart. That Christ might come. To live in their hearts. By faith. As they see you Lord. As the one. Who suffered and died. Who bled. Most of all.

[31:23] Who took our sin. On your own body. On that tree. Wounded for us. Bruised for us. And resurrected for us.

[31:34] Our living saviour. Lord. As we put our faith. Our hearts trust. In your work. We know that righteousness. Is born within. Your righteousness. Comes to us. Lord.

[31:44] We thank you for it. Help each one. If any have failed. If any are feeling defeated. That they might dust themselves off. And rise up. As a man of God. In their home. In their family.

[31:55] In their community. For your mercy's sake. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. I love to tell the story. Of haunting things above.

[32:10]  Of Jesus and his glory.