Applicable words from yesteryear

20 years ago today – 8/10/97 – Dr. Rick Ferguson delivered a powerful sermon entitled “Men Behaving Godly”.  After hearing it again recently, I was blown away by how relevant it is for us in 2017.  Frankly, I wish I could transcribe the entire sermon and share it with you, but I’ll just give you some highlights.

In the opening section, Pastor Rick said, “Being male today is not very popular or politically correct…in fact, there are some in our culture today who tell us that being a man is something to be ashamed of; that is a congenital condition that needs to be modified or corrected.  Husbands and fathers are not really important, we are told by some elements of society today.  There is a demonic conspiracy of immense proportions to neutralize the role of men in family, church, and society.  The politically correct thing to do is to be anti-male, and to be gender neutral today.  You understand that, don’t you?"

 

It is specifically the content in the last paragraph that I found so relevant and applicable for our world today.  Rick’s analysis of anti-manhood was true then, and it has only become more widespread 20 years later.  Is it a popular subject matter?  Is it easy for me to bring up now?  Of course not.  But Pastor Rick sounded an alarm 20 years ago, and even though he has been in Heaven for 15 of those years, that alarm still blares loudly today.

Rick went on to say, “I want to suggest that you, first of all, acknowledge the power of your influence, gentlemen…As a husband, you have a powerful influence on your wife.  I’m telling you, your wife’s happiness and emotional security rests almost entirely on you.  I believe that's what the Bible means when it says ‘the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church’ [Ephesians 5:23].  To be the ‘head of your wife’ does not mean that you are her boss, that you are her taskmaster, [or] that you are to rule over her like a tyrant.  To be ‘the head of your wife’ means you have the responsibility for her long-term wellbeing.”

“We must never forget that we are to love our wives ‘as Christ loved the church’ [Ephesians 5:25].”  Incidentally, let me throw in my two cents worth here. Ephesians 5:25 in its entirety reads, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself up for her.”  Jesus literally gave His life for His bride.  Therefore, a husband should be willing to die for his wife, if necessary.

“And then for you fathers,” Pastor Rick continued, “You have a powerful influence on your children…I challenge you, read your Bibles, particularly in the books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles, see how often you find [men that] followed the pattern or the example of the fathers.  For instance, 2 Chronicles 17, the Bible says in verse 3, Jehoshaphat ‘walked in the ways of his father David, and sought not Baal.’  He followed the example of a godly father.  2 Chronicles 26:4: Uzziah ‘did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done.’

“You can find others who followed the example of godless fathers and wicked men.  1 Kings 22, verse 52, Ahaziah ‘did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he walked in ways of his father’, Ahab.  Jeremiah 9:14 says, ‘They walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baal, as their fathers taught them.’ “Some of you fellows need a wake-up call today.  Because the way you’re conducting your life has a domino effect beyond your life, to the next generation, to the next generation.  I wish you men could be a pastor for just one week, one day, one hour, and see…how men and women are affected by the godlessness or godliness of their fathers.”

As I conclude, I want you to understand that I am acutely aware that we have covered some difficult subjects today.  You don’t post a blog like this one thoughtlessly, believe me.  To be candid, I have felt the weight of this blog content bear down heavily on my shoulders.  I struggled with whether I should throw in some jokes or something to make this a little less intense.  But, beloved readers, truth is truth, even if it is hard truth.  I just pray that the Lord would give us men ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts inspired to step up and obey God.

Kevin