“Man Up” the Sermon

1 Kings 2:1-3 (NIV) “When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”

It’s time for us men to MAN UP!

This message is for adult men, specifically African American men

Men who are looking to raise the bar in their lives

Men who are looking to raise the bar in the lives of their children by applying Biblical principles to all aspects of life

We are going to use the example of King David’s words to his son Solomon as he was about to die

I will also share some of the life lessons I have learned during my own journey to become a man

Let’s talk about how God expects a man to act in this age of fatherless sons and the subtle feminization of men that is permeating our society.

It’s time to MAN UP!

What does it take to Man UP?

Be Strong - Act Like a Man

Be Observant - Know God’s Word (What He expects you to do)

Be Faithful – Walk in Obedience (Do what He wants you to do)

Endure – Keep Obeying

Then, you will prosper!

Let’s unpack each of these

What does it mean to Be Strong – Act Like a Man

Fear NOT!!

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

If you remain faithful and obedient, you will accomplish all that He has for you to accomplish in life, nothing more and nothing less!

Don’t QUIT!

Winners never quit and quitters never win!

Hanging in there and enduring hardships speaks a lot about a person’s integrity

Real men are people of integrity. Integrity can be defined as:

always telling the truth

doing what you say you will do

accepting responsibility for your actions

Strive for Excellence

Colossians 3:23 ESV “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”

Do Things right the FIRST TIME!

Or else you will have to do them over!

Lawn mowing and hedge trimming story

Help people get what they want and eventually you will get what you want.

True measure of strength is this: “Are you strong enough to put others first and serve them?”

Humans are born with a natural selfish nature. To put ourselves first.

Treat others (FIRST) like you want to be treated.

Be OBSERVANT - Knowing God’s Word

Hide God’s Word in your heart

Read a Proverbs a Day for Wisdom

Be a man of Discipline and Sacrifice

Realize that there is nothing new under the sun

Too many people are looking for TRUTH in the wrong places

I’ve never created anything, only discovered things

Discovered that TRUTH is found in the Bible

It’s my job to read it and search for TRUTH

Ideas can be the killer of productivity!

Once you know, it’s time to go and do…

Be Faithful – Walk in Obedience to God’s Word

Remember, Philippians 4:13 “You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength”

In dealing with other people

Learn to speak the 5 Love Languages

Daddying - Being a good dad means being there for your kids

It takes a man to show a man how to be a man

Don’t be a baby’s daddy!

Be there, be an example, have a good family life!

Teach your kids and others…

How to take care of their stuff and share their stuff

That practice makes perfect

Repetition is the key to learning

About teamwork

Endure – Keep Obeying

Endurance takes Positive Thinking

Change thinking, attitude, performance, productivity

Importance of reading the Bible daily

Work hard, set goals, and push for high achievement.

Learn to think like God.

Ezekiel 11:19 (NIV) “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Learning from Others

The average person learns from their own mistakes, the wise person from the mistakes of others, but a fool never learns.

I’ve done jail ministry and share this thought

I’ve never been to jail but learned from my real dad that I don’t want to go there

Story of Denise

Denise Lesson 1: Remember the Golden Rule

Denise Lesson 2: Influence of friends

David tells Solomon to get rid of Joab

Do Nice Things for other People

Then, you will prosper

All these things come before the prospering

Life is about choices and consequences

Deuteronomy 30:15 (NIV) “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.”

No matter the circumstance, CHOOSE JOY

Prospering is FUN – learn how to have fun

When you mess up – God is always willing to give HIS GRACE!

Story of Cat

Conclusion:

We need strong MEN in our society, in our churches, leading our families

God wants to bless these MEN and see them prosper

When we do, everyone will be better for it

This can happen IF we DO what David advised Solomon to do…

Be Strong, Act like a man, Know God’s Word, Walk in Obedience, and Keep Walking in Obedience… THEN we will prosper.