Worship

Are You the Man?

August 21, 2011

Introduction

Several years ago, we were attending one of the brotherhood lectureships, and one of the speakers related an event in his life that I want to share with you this morning. He was a preacher, and was in his study at church one morning when for some reason he began to think about the house next door to the church building. He knew he had never knocked on the door, and he began to think about that. He decided it was time to go next door.

When he knocked on the door, the lady of the house came to the door. Her eyes were red, and it was obvious she had been crying. I think the preacher probably said “Good morning,” and than she asked him a question. “Are you the man?? He said, “I don’t know, “What do you mean, am I the man?” She said my husband and I have been fussing and fighting. Our lives are a wreck, and we don’t know what to do. I have been praying that God would send us a man to help us straighten out our lives. Are you the man?”

Now, I ask you, how would you feel, or what would you do if someone asked you, “Are you the man?? How many ways can we ask the question, “Are you the man?”

Body

I. Are you a Barnabas?

(Acts 4:36-37 NKJV) And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, {37} having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

A. Are you known as one who encourages others? We have them here in church.

1. They meet every Sunday evening.

2. They mail cards to encourage visitors.

3. They mail cards to encourage members.

4. They are an encouragement.

5. Others do similar things on their own.

B. We are encouraged to encourage others.

1. Peter exhorted others to obey the gospel.

(Acts 2:40-41 NKJV) And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." {41} Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

2. The apostles exhorted the new believers to remain faithful.

(Acts 14:21-22 NKJV) And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, {22} strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

3. Paul exhorted others like a father does his own children.

(1 Th 2:10-12 NKJV) You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; {11} as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, {12} that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

II. Are you the man?

A. Are you the family man?

1. We must provide the necessities of daily life.

(1 Tim 5:8 NKJV) But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

2. We must provide for their training.

(Eph 6:4 NKJV) And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

3. We must be the man by being good examples.

(Mat 18:6 NKJV) "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

B. Are you the man, or woman of helping others?

(Acts 9:36-39 NKJV) At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. {37} But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. {38} And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. {39} Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

III. Maybe you are not the man.

A. Maybe you need additional training.

(Acts 18:25-27 NKJV) This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. {26} So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. {27} And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;

B. Maybe there are situations which you cannot help because they are tempting to you.

C. Be sure to always seek God’s guidance in what we do.

IV. We need to help others to know the Man when they see Him.

A. Jesus came, but His own people did not recognize Him.

(John 1:10-12 NKJV) He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. {11} He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. {12} But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

B. The Jewish people totally missed Who Jesus was.

(Isa 53:3-6 NKJV) He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. {4} Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. {5} But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. {6} All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Conclusion

I. Are you the man?

If you are, are you doing what you can to help those who need you?
If you are not, can you get someone else to help?

At the Cracker Barrel in Burleson, there is the picture of a Collie with his head raised and his mouth wide open as he stands over a lamb that has fallen. Thursday evening Carolyn noticed something in the picture I had never noticed: vultures waiting for the lamb to die. Will we be the Collie? Calling for help, or being the helper?

II. Will we help others recognize the Man Who went to the cross for us/

III. Are you the man someone has been praying for?

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