June 17, 2009

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

So far this week I have talked about the need to have a godly man whom you can model your life after. I said that you need to "see one to be one".

Yesterday I identified one such man, Noah, of the Old Testament. He is the first man on record to have a boat, a real big boat. And he may have been the last guy who could really afford a boat. Anyway, I mentioned three manly things that I admire about Noah and this morning I want to talk about the first of those three.

The first manly thing that Noah did was to please God.

Our current model of manhood says, "Go after whatever pleases you. Life is about the pursuit of pleasure."

It was precisely because of that attitude that Noah had to build the Ark. Everyone other man on the face of the earth was living for pleasure and doing whatever he pleased. That did not please God. In fact, it so offended the holiness of God that He decided to send a flood and wash away all the wickedness.

Enter, Noah.

In stark contrast to all the wicked men chasing their lusts, God saw Noah living life to please God. That was all He needed - just one good man who was committed to pleasing God.

As men, you and I have people we have to please. You'd better please the wife and the family and you'd better please the boss. Those are givens. But above all, the primary way to "man up" is to please God.

So, how do I do that?

Let's learn from a man who did it.

First, to "man up" takes faith. ".....without faith it is impossible to please God...."

Everyone believes in something, so by definition, everyone has some sort of faith. But Noah knew that his faith needed to be anchored in God. For Him, God, who was unseen, had to be more real than the people and things he did see. That takes a spiritual connection with God. Noah had that, and he had it because he was righteous. It is sin that separates us from God and clouds our spiritual vision. Noah keep sin out of his life and remained righteous. How did he do that? By obeying God. God is pleased when we demonstrate our devotion to Him by doing what we know He wants us to do. It takes a real man to live out the invisible in visible ways. Noah did - and it floated his boat!

Second, to "man up" you need to "diligently seek Him".

Everyone is seeking something. Some men chase fame. Some chase fortune. Some chase females. Noah chased God. He was not content having God as a casual acquaintance. The more he discovered about God, the more he wanted to know. He believed in a personal God Who knows us and wants to be known by us. Noah understood that there is a God-shaped hole in the center of our being that nothing else can fill or satisfy. When the world around him was living like hell, Noah was chasing heaven. That takes a real man!

Third, to "man up" you need to believe that pleasing God is life's greatest reward. Every guy has his eyes on some prize. The prize may be a position or a promotion. It might be a pleasure or a possession. But the real question is, "when I get this prize, will it be worth it"? If you are going to devote blood, sweat, tears, and time to win a prize, you better hope you don't get disappointed. Noah wasn't disappointed by pleasing God. Noah, at this very moment is enjoying his reward. Actually, so are we! Because he chose to obey God and build the Ark, he survived - and so did we. Noah got the earthly prize AND the eternal prize.

The best way to "man up" is to please the "MAN". Noah shows you how, so you have no excuse. "Man up"!