Reclaiming Priorities of Biblical Manhood

Notes from a keynote address given by Pastor Ted Haggard (President, National Association of Evangelicals) to the NCMM Conference, November 12, 2004

Our society has a very warped view of masculinity. The view has changed because of the transition from a rural to an urban society where the definitions of family and work have been altered. We can reclaim biblical manhood through (1) developing a strong philosophy of life, (2) a strong philosophy of church, and (3) a strong philosophy of government. Our call to biblical manhood means that we understand that the gospel is always on the move and that we need to step up to the call.

Background
We struggle with masculinity because of the change in our society from agriculture/rural to an urban environment. In nineteenth century America a man and wife worked together. There was friendship and cooperation in the community. Today we live in an urban environment where the church needs to fill the friendship and cooperation gap. There should not be conflict over masculinity or sexual identity. Boys should grow to be men (masculinity) and girls to be women (feminity).
Masculinity is not crudeness or trying to be tough. In the past masculinity meant:

• Moses,(one of the best educated men in the Old Testament) combined that education with authentic spirituality to lead the children of Israel.
• Paul, one of the best trained men in the New Testament, combined his training with authentic spirituality to reach, first the Jews, and then the gentiles,
• They led because of an internal conviction and a deep, abiding concern for people.
• We are one weird group. We have moved away from the farm, away from hunting, away from working together, away from the family network. Now we live in cities where work has been redefined and our families are breaking down. The local church needs to become the small town - a cohesive family unit
• There are no long-term relationships. People slip from church to church. We move from friendship to friendship. We have different friends at different times or stages in life.
• Bill Bright said that every where the gospel has made a measurable societal impact, crime rates are own, teen pregnancy is down, and divorce rates are down. Society is impacted through a successful local church.
• Human beings are nurtured through a series of relationships not through information or different ideas or reading a book or attending conferences. It happens only though the family. And where there is no functioning, family it must happen through the church.
• Local church is essential in restoring moral values in a society moving in a direction opposed to the will of God. The local church is in the business of transforming people through the Word of God; radical transformation. Men's ministry must be in the business of building strong local churches. The purpose of men's ministry is to grow strong healthy churches.

Reclaiming Biblical Manhood

We must establish a biblical world view (a set of ideas framed in authentic spirituality) as did Jesus, Moses and Paul. We need biblical ideas and spiritual impartation to establish a healthy functioning world view. We are the products of salvation. But our gospel involves more than salvation. It is a full gospel. Society is in ruin where nothing is taught beyond salvation. The full gospel is about social justice, mental health, physical health, family life, order in the workplace, good government, order of personal lives. We can tell those places in the world where only the gospel of salvation has been presented. In those places people claim to be born again, but society is in ruin. On the other hand, where more than the gospel of salvation is taught, people understand the biblical husband and wife relationship, employee and employer relationships, community relationships, etc.

1. Develop a Strong Philosophy for Life: bearing, roots, core. More than intellectual understanding. It means being spiritually empowered.
• Develop a Strong Philosophy of Family:
• Dignity through working together
• Define a family purpose - achieve it together
• Develop a Strong Philosophy of Work:
• Work is honorable according to the Bible
• Idea of Sabbath most disobeyed command of scripture
• Work is not a drudgery
• For the purpose of doing the things we like to do
• God gave us women to help us do our work - together
2. Develop a Strong Philosophy of Church: relational ties, local church
• Success that takes us out of the local church
• Intentionally invest in the local church
• Special days happen only when your average days are in order. (taking out the garbage, changing diapers)
• The art of successful living is successfully living out our average days
3. Develop a Strong Philosophy of Government
• Creation of wealth v responsibility of using that wealth
• Economic growth a world-view
• Human governance issues - motivation, energized people
• Political issues
• A God intoxicated people transform society. MLK

Success of the Church

• 160,000 Bibles printed every day
• 11,000,000 portions of scripture distributed every day
• 1 billion won to the Lord over next ten years
• 5 million pastors on the field in the next ten years
• Travel, communicate, more resources
• 470 Martyrs per year because the gospel is advancing not because darkness is advancing.
• Know more about prayer and fasting
• Gospel always advances. Always.
• 70,000 people a day come to Christ
• More born-again Christians in US Government today than ever before. More prayer groups on Capitol Hill than ever before.
• "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Rev 21:8 (NIV) Being a coward is the same as unbelief and results in the second death. People do not understand biblical world-view and therefore they are cowards. They lack understanding. God calls us to courage.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father
I got it
I understand
I know where I am in time
I know what you are doing in my generation and
I know what my role is
I am determined to be a man of courage in your army and
I am called to raise us men of courage
Strong men
Men who are equipped
Men who are able
Men who are well trained
To make the world to an easy place from which to go to heaven
I'm committed
I'm called
I'm chosen
I'm ready
In Jesus name,
Amen.