M E N O N T A R G E T
The principle of the enlarged sphere of Influence
Why godly masculinity is inseparable from spiritual leadership
By Jay Wegter
INTRODUCTION: Knowing that God is for your godly masculinity will help guard men from exasperation and from a paralyzing sense of inadequacy. Who you are in Christ as defined by Scripture is our ‗power base‘ because spiritual leadership is growing into who you really are in Christ. God is for your godly masculinity more than you can know. There is unspeakable joy in a man‘s heart when he assumes his role of spiritual leadership (Tim Clement preaching example). Like an athlete who tests the limits of his endurance and strength, the man engaged in spiritual leadership realizes that he is on a journey of discovery (of knowing his Lord) as he takes risks for God in spiritual ministry. He is out on a limb with God—he is trying things he never dreamed he would attempt.
So much of the Christian life (in its grace-driven dimension) is learning to be what you are as an adopted son of God—living by the sonship „script‟ (our identity in Christ) instead of living by self-protective fear lest our inadequacy will be discovered and exposed.
Our seminar will address the subject of finding joy in our God-given masculine role as ―spiritual influencers‖ and how those spheres of spiritual influence are enlarged through faithfulness. The title, ―Men on Target‖ is taken from a concept illustrated by the rings of a target. The target center pictures a man‘s privilege and duty of abiding in Christ. A man‘s faithfulness in the ‗bull‘s eye‘ of the target (abiding in Christ) fits him to lead spiritually in marriage and family (the next ‗ring‘ out from the bull‘s eye). The outer ring is the man‘s role in the local church, in gospel outreach, and in missions. For single men, the second ring from the center pictures his relationships and his role as a spiritual influencer.
Scripture is clear—the vitality of the Christian family and the local church is directly tied to the willingness of men to exercise their God-given spiritual influence. Men finding satisfaction in learning to lead spiritually in the home and in the body of Christ is the basis for true shepherding and discipleship. Spiritual leadership is spiritual influence; but too often the assumption is that spiritual leadership is primarily giftedness and personality pushed through a Christianized business model grid. Not so— spiritual leadership is radical identification with Christ and His purposes summarized in The Great Commission. Spiritual influence is relational lifestyle in which truth and caring and nurture merge.
My experience as a discipler has taught me that men hesitate to attempt to spiritually influence others because it can make you feel so darn inadequate. In addition, they know that they lack spiritual integrity. Spiritual integrity means that what a man says (his spiritual message) does not contradict what he is (his lifestyle). Thus, the man able to influence spiritually is the man in whom the Word of God is active—transforming him, controlling him, giving him discernment in all things (which brings us to our outline). Who is adequate for these things? Our adequacy is from God (2 Cor 3:5).
I. “The Man and his Master”
Abide in Christ so that you might grow in your knowledge of the Lord (1 Jn 2:28).
Abiding in Christ is living out our Union with Christ (John 15:1-11). The meaning of ABIDE – (Grk. meno) – to remain, to continue, to stay on—to hold fast and to remain steadfast. In the Gospel of John, ―abide‖ refers to the closest possible relationship—the believer‘s mystical union with Christ. To ―abide‖ is to be held by Christ; it is to allow oneself to be owned by Christ, right down to the depths of one‘s being. Our responsibility in abiding is to care for this relationship with the Lord given to us at salvation.
When we abide in Christ, we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:14a, Gal 3:27). The believer has already clothed himself with Christ (Gal 3:27). Now the command in Romans 13:14 is to keep putting on Christ; that is to rely on Christ again and again, in faith and confidence, in grateful loyalty and obedience. To put on Christ is to live in Christ as our sphere of existence. It is to abide in Christ as our soul‘s prosperity. It is to love Christ; to live for Christ; to love the things of God. It is to cling to Christ and His gracious work as that which has delivered us from corruption. When we put on Christ, we draw near to find in Him our identity, our purpose, and our direction; we are living out our union with Him and caring for the relationship given at salvation.
The ability to abide in Christ is God-given (v. 4). To abide is to live out our shared life with Him. We abide by the power of the indwelling Spirit; but it is our responsibility to abide—it is our sacred trust, our stewardship. God works through our Spirit-empowered faith and diligence to keep us on the narrow way (Col 1:23; Heb 2:1; 1 Pet 1:5).
Fruit-bearing is a function of abiding in Christ (vv. 4, 5). The vitality and life source of the true vine is stressed again as in 15:1 (v. 5). Those who are out of relation to Christ can do literally nothing whatever (lit. Grk.). Those who have not embraced Christ with a living faith produce no work that is acceptable before God. Our relationship to Christ is one of utter dependency (v. 5). The fruit that is acceptable to God is produced by our abiding in Christ. The branch can only be fruitful if it has constant unimpeded contact with the vine. Our relation to Christ is the source of our spiritual life and fruitfulness. The priority of abiding is addressed to our will—it‘s a decision to depend upon Christ as the condition of fruitfulness. Abiding maintains our close connection with Christ as the source of life and fruitfulness.
II. “The Man and his Munitions”
Know your resources in Christ so that you might step out in obedience (2 Pet 1:3-4).
Adam‘s ‗effortless‘ planetary dominion was lost in the Fall. The creation now resists a man‘s attempts to subdue and lead. Yet, God is for the exercise of our godly manhood more than we can know. Men will do anything to avoid feeling inadequate. The Christian life is learning to live upon Another—upon Christ. Out of Christ‘s sufficiency for us comes our willingness to risk spiritual influence and leadership. Our initiative as spiritual influencers is tied to knowing our gracious resources in Christ.
Often we look within, taking inventory, and then disqualify ourselves as influencers. Christ is the source of the believer‘s power and sufficiency—He grants us everything pertaining to life and godliness. We were called by God‘s own glory and excellence. This is all addressed to our faith so that we reckon God‘s precious and magnificent promises as our power source; as our mission, and as even our job description. God‘s glory and excellence gave us the gospel promises to make us like Christ.
This is the great adventure of the Christian life—stepping out before you see the miracle, the provision, and the power—stepping up to leadership and spiritual influence before you „see‟ divine resources being exerted on your behalf. This is the great lesson He is teaching us as men especially—in our efforts at spiritual leadership we have to learn to step out in the strength of Another, in the strength of Christ. It is a process of learning to rely on the resources provided by Another—and learning that when we obey, we are appropriating those resources and getting to know our Lord in the process.
When we step out in obedience there will be blessed surprises. I think of the disciples (the 70) running back to Jesus in with amazement and excitement, ―Even the demons are subject to us in your Name‖ (Luke 10:17). Our willingness to step out in obedience in spiritual leadership and influence depends in part in us knowing about the divine resources that are ours (our ―Munitions‖).
Our text says, ―Who have received a FAITH of the same kind as ours‖—faith is a gift of God—a gift of divine grace wherein the sinner takes hold of redemption and accepts the finished work of Christ on his behalf (Eph 2:8-9). As one author said, ―Faith breathes the breath God‘s grace supplies.‖
We were called by His own glory and excellence and His glory and excellence formed the promises. God poured His perfections; excellence; glorious attributes into the mould of gospel promises. He has harnessed His infinite perfections and attributes and put them to work in saving, empowering, and perfecting the saints. These promises are mighty because God‘s attributes stand behind them.
God has lavished these divine resources upon us (everything needed for life and godliness)—our resources in Christ are sufficient to meet all of life‘s demands (Phil 4:19). He is willing to do beyond what we could ask or think—Eph 3:20. The more withdrawals of grace; the more He is glorified in our lives. It is essential to know our resources in Christ. What resolve, stability, and comfort in our setbacks, our sins, our declines, bouts of inadequacy, times of unfruitfulness, battles with indwelling sin.
III. “The Man and his Self Mastery”
Mortify your sexual impurity so that you might be useful to the Master (2 Tim 2:21).
We must reject the lie that we can indulge in lust without sacrificing our spiritual future on the altar of sensual indulgence. The person who lives for pleasure is ‗dead‘ even while they live (1 Tim 5:6). Our sexual desire is to be redeemed and reclaimed for the glory of God. It‘s the ‗how to‘ that is tough.
I. Purity is the prerequisite for spiritual leadership (2 Tim 2:19-21). Nothing in our culture is easier than for a man to be a ‗sensual opportunist‘—that is to passively let sexual temptation wash over him without a resolve to mortify it. God has built the universe around the principle of delayed gratification (which is another way of saying self-control). To live for pleasure is to be an enemy of the cross of Christ. Paul tells us, let a man purify himself of these things (2:21).
II. Purity is the result of watching over one’s heart with diligence (Prov 4:23). The man of God is deliberate—he takes strategic measures to build a ‗perimeter‘ around his heart affections. The cross has severed him from the love of the world (Gal 6:14-15). He applies gospel ‗logic‘ is his resistance against sin; ―Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh‖ (Rom 13:14).
III. Purity is the ‘byproduct’ of delighting in God (Ps 37:4). We have to know where to find the ‗want to‘ and determination to be pure. The best way to beat a bosom sin is to cultivate delight in God. Treasuring God in Christ moves us from duty to delight. Impurity is a discounting of our eternal treasure in Christ; thus it is a refusal to delight in God. Delighting is a determination to value our true riches in Him. Watch over our heart with all diligence—your heart is your most sensitive tool/instrument for worship and for ministry and spiritual influence. I meet ‗Christian‘ men all the time who take better care of their lawn, truck, and dog than they do their hearts.
IV. Purity is maintained and restored through repentance and mortification of sin (Ez 14:1-11). True repentance deals not only with sinful deeds; but with sinful desires (illicit affections). True repentance restores our delighting in God. True repentance is not content to live with guilt—instead it runs to the atonement for cleansing. True repentance enlarges the heart to take in more of God. True repentance daily reviews its true treasure and rejects all else (Phil 3:7-14).
IV. Purity is maintained by presenting God’s truth to our affections by way of Scripture meditation (Ps 119:9-16). Know the benefits of purity and the consequences of impurity. Preach the gospel to yourself every day. Realize that you were redeemed in order to be staggered by the supremacy of Christ. Understand that your present ‗fight of faith‘ is designed to fit you for a nearly unbearable weight of glory to come. Review the fact that the godly man‘s ‗tool‘ is his clear conscience (Acts 24:15-16).
IV. “The Man and his Mission”
Edify the brethren in order to promote the spiritual maturity of the body (Eph 4:15-16).
I. It’s Impossible to be a godly, obedient Christian, and at the same time have a casual relationship to God’s Truth (Josh 1:8).
In passages such as Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 78; 119; and 145, it was evident that the role of the godly man is that of a perpetual “truth speaker.” The obedient Christian must come to the point where he can tell himself, ―I am not loving the people around me properly unless I am willing to speak God‟s truth to them!‖ When the truth of God is backed up by a godly life its proclamation heals, feeds, corrects, equips, preserves, builds up, and establishes the listener (2 Tim 3:16-17). God‘s man knows that in part the spiritual state of those in his sphere depends upon a willingness to speak God‘s truth. Truth speaking is pointed—not general, but filled with penetrating application for their listeners. It is at this juncture that our courage is most likely to fail. We fear being the ―heavy,‖ a meddler, or regarded as judgmental, hypocritical, or as ―holier than thou.‖
What enabled men like Elihu, Elijah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Phinehas to fearlessly speak the truth when they were a minority of one? The answer lies in their zeal for God‘s honor and glory. They knew that all of history is but a record of the honoring and dishonoring of God, and that only those who honor God will ultimately stand (1 Sam 2:30).
II. In order for a believer to excel at speaking the truth, he must first be accomplished at using the Sword of Truth on himself (1 Tim 4:14-16).
A. Those who are skilled at wielding the Sword of Truth are first of all animated by God‟s truth; they desire God‟s truth in their innermost being (Ps 51:6). The godly individual rejects the notion that truth for the believer need not rise above mental assent. God‘s truth has no power over a person unless the truth is loved. Where God‘s truth is loved, it will be central in our conversations (Zech 8:16; Mal 3:16; Deut 6:4-9; 11:18 19). Only when God‘s truth controls the affections can it dominate exceptionally in our lives so as to renew us and transform us (Rom 12:1-2). The faithful believer ultimately can only preach with conviction what he has first preached to his own heart. He can only call for repentance only where the truth has produced ongoing repentance in his own life. He can only communicate with passion the truth of God written on his own heart by the Spirit of God.
B. Truth in the inner man equips us to speak God‟s truth (Ps 145). What must be uttered from the mountain tops must begin as ‗conversations‘ in the heart. We could refer to this as the principle of the enlarged sphere. There is a logical progression in the enlargement of a Christian‘s sphere of spiritual influence. Each step of progression is stipulated on faithfulness in the previous step: 1.) The godly man speaks truth in his own heart. He loves the truth in the inner man. He applies the truth to himself in ongoing repentance. 2.) He speaks truth in the home, faithfully fulfilling the mandate to be a source of edification. He speaks truth in the Body of Christ. He exercises his respective spiritual gifts for the edification of the body. He is able to admonish his fellow believer by means of the Word (Rom 15:14).
- He speaks the truth of the gospel with boldness to a lost and dying generation. Boldness in evangelism must be built upon the principle of the enlarged sphere. For each step of faithful stewardship of the Word prepares a man for a widening sphere of spiritual influence and leadership.
III. Christ is building His church; He commands every member to build with Him.
A. To edify is to build up. We are commanded to please our fellow believer so as to “build him up” (Rom 15:2). Only a true disciple of the Lord can build the church. A true disciple is characterized by a life spent in following Christ. ―If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me‖ (Matt 16:24). Those who follow Christ gather with Him (Luke 11:23)—they are fishers of men (Matt 4:19). They take their ―marching orders‖ from Christ—they have made Christ‘s cause (the Father‘s glory) their cause. They are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). Their boldness for kingdom values is a result of following Christ. ―Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus‖ (Acts 4:13). In a word, they live as spiritual influencers.
B. In order to build up our brethren, we must be deliberate in our intent to edify your brothers. God is calling His men to be outward oriented in order to bring each member to maturity and to draw the lost to Himself (2 Tim 2:2; Rom 15:14; Col 2:19; Eph 4:16ff.; Heb 10:22-25). We are to bear one another‘s burdens, to build up one another (pointing out evidences of grace), and to encourage one another. We are to spur on our brethren to greater faithfulness (Dever and Alexander, The Deliberate Church, 197-199). It is common to come to our church services without edification mandate on our minds. Consider ways that you can you be more deliberate about spiritual conversations intended for the good of your brethren. ―And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds‖ (10:24).
There are countless contexts for the ministry of mutual edification; but all of the members ―speak the truth in love‖ to one another. ―Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God‖ (Col 3:16). What ensues when Christ is dwelling in your hearts with thankfulness is: godly encouraging speech to one another. In this case teaching and admonishing—this is the heartbeat of discipleship. Teaching, admonishing, instructing one another is to be the normative activity of the body—this is a lifestyle of spiritual influence (Rom 15:14; Heb 3:12-13; 10:24-25).
C. This means that God wants all Christians to be regularly speaking to each other—urging and encouraging each other to stick with Christ (Heb 10:24-25). The central purpose in getting together is mutual encouragement—spur others on to love and good deeds as we wait for Christ. How can this happen without us opening our mouths and speaking to one another (Marshall and Payne, The Trellis and the Vine, pp. 46-47)? As soon as we ask a redemptive question ministry begins.
V. “The Man and his Marriage”
Embrace your spiritual headship in order to serve your wife and family (Eph 5:28).
I. Gender roles in Corinth and our call to Spiritual Headship (1 Cor 11:2-16).
A. The role of women is currently a societal battleground. The evil one takes the ideas of secular society and seeks to influence the Church. As a result, the Church tends to ―catch the world‘s diseases‖ when she is willing to adopt the spirit of this age. Paul answers the gender problem in Corinth by affirming that the principle of subordination and authority pervades the whole universe. Woman‘s subordination to man reflects that greater general truth about God‘s order in the universe. Christ submitted to the Father in order to redeem us; and we submit to Christ to be saved from certain doom. If women do not submit to their husbands, society will be disrupted and destroyed (MacArthur, 1 Cor.).
B. Paul says “I would have you know” (11:3). This is a solemn expression concerning God‟s pattern of headship. Gender differences are drawn from a contrast in created glory. In his own home the father is like a king—he reflects the glory of God because control is in his hands. Man as the origin of the woman‘s being is thus the explanation of her being. The creation distinction is to be manifested in the woman being sharply visibly differentiated from the man. Paul makes v. 8 the explanation of v. 7 – man was made solely for God‘s service; woman was made to be a helper to man. She is the glory of man because she finds her fulfillment in serving him; this is her creation role (C. K. Barrett, 1 Cor.).
II. In our role as men we are called to be servant leaders through the exercise of our headship A. Men answering the call to spiritual headship. As men we must know our identity; that in Christ we are the glory of God—don‟t abdicate that role through passivity. The perpetuation of God‘s blueprint for society depends upon two institutions that are intended to systematically teach the truth of God, the knowledge of God, and will of God. These two institutions are the family and the local church. In both of these institutions, God has set up an order that is gender specific. Men are to be the spiritual leaders— they are to imitate Christ. We need to know the reasons why God has appointed men for this role.
Husbands and fathers are literally called upon to reflect, or image God to their families. The husband and father reflects both the love and authority of God. This imaging is incredibly instructive to the family. It has the power to take the communicable attributes of God out of the realm of theory and into the realm of experience. Because he is both love and authority in the same person; the Christian dad is uniquely suited to image the character of God to his family.
1 Corinthians 11:4, 7 affirms the spiritual headship of the man – “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.” When a father occupies his role as spiritual head, he is a clear channel for the glory of God. Fathers are to exert constant spiritual influence within the relational space God has assigned to them. But fathers can only pass on what they are receiving in their own spirits—if God is not the object of a dad‘s love and devotion; then he will not be able to image the relational aspects of true worship.
It is a truth lost upon our feminized secular culture of disrespect that the man is God‟s appointed instrument for conducting honor and glory to his family members. This chain of glory and honor is dependent upon a man knowing Christ his Head. It is God‘s intent that glory, dignity, and honor (resulting from the knowledge of God) flow through the man. Our challenge as men is to know the dimensions of this fragile conduit that conducts divine glory and honor; for nothing is easier than to have the flow of glory interrupted by a man‘s disobedience and neglect. The greater a man‘s passion to know God; the more he will be ready and willing to image God‘s love, truth, and authority to his family. The man who seeks God as his life‘s calling will embrace the vision to image God (Getty: you must love God).
When a man embraces his spiritual headship, he will avidly seek to communicate to his family the character of Christ. Jesus epitomizes godly masculinity: He lived a life of self-denial. He taught fidelity to principle; delayed gratification; maximum servanthood; self control; meekness; love for the brethren; righteous indignation; compassion; courage; willingness to suffer for righteousness sake; even die for the truth. Everything He did on earth perfectly imaged the character of His heavenly Father.
We are to overcome inner resistance to occupying our spiritual headship. We could designate this particular resistance as Adam‘s gender-specific wound. For Adam‘s manhood and ours have been wounded by sin. His dominion would no longer be effortless; but would be met by obstacles at every point. We could compare Adam‘s gender-specific wound to a broken scepter—the symbol of his ruling stewardship under God. The man appointed by God to be planetary king was, from then on, struggling with personal inadequacy. As men, have inherited Adam‘s condition; ―his broken scepter.‖
Countless things can bring our inherent weakness to light. Every man fears being weighed in the scales and found wanting; being found inadequate in one or all of his roles. We hesitate to step out on new ground and risk failing at new responsibilities. For many believing men, the occupation of spiritual headship is just too daunting. They fear being the heavy. They are apprehensive; perhaps their efforts would be mocked, misunderstood, or unappreciated by wife and family. It‘s just easier for them to abdicate their God-given calling. They don‘t want their broken scepter to show.
It is easy for a man to instantly feel like a hypocrite the moment he contemplates the exercise of his spiritual headship. He will have to work past his personal demons and gender wound fears. He will have to go on the offensive against his lusts; he‘ll have to guard his calendar; he will have to turn a deaf ear to the shrill attacks that abound against patriarchal leadership. He will have to live upon Christ and the gospel in order to overcome self-recrimination and thoughts of unworthiness for his task.
God is for our manhood more than we can possibly imagine. The development of godly masculinity is inseparable from a man‘s personal holiness. A man‘s sanctification is tied to his obedience and desire to model and image God (Eph 5:1-2). When men abdicate this high calling; their progressive sanctification suffers. It takes courage to impart spiritual truth and one‘s own spiritual life to those who know you best. They are familiar with our faults and character flaws.
God‟s call upon your life is spiritual leadership—it is inseparable from your godly masculinity (the qualifications are spelled out in detail in Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3). Brothers, God‘s will for your godly manhood ought to be at the center of your worldview—at the center of what you regard as reality. It is time to break out of passive spectatorship—determine that the next time you come to church or any time of fellowship with your brothers you will make it your aim to:
- Think of ways to edify the body of Christ with your speech (be done with mundane conversation).
- Admonish those whom you love—remind them to act upon what they know and believe.
- Stimulate others to love and good deeds, major in encouragement.
- Young men, plead with God to grant you an older Christian man as a spiritual mentor; then ask them.
- Older men, determine that you will train the young men and help your fellow warriors in the art of wilderness survival in our toxic culture.
- You must always be looking for ways to develop the spiritual gifts of those around you—giving them opportunities to exercise their gifts—unleashing them and releasing them to ministry.