1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:05,240 Bible says Help Lord for the godly man ceases to be. 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:12,600 Help Lord for the godly man ceases to be. 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,400 That was the cry of the psalmist. 4 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:22,520 It was the cry of the psalmist because it was the concern of 5 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:27,000 the Lord God of Israel. That's why the Lord says in 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:33,200 Second Chronicles chapter 16 that he had searched to and fro 7 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:38,720 throughout the earth to find someone's heart that he could 8 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,080 strengthen who was totally committed to him. 9 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,640 That's why through the prophet Ezekiel, in Ezekiel chapter 22, 10 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,600 he said he searched for a man to stand in the gap, but he could 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:57,560 find no man. And then he says to the prophet 12 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:02,680 Jeremiah that I if you could find one person in Jerusalem, 13 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:09,160 just one person who acts justly, who sticks to the truth, who 14 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:15,040 honors me, I will spare the city from captivity. 15 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,840 But there was none. And Jeremiah searched among all 16 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,160 the poor people, and then he thought, well, I'll search among 17 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:26,840 the rich people, because maybe among the wealthy, among the 18 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,120 popular, there is someone who is committed to the Lord. 19 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,280 But he found no man there either. 20 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:41,840 The Lord said in Isaiah 59, I looked for one man to intercede 21 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:47,880 on behalf of my people, Israel, and there was none to intercede. 22 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:56,360 So the cry of the psalmist was loud because he knew the concern 23 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,960 of the Lord concerning godly men. 24 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:05,080 The faithful disappear, Psalmist says in the latter half of verse 25 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,000 one of Psalm 12. The faithful disappear from 26 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:14,160 among the sons of men, the godly men of the faithful men, the 27 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,080 committed men, the dedicated men, the true men. 28 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,560 Where are those people? Where are those men? 29 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,720 That's the question we asked last week on Father's Day 2025. 30 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,640 Are you a godly man? Are you a godly man in your 31 00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:33,040 family? Are you a godly man in your 32 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,480 church? Are you a godly man in your 33 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,720 community? Are you a godly man at work? 34 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,520 Would you be the person that the Lord would see as his eyes run 35 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,160 to and fro throughout the country looking for one man 36 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,160 whose heart is completely sold out to him that he would 37 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,600 strengthen on a regular basis? Are you that kind of person? 38 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,400 Are you the godly man, the faithful man that stands in the 39 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,320 gap that intercedes for the people of God? 40 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,960 That when push comes to shove, there is the strong man, there 41 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,120 is the reliable man, there is a stead last man, there is this 42 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:16,400 godly man. So important because you see, 43 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:23,800 that is the epidemic that kills generation after generation, a 44 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:31,000 lack of godly men. So the question comes, are you 45 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,720 that person? Are you that man? 46 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:41,520 And it's so easy to see how the succession of godliness can be 47 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:49,160 very easily interrupted in a family term in your Bible, if 48 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,440 you would, The First Kings chapter 2. 49 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:59,480 By way of introduction, First Kings chapter 2, David, King 50 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:06,600 David is about to die. David over 50 years earlier was 51 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:14,000 anointed king of Israel. He did not begin to reign once 52 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,440 he was anointed. There was this whole time in 53 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:21,120 which he had to run from King Saul before he was ever king 54 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:26,080 over Hebron or Judah for seven years and then king over all of 55 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:30,520 Israel for 33 years. So for 40 years Israel had a 56 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:32,560 king. His name was David. 57 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:38,120 He followed King Saul and David is about to die. 58 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:47,720 And in Acts chapter 13, there is a a eulogy or an epitaph on on 59 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:52,600 David's life. It says that David, he's the 60 00:04:52,600 --> 00:05:00,880 man, having served God's purposes in his own generation, 61 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:08,760 fell asleep among his fathers. That's the New Testaments eulogy 62 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:15,760 on King David. The man David had a ministry. 63 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:20,480 The ministry was to serve God. He was a servant of God. 64 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:27,560 His mission was to serve God, God's purposes. 65 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:36,960 So the man David had a ministry as a servant, and that ministry 66 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:44,480 was tied to a mission which was to serve God's purposes in one 67 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:50,360 moment, his generation. He couldn't serve God's purposes 68 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,800 before his time, only during his time. 69 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,640 But that's how the the New Testament sums up the life of 70 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,640 David. And so when you come to 1st 71 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:05,560 Kings chapter 2, you have David's last words to his son 72 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,120 Solomon. And, and think, if you were to 73 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:14,080 gather your son or maybe your sons around you during the time 74 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,960 of your death, what would you say to your son? 75 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,960 How would you express to your son the most important thing 76 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:26,640 ever? How would you exhort your son or 77 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,920 your sons? What would you say to them? 78 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,520 And if you said it, would your life match it? 79 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:37,080 Very important, right? Would your son be able to look 80 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,920 at what you say and say that matches who you are? 81 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:47,200 So David gathers his son together, Solomon his beloved 82 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:54,920 son, and this is what he says in First Kings 2 verse #1 As 83 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,480 David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, 84 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:04,240 saying, I am going the way of all the earth. 85 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:05,720 Now stop right there for a second. 86 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,240 He's going the way of all the earth. 87 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,480 That's how David says I'm going to die. 88 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,080 We don't say it that way. We don't say, hey, you know 89 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:16,440 what? Your father's about to go the 90 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,080 way of all the earth, or your mother's about to go the way of 91 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,840 all the earth. We don't say it that way, but 92 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,360 that's how David saw it. It's like, it's like Paul in 93 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,760 Second Timothy chapter 4 verse #6 and he said the time of my 94 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,800 departure is at hand. He didn't say you know what, I'm 95 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,280 about to die. He says, no, the time of my 96 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,680 departure is at hand. It's a nautical term that 97 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,880 describes the loosening of the oars of a ship that allows it to 98 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:47,280 set sail into the open sea. That's how David saw the end of 99 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,760 his life. He was about to set sail. 100 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,240 He was about to depart from this life and enter into the most 101 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,440 glorious of all lives, the life and eternity. 102 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:58,840 That's how David saw the end of his life. 103 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:00,600 I mean, that's how Paul saw the end of his life. 104 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:05,120 And David now sees it as he's going the way of of all the 105 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,760 earth. And so because, because Solomon, 106 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:14,840 I'm about to leave you, he says these words. 107 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:22,960 Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. 108 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,800 What a statement. Be strong. 109 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:32,919 Show yourself a man, keep the charge of the Lord your God to 110 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:36,280 walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his 111 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,799 ordinances, and his testimonies according to what is written in 112 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:45,280 the law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and 113 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:51,240 wherever you turn. This is David's emphasis towards 114 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,520 his son. I want you to be strong. 115 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,680 He's not talking about physical strength, right? 116 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,400 David was a was a warrior. He was a man of bloodshed. 117 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:04,720 That's why God said he couldn't build the temple. 118 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:09,080 But his son Solomon was a man of peace, and all during Solomon's 119 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:12,960 reign, Israel lived in peace. So he's not talking about 120 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:16,280 Solomon's physical stature. He's not talking about his 121 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,360 physical abilities to be strong physically. 122 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,240 He's talking about spiritual strength. 123 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,720 Why is that important? Why listen carefully? 124 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:29,160 Because he's not talking about emotional or mental strength. 125 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:31,560 He's talking about spiritual strength. 126 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:36,800 Because the only way you can be strong mentally and emotionally 127 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:41,280 is if you're strong spiritually. Those who are weak mentally, 128 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:46,000 those who are weak emotionally are that way because they are 129 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:52,160 weak spiritually. Your mental capacity, your 130 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:57,000 ability to handle your emotions comes from a spiritual strength, 131 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:02,120 that a heart is sound in doctrine and strong in the Lord 132 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:07,040 and the power of His might. Your emotional stability, your 133 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:12,360 mental stability, all stems from your spiritual stability. 134 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:17,800 You must understand this. It's everything strong about you 135 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,880 comes because of your spiritual stature in the Lord. 136 00:10:22,680 --> 00:10:26,880 When you are strong spiritually, you can make wise choices, you 137 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:31,440 can make sound decisions. You don't get all frazzled. 138 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,920 You're able to handle and control your emotions because 139 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:38,360 you are strong spiritually. That's why Paul says in 140 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:43,160 Ephesians chapter 6 be strong in the Lord and in the power of His 141 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:47,480 might. In second two verse #1 he says 142 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:55,560 be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 143 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:02,720 Isaiah chapter 30 verse #15 in quietness and in trust shall be 144 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:09,160 your strength. David said in Psalm 27 verse #14 145 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,720 Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart 146 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,320 take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord. 147 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,160 And that word wait in Hebrew is the word that talks about 148 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:22,360 wrapping yourself around something, something strong. 149 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,040 When you wrap yourself around the Lord, you can trust in Him, 150 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,360 you can wait upon Him, you can be strong in Him because you 151 00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:32,240 derive your strength from the Lord Himself. 152 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:35,400 So important. Go back with me if you would to 153 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,360 the book of Joshua, Joshua chapter 1. 154 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,680 Listen to what God tells Joshua. This is the this is the key 155 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:45,240 verse on how to overcome intimidation. 156 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:47,400 Have you ever been intimidated by somebody? 157 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:49,320 Does somebody intimidate you at work? 158 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:51,440 Does somebody intimidate you at school? 159 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:53,880 Does somebody intimidate you in the church? 160 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:58,240 Is someone intimidating you somewhere in life? 161 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,200 Joshua chapter 1 is how you overcome intimidation. 162 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,200 How do we know that? Because Joshua is about to 163 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,560 become the leader of Israel, right? 164 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:14,280 And Joshua is about to follow the greatest leader Israel ever 165 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:18,640 had by the testimony of the Lord God Himself. 166 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:24,680 So God says that Moses is Israel's greatest leader. 167 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,800 There will never be a leader like Moses, but yet, Joshua, 168 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,480 you're chose. You're chosen now to follow the 169 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:37,600 greatest leader, whoever lived. And Israel, by the way, on 170 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:42,440 several occasions wanted to kill the greatest leader, whoever 171 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,880 lived in Israel. So now, Joshua, you're going to 172 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,000 step into those sandals, and you're now going to become the 173 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,960 leader of Israel. And if they wanted to kill the 174 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,480 greatest leader, whoever lived, just think of what they're going 175 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,280 to want to do to you if you just mess it up. 176 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,000 So you got to overcome intimidation, Joshua. 177 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,720 You got to be able to stand strong. 178 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:10,760 So this is what the Lord says to Joshua in verse #5 no man will 179 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,000 be able to stand before you all the days of your life. 180 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:15,920 Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. 181 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,080 I will not fail you or forsake you. 182 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:23,080 Be strong and courageous. In other words, be strong and 183 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:27,440 show yourself a man. Have the spiritual fortitude 184 00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:34,000 that you need to lead 2,000,000 disgruntled Jews into the 185 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,080 promised Land. How you going to do that? 186 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:42,520 Joshua tells them, be careful to do according to all the law 187 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,200 which Moses my servant commanded you, and you're not turned from 188 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,800 it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success 189 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,640 wherever you go. This book of the law shall not 190 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,360 depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and 191 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,320 night, so that you may be careful to do according to all 192 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,280 that is written in it, for then you will make your way 193 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:04,400 prosperous, and then you will have success. 194 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:08,760 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous? 195 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,000 Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with 196 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:19,040 you wherever you go. Listen, Joshua, don't be in any 197 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,840 kind of emotional or mental turmoil because you're about to 198 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,880 take on a job that goes way beyond your mental and emotional 199 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,760 capabilities. Know this, you need to be strong 200 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,720 in the Lord. You need to be courageous in the 201 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,080 Lord. I will be with you as I was with 202 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,440 Moses. Just do not let this law depart 203 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:41,200 from your mouth. I want you to meditate on a day 204 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:42,640 and night. Why? 205 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:44,760 Because I want your way to be prosperous. 206 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:46,640 I want you to way to be successful. 207 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,920 And the only way that's going to happen is if my word controls 208 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,960 every element of your life, your thought, your heart, your 209 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,240 emotions, and then you will be prosperous and then you will be 210 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:03,080 successful. And Joshua was because he obeyed 211 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:07,440 the law of God. So here comes King David. 212 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:12,120 And David says to his son Solomon, I want you to be 213 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,560 strong. I want you to show yourself a 214 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:20,960 man because menniness and strength go hand in hand. 215 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,280 I want you to be courageous. I want you to be a man of 216 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,840 spiritual fortitude. I want you to be a man that is 217 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,560 able to stand against adversity. I want you to be a man that 218 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,800 doesn't crumble under pressure. You got to be a man. 219 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,320 You got to be strong. You're going to be the king of 220 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,960 Israel. You're going to be the king of 221 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,960 Israel. And you can't be a weak king. 222 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:50,840 You got to be a strong king. You can't be an emotionally 223 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,240 disturbed king. You got to be a strong king. 224 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,800 You can't be a depressed king. You have to be a dedicated 225 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:03,800 determined king. You have to be strong Solomon 226 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,680 and you got to show yourself a man how you going to do that? 227 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,600 He tells them you keep the statutes, you keep the law, you 228 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,560 follow the word of God. This is what you do and got to 229 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:23,240 make your way successful. Listen to the words of Solomon 230 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,280 in Proverbs chapter 4. If you got your Bible, you can 231 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,520 turn there. Proverbs chapter 4. 232 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:36,360 Now remember, Solomon writes the book of Proverbs to his son, 233 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:41,160 right? It's a book designed for 234 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:45,960 children, young people. So Solomon's going to write to 235 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:50,000 his son. Listen to what he says to 236 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:54,560 Raybone here. O sons, the instruction of a 237 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:58,320 father, Chapter 4, verse #1 and give attention that you may gain 238 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,120 understanding, for I give you sound teaching. 239 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:05,040 Do not abandon my instruction when I was a son to my father. 240 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,680 That's a Solomon speaking. When I was a son to my father, 241 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:10,240 my father was the king of Israel. 242 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,880 His name is David. I am now the king of Israel. 243 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:17,359 But when I was a son to my father, tender and the only son 244 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:21,880 in the sight of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, let 245 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:27,319 your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments and live. 246 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:34,360 So Solomon's remembering talking to a talking to his son. 247 00:17:34,360 --> 00:17:36,920 Son, listen, listen. You need to understand that when 248 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:42,080 I was tender and young and I was the the son of my mother, the 249 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,400 son of my father, my father gave me instruction. 250 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,640 He would go on to say, talk about acquiring wisdom, 251 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,520 understanding, knowledge in the whole, the whole chapter is 252 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:58,400 about what Solomon's dad, David said to his son about strong 253 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:03,560 strength, being courageous, being able to handle the issues 254 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,520 that come about. And you would think that that 255 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:11,240 once he says this to Rehoboam, once he examines his life and 256 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:13,840 talks to his son about these things, that now he's going to 257 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,360 produce a seed and offspring that's going to become the next 258 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:24,400 great king of Israel. Didn't go that way, didn't 259 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,000 happen that way. Because if you're with us for 260 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,880 our 26 week study on the book of Ecclesiastes, you understand 261 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:38,240 Solomon's end of life journey in the summation of his life. 262 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:45,040 What happened to Solomon? What happened to this influence 263 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:49,040 over his son Raybone? What happened to this man? 264 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:53,120 Well, the Bible tells you way back in the book of Deuteronomy, 265 00:18:53,400 --> 00:19:01,240 chapter 17, it says verse #16 Moreover, he, the king, shall 266 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:07,720 not multiply horses for himself. But Solomon did that. 267 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,800 Why didn't God want Solomon to multiply horses for himself? 268 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:16,920 Because horses were a symbol of strength, a symbol of military 269 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,080 prowess. And God says, I want you to 270 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:24,720 trust me, not your, not your own military ingenuity, not your own 271 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:26,120 army. I want you to trust me. 272 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,680 So I don't want you as the king to gather horses for yourself, 273 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,920 he says. Nor shall he cause the people to 274 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:35,720 return to Egypt to multiply horses. 275 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,680 Since the Lord has said to you, you shall never again return 276 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:42,000 that way. He shall not multiply wives for 277 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:43,360 himself. What did Solomon do? 278 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:49,480 He multiplied wives for himself. God says don't do this. 279 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:54,600 Keep his statutes, keep the laws, observe them. 280 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,000 Don't turn to the left, don't turn to the right. 281 00:19:57,120 --> 00:19:59,920 Same thing he told Joshua, same thing he told King David. 282 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:04,120 Now he's telling King Solomon, keep the law of God, do not turn 283 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:05,720 to the left, do not turn to the right. 284 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,120 Do everything that's written in the law of Moses, but he 285 00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:17,120 multiplied wives for himself 700. 286 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:25,080 Wives for himself. He should not multiply wives for 287 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,640 himself, or else his heart will turn away. 288 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:32,240 Nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 289 00:20:34,120 --> 00:20:37,400 And he did that too. Read Accusations, chapter 2. 290 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,560 He accumulated all kinds of gold for himself, not not for the 291 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:46,480 temple, but for himself. He went against what the law of 292 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,720 God explicitly said, Do not do, do not do this. 293 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:55,800 But Solomon did so, it says in verse #18 Now it shall come 294 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,400 about, that when he sits on the throne of his Kingdom, he shall 295 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,440 write for himself a copy of this law on the scroll in the 296 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,080 presence of the Levitical priests. 297 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,840 It shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of 298 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:11,040 his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord is God by 299 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:14,280 carefully observing all the words of His law and His 300 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:16,480 statutes. That his heart may not be lifted 301 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:19,840 up above his countrymen, and that he may not turn aside from 302 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:22,240 the commandment, or to the right, or to the left, so that 303 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:26,400 he and his sons may continue long in His Kingdom in the midst 304 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:28,600 of Israel. This is the plan for the king. 305 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,320 It it's not like you got a whole bunch of things you got to do is 306 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,480 just simply don't multiply for yourself. 307 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,640 Horses don't multiply for yourself, wives, and do not 308 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:39,560 multiply silver and gold for yourself. 309 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,840 That is it. No big deal, right? 310 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:45,920 Wrong. Big deal for Solomon. 311 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:54,000 He did all that, all of that. So when you read the book of 312 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:58,760 Ecclesiastes, you had this long journal that describes Solomon's 313 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,120 end of life. So when he comes to the very 314 00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:05,120 end, what's he say? Same thing. 315 00:22:05,120 --> 00:22:11,320 Deuteronomy 17 says the sum of all things is just to fear God 316 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,360 and keep his commandments. It's almost as if he's telling 317 00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:18,640 Raya Baum, this is it. This is how you sum up life, 318 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:22,840 Fear God, keep his commandments. It's almost as if he says and I 319 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:28,120 and I didn't. I should have, but I but I 320 00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:29,360 didn't. But this is the end of 321 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:32,520 everything. This is a summation of life. 322 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,200 Fear God, keep his commandments. Why? 323 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:39,400 Because then you will show yourself a man. 324 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,640 Then you'll be strong and courageous. 325 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,600 Then you will be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil. 326 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:50,560 Then you'll be able to stand against the the the the lure of 327 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,040 the woman in the lure of riches and power. 328 00:22:55,440 --> 00:23:02,120 But he didn't the cost where the Bible says these words in the 329 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:06,240 book of Second Chronicles 12 verse #14 about Raybum. 330 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:16,040 He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord. 331 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:23,440 He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord. 332 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:26,800 As you recall in the book of Ecclesiastes. 333 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:31,200 What does Solomon do? He sought for meaning under the 334 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:37,240 sun outside of God. He sought for meaning, for 335 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,720 meaning in life, for satisfaction in life, for 336 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:43,360 royalty in life, for for for greatness in life outside of 337 00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:45,720 God. And it cost him greatly. 338 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:53,600 So he raises a son that doesn't want to seek the Lord at all, 339 00:23:55,120 --> 00:23:57,760 because what you do in moderation, your children will 340 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:01,480 do in excess. That's the theme of Scripture. 341 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:07,200 So that's how it works. And that's why Isaiah says these 342 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,680 words. Isaiah 38 verse #17 mark it 343 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:13,200 down. A father tells his Son about 344 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:20,240 your faithfulness, Oh Lord. A father tells his son about 345 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:25,600 your faithfulness, Oh Lord, He continues to tell his son about 346 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:30,680 how faithful God is to him, his family, his ministry, his life, 347 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:34,440 and continues to pour that into the life of his son. 348 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:41,680 So I wonder the psalmist said help Lord, the godly man ceases 349 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:51,400 to be in the faithful, disappear from the sons of men on this 350 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:55,560 earth. Doesn't have to be that way, not 351 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:59,200 at all. You can be that godly man. 352 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,480 You can be that man that stands strong and turns the course of a 353 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,560 generation. You can be that man that invests 354 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:10,800 into the lives of your children. You can be that man that models 355 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,520 the way to your children. You can be the kind of man 356 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:18,560 that's strong and courageous so you can invest into the lives of 357 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,000 your children. King David was not a perfect 358 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:26,040 man, but David was a man after God's own heart and every king 359 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,320 that followed David. David was the quintessential 360 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:33,320 king that all the other kings were measured by because he had 361 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,280 a heart of great repentance, but he sinned. 362 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:40,480 He turned from his sin and he repented to the Lord and he 363 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:43,560 never sought revenge on any of his enemies. 364 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:46,200 That's what it means to be a man after God's own heart. 365 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:50,240 You never seek revenge on your enemies and you always repent 366 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:53,520 when you sin. That's a man after God's own 367 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:55,480 heart. That was King David. 368 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,000 He wants to pass that down to a son, Solomon. 369 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:06,200 Solomon began great read the book of Song of Solomon read the 370 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:10,480 book of Proverbs. He he began great, but over time 371 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:12,840 he didn't even heed his own words. 372 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:17,880 Proverbs 423 Guard your heart, for out of it flow all the 373 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,760 issues of life. Everything about your emotions, 374 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,840 everything about your mentality, everything about your 375 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:28,360 relationships, everything about who you are flows from your 376 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:30,520 heart. Therefore, be strong and 377 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,480 courageous. Be strong spiritually in your 378 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,840 heart. That's the cry. 379 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,240 That's the godly man. So we began our outline last 380 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:47,080 week and we won't finish it this week either. 381 00:26:48,360 --> 00:26:51,000 And that's OK because I'm in no hurry. 382 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,320 I'm never in a hurry. I used to be when I was younger, 383 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:56,800 but now that I'm old, I, I've kind of slowed down a little 384 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:02,040 bit. But who is the godly man #1 He 385 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,040 goes to God incessantly in prayer, talked about this last 386 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,360 week, right? He's a man of prayer. 387 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:11,880 Read Psalm 32, read Psalm 4. He's a man who seeks the Lord, 388 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,280 who goes to the Lord. And we use Job at the 389 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,000 illustration last week. Remember Job chapter 1 when he 390 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:18,600 offered up burnt offerings for his children? 391 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:21,400 He continually did this. And the question comes, how did 392 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,360 Job know this? The book of Leviticus had not 393 00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:26,760 been written yet. So how do you know about burnt 394 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,800 offerings? How does Job know this? 395 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,280 Because of Noah, because of Abraham. 396 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,200 Noah in Genesis 8, Abraham in Genesis chapter 22. 397 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:43,600 And most believe that that, that that Job was a contemporary of 398 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,560 Abraham. So it would've been passed down 399 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:53,840 from from Noah to to to Abraham to Job to OfferUp burnt 400 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,440 offering. You see, Job didn't have a 401 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,440 church to go to, didn't have a men's ministry to go to, didn't 402 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,920 have any books to read on family and family worship and and 403 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,160 family prayer time. He didn't have a book to read 404 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:05,920 about the disciplines of a godly man. 405 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:10,080 He didn't have a support group. And I'm glad this is in the 406 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:13,000 Bible because so many times today men want to use an excuse. 407 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:14,560 I just need to be held accountable. 408 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,400 No, you don't. You need to be held accountable 409 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,280 to God. He's your accountability. 410 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,840 But we use it as an excuse. Someone needs to hold me 411 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:26,200 accountable. Someone needs to hold my hand. 412 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:30,920 You're not a man if somebody's got to hold your hand, right? 413 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,880 You hold your children's hands. You don't hold a man's hand. 414 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,520 And Job is a quintessential example of this. 415 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:42,520 He had no church, no small group, no men's ministry, no 416 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:46,280 Sunday school, nothing but Job and what was passed down from 417 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:49,040 generation to generation. And he was a man who was 418 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:53,440 upright, blameless, fearing God and turning away from evil. 419 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:56,680 And he was the greatest man on the planet. 420 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,840 He did it all because he was committed to his God. 421 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:08,480 See, we, we, we have developed such a weak mentality in today's 422 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:14,440 culture that man needs so many people to hold him up and hold 423 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,640 his hand. And we have produced a weaker 424 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:22,400 and weaker and weaker generation of men over the generations that 425 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,360 have preceded us and are continuing on after us because 426 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,160 we don't encourage men to be strong. 427 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:35,200 Show yourself a man and do what God says Joe did. 428 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:40,680 He's your biblical example. He's the one you follow. 429 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:46,320 If he's the greatest man on the planet, follow that guy, right? 430 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:50,480 Because he was upright, God fearing, turning away from evil, 431 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:55,120 and he was a man who truly, truly was a blameless man. 432 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:01,200 So he goes to God incessantly in prayer because he knows that he 433 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,160 can't do anything of himself. He needs the Lord. 434 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:06,560 Like the psalmist, he cries out to the Lord. 435 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,840 He goes to the Lord and bathes his family in prayer. 436 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:13,720 He bathes his wife in prayer. He knows he can't change his 437 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:15,520 wife. He know he can't change his 438 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:17,840 children. So he knows that God can do 439 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,320 that. So he goes to the Lord and prays 440 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:24,560 consistently to his God, and asks God to do a great and 441 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:33,600 mighty work #2 Now he said, go to God incessantly, but he obeys 442 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:40,120 God instantly. He obeys God instantly. 443 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:44,760 Listen to the psalmist. Psalm 119. 444 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:57,040 Psalm 119, verse #32 Psalmist said this, I shall run the way 445 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:03,640 of Your commandments for you with enlarge my heart, I'm going 446 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:05,440 to run the way of your commandments. 447 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:09,040 And then he says over in verse #60 I love this. 448 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:13,400 Listen to this. Psalm 119, verse #60 I hastened 449 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:18,040 and did not delay to keep your commandments. 450 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:23,320 That's the godly man. I hastened and did not delay. 451 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,760 Why? Because delayed obedience is 452 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:31,680 disobedience. And so he says, I hasten and did 453 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:36,360 not to delay, did not delay to obey all your commandments. 454 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,320 This is the man of God. He hastens to obey. 455 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:42,760 He can't wait to do what God says. 456 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:47,960 That's the godly man Thomas Watson has written a book called 457 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:51,560 The Godly Man's Picture. It's just a great book on what a 458 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:56,600 godly man looks like and in there he just is is all 459 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,880 throughout the book talks about how the godly man just can't 460 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:05,800 wait to do what God says. So many times our godliness is 461 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:10,000 hindered because we will not obey what God says in His word. 462 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:14,480 There's something about what he says that rubs us the wrong way. 463 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:21,720 Could be forgiveness, it could be leading your wife, it could 464 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:27,520 be loving your wife, it could be disciplining your children over 465 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:29,640 the years. And, and 40 years is a lot of 466 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,760 years of, of, of, of church ministry. 467 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,640 Over the years there have been people that I've counseled that 468 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,040 say, look, this is what you, this is what God's word says. 469 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:43,240 Yeah, I can't do that. What I mean you said you mean 470 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:47,240 you won't do it because you can't do it, but you just won't 471 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,560 do it. I, I can't, What do you mean you 472 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,040 can't do it? If God says and gives you 473 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:55,080 command, he gives you the ability and the grace to obey 474 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:57,240 the command because his commands are not burdensome. 475 00:32:57,240 --> 00:32:59,920 First John chapter 5 says so because his commands are not 476 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:01,800 burdensome. If he says this is what you got 477 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:03,160 to do. This is what you do. 478 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:07,400 And you know what they say? Well, let me pray about it. 479 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:10,600 You know, there are certain things you don't ever have to 480 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,320 pray about. You don't have to pray about 481 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,440 loving your life. You just got to obey the 482 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,360 command, right? You have to pray about it. 483 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,520 Just do it. Just do it. 484 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,320 You have to pray about forgiving someone. 485 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:25,560 Just forgive them. It's a command. 486 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:30,040 Forgive to pray about it. Well, what's God going to do? 487 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:36,400 Just obey the command. The obedience is followed by 488 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:42,880 great delight, but you got to obey and the man of God just he, 489 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:48,840 he obeys God instantly. He hears the word of God, he 490 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:53,360 listens and then man he he just runs to obey. 491 00:33:54,880 --> 00:34:00,080 So many times we we meander on our way to obedience and we get 492 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:04,920 sidetracked and we do that and the obedience then comes comes 493 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:09,040 later. Not good over in first John 494 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:12,880 chapter chapter 2, John says these words. 495 00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:17,960 First John chapter 2, verse #3 By this we know that we have 496 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:19,800 come to know Him. How? 497 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,840 If we keep his commandments, how do we know that you know God, 498 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:30,360 you keep his commandments? The one who says I've come to 499 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:35,719 know Him and does not keep his commandments is a liar. 500 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,679 And those are strong words. John says, if you say, you say 501 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:42,520 you come to know Christ and you don't obey, you're a liar. 502 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:46,920 He didn't say, you know, let me pray for you. 503 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:51,440 He says you're just a liar. And then he says this. 504 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,640 The truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word in him. 505 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:01,000 The love of God has truly been perfected. 506 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:06,080 And by this we know that we are in him, the one who says he 507 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:08,920 abides in him on himself to walk in the same manner as he walked, 508 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:15,600 so crystal clear, so precise. It's not hard. 509 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:26,160 He obeys God instantly. He goes to God incessantly and 510 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:31,200 #3 he disciplines himself intently. 511 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:39,400 He disciplines himself. I'm sorry, implicitly, 512 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,280 implicitly, absolutely, without a doubt. 513 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,680 Have you ever watched somebody come out of a out of a gym like 514 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:50,960 24 Hour Fitness or, or all different gym? 515 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,680 There's so many different gyms that you ever watched somebody 516 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:54,960 come out of the gym, man, and they just got done working out. 517 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:57,440 Hey, if you go down to Victoria Gardens, you know, they, they 518 00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:00,400 have Gold's Gym down there by it's right by The Cheesecake 519 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:01,720 Factory. I don't know why that is, but 520 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:03,000 it's right by The Cheesecake Factory. 521 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:05,600 And and they always come walking out there with those ripped 522 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:07,520 shirts, you know, so you can see all their muscles. 523 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:08,360 You know, they walk out of the gym. 524 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:10,000 You know, they walk out there like this so you can see that 525 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:11,640 he's got done working out, right? 526 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:14,800 That's how that's how they walk because they want you to know 527 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:16,560 they're working out. And when you look at things, say 528 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:17,920 what? That guy's discipline. 529 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:20,320 Look. Look at, look at those muscles 530 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:24,160 bulging from his neck. Look at those triceps. 531 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,120 Look at those biceps. Look at those veins just just 532 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:31,840 bulging out of his calves. See, man, that guy is 533 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:34,080 disciplined. Boy, that guy wants to work out. 534 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:36,920 Why? Because he disciplines himself 535 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,160 implicitly. There's no doubt that he works 536 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:41,120 himself out. That's the way it should be for 537 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:45,480 you spiritually. That's what my boss says. 538 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:47,760 Discipline yourself unto godliness. 539 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:53,280 Why body bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness has 540 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,240 profit for all things. First Timothy 4-7 and eight 541 00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:58,880 discipline yourself under godliness. 542 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,720 But so so look at this way. Somebody who is disciplined in 543 00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:08,920 their life, you know it. You see it in in their children, 544 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,680 right? Their children are obedient to 545 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:14,120 their father and their mother. You see it lived out in their 546 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:17,680 children. You see it lived out in in the 547 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:21,760 wife's love for her husband and a way to follow his leadership. 548 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:26,400 You see it manifest in itself. But this man has disciplined 549 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:30,640 himself implicitly to love his wife, to love his children 550 00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:33,480 because he loves God. And you see it in the eyes of 551 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:35,320 his wife. You see it in the obedience of 552 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:37,560 his children. You see this commitment to his 553 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:40,280 church. He's deeply committed to his 554 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:42,200 church. He serves in his church. 555 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,080 He prays for his church. He loves his church. 556 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:50,960 You see it. You wonder whether or not they 557 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:54,360 went to the gym to work out. They're working out daily. 558 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:56,960 They're discipline in their prayer life. 559 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,120 They're discipline in their study life. 560 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:00,960 They're discipline in their church life. 561 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:02,960 They're discipline in their family life. 562 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:04,760 They're discipline in all of their life. 563 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:08,640 That's how they are. And you don't have to wonder 564 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:10,560 whether you see it. Why? 565 00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:15,120 Because their spiritual veins are bulging, their spiritual 566 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:19,200 muscles are ripping the shreds, their suits, because that's how 567 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:22,000 they are. Because you see it in their 568 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:25,440 lives. People who love the Lord, the 569 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:31,600 godly men, it's so important. They discipline themselves 570 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,440 implicitly. Have you ever noticed that the 571 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:46,080 most men, the toys of the world mean more than the truth of 572 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:51,720 God's Word? The toys of the world are more 573 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:55,440 important than the truth of God's Word. 574 00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:01,880 How many times over the years wives have said to me, I come 575 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:06,560 home from from where I was and my, my, my, my husband's playing 576 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,720 video games. I asked him to do something. 577 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:12,440 I'll just play video games all day. 578 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:16,000 And so I sit down with the husband and talk to him about, 579 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,200 dude, you playing video games all day. 580 00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:25,280 You have a job, don't you work? 1st 75 says if a man does not 581 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:29,800 provide for his house, he's worse than what an unbeliever. 582 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,120 You're not going to work. You're worse than an unbeliever. 583 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:35,560 You got to go to work. You got to provide for your 584 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:37,160 family. That's what men do. 585 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:43,880 You got to be a godly man. So many times the men of this 586 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:49,640 culture just want to hide themselves in video games or 587 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:52,080 games on the Internet or pornography on the Internet. 588 00:39:52,240 --> 00:39:55,120 They want to escape the realities of life instead of 589 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:56,800 handle the truth that's before them. 590 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:01,760 And the godly man, he disciplines himself implicitly. 591 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:07,480 He knows that to make it through life, it requires strength and 592 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:09,280 manliness. And the only way that's 593 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:12,320 developed is through constant. Discipline. 594 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:18,040 So he goes to God incessantly in prayer. 595 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:22,800 He obeys God instantly, without reservation and without 596 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,360 hesitation. That's the godly man. 597 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:27,960 He runs the way of God's commandments. 598 00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:33,080 He disciplines himself implicitly when it comes to the 599 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:37,000 the discipline of, of, of suffocation and, and, and, and 600 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:41,040 scripture and, and self denial and and surrender. 601 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:55,800 That's what he does #4 he loathes his sin intensely. 602 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:07,800 He loathes his sin intensely. A godly man hates his sin. 603 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:14,680 An ungodly man loves his sin, but a godly man hates his sin. 604 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:21,240 Psalm 95, first number 10, says hate evil. 605 00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:26,720 You who love the Lord not, not not rocket science, hate, evil, 606 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:31,000 those of you who love the Lord, and then you. 607 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:38,160 Then you have the prophet Ezekiel who says these words in 608 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:47,000 Ezekiel chapter 20 verse #43 God speaking Israel. 609 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:51,560 There you remember your ways and all your deeds with which you 610 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:58,200 have defiled yourselves. And you will loathe yourselves 611 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:05,720 in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done. 612 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:12,880 You will loathe yourself, you will hate what you have done. 613 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:19,640 You will despise yourself for all the evil that you have done. 614 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:25,160 There's something about the godly man that despises 615 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:29,840 iniquity, that despises idolatry, that runs to run away 616 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:33,960 from all iniquity and pursue righteousness and godliness. 617 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,880 Hate evil. You who love the Lord God tells 618 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:43,720 Timothy in first Timothy 6 verse #10 You, O man of God, flee the 619 00:42:43,720 --> 00:42:45,640 love of money. You flee these things. 620 00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:48,360 Timothy, you're a man of God. And by the way, Timothy is the 621 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,200 only man in the New Testament called a man of God. 622 00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:53,480 The only man. No other man is Paul's not 623 00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:56,000 called a man of God, but Paul was a man of God. 624 00:42:57,280 --> 00:42:59,920 Peter was not called a man of God, but Peter was a man of God. 625 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:03,280 John was not called a man of God, but John was a man of God. 626 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:08,000 But Timothy is the only one in the New Testament called a man 627 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:11,560 of God. If Paul says Timothy, you man of 628 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:17,400 God, you flee these things, you flee immorality, you flee 629 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:20,280 idolatry, you flee the love of money, and you pursue. 630 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:24,840 You run after, you Sprint toward godliness, you Sprint toward 631 00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:29,040 faith, you Sprint toward perseverance, you Sprint towards 632 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:32,400 love, you Sprint to those spiritual virtues that make a 633 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,200 man a man. That's what you got to do. 634 00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:39,680 Timothy. Timothy was a young man, 3536 635 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:45,640 years of age, passing the Church of Ephesus, and Paul says hate 636 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:51,240 sins so much you run from it. That's the man of God. 637 00:43:52,720 --> 00:43:57,560 He goes to God incessantly in prayer. 638 00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:03,640 He obeys God instantly, without reservation, without hesitation. 639 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:11,480 He's the kind of man who who disciplines himself implicitly 640 00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:13,760 when it comes to spiritual virtues. 641 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:22,400 He's the man who loathes his sin intensely. 642 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:27,120 That's why Job was called the man who turned away from evil. 643 00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:30,520 That's why Job said, I've made a covenant with my eyes not to 644 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:33,920 look lustfully upon a woman. And Job didn't. 645 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:37,640 He had the Bible or the book of Proverbs to tell him about the 646 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:44,880 lure of the adulterous woman, but he knew well enough as a man 647 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,520 of God to make a covenant with his eyes not to look lusty upon 648 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,120 a woman, that that's a man of God, that's a godly man. 649 00:44:53,960 --> 00:45:02,480 That was Job, and the godly man loves his sin intensely. 650 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:06,440 And let's let me give you this one. 651 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:12,560 He yields to the Spirit intently. 652 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:16,560 He can't do it without the Spirit of God. 653 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:17,720 Nothing. He can't do anything with that 654 00:45:17,720 --> 00:45:20,240 spirit of God. So he yields to the Spirit 655 00:45:20,240 --> 00:45:22,400 intently. He walks in the spirit. 656 00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:24,600 So he didn't fulfill the lust of the flesh, right? 657 00:45:25,240 --> 00:45:26,920 He's filled with the Spirit of God. 658 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:29,360 He's controlled by the Spirit of God. 659 00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:30,640 Ephesians 518. Why? 660 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:33,560 Why? Because he understands that he 661 00:45:33,560 --> 00:45:38,640 doesn't want to grieve the Spirit of God, he he doesn't 662 00:45:38,640 --> 00:45:40,840 want to hinder the spirits work in his life. 663 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:45,680 As Galatians 5 says, he doesn't want to lust after the spirit. 664 00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:50,880 He doesn't want to quench the spirit. 665 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:54,360 He wants to be filled with the spirit. 666 00:45:55,880 --> 00:46:01,920 So he saturates himself with the Scriptures and submits himself 667 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:08,440 to a Savior at all costs. So God directs him and leads him 668 00:46:08,720 --> 00:46:13,960 every step of the way. That's the godly man. 669 00:46:16,560 --> 00:46:22,240 But what about the MAN part? We got the godly part. 670 00:46:22,240 --> 00:46:27,320 What about the MAN part? The godly man part? 671 00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:32,520 That's next week. Let's pray. 672 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:41,640 Father, we thank you for today, and I do pray for all the men in 673 00:46:41,640 --> 00:46:48,600 our assembly that Lord, we truly honor you and glorify your name. 674 00:46:50,760 --> 00:47:00,520 Lord, forgive us for excuses. There are no excuses not to live 675 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:01,960 the way you've called us to live. 676 00:47:02,240 --> 00:47:07,280 You've commended us to live. We just need to obey your word, 677 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:12,800 submit to you as our ultimate authority, and follow what you 678 00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:18,360 say explicitly. So I pray for the men of our 679 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:21,600 church that that's the way we would be. 680 00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:26,840 Our wives would see our uncompromising commitment to the 681 00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:32,160 truth. Our children would see our 682 00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:37,120 uncompromising commitment to God and their mother. 683 00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:44,080 Their children would want to follow in the footsteps of their 684 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:47,800 father's love for God and his wife. 685 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:53,440 We pray Lord, for the generation of children that are in our 686 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:59,280 auditorium today, The 40 kids that were on stage and the 687 00:47:59,280 --> 00:48:02,720 others who didn't come up for one reason or another. 688 00:48:03,520 --> 00:48:09,840 That next generation that we are to raise up to follow you. 689 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:15,560 I pray for our fathers that you give them strength and wisdom to 690 00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:19,440 discipline, to nurture their children in the ways of God. 691 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:25,840 Lord, go before us. I pray as a church that we would 692 00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:31,680 be and raise the kind of men that truly love the Lord and our 693 00:48:31,680 --> 00:48:37,360 godly men. So the psalmist would never say 694 00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:41,520 about us help Lord, the godly man ceases to be. 695 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:45,920 May that not happen in our assembly. 696 00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:51,160 May we be a a model of of spiritual virtue for the glory 697 00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:55,240 of your Kingdom. So we ask you to go before us on 698 00:48:55,240 --> 00:49:00,440 this day, that we might live for you this week and for the rest 699 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:04,600 of our lives until you come again, as you most surely will, 700 00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:07,240 in Jesus name, Amen.