Men's Ministry - A Definition and Commission

One may wonder how men's ministries differ from women's ministries, or for that matter, from any kind of ministry. After all, it
would seem that ministries, if made for the service of the Lord, are all equal, regardless of the sex, age, or race of the
individual serving.

Men's Ministry is the active pursuit of men to connect them with God, His Word, and other men, for the purpose of winning,
developing, and training the man of God in Christ.

We know one thing for sure -- God will use the heart and life of anyone who chooses to make themselves available to Him.
The Bible says: " Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. " This is the great commission spoken by Jesus Christ himself. In other words, Jesus Christ is commissioning His
followers to go throughout the world and reproduce believers. This is a great calling.

This raises a question. How do we reproduce believers? Can a men's ministry empower a man to better understand his
calling in life and how to achieve it? Can a men's ministry challenge a man to grow more in intellect, emotions, and spirit?
Can a men's ministry teach men how to remain sexually pure? The answer to this question is a resounding yes!

Men's Ministry - Start the Process

The first step in forming a vital men's ministry in your local church or small community group is to decide what you want to
see happen in a man's life. Once you determine this, you will need to create leaders who will share the vision and help you
lead a potential army of men into a deep relationship with the Lord.

Men's Ministry - The Non-Negotiable

In order to have a strong and balanced Christian men's ministry, you will need to build a framework of what is non-
negotiable. Here are eight biblically balanced benchmarks for a healthy men's ministry.

 NUTRITION - A man of God feeds himself. Consistently studying and applying God's Word regardless of church or
small group is essential. To do this, a man must be taught how to study the Bible. We suggest creating a work
schedule that includes a weekly meeting with the pastor or small group leader to teach Bible interpretation techniques
(1 Peter 2:1-3; Psalms 1:1-3).
 TRAINING - The man of God receives regular/weekly Bible training (1 Thessalonians 2:13). This can be
accomplished through a weekly small group Bible study, or in a large group study with small group discussions.
 PRACTICE - The man of God learns how to apply the Word of God in all areas of life. It is essential to make room for
monitoring responsibilities within men's ministry for consistency and obedience to the Word of God (James 1:22-25;
Ezekiel 33:30-32).
 UNITY - The man of God makes it a priority to connect with other men at least twice a month, for the purpose of
community, monitoring of responsibilities, confession, and prayer (Galatians 6:1-3: James 5:16; Hebrews 10 :23-24).
 SURVIVE - The man of God learns to handle life's great temptations and/or crises according to his need and stage of
life. The support and encouragement of the ministry and small group leader is essential (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
 HELP OTHERS - The man of God engages in some form of men's ministry based on his gifts and talents. God has
called each of us to pour out on others what He has poured out on us (1 Peter 4:10-11, Ephesians 4:11-13)
 IMPACT - The man of God invests time and resources in the lives of other men. We suggest individual connection
through shared activities, your spiritual fabric, and example (2 Timothy 2:22; Proverbs 27:17; Mark 3:13-14).
 SHARE - The man of God learns to actively share his faith in order to lead others into a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 28:18-20).

Created to be men of God

It is sad to admit this, but, in our society, the majority of people who are mired in alcoholism and drug addiction are
men; Likewise, the majority of people who are immersed in violence (gangs, fights, robberies, kidnappings, homicides,
etc.); and most of those who cause violent demonstrations and protests in the streets; Also of the people in prisons, a
very high proportion, are men; the majority of those who leave their children abandoned and do not take responsibility
for them are men (there are many homes presided over only by the woman who has stayed to take care of the children
and the irresponsible man has fled); the majority of people addicted to pornography and immoral practices are also
men; Many people who are slaves to work and excessive ambition for money are men; Unfortunately, it seems that in
negative, and often degrading, fields, men have the advantage over the opposite sex. Men are much more involved in
things that are not appropriate than women.
It would seem, simply, from the statistics, that the male sex was created only to cause problems in this world... men
have abused women in many aspects with physical or verbal violence, many have only gotten women pregnant and left
them to die alone, others They have lorded it over them, treating them as inferiors, not allowing them to improve
themselves, taking advantage of their greater physical strength, they have caused a lot of harm to the people closest to
them: their wife and children.
Manhood has been confused with machismo, with arrogance, with being a dictator or abuser, when the reality is very
different.
Apparently, our society has no clear concept of what it means to be a true man, much less of God's plans for every
man. Manhood has been confused with machismo, with arrogance, with being a dictator or abuser, when the reality is
very different. The truth be told that men are indebted to women.
The truth is also that, in the important things, such as spiritual things, seeking God, attending church, praying and
reading our Bible, sharing with our children the spiritual principles of the Word of God, we are there in disadvantage,
because women, on many occasions, are more faithful and dedicated than their husbands.
But on this day I would like all of us men to reflect a little and ask ourselves: Is this what men were created for? Will
God have a much better and more beautiful plan for men? Is this the whole goal in a man's life? Or perhaps, have we
taken the wrong direction?
Let's look a little at what the Bible teaches:

THERE IS A SEARCH FOR MEN OF GOD

In Ezekiel 22:30 , the Bible says: “and I looked for a man among them to make a fence…” it clearly tells us about a
search that God was doing to find faithful men, who would do what was right and intercede for the people, but sadly it
says the Bible “I did not find it.”
This phrase is heartbreaking, however, it was true! There are moments in the history of the people of Israel when there
is a shortage of men of God, the absence of men of value who were willing to pay the price of serving the Lord and
doing His Will.
Today we are having the same problem, in the biblical churches: there are few men truly committed to serving the Lord
faithfully. The search for our God is still current, he wants to find men who serve him, but sometimes he can't find them
anywhere.
God examines our churches in search of faithful men and the result is not very encouraging.
He finds women serving faithfully, despite their many activities; He finds children who praise him with their hearts; But
men are so busy with countless activities in the world that they have no time for God.
We cannot continue with this indifference as men, we cannot continue losing the opportunity to be what we were
created for, especially because it is not God's plan for our lives. But we must admit that the same thing happens
today...

THERE IS A LACK OF MEN OF GOD

God has always been pleased, within his sovereignty, to use human instruments to carry out his divine purposes. He
has always chosen people to carry out his plans, and it is very interesting that the majority of those instruments have
been men.
God used Noah to build an ark in which people would be saved from the flood that would come; He used Abraham to
form a nation that would be his people and from which the Messiah would come; the Lord used Moses to free his
people from slavery in Egypt; He used many prophets in the Old Testament to announce his Word to the people; He
raised up John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Messiah; God used the apostle Paul to spread Christianity
throughout the then known world; and so we can give many more examples.
So, today we cannot even think that his way of working has changed, he continues to look for men to use greatly as
instruments in his blessed hands. We cannot ignore everything we see revealed in the Scriptures and assume that
today, when there is so much need in the world, God is no longer calling men to serve greatly in his Work.

Families collapse and churches also collapse due to lack of men of God
The truth is that many of the problems we have in our society are simply because men are not taking the role that
corresponds to us. Families collapse and churches too for lack of men of God, men who pay the price to fulfill the will of
their Lord.
The time of the judges is a time of crisis and there we are given a clear example of lack of manly leadership ( Judges
4:1-14 ), where the Lord had to use a great woman (Deborah) to carry out his plans. forward, but God wanted Barak,
the man, to have responded quickly to his call without making pretexts. God wants to use men! Let's not be doing what
Barak did! Let's not make excuses! Pretending that God is not calling us to serve Him. Some of us... leave all the
burden in the hands of women, we let them take the lead in raising children, we let them be the ones to teach spiritual
principles in the home, we let them be the ones to take the initiative In churches, we let them attend church alone, we
let them outdo us in spiritual things when we should be the leaders.
This is stated very well by Josh McDowell, in his book The Father I Want to Be where, about some statistics, he says
the following (Page 12): “The study clearly indicates that the relationship with the father is a crucial factor in the health,
development and happiness of the child. This does not mean that the mother is not important; However, it does
highlight the fact that in most cases mom is at her job, fulfilling her obligation, taking care of her children, talking to her
children and accompanying her children. Consequently, it would seem that children have come to take for granted that
their mother is available to them, is affectionate, communicative and accepts them. But with dad he enters the game of
supply and demand. In many cases he is less accessible, less involved with his children or less communicative.”
Men, let us never leave our positions in our family, as parents and husbands, in the church, and in the Work of God, let
us not abandon our responsibility to be leaders because that can cause many problems.

THERE IS AN INVITATION TO BE MEN OF GOD

Definitely God's invitation to every man is to be faithful men, men of integrity, men who are committed to the Lord to do
his will.
 Men are called to submit to our God, (1st. Corinthians 11:3) and be obedient in everything to our Lord Jesus Christ.
If we demand subjection of our wife to us, let us demand, of ourselves, to see if we have subjection to Christ.
If we take good care of our families, we will be impacting future generations with the gospel of Jesus.
 Men are called to be an example to our family (1st. Timothy 3:4-5). We must govern our house well, love our wife
and take care of our children. Families disintegrate due to lack of firm male leadership. If we take good care of our
families, we will be impacting future generations with the gospel of Jesus.
 Men are called to be leaders of our church. The harvest is still large and the workers are still few. Men of courage
are needed who are committed to serving God ( Acts 13:1-3 )
 Men are called to work in the work of God ( Acts 6:3 ). There are many ministries that you as a man can develop in
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many empty places in the ministries of the churches due to lack of men
faithful to the Lord. Find out what you can work on and get to work.
To be “man” in the full sense of the word is to be “man of God” (1st. Timothy 6:11). Men of God are the ones who are
going to change the course of our society, they are the ones who can make an impact on each family and each church
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Definitely, God has a ministry for you, work in the work of the Lord is what is left over, the question is if you have the
character of a Man of God, if you are willing as a man to commit yourself to your Savior and be faithful to him in
everything what he asks of you.
Let us be true men, faithful and upright before God!
Let us be men of God!

CHARACTERISTICS OF A WISE MAN

TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF A WISE MAN

TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 8:1

INTRODUCTION

 LAST WEEK WE ANALYZED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WISE WOMAN, AND NOW WE WILL
STUDY THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WISE MAN.
 THE VERSE WITH WHICH WE HAVE BEGAN SAYS WHO IS LIKE THE WISE? AND IT IS A
REALITY EVEN THOUGH IN THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN, MANY COULD SAY WHO LIKES THE
RICH ONE? BUT WISDOM ALLOWS US TO LIVE A LIFE PLEASANT TO GOD AND TO OUR
NEIGHBORS.

 WE AS CHILDREN OF GOD SHOULD LONG TO BE WISE MEN, THAT IS MEAN MEN WHO
KNOW HOW TO LIVE, WHO ARE ABLE TO FACE THE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE
AND GET AHEAD WITH THE HELP OF GOD.

LET'S SEE WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT THE WORD OF GOD SHOWS US THAT A
WISE MAN MUST HAVE:

1. THE WISE MAN REMOVES FROM WHAT CAN BE HARMFUL TO HIS LIFE, HIS FUTURE OR TO
HIS FAMILY (PROVERBS 14:16)

 THE WORD OF GOD CLEARLY TELLS US THAT THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM IS THE FEAR OF
JEHOVAH, THAT IS TO say, A WISE MAN IS ONE WHO DEPARTS FROM THOSE THINGS THAT
ARE NOT PLEASANT TO GOD.

 HE DEPARTS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE HARMFUL IN HIS LIFE.

 STAY AWAY FROM VICES AND EVERYTHING THAT CAN DESTROY YOUR HEALTH, YOUR
FUTURE, OR YOUR MARRIAGE.

2. THE WISE MAN IS DILIGENT AND TAKES ADVANTAGE OF HIS TIME (PROV 6:6-9 / PROV 24:5)

 A WISE MAN IS NOT LAZY, HE KNOWS THAT HE HAS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS TIME TO
PREPARE FOR LIFE, TO WORK FOR HIS FAMILY.

 THE WISE MAN TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT GOD GIVES HIM IN LIFE
EVEN IF HE NEEDS TO MAKE SACRIFICES OR LEAVE HIS COMFORT ZONE.

 THE WISE MAN DOES NOT SPEND HIS LIFE REGRETING FOR LOST OPPORTUNITIES OR
LOST TIME (COLOSSIANS 4:5) REDEEING TIME MEANS RESCUE LOST TIME BY TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT GOD GIVES US IN LIFE.

3. THE WISE MAN TREATTS HIS WIFE WITH HONOR, WITHOUT MISTREATMENT (1 PETER 3:7)

 THE CHRISTIAN HUSBAND KNOWS THAT BY MISTREATING HIS WIFE HE IS DISPLEASING

GOD AND HIS PRAYERS WILL NOT BE ANSWERED.

 A WISE MAN IS GENTLEFUL

 A WISE MAN DOES NOT FEEL SUPERIOR TO WOMEN

 A WISE MAN DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MISTREATMENT OF ANY WOMAN.

4. A WISE MAN IS A GOOD MANAGER OF HIS MONEY (PROVERBS 21:20)

 TODAY THE PROBLEM OF THE GREAT MAJORITY OF FAMILIES IS NOT THAT THERE IS NO
MONEY INCOME, BUT THAT WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO MANAGE WISELY.

 THE FOOLISH MAN DISSIPATES ALL HIS GOODS, THAT IS, WASTES THEM, WASTES THEM,
HE CAN NEVER PROSPER WHEN WE DEDICATE OURSELVES TO A LIFE OF DISORDERED
PLEASURES (PROVERBS 29:3)

 THERE IS NO PROSPERITY FOR THOSE MAN WHO WANTS TO LIVE DISORDERLY, IN VICES,
WITH LOVERS, ETC.

5. THE WISE MAN HAS THE ABILITY TO ANALYZE THE SITUATIONS OF HIS LIFE
(ECLESIASTES 2:14)

 NOT ONLY DOES HE GET ANGRY ABOUT THE REBELLION OF HIS CHILDREN, OR THEIR BAD
GRADES, HE REFLECTS WHY.

 NOT ONLY DOES HE COMPLAIN ABOUT HIS WIFE'S INDIFFERENCE, HE FIRST REFLECTS ON
THE TREATMENT HE HAS GIVEN TO HER.

The Role of the Husband in Marriage

“It has always seemed to me that in the vast majority of cases the success or failure
of the husband as a spiritual leader is the key factor in determining the outcome of
such conflicts. If the husband were the kind of leader he should be, most of the
problems within the family could be solved definitively” –
 The role of the husband according to Ephesians 5
In Ephesians 5:22-33 the Holy Spirit has given us much clarity about the roles of husband and wife within marriage. It
is important to note that in the original language God addresses 40 words to the wife and 115 words to the husband
(almost 3 times more). With this we understand that in the marriage relationship the greatest responsibility and sacrifice
falls on the man. These verses have countless practical applications for every marriage, but before applying it we must
understand it.

The mandate
“Husbands, love your wives” ( Ephesians 5:25 )

In the entire section addressed to husbands we find the word love 6 times (verses 25, 28 and 33). This is the central
theme of the passage. It is interesting to note that Paul does not command the man to rule his wife or claim her
subjection. Instead the command is to love. This unconditional love is based on a decision of the giver, not on an
emotion or the recipient's desert.

The model
“Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her” ( Ephesians 5:25 )

The model of the husband is Christ himself, who died on the cross because he loved his church. We all know that no
sinful human being has the capacity to love with the divine fullness and perfection with which Christ loved and will
forever love the church. However, because a Christian has the nature of Christ himself and the Holy Spirit within him,
God makes provision for husbands to love their wives with a measure of the love of Christ.

Let us remember that the context of Ephesians 5:25-33 is key to understanding this section of the letter. Paul writes: “So
do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, in which is debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit” ( Ephesians 5:17-18 ). Only a husband filled with the Holy Spirit is capable of loving his
wife with the same kind of love that Jesus has for the church.

The Characteristics of that love

The husband's love for his wife should imitate Christ's love for the church, which has the following characteristics:

1. Husband's love must be sacrificial

“And he gave himself for her” ( Ephesians 5:25 )

Christ loved the church to the point of sacrificing his life for it and became the example of every Christian husband. A
loving husband will be willing to sacrifice his life for his wife. In fact, he will be willing to make minor sacrifices for
her and, if necessary, put aside his own tastes, desires, opinions, preferences and well-being to please her and satisfy her
needs.

The husband who loves his wife solely because of her physical attractiveness or agreeable temperament does not love
her as Christ loved the church. The husband who loves his wife for what she can give him, loves like the world and not
like Christ.

2. The husband's love must be purifying

“That he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present it to himself
a church in all its glory, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and blameless” (
Ephesians 5 :26-27 )

Love only wants the best for the one it loves, and cannot tolerate a loved one being corrupted or led astray by anything
evil or harmful. When a husband's love for his wife is like Christ's love for his church, he will continually seek to help
purify her from any kind of impurity. He will strive to protect her from the pollution of the world and to protect her
holiness, virtue and purity.

Now, the husband does not have the power to salvifically cleanse his wife as Christ did for his church. The husband
cannot “wash away the sins” of his wife because only the work of Jesus does that. However, the husband can share the
Word with her, encourage her in her service to God, pray for her spiritual growth and the sanctification of her life by
collaborating in the process of her sanctification.

The tools that every Christian husband has to carry out this task are the Word of God and prayer. The husband who
loves his wife diligently seeks to bring his wife where the Word is taught. He constantly exposes it to the Word because
he knows that only it purifies and sanctifies. At the same time he is praying with her and for her asking God to keep him
from sin and impurity.

3. The husband's love must be preserving

“So husbands should also love their wives, as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever
hated his own body, but sustains and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church; for we are members of his body” (
Ephesians 5:28-30 ).
For a husband's love for his wife to be similar to Christ's love for his church, it must be characterized by the affectionate
care that the wife receives from her husband, who cares for her and seeks her well-being as much as he seeks his own.
Something is very wrong if she is considered only as a cook, housewife, occasional companion and sexual partner. She
is an immense treasure given by God, with the purpose of being loved, attended to, sustained and cared for.

Supporting a wife is equivalent to providing for her needs, to giving without reservation everything that helps her grow
and mature in favor before God and those around her. Caring for her means using tender love and physical affection to
provide warmth, comfort, protection and security. Just as Christ provides for his church, a husband must provide for his
wife and family.

If the husband understands the principle that the wife is part of him, then he should not abuse or mistreat her physically,
emotionally or spiritually. Because? Because by doing so he abuses himself and will suffer as much as she does.

4. The husband's love must be unbreakable

“
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32
Great is this mystery, but I speak with reference to Christ and the church. 33 In any case, let each of you also love his
wife as himself, and let the wife respect her husband” ( Ephesians 5:31-33 ).

The principles that God established for the marriage of Adam and Eve were still in force in Paul's time and have not
changed at all to this day. This is why Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 . Both spouses must leave their father and mother
(emotionally, financially and physically) to unite or adhere to each other inseparably.

Although God has made provision for divorce in cases of continued and unrepentant adultery on the part of the
transgressor ( Matthew 5:31-32 ; 19:4-10 ), as well as in the case of an unbelieving spouse who abandons the believer (
1 Corinthians 7:15 ), death is the only dissolution God desires in marriage. Just as the body of Christ is indivisible,
God's ideal design for marriage is for it to be indivisible. Marriage is a representation of the church and its relationship
with Christ.

Conclusion
God has placed a great responsibility before husbands and at the same time has given them the tools to carry out their
role within the home. A man who has been reached by the grace and love of Jesus Christ has the power to walk in
obedience to the Word of God, be filled with the Holy Spirit and carry out that role that he has received from his
Creator. Christ loved the church and gave himself sacrificially for her, so that every husband who has believed in him
can love his wife, being strengthened in the power of the gospel. A woman who is loved in this way will have no
problem submitting to her husband because he will always seek