Dads, do you realize your role and the 3 key roles you have as men in this world? Ever considered that there are sins of commission and omission? Do you know what the right things to do are? It’s a sin to know what to do and then not do it, a sin of omission. So, let’s consider what I learned this morning at the Men’s Breakfast at church when Pastor Josh spoke. It was about our roles as men. To be Priests in our homes is our first role. We are to be Pillars in our churches too. And Prophets in our communities was the third calling. Are you ready to jump in and learn more? Be prepared for what God has given us to do. The responsibility to do something, that you don’t deserve, and you can’t delegate?
Role of Priest In Your Home
God’s called us to be the priests in our homes. We can’t earn it and don’t deserve it but God has given it to us. With this gift, you need to realize and remember that this doesn’t mean that you have to be the most spiritual to be the spiritual leader. As the priest in our home, we need to be the mediator between our families and God. It doesn’t mean we just tell our family members what we think God has to correct them but it also means that we have to stand in front of God on behalf of our families too. So today, let’s make the decision to pray with our wives and kids. Let’s choose to pray a prayer for God’s protection and blessings over each of their lives.
Role of Pillar In The Church
A pillar is a place of support, stability, and strength. As men, it is our role to bring support, stability, and strength to the church. We need to remember and realize that we can’t support something we aren’t connected to and as such need to be connect. As the men who come in to be pillars in the church, we need to set the tone or temperature of the building, serve, and stand with each other.
Set the Tone:
We are like the thermostat, we set the tone and the temperature in the church. We set the bar high so that it helps others to aspire to not only hit that bar but be bar raisers. Let’s be the dads who are friendly and passionate at church and help other men feel welcomed, valued, and help them to find their place in the body.
Serve:
Just like giving is walking in faithful obedience, so is serving. God has gifted each of us with abilities that can be used to serve in the church. As a church, our capacity to reach more is based on our ability to serve and keep each other healthy. We can’t just be settling for being people who follow the Pareto Principle where 20% of the people do 80% of the work. We need to be the dads who are using God’s giftings and serve.
Stand With Each Other:
If you consider how trees fall over in a windstorm, most of the causes were decay and weren’t connected. When they are near other trees and their roots interconnect, it strengthens them to be able to stand. So, we as men need to come together, stand with each other in order for us to stand stronger.
Role of Prophet To The Community:
Sometimes when we think of prophets, we think of Old Testament guys who foretold what was about to happen. What it really means is that we need to be men who speak biblical truth. We are at a point in society where we can’t afford to let garbage dominate, direct, or even drive our cities and communities. God has put us here for such a day and such a time as this, to be salt and light in the community. It may come with a cost, but you won’t lose. We aren’t trying to go it alone, as we step out God will be with us. The best example was given speaking of society and being men who are willing to do what is right even when it comes with a cost because we can trust that with God we won’t lose because with Jesus our eternity is confirmed, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Let’s consider their story in the midst of a culture where everyone else was willing to bow down to anything even a statue. The guys had character to only bow to God even if it was going to cost them something.
Consider the society that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in.
‘King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.’
Daniel 3
Imagine being the guys being thrown into the fiery furnace and their experience in the presence of God, the one who looked like the Son of God and being able to come out of the furnace without being burned or the smell of smoke. The fire burned off the bindings, and they were able to walk in the fire without injury. So today, we must speak the truth in love! Even if it costs us something to take a stand for what is right, being the light God is calling us to be, let’s choose to do it for our good and His glory.
In all of these cases, we have a role to play. We’re going to have to give an account to God for it. Let’s take these roles seriously.
