Man Camp 2013: Part 1 – The Man God Needs
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Man Camp 2013 is over. We’ve put our man screams up and have come back to civilization. While there, God did some amazing work in our men. I wanted to share with you all some of the things we took away from Man Camp.
Have you ever thought about what kind of man God needs? What is it about a man that determines whether or not he is useful to God? King David was a man who had many ups and downs in his life (a lot like you and me!). He had great victories and agonizing defeats. He had great moments dancing with God and he also had moral failures. He was a real man.
David had a group of men that were close to him. They were called David’s Mighty Men. There were 30 of them. There were three that he was closest to and he gave more responsibility. They were leaders in the battle for David. He trusted them, even with his life. Let’s see what the Bible says about these “mighty men.”
In 2 Samuel 23:8-23, David’s mighty men did many extraordinary feats. One killed 800 men at one time. Another, took care of the Philistines by himself after being left by all his men. Another of the men killed 300 men at one time. One of the mighty men killed “two ariels of Moab” which were probably elite fighters (like our Navy Seals) – killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day – and grabbed a spear out of a good looking Egyptians hand and killed him with it. These men had a lot going for them. They were strong, courageous, and bold.
But the one thing they really had going for them was a dependence on God. All the things they did could have never been pulled off in their own power. These guys were loyal to David (and God) until their death. These men fought physical battles with God leading them. Our battles today are not against physical foes. Our battles are spiritual battles against an equally dangerous foe… Satan.
God is calling each man who has a relationship with him to become a mighty man of God. So, the first question you have to ask yourself is, “Do I have a relationship with God through his Son Jesus?… That is, have I ever repented of my sins and put my faith in Jesus through the gospel (he lived, he died, he arose)?” You can’t be a mighty man of God if you don’t have a relationship with God.
Becoming a mighty man of God is not an event. It is a process as we grow in our relationship to God. But, we have to step up as men and take responsibility for our own spiritual lives and those God has given us to lead. It’s time to rise up and be the men God has called us to be.
Where do you stand in your walk with God? We have to know where we are in our relationship with God before we can look for areas to grow in. I want you to know God always looks at our motive for loving God over our outward actions. If you remember, the Pharisees did really well at doing the right thing on the outside but their hearts were rotten. God wants our pure motive for loving him to result in righteous actions, not the other way around. So, take a few minutes and look at your heart.
You can be the man God needs. All you have to do is submit to God’s leadership and authority in your life. Get out of the lead and let him lead. You will indeed become a “mighty man of God.”