Adult Boys or Mature Men

Today, instead of the absentee father being the curse of our day,

it is "fatherlessness.”

...Ed Cole

Absentee Father vs.

Fatherlessness

The difference is rather than being absent from the family, there is an absence of concern for the family.

Fatherlessness is the curse of our day.

" Fatherlessness is caused by the immaturity of men."

Sociologists say...

Problem Children

"Children (will become) their oppressors.“ Isaiah 3:12

You are only young once, but you can live immature for

a lifetime.

God commends childlikeness, but

scorns childishness

Ephesians 4:13 (NLT)

The whole purpose of the equipping gifts in the church is to enable men to mature...to grow up into the stature of the measure of being Christlike.

“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

A childish man is an immature

man.

Maturity doesn't come with age but

begins with the acceptance of responsibility.

Acceptance or Refusal

First Adam - refused to accept responsibility for his actions.

Last Adam - the Lord Jesus Christ accepted responsibility for the actions of the entire world.

Three Options

Male

Man

Covenant Man

Jesus asked…

“To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them?” Luke 7:31 (NLT)

They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

‘We played wedding songs,and you didn’t dance,so we played funeral songs,and you didn’t weep.’

For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. Luke 7:32-35 (NLT)

A More Contemporary Saying

"If I don't play by your rules, you will take your ball and go home."

Grown men tell their wives, "It's my way or the highway."

Childish!

Time to Grow Up!

Proverb, "To learn you must want to be taught."

Availability is not the greatest need in business or ministry, teachability is.

Commitment to Discipleship

CharacterConviction Christlikeness

Lesson From Three Hebrew Children

You stand the tallest when everyone else is bowing.Decision time is nearingWill you bow?Or, will you be standing tall for Jesus?