Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace

Where Are The Real Men - Part 1 of 3

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2021-08-16

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver begins a three-part series on biblical manhood, contrasting it with humanistic definitions. Using John the Baptist as the prime example, he outlines four characteristics of a real man: solitary (willing to stand alone), separated (from sin and the world), straightening (resolving conflicts biblically), and saving (pointing others to Christ). He also references Ezekiel 22:30, where God sought a man to stand in the gap but found none, and illustrates godly character with the story of General Robert E. Lee showing compassion to a wounded Union soldier.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles today, if you would please, to the book of John chapter 1. We're going to look at verse 6 and verse 23, and then we're going to come back and fill in a few verses as well. But John chapter 1 and verse 6 simple verse. The Bible says there was a man sent from God whose name was John. Then if we'll skip down to verse 23 where John is answering those who questioned who he was, he replied and said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah. The title of the message today is going to be the beginning of a three-part The title is, Where Are the Real Men? If you'll remember a few months back, I preached a message which I entitled, Where Are the Real Women? I had many responses to that message, and all of them were favorable.

[John Weaver] But each response ended also with another question. And that question was, when are you going to preach a sermon on where are the real men? And I was really very surprised because that question was not only asked by single women, it was asked by married women, and it was also asked by some men. And so this is going to be the response to that question. When we're talking about a man, you must understand that there is a vast difference between the biblical definition of manhood and the humanistic definition of manhood.

[John Weaver] In fact, biblicism and humanism have absolutely nothing in common. In fact, they are just direct opposites. Manhood is not determined by age. It's not determined by muscles or abilities. In fact, I believe that there's a vast difference today in the character and in the integrity of those men that lived even a hundred years ago and those that are alive today. Character certainly has fallen by the wayside in every area if you would ever stop and think about this that Even back during the Great Depression There are a lot of people who were out of work a lot of people who had absolutely nothing and yet even the hobos When they would come up to a house and knock on the door The first thing they would ask is is there some work that we can do for a sandwich or a bowl of soup? At least they were willing to work The interesting thing is a book Alice and I came across years ago.

[John Weaver] The title of it is, We Had Everything But Money. And it is stories from the Great Depression, how people survived, how they made their money, how they got along on little food and made what little food they have stretch. Wonderful, wonderful stories. But on the other hand, today we've sired a generation of people and a society of people who has had everything given to them. They know nothing really and truly about work. They know nothing about sacrifice. They know nothing about frugality.

[John Weaver] This, everything's been handed to them basically on a silver platter. And if they don't get what they want, then their attitude is we'll take it because we deserve it and it should be ours. And so the truth of the matter is we need men today. We need men certainly with understanding and certainly that will demonstrate what biblical manhood is. It was Josiah Gilbert Holland who wrote this. Listen to it carefully. He said, God give us men.

[John Weaver] A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands. Men whom the lust of office does not kill. Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy. men who possess opinions and a will, men who have honor, men who will not lie, men who can stand before a demagogue and damn his treacherous flatteries without winking, tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog, in public duty and in private thinking, for while the rabble with their thumb-worn creeds, their large

[John Weaver] professions and their little deeds, mingle in selfish strife, low freedom weeps, wrong rules the land, and waiting justice weeps." And certainly, I think you can see how appropriate that is for us today. And certainly, we need men. We need biblical men. We need godly men.

[John Weaver] Now, before we look at John chapter 1, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Ezekiel chapter 22, and I want you to pay close attention to verse 30. Ezekiel chapter 22 and verse 30. After we look at this verse then we're going to come back and look at the context. But notice if you would in the book of Ezekiel chapter 22 and verse 30. Notice in this passage God Himself is speaking. And so the Bible says this, Ezekiel 22 verse 30, And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." Now God said, I sought for a man among them. God seeks for men. And the Hebrew word here is the word ish, which designates a man and not a woman. It distinguishes a man from a woman. And so God is seeking for a man to stand, a man to intercede, a man to pray, a man who will do that which is right and holy and obey.

[John Weaver] He's looking for someone in this passage that will confront evil and wickedness and corruption and will not back down. You find many men like that in the Bible. Moses was a man who stood in the gap, so to speak, along with Abraham, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Samuel, just to name a few. These men all stood in the gap and basically defended their land. But I want you to look, if you would, again at verse 30, because God said, I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. So God is looking for a man that will stay off his hand of judgment and destruction. But the interesting thing is, He said, I sought for a man among them."

[John Weaver] So the question is, who is the them? Who is God seeking a man from among? Well, the interesting thing is, the answer is, He's seeking for a man among the priests, the prophets, the princes, and the people. Let me show you. So let's begin reading in Ezekiel 22 beginning there with verse 24. God says, There is a conspiracy of our prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey, they have devoured souls, they have taken the treasure and precious things, they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, have profaned mine holy things, have put no difference between the holy and the profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes In the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

[John Weaver] And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and dividing lies into them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy. Yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And," note now, I sought for a man among them." Who's the them? The prophets, the priests, the princes, the people.

[John Weaver] Then he said,"...that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." So not any among the people, not any among the princes, not any among the prophets, not any among the priests were able to stand before the Lord, and intercede for the land, that he would not judge and destroy it." It's very rich and such a blessing when you come to a passage like John 1 in verse 6, when God looked at John the Baptist and said, there was a man sent from God whose name was John. Now, of course, John was a real man in the sense that he confronted evil, he confronted corruption and wickedness, and he did not pull any punches.

[John Weaver] He confronted the leading religious leaders of his day, as well as the political leaders. You remember he looked at those Pharisees and said, Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? But he also called them a bunch of vipers, much like our Lord did when He looked at the Pharisees And he says, warning you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, how can you escape the damnation of hell? So obviously John the Baptist was not pulling any punches as well. John certainly was not Christ. He was certainly not an angel, but he was a man. But I want you to remember this. He said in John one in verse six, there was a man sent by God whose name was John. So, in other words, John was sent with a specific mission and purpose. And that purpose, if you look in John 1 and verse 7, notice if you would what the Bible says there, John 1, verse 7. The Bible says, the same came for a witness, to bear witness of that light, that all men through him might be saved.

[John Weaver] So John was sent by God for a purpose. He had a specific mission in mind. And may I point out that real men do indeed have a purpose. They do have a real mission in mind, and that purpose and that mission is to serve and honor the Lord Jesus Christ. So real men do have a purpose.

[John Weaver] Now, there are many truths that can be brought to light and to bear based upon John 1, and I want to share these with you. First of all, I want you to note the fact that John was a solitary man. He said in verse 23, I am the voice of one. Now, I want you to notice that when John gave this answer, he was answering the question of those Jews that had sent the priests and the Levites from Jerusalem. Watch verse 19. And this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him. Who art thou?

[John Weaver] And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ, I am not the Messiah. And they asked him, What then, art thou Elijah, or Elias? And he saith, I am not. Then they asked, Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Well, what prophet are they referring to? Well, that would refer back to Deuteronomy 18, where Moses said a prophet like unto me shall the Lord thy God raise up from among thee. So it's another way of saying the Messiah again. So they asked him, are thou that prophet, that special anointed one? He says, no. Verse 22, then said they unto him, who art thou that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself? And then he gave this answer. I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet.

[John Weaver] Isaiah now, I want you to note What John could have said when they came from Jerusalem and said who are you Who are you a John could have rightly looked them and said What's wrong with you? Don't you know who I am? I'm the subject of Old Testament prophecy I was supernaturally conceived. God directly intervened for me to be born. Moreover, I was filled with the Holy Spirit from my mother's womb.

[John Weaver] I was sent to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Don't you know who I am? He could have answered that way truthfully and accurately, but he didn't. Who art thou? I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. John, at this point in time, was the only one who was standing and crying out. And he was standing alone, and he was not ashamed to be alone.

[John Weaver] He was unmoved by peer pressure or peer approval. He was not ashamed to stand out in the crowd. And he stood, and because it was necessary, he stood alone. In fact, he was alone. So, you see, it's easy for someone to stand for what is right, as long as we have our family, and our friends around us. We have large support groups. When we have great encouragement and great help, it's very simple to stand. There's no problem there. In fact, when you have all your family and friends in the great support group, there's no price to pay for standing. But when you are alone and by yourself, and no one else is going to stand with you, that's when you have a price to pay. And John stood alone, and he stood for that which is right in an age of error, heresy, sin, and compromise. And he stood and proclaimed the truth when no one else would proclaim it. That's why he answered and said, I am the voice of one. No one else was crying out, demanding repentance.

[John Weaver] No one else said, repent of your sins and believe. No one else said, repent of your sins and obey. He was alone. He was a solitary man with a solitary voice. All the prominent religious leaders of his day were against him. All the political leaders of his day were against him. You have to remember, that's how he lost his head. When he looked at King Herod and he said, what?

[John Weaver] It's not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. And it ultimately got his head chopped off. So basically, here he is standing against a corrupt religious establishment, as well as a corrupt political establishment. The point I'm trying to make is this. A real man does not need a multitude or an army behind him in order to do that which is right. He's willing to stand, and he's willing to stand alone if necessary, because he is a man of honor and character and integrity. You've probably heard it said that a man who will not stand for something will fall for anything, and that is certainly true. And unhappily today, so many people do not have the character and consequently, they fall very easily and fall very readily.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something that I have actually said in times past. I'm going to say it again. And if God will give me breath and grace, I'm going to say it until I die. But I want you to understand this. Character is what a man is in the dark. You tell me what you would do if you knew that no one else would ever find out about it, and I'll tell you exactly what you are. You say, well, if I knew that no one would ever find out about it, I'd go down to that bank and I'd get every bit of the money out of it I could carry. Well, you're a thief. Well, if I knew no one would ever find out about it, I'd run off old sister so-and-so or brother so-and-so. Well, you're an adulterer. Well, if I knew nobody would ever find out about it, I'd really take care of old so-and-so because I despise him. Well, you're a murderer. Character is not what you are around everybody else.

[John Weaver] Character and really and truly is what you are when you're alone You know, everybody has a front. Everybody has a face. Everyone has a facade. There are people who will smile at you and Praise you and compliment you and then as you turn to walk away, they stab a knife in your back. I mean You understand that but you tell me what you would do if you knew that no one else would ever find out about it And I will tell you exactly what you are, because it's when we are alone and we are by ourselves and no one can see us, no one can hear us, and no one can read our minds. It's what we are. Will we resist sin alone? Will we refuse wicked thoughts alone? Will we do that which is right when no one else is around? So character is what a man is in the dark. The second truth is this, that the test of your character is what it takes to stop you. So many people think, well, boy, they're going to really have to persecute me and prosecute me in order to stop me.

[John Weaver] That's usually not true, especially in this day and time. When you stop and think about the professing Christians who quit serving Christ, who leave church, who never come back just because somebody makes them mad. Or they get their feelings hurt. Or they don't get the praise that they think they deserve, or they don't get the congratulations and they don't get the recognition. I'm simply saying this. It does not take someone with a machine gun standing there saying, deny Christ. No, no, no, no. All you got to do is say something they don't like and hurt their feelings and they'll pick up their marbles and go home. And that's all there is to it. So little character. So the test of our character is basically what it takes to stop us.

[John Weaver] But here's another truth in light of that that we must understand. And that's this, that circumstances never make or break a man. They just simply reveal him. What you are under pressure is really and truly what you are. When one caves in under pressure, it demonstrates that he's weak. Now, the pressure didn't make him weak. He was already weak. The pressure just simply revealed him. It's just like in a battle. When the enemy starts firing, and the man starts running, you say, wow, he's a coward. The battle made him a coward. No, the battle didn't make him a coward. He was already a coward in his heart. The battle just revealed him.

[John Weaver] On the other hand, if he takes his weapon and charges headlong into the enemy and defends his people and destroys the enemy and saves his comrades, someone says, well, the battle made him a hero. No, he was already a hero in his heart. The battle just simply revealed him. So it's our character that's going to be displayed under pressure, under test, under trial, and basically what is going to happen, those tests and those trials are going to reveal to us and to others that exactly, that is exactly what we are.

[John Weaver] See, John's attitude was this. If no one else will stand for what's right, I'll stand. If no one else will speak out against wickedness, I'll speak out. If no one else will obey, I will obey. In other words, John did not need a crowd. He did not need a bunch of friends. He said, I'm willing to do that which is right alone. He was a solitary man.

[John Weaver] There's a verse, I want you to look at it, it's found in Second Timothy, chapter four and verse 16. Turn there, hold the book of John if you would, but look in Second Timothy very quickly, chapter four and verse 16. Don't you know what the Apostle Paul said? He said it, my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Isn't that astounding? He said, my first answer, no man stood with me. And then he went on to say, but all men forsook me. You know, there's a clear implication in this verse, and that is this, that we are chargeable, and we are accountable, and we're responsible to stand with men who are standing for truth, and honor, and integrity, and that which is right in the eyes of God. So just like John, Paul was willing to stand even if he had to stand alone. So when you talk about manhood from the Bible, And when God looked at John the Baptist and said, there was a man, you have to understand that a real man is a man who's going to be able to stand for what is right, even if he has to stand alone.

[John Weaver] Now, look back, if you would please, to verse 23 of John chapter 1, because here's the second characteristic of a real man. He gave the answer and he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. So John was in the wilderness. He was not in the bars. He's not in the saloons. He's not in the dance halls. He was not in the ecumenical councils.

[John Weaver] He was willing to stand and stand alone, but he was also willing to separate himself from sin and wickedness. Have you ever stopped to think about this? If a man is going to devote himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, if he's going to devote himself to his wife and to his family, He's going to have His hands full just simply doing that. Why in the world would you want to get into anything, recreation-wise or any-wise, that's going to distract you from your mission or from your purpose? Remember, the Bible says there was a man sent from God whose name was John.

[John Weaver] The same came for a witness. In other words, he had a purpose. Nothing was going to deter him from fulfilling that purpose and that mission. And so the truth of the matter is, serving the Lord and raising a family is a full-time job in and of itself. So why in the world would anyone get involved in any activity, any organization, any recreation, or anything that would destroy that purpose in life?

[John Weaver] Now, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 22, to abstain from all appearance of evil. It's not that we're just to abstain from evil. We're to abstain from all appearance of evil. And then there's another passage in Romans 13, verse 14, where the Bible says, But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. So when someone then begins to play with sin, when they begin to play with the world and dabble and tempt the flesh, it's not going to be long before you're going to be swallowed up in wickedness.

[John Weaver] So we have to learn how to apply separation. And by the way, when you read a verse like Romans 1 in verse 1, where the apostle said, Paul, an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. Separation is not just from something that is wicked and wrong, it is to that which is right and holy as well. There has to be a separation, not just from sin, but from the world and from the flesh as well. We have to understand that the world is not our friend. The flesh is not our friend. Sin certainly is not our friend. When you look at 1 John 2, verses 15 through 17, God says, love not the world. Now let me just stop there. When He says love not the world, He's not talking about the created world. He's talking about the world system. He's talking about everything in the world that is opposed to Him. For instance, He goes on, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

[John Weaver] Now think about that. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. He tells you why. For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are not of the Father, but of the world. And the world, and the lust thereof, passeth away. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." So he says the world is going to pass away. You see, not only is the world against us, but our flesh, that is the principle of sin within us, is probably our greatest enemy, because it cries to be satisfied and pleased and fulfilled. That's why Paul said, make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. Don't plan on something that you know that's going to lead you to that which is wicked and wrong.

[John Weaver] Now, Peter said it a little differently, but it's the same principle. He said in 1 Peter 2 and verse 11, Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims that you abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." Why in the world would we engage in something and desire something that's going to war against us, fight against us, and seek to destroy us? So, if we love the world, we're not separated unto the Father. If we love our flesh, we're not separated unto the Father.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. Like Moses, We have to choose, and we have to choose wisely. Let me show you. Hold John 1, but look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, beginning there with verse 24. Watch this section very closely. The Bible says, By faith Moses, When he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

[John Weaver] Now let me just stop and give you the implication here. If he was Pharaoh's daughter, if he was the son of Pharaoh's daughter, that means he's going to be in line to be the ruler of Egypt. He could be, become a Pharaoh. But the Bible says by faith when he was come to years, He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Note what he chose.

[John Weaver] Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Now why would he choose affliction rather than pleasure? When you stop and think, as Pharaoh, he could have had whatever he wanted, done whatever he wanted to have done, Egypt at that time was one of the leading and richest nations in the world. But here's why he chose to suffer. Verse 26, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater treasures, or greater riches, than the treasures in Egypt.

[John Weaver] For he had respect under the recompense of the reward. Therefore by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. But note, he esteemed the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." So the question is, how much do we value the Lord Jesus Christ? And how much do we value His Word? How much do we value His truth?

[John Weaver] So, it's interesting that Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. You compare Moses with Demas. You know, Demas worked with the Apostle Paul. And yet the Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 10, For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. And the interesting thing about the phrase, having loved, it's from the Greek word agapao, which is a spiritual love. In other words, he loved this age, his present age, he loved his present world over and above the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand something. Loving the world is an act of idolatry. That's why he said, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because when a man spiritually places the world and its pleasures above God, it is nothing less than idolatry." Now, listen. We may either walk pleasing unto the Lord, which we have been commanded to do, or we may walk pleasing unto the world, or we may walk pleasing unto the flesh.

[John Weaver] but we can't do all three at the same time. So we're either going to please the Father and not please the world and not please our flesh. Because if we please the flesh or the world, then we're not going to please the Father. So John then said, I'm the voice of one, a solitary man, crying in the wilderness, a separated man. I'm separated from everything that's contrary to God unto the gospel and the truth of God. But let's go back. to John chapter 1 and verse 23, because here's a third thing in verse 23. Watch carefully. He said, I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.

[John Weaver] Now the Greek word for straight is the word euthyno, and it simply means to make straight, to make level, to make plain, And it speaks of someone at that time who was steering a ship or driving a chariot. If you drove that chariot, you wanted to drive it straight. It's kind of like our adage when somebody starts to drive off. And what do we say? Keep it between the ditches. In other words, drive straight is what it amounts to. So he says, make straight the way of the Lord. In other words, Do not convolute the way of the Lord. Do not let the way of the Lord become circuitous. Do not let it become convoluted in any way whatsoever. Why? Because our Lord shows us the straight and narrow way. It is His way.

[John Weaver] According to the scripture, it is the highway of holiness. It is the way of obedience. And John was preaching repentance unto obedience. And so often, instead of making straight the way of the Lord, what we do is we block it, we barricade it, we convolute it, we make it that which is simple and plain and straight into something circuitous, problematic, and it turns up being a dilemma.

[John Weaver] Our problem basically is our pride. Our problem is our rebellion. Our problem is our disobedience. So let me give you an illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 5 and Matthew chapter 18 and hold both of those passages. Because each one of us has experienced broken fellowship with someone. It may be a fellow believer, it may be a family member, there's been arguments, there have been disagreements, there's been hurt feelings, there's been Scarred pride there's broken fellowship What in the world should we do in? Such an instance. Well, I want you to look at this first of all in Matthew chapter 5 verses 23 and 24 Our Lord gives us this direction he says therefore if I bring thy gift to the altar and There remember us that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

[John Weaver] Now, let me just try to put this where it can be very easily understood. And I want to use Steve for an illustration. Let's suppose that Steve has something against me, okay? I don't know what, but he's got something against me. I don't have anything against him. I'm not upset with him. I'm not angry with him. I'm not mad with him, but he's got something against me.

[John Weaver] And I come to worship God. I come to pray. And he says, therefore, if I bring thy gift to the altar and there remembers that thy brother has all against thee, leave thy gift before the altar and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Okay?

[John Weaver] Now remember, I don't have a thing against him. But I remember that he said something that indicated that there was a problem. Here's my question. Whose responsibility is it to resolve the problem and work it out? It's mine. it's mine. Now, hang on. Look in your Bibles to Matthew 18. Matthew 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 15. Matthew 18, verse 15. Here it is. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone, If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." We're not going to deal with verse 16 and 17 right now.

[John Weaver] That would only follow if the first fail. But look at verse 15 again. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee. In this instance, who now is hurt? Who now is upset? Who now is offended? It's me. Do you realize it is possible hurt someone, to upset someone, to offend someone, to use that word biblically, without even knowing it. How many times have you said things and someone misunderstood or took it the wrong way?

[John Weaver] I mean that's very easily done. Steve could say something and I could think when I heard it, what? Why would he say something like that? I bet he's trying to cut me down. You see what I'm saying? And Steve could be absolutely, totally, perfectly innocent. Didn't mean a thing by it.

[John Weaver] Now, in this instance, I have somewhat against him. He doesn't have anything against me. Whose responsibility is it to get it worked out? It's mine. So it doesn't matter if he's got all against me or I've got all against him. It's still my responsibility, really and truly what should happen. If both parties know that there is a problem, we should be meeting halfway to get the thing resolved and get the thing worked out. You follow that?

[John Weaver] So all I'm trying to say is this. Problems do not go away. Problems do not vanish. Problems do not disappear. And unless problems are straightened out, unless they are corrected, unless they are resolved in a biblical manner, they're only going to get worse.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 4, and look, if you would, at verses 26 and 27. Ephesians 4, verses 26 and 27. Watch this carefully. Ephesians 4, verse 26, God says, Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. Now, without me preaching an entire message on verse 26, He says, Be ye angry, and sin not.

[John Weaver] So I'll just make this statement. There is a righteous anger, and there is an unrighteous anger. A righteous anger is directed at sin in order to resolve the situation. An unrighteous anger is usually directed at other people, or sometimes even ourselves. But he says, be angry and sin not. So there is a way to be righteously angry and not to sin. But note what he said, be angry and sin not.

[John Weaver] Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So if I have aught against Steve or Steve aught against me, and I know about it, how soon should I get it settled? Before the sun goes down. before the sun goes down. What about verse 27? Neither give place to the devil. That means if I do not get the problem resolved, if I do not straighten it out, okay, I'm giving place to the devil.

[John Weaver] So when you have problems that are not straightened out, what happens? They turn into your life. into bitterness, resentment, ill will, perpetual anger, and hatred. And you look at the bitter, vindictive people that are running around under the umbrella of Christianity, and they have violated this scripture. They refuse to straighten things out in a biblical manner. When John was asked who he was, he said, I am the voice of one.

[John Weaver] I'm a solitary man crying in the wilderness. I'm a separated man. Make straight the way of the Lord. As said the prophet Isaiah, I am a straightening man. And we need to learn as men to straighten things out in our lives, in the lives of our wives, our children, to the best of our ability. for the honor and the glory of God. Straighten things out with anyone with whom there is a disagreement, with whom there is a problem, to the best of your ability.

[John Weaver] All you can do is be obedient. You say, what if that person will not repent? What if that person does not want to hear me? Well, you've tried. You've done that which God has commanded you. That's their sin. That's their problem, not yours.

[John Weaver] Now, notice, if you would please, back in John chapter one, Let me give you something else here. I want you to look now, if you would please, at verse 29 and then verses 35 through 37. I'm going to give you this point that John was not only a solitary man, a separated man, a straightened man, he was a saving man. I'll explain that. Look in verse 29. He says this, The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Now skip down to verse 35. Again, the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Now let me clarify something, and I'm sure that you know what I mean by this. When I say that John was a saving man, I'm not saying that John could save anyone. John certainly could not. He could not save himself.

[John Weaver] He could not save anyone else. Neither can I, neither can you. But what he could do is point them to the one who could save, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what he was doing. He was giving witness to the light. He was pointing out the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. So the saving man is the man just who merely points others to the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Here is the thing that is astounding. If you'll skip back down to verse 35, Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Isn't that interesting? Did you notice that John did not have to beg, plead, conjole, demand, harass, harangue, command. He just simply spoke. And folks followed the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? His life was pure. His word was true. His witness was clear. And he spoke with truth and he spoke with power.

[John Weaver] That's exactly what we need in our lives. But we can never be the saving man without being the straightening man and the separated man and the solitary man. Let me ask you, do men follow Jesus Christ when you speak? Do men follow the word of God when you speak or do they follow the world or do they follow sin? Is your life holy? Are you obedient in your own life? Are you involved with the world, loving the world? Does your conversation build up Jesus Christ, or does it merely edify yourself? Are you willing to decrease that Jesus Christ might increase?

[John Weaver] Since you're in John, look in John chapter 3, beginning there, verse 26. You see, after our Lord was baptized by John, of course our Lord began to preach, and He drew away many of John's disciples and a lot of other people as well. And so in verse 26 of John chapter 3, And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, whom thou barrest witnessed, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

[John Weaver] You yourselves bear witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. Watch, He must increase and I must decrease. So the question has to be asked, are we willing to decrease in order that Jesus Christ might increase?

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. I preached a message years ago titled the message Christian Manhood. I used these four points. This message is not like that one, not exactly, anyhow it's different. But I used one illustration in that message that I want to use today. I want to point out real example of Christian manhood outside of the Bible. There are many, there are many, but this one to me is just the epitome. Regardless of what the politically correct crowd states, regardless of what the revisionist historians write, regardless of what the mainstream media reports, the truth of the matter is this, one of the humblest, most godly, most consistent Christian man that ever lived was General Robert E. Lee. People in England, Lord Woolsey, General Woolsey, some of the others admired Lee so greatly. Even after Lee died, the North tried to claim him because he was such a godly individual. I could give you illustration after illustration. But I want to give you one illustration that happened that shows you the character, the integrity, the compassion, and the honor of General Robert E.

[John Weaver] Lee. I'm going to read this. It is the words of a wounded Yankee soldier who was wounded at Gettysburg. Here's what he said about General Lee. I'd been a most bitter anti-South man and fought and cursed the Confederates greatly and desperately. I could see nothing good in any of them. The last day of the fight, I was badly wounded. A ball shattered my left leg. I lay on the ground not far from Cemetery Ridge, and as General Lee ordered his retreat, he and his officers rode near me.

[John Weaver] As they came along, I recognized him. And though faint from exposure and loss of blood, I raised my hands and I looked Lee in the face and shouted as loudly as I could. Hoorah for the union. Hoorah for the union. The general heard me look, stopped his horse, dismounted and came toward me. I confess at first I thought he meant to kill me. But as he came up, he looked down at me with such a sad expression upon his face that all fear left me and I wondered what he was about.

[John Weaver] He extended his hand to me, grasping mine firmly and looking right into my eyes and said. My son. I hope you will soon be well. The Yankee soldier said, if I live a thousand years, I shall never forget the expression on General Lee's face. There he was, defeated, retiring from a field that had cost him and his cause almost their last hope. And yet he stopped to say words like these to a wounded soldier of the opposition who had taunted him as he passed by. As soon as the general left me, I cried myself to sleep there on that bloody ground. Can you imagine that? Someone with enough character and self-control to go to a taunting enemy and say, my son, I hope you'll soon be well.

[John Weaver] The point of this message is this real men have character, honor, and integrity. They can stand in the face of opposition, and if needed and necessary, they can stand alone. And real men, real men had rather suffer than sin. Like Moses, he chose the affliction of his people rather to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Real men order their lives according to the Word of God, and they straighten things out with biblical principles. Real men point others to the Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to see in the next few messages over and over that real men and real manhood has nothing to do with physique. That's nothing to do with muscles. It has nothing to do with age. It has everything to do with character, integrity and honor.

[John Weaver] If we want what our forefathers had, we have to build upon the foundation that they built upon. By the way, the favorite hymn of General Robert E. Lee was How Firm a Foundation. How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word. We need real men, men who can withstand the onslaughts of Satan, the world, the flesh, and stand solidly for the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Father, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your grace and Your mercy and Your life that You've given to us through Jesus Christ. We do pray, Father, for the character, the integrity, and the honor that is found only in Jesus Christ and only in obedience to His Word. Lord, give us real men and make real men of us. Help us, Lord, to be holy, to be godly and obedient. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] ♪

Where Are The Real Men - Part 1 of 3

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	1QxcBHfwD3I
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace
Genre	Sermon
Date	2021-08-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 177: Where Are The Real Men — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	72

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Question of Real Men

Weaver introduces the sermon as a response to requests for a message on 'Where Are the Real Men?' following his previous sermon on real women. He emphasizes the contrast between biblical and humanistic manhood.

Let's open our Bibles today, if you would please, to the book of John chapter 1. We're going to look at verse 6 and verse 23, and then we're going to come back and fill in a few verses as well. But John chapter 1 and verse 6, simple verse. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — John 1:6

"There was a man sent from God whose name was John."

Then if we'll skip down to verse 23 where John is answering those who questioned who he was, he replied and said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah." The title of the message today is going to be the beginning of a three-part series. The title is, "Where Are the Real Men?" If you'll remember a few months back, I preached a message which I entitled, "Where Are the Real Women?" I had many responses to that message, and all of them were favorable.

But each response ended also with another question. And that question was, "When are you going to preach a sermon on where are the real men?" And I was really very surprised because that question was not only asked by single women, it was asked by married women, and it was also asked by some men. And so this is going to be the response to that question. When we're talking about a man, you must understand that there is a vast difference between the biblical definition of manhood and the humanistic definition of manhood.

The Decline of Character and the Need for Men

Weaver laments the loss of character, work ethic, and sacrifice in modern society compared to the Great Depression era, quoting Josiah Gilbert Holland's poem calling for men of honor and integrity.

In fact, biblicism and humanism have absolutely nothing in common. In fact, they are just direct opposites. Manhood is not determined by age. It's not determined by muscles or abilities. In fact, I believe that there's a vast difference today in the character and in the integrity of those men that lived even a hundred years ago and those that are alive today. Character certainly has fallen by the wayside in every area. If you would ever stop and think about this, even back during the Great Depression, there are a lot of people who were out of work, a lot of people who had absolutely nothing, and yet even the hobos, when they would come up to a house and knock on the door, the first thing they would ask is, "Is there some work that we can do for a sandwich or a bowl of soup?" At least they were willing to work. The interesting thing is a book Alice and I came across years ago.

The title of it is, "We Had Everything But Money." And it is stories from the Great Depression, how people survived, how they made their money, how they got along on little food and made what little food they have stretch. Wonderful, wonderful stories. But on the other hand, today we've sired a generation of people and a society of people who have had everything given to them. They know nothing really and truly about work. They know nothing about sacrifice. They know nothing about frugality. Everything's been handed to them basically on a silver platter. And if they don't get what they want, then their attitude is, "We'll take it because we deserve it and it should be ours." And so the truth of the matter is we need men today. We need men certainly with understanding and certainly that will demonstrate what biblical manhood is. It was Josiah Gilbert Holland who wrote this. Listen to it carefully. He said, "God give us men.

A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands. Men whom the lust of office does not kill. Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy. Men who possess opinions and a will, men who have honor, men who will not lie, men who can stand before a demagogue and damn his treacherous flatteries without winking, tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog, in public duty and in private thinking, for while the rabble with their thumb-worn creeds, their large professions and their little deeds, mingle in selfish strife, low freedom weeps, wrong rules the land, and waiting justice weeps." And certainly, I think you can see how appropriate that is for us today. And certainly, we need men. We need biblical men. We need godly men.

God Seeks a Man: Ezekiel 22:30

God sought a man among the prophets, priests, princes, and people to stand in the gap and intercede, but found none. Weaver highlights that God is still seeking men of character.

Now, before we look at John chapter 1, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Ezekiel chapter 22, and I want you to pay close attention to verse 30. Ezekiel chapter 22 and verse 30. After we look at this verse then we're going to come back and look at the context. But notice if you would in the book of Ezekiel chapter 22 and verse 30. Notice in this passage God Himself is speaking. And so the Bible says this, Ezekiel 22 verse 30,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:30

"And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none."

Now God said,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:30

"I sought for a man among them."

God seeks for men. And the Hebrew word here is the word ish, which designates a man and not a woman. It distinguishes a man from a woman. And so God is seeking for a man to stand, a man to intercede, a man to pray, a man who will do that which is right and holy and obey.

He's looking for someone in this passage that will confront evil and wickedness and corruption and will not back down. You find many men like that in the Bible. Moses was a man who stood in the gap, so to speak, along with Abraham, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Samuel, just to name a few. These men all stood in the gap and basically defended their land. But I want you to look, if you would, again at verse 30, because God said, "I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." So God is looking for a man that will stay off his hand of judgment and destruction. But the interesting thing is, He said, "I sought for a man among them."

So the question is, who is the them? Who is God seeking a man from among? Well, the interesting thing is, the answer is, He's seeking for a man among the priests, the prophets, the princes, and the people. Let me show you. So let's begin reading in Ezekiel 22 beginning there with verse 24. God says,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:24-29

"There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey, they have devoured souls, they have taken the treasure and precious things, they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, have profaned mine holy things, have put no difference between the holy and the profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy. Yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And," note now, "I sought for a man among them." Who's the them? The prophets, the priests, the princes, the people.

Then he said, "...that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." So not any among the people, not any among the princes, not any among the prophets, not any among the priests were able to stand before the Lord, and intercede for the land, that he would not judge and destroy it. It's very rich and such a blessing when you come to a passage like John 1 in verse 6, when God looked at John the Baptist and said, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John." Now, of course, John was a real man in the sense that he confronted evil, he confronted corruption and wickedness, and he did not pull any punches.

John the Baptist: A Man Sent from God

John the Baptist is presented as a real man who confronted evil without compromise, fulfilling his God-given purpose to bear witness to the light.

He confronted the leading religious leaders of his day, as well as the political leaders. You remember he looked at those Pharisees and said, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" But he also called them a bunch of vipers, much like our Lord did when He looked at the Pharisees and He says, "Woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, how can you escape the damnation of hell?" So obviously John the Baptist was not pulling any punches as well. John certainly was not Christ. He was certainly not an angel, but he was a man. But I want you to remember this. He said in John 1 in verse 6, "There was a man sent by God whose name was John." So, in other words, John was sent with a specific mission and purpose. And that purpose, if you look in John 1 and verse 7, notice if you would what the Bible says there, John 1, verse 7. The Bible says, "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of that light, that all men through him might be saved."

So John was sent by God for a purpose. He had a specific mission in mind. And may I point out that real men do indeed have a purpose. They do have a real mission in mind, and that purpose and that mission is to serve and honor the Lord Jesus Christ. So real men do have a purpose.

Now, there are many truths that can be brought to light and to bear based upon John 1, and I want to share these with you. First of all, I want you to note the fact that John was a solitary man. He said in verse 23, "I am the voice of one." Now, I want you to notice that when John gave this answer, he was answering the question of those Jews that had sent the priests and the Levites from Jerusalem. Watch verse 19. "And this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?"

Characteristic 1: A Solitary Man

John stood alone, unmoved by peer pressure, willing to do right even without support. Weaver explains that character is what a man is in the dark and that circumstances reveal, not make, a man.

And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, "I am not the Christ, I am not the Messiah." And they asked him, "What then, art thou Elijah, or Elias?" And he saith, "I am not." Then they asked, "Art thou that prophet?" And he answered, "No." Well, what prophet are they referring to? Well, that would refer back to Deuteronomy 18, where Moses said, "A prophet like unto me shall the Lord thy God raise up from among thee." So it's another way of saying the Messiah again. So they asked him, "Art thou that prophet, that special anointed one?" He says, "No." Verse 22, "Then said they unto him, Who art thou that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?" And then he gave this answer. "I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah."

Now, I want you to note what John could have said when they came from Jerusalem and said, "Who are you? Who are you?" John could have rightly looked at them and said, "What's wrong with you? Don't you know who I am? I'm the subject of Old Testament prophecy. I was supernaturally conceived. God directly intervened for me to be born. Moreover, I was filled with the Holy Spirit from my mother's womb.

I was sent to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Don't you know who I am?" He could have answered that way truthfully and accurately, but he didn't. "Who art thou?" "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." John, at this point in time, was the only one who was standing and crying out. And he was standing alone, and he was not ashamed to be alone. He was unmoved by peer pressure or peer approval. He was not ashamed to stand out in the crowd. And he stood, and because it was necessary, he stood alone. In fact, he was alone. So, you see, it's easy for someone to stand for what is right, as long as we have our family, and our friends around us. We have large support groups. When we have great encouragement and great help, it's very simple to stand. There's no problem there. In fact, when you have all your family and friends in the great support group, there's no price to pay for standing. But when you are alone and by yourself, and no one else is going to stand with you, that's when you have a price to pay. And John stood alone, and he stood for that which is right in an age of error, heresy, sin, and compromise. And he stood and proclaimed the truth when no one else would proclaim it. That's why he answered and said, "I am the voice of one." No one else was crying out, demanding repentance.

No one else said, "Repent of your sins and believe." No one else said, "Repent of your sins and obey." He was alone. He was a solitary man with a solitary voice. All the prominent religious leaders of his day were against him. All the political leaders of his day were against him. You have to remember, that's how he lost his head. When he looked at King Herod and he said, "What? It's not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife." And it ultimately got his head chopped off. So basically, here he is standing against a corrupt religious establishment, as well as a corrupt political establishment. The point I'm trying to make is this. A real man does not need a multitude or an army behind him in order to do that which is right. He's willing to stand, and he's willing to stand alone if necessary, because he is a man of honor and character and integrity. You've probably heard it said that a man who will not stand for something will fall for anything, and that is certainly true. And unhappily today, so many people do not have the character and consequently, they fall very easily and fall very readily.

Now, let me tell you something that I have actually said in times past. I'm going to say it again. And if God will give me breath and grace, I'm going to say it until I die. But I want you to understand this. Character is what a man is in the dark. You tell me what you would do if you knew that no one else would ever find out about it, and I'll tell you exactly what you are. You say, "Well, if I knew that no one would ever find out about it, I'd go down to that bank and I'd get every bit of the money out of it I could carry." Well, you're a thief. "Well, if I knew no one would ever find out about it, I'd run off old sister so-and-so or brother so-and-so." Well, you're an adulterer. "Well, if I knew nobody would ever find out about it, I'd really take care of old so-and-so because I despise him." Well, you're a murderer. Character is not what you are around everybody else.

Character really and truly is what you are when you're alone. You know, everybody has a front. Everybody has a face. Everyone has a facade. There are people who will smile at you and praise you and compliment you and then as you turn to walk away, they stab a knife in your back. I mean, you understand that. But you tell me what you would do if you knew that no one else would ever find out about it, and I will tell you exactly what you are, because it's when we are alone and we are by ourselves and no one can see us, no one can hear us, and no one can read our minds. It's what we are. Will we resist sin alone? Will we refuse wicked thoughts alone? Will we do that which is right when no one else is around? So character is what a man is in the dark. The second truth is this, that the test of your character is what it takes to stop you. So many people think, "Well, boy, they're going to really have to persecute me and prosecute me in order to stop me."

That's usually not true, especially in this day and time. When you stop and think about the professing Christians who quit serving Christ, who leave church, who never come back just because somebody makes them mad. Or they get their feelings hurt. Or they don't get the praise that they think they deserve, or they don't get the congratulations and they don't get the recognition. I'm simply saying this. It does not take someone with a machine gun standing there saying, "Deny Christ." No, no, no, no. All you got to do is say something they don't like and hurt their feelings and they'll pick up their marbles and go home. And that's all there is to it. So little character. So the test of our character is basically what it takes to stop us.

But here's another truth in light of that that we must understand. And that's this, that circumstances never make or break a man. They just simply reveal him. What you are under pressure is really and truly what you are. When one caves in under pressure, it demonstrates that he's weak. Now, the pressure didn't make him weak. He was already weak. The pressure just simply revealed him. It's just like in a battle. When the enemy starts firing, and the man starts running, you say, "Wow, he's a coward. The battle made him a coward." No, the battle didn't make him a coward. He was already a coward in his heart. The battle just revealed him.

On the other hand, if he takes his weapon and charges headlong into the enemy and defends his people and destroys the enemy and saves his comrades, someone says, "Well, the battle made him a hero." No, he was already a hero in his heart. The battle just simply revealed him. So it's our character that's going to be displayed under pressure, under test, under trial, and basically what is going to happen, those tests and those trials are going to reveal to us and to others exactly what we are. See, John's attitude was this. If no one else will stand for what's right, I'll stand. If no one else will speak out against wickedness, I'll speak out. If no one else will obey, I will obey. In other words, John did not need a crowd. He did not need a bunch of friends. He said, "I'm willing to do that which is right alone." He was a solitary man.

There's a verse, I want you to look at it, it's found in 2 Timothy, chapter 4 and verse 16. Turn there, hold the book of John if you would, but look in 2 Timothy very quickly, chapter 4 and verse 16. Don't you know what the Apostle Paul said? He said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:16

"At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge."

Isn't that astounding? He said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:16

"At my first answer, no man stood with me."

And then he went on to say,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:16

"But all men forsook me."

You know, there's a clear implication in this verse, and that is this, that we are chargeable, and we are accountable, and we're responsible to stand with men who are standing for truth, and honor, and integrity, and that which is right in the eyes of God. So just like John, Paul was willing to stand even if he had to stand alone. So when you talk about manhood from the Bible, and when God looked at John the Baptist and said, "There was a man," you have to understand that a real man is a man who's going to be able to stand for what is right, even if he has to stand alone.

Now, look back, if you would please, to verse 23 of John chapter 1, because here's the second characteristic of a real man. He gave the answer and he said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." So John was in the wilderness. He was not in the bars. He's not in the saloons. He's not in the dance halls. He was not in the ecumenical councils.

Characteristic 2: A Separated Man

John was in the wilderness, separated from sin and the world. Weaver stresses the need to abstain from evil and make no provision for the flesh, choosing to suffer affliction with God's people rather than enjoy sin.

He was willing to stand and stand alone, but he was also willing to separate himself from sin and wickedness. Have you ever stopped to think about this? If a man is going to devote himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, if he's going to devote himself to his wife and to his family, he's going to have his hands full just simply doing that. Why in the world would you want to get into anything, recreation-wise or any-wise, that's going to distract you from your mission or from your purpose? Remember, the Bible says, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness." In other words, he had a purpose. Nothing was going to deter him from fulfilling that purpose and that mission. And so the truth of the matter is, serving the Lord and raising a family is a full-time job in and of itself. So why in the world would anyone get involved in any activity, any organization, any recreation, or anything that would destroy that purpose in life?

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Now, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 22, to abstain from all appearance of evil. It's not that we're just to abstain from evil. We're to abstain from all appearance of evil. And then there's another passage in Romans 13, verse 14, where the Bible says, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof." So when someone then begins to play with sin, when they begin to play with the world and dabble and tempt the flesh, it's not going to be long before you're going to be swallowed up in wickedness.

So we have to learn how to apply separation. And by the way, when you read a verse like Romans 1 in verse 1, where the apostle said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:1

"Paul, an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God."

Separation is not just from something that is wicked and wrong, it is to that which is right and holy as well. There has to be a separation, not just from sin, but from the world and from the flesh as well. We have to understand that the world is not our friend. The flesh is not our friend. Sin certainly is not our friend. When you look at 1 John 2, verses 15 through 17, God says, "Love not the world." Now let me just stop there. When He says love not the world, He's not talking about the created world. He's talking about the world system. He's talking about everything in the world that is opposed to Him. For instance, He goes on, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

Now think about that. "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." He tells you why. "For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are not of the Father, but of the world. And the world, and the lust thereof, passeth away. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." So he says the world is going to pass away. You see, not only is the world against us, but our flesh, that is the principle of sin within us, is probably our greatest enemy, because it cries to be satisfied and pleased and fulfilled. That's why Paul said, "Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof." Don't plan on something that you know that's going to lead you to that which is wicked and wrong.

Now, Peter said it a little differently, but it's the same principle. He said in 1 Peter 2 and verse 11,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:11

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims that you abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul."

Why in the world would we engage in something and desire something that's going to war against us, fight against us, and seek to destroy us? So, if we love the world, we're not separated unto the Father. If we love our flesh, we're not separated unto the Father.

Now, the interesting thing is this. Like Moses, we have to choose, and we have to choose wisely. Let me show you. Hold John 1, but look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, beginning there with verse 24. Watch this section very closely. The Bible says, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter."

Now let me just stop and give you the implication here. If he was Pharaoh's daughter, if he was the son of Pharaoh's daughter, that means he's going to be in line to be the ruler of Egypt. He could become a Pharaoh. But the Bible says by faith when he was come to years, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Note what he chose. "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." Now why would he choose affliction rather than pleasure? When you stop and think, as Pharaoh, he could have had whatever he wanted, done whatever he wanted to have done, Egypt at that time was one of the leading and richest nations in the world. But here's why he chose to suffer. Verse 26, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.

For he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Therefore by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible." But note, he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. So the question is, how much do we value the Lord Jesus Christ? And how much do we value His Word? How much do we value His truth?

So, it's interesting that Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. You compare Moses with Demas. You know, Demas worked with the Apostle Paul. And yet the Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 10,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:10

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."

And the interesting thing about the phrase, "having loved," it's from the Greek word agapao, which is a spiritual love. In other words, he loved this age, his present age, he loved his present world over and above the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, I want you to understand something. Loving the world is an act of idolatry. That's why he said, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him," because when a man spiritually places the world and its pleasures above God, it is nothing less than idolatry. Now, listen. We may either walk pleasing unto the Lord, which we have been commanded to do, or we may walk pleasing unto the world, or we may walk pleasing unto the flesh.

But we can't do all three at the same time. So we're either going to please the Father and not please the world and not please our flesh. Because if we please the flesh or the world, then we're not going to please the Father. So John then said, "I'm the voice of one," a solitary man, "crying in the wilderness," a separated man. I'm separated from everything that's contrary to God unto the gospel and the truth of God. But let's go back to John chapter 1 and verse 23, because here's a third thing in verse 23. Watch carefully. He said, "I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah."

Characteristic 3: A Straightening Man

John's mission was to make straight the way of the Lord. Weaver applies this to resolving conflicts biblically, using Matthew 5, Matthew 18, and Ephesians 4 to show the urgency of reconciliation.

Now the Greek word for straight is the word euthyno, and it simply means to make straight, to make level, to make plain. And it speaks of someone at that time who was steering a ship or driving a chariot. If you drove that chariot, you wanted to drive it straight. It's kind of like our adage when somebody starts to drive off. And what do we say? "Keep it between the ditches." In other words, drive straight is what it amounts to. So he says, "Make straight the way of the Lord." In other words, do not convolute the way of the Lord. Do not let the way of the Lord become circuitous. Do not let it become convoluted in any way whatsoever. Why? Because our Lord shows us the straight and narrow way. It is His way.

According to the scripture, it is the highway of holiness. It is the way of obedience. And John was preaching repentance unto obedience. And so often, instead of making straight the way of the Lord, what we do is we block it, we barricade it, we convolute it, we make that which is simple and plain and straight into something circuitous, problematic, and it turns up being a dilemma. Our problem basically is our pride. Our problem is our rebellion. Our problem is our disobedience. So let me give you an illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 5 and Matthew chapter 18 and hold both of those passages. Because each one of us has experienced broken fellowship with someone. It may be a fellow believer, it may be a family member, there's been arguments, there have been disagreements, there's been hurt feelings, there's been scarred pride, there's broken fellowship. What in the world should we do in such an instance? Well, I want you to look at this first of all in Matthew chapter 5 verses 23 and 24. Our Lord gives us this direction. He says, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

Now, let me just try to put this where it can be very easily understood. And I want to use Steve for an illustration. Let's suppose that Steve has something against me, okay? I don't know what, but he's got something against me. I don't have anything against him. I'm not upset with him. I'm not angry with him. I'm not mad with him, but he's got something against me.

And I come to worship God. I come to pray. And he says, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave thy gift before the altar and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Okay?

Now remember, I don't have a thing against him. But I remember that he said something that indicated that there was a problem. Here's my question. Whose responsibility is it to resolve the problem and work it out? It's mine. It's mine. Now, hang on. Look in your Bibles to Matthew 18. Matthew 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 15. Matthew 18, verse 15. Here it is. "Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." We're not going to deal with verse 16 and 17 right now.

That would only follow if the first fail. But look at verse 15 again. "Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee." In this instance, who now is hurt? Who now is upset? Who now is offended? It's me. Do you realize it is possible to hurt someone, to upset someone, to offend someone, to use that word biblically, without even knowing it. How many times have you said things and someone misunderstood or took it the wrong way?

I mean that's very easily done. Steve could say something and I could think when I heard it, "What? Why would he say something like that? I bet he's trying to cut me down." You see what I'm saying? And Steve could be absolutely, totally, perfectly innocent. Didn't mean a thing by it.

Now, in this instance, I have somewhat against him. He doesn't have anything against me. Whose responsibility is it to get it worked out? It's mine. So it doesn't matter if he's got aught against me or I've got aught against him. It's still my responsibility, really and truly what should happen. If both parties know that there is a problem, we should be meeting halfway to get the thing resolved and get the thing worked out. You follow that?

So all I'm trying to say is this. Problems do not go away. Problems do not vanish. Problems do not disappear. And unless problems are straightened out, unless they are corrected, unless they are resolved in a biblical manner, they're only going to get worse.

Now, I want you to turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 4, and look, if you would, at verses 26 and 27. Ephesians 4, verses 26 and 27. Watch this carefully. Ephesians 4, verse 26, God says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26-27

"Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil."

Now, without me preaching an entire message on verse 26, He says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26-27

"Be ye angry, and sin not."

So I'll just make this statement. There is a righteous anger, and there is an unrighteous anger. A righteous anger is directed at sin in order to resolve the situation. An unrighteous anger is usually directed at other people, or sometimes even ourselves. But he says, "Be angry and sin not." So there is a way to be righteously angry and not to sin. But note what he said, "Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." So if I have aught against Steve or Steve aught against me, and I know about it, how soon should I get it settled? Before the sun goes down. Before the sun goes down. What about verse 27? "Neither give place to the devil." That means if I do not get the problem resolved, if I do not straighten it out, okay, I'm giving place to the devil.

So when you have problems that are not straightened out, what happens? They turn into your life into bitterness, resentment, ill will, perpetual anger, and hatred. And you look at the bitter, vindictive people that are running around under the umbrella of Christianity, and they have violated this scripture. They refuse to straighten things out in a biblical manner. When John was asked who he was, he said, "I am the voice of one. I'm a solitary man crying in the wilderness. I'm a separated man. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah." I am a straightening man. And we need to learn as men to straighten things out in our lives, in the lives of our wives, our children, to the best of our ability, for the honor and the glory of God. Straighten things out with anyone with whom there is a disagreement, with whom there is a problem, to the best of your ability.

All you can do is be obedient. You say, "What if that person will not repent? What if that person does not want to hear me?" Well, you've tried. You've done that which God has commanded you. That's their sin. That's their problem, not yours.

Characteristic 4: A Saving Man

John pointed others to Jesus, the Lamb of God. His pure life and clear witness led disciples to follow Christ without coercion. Weaver calls for men to decrease so Christ may increase.

Now, notice, if you would please, back in John chapter 1. Let me give you something else here. I want you to look now, if you would please, at verse 29 and then verses 35 through 37. I'm going to give you this point that John was not only a solitary man, a separated man, a straightening man, he was a saving man. I'll explain that. Look in verse 29. He says this,

Scripture Reading — John 1:29

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Now skip down to verse 35.

Scripture Reading — John 1:29

"Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus."

Now let me clarify something, and I'm sure that you know what I mean by this. When I say that John was a saving man, I'm not saying that John could save anyone. John certainly could not. He could not save himself.

He could not save anyone else. Neither can I, neither can you. But what he could do is point them to the one who could save, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what he was doing. He was giving witness to the light. He was pointing out the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. So the saving man is the man just who merely points others to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is the thing that is astounding. If you'll skip back down to verse 35, "Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus." Isn't that interesting? Did you notice that John did not have to beg, plead, cajole, demand, harass, harangue, command. He just simply spoke. And folks followed the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? His life was pure. His word was true. His witness was clear. And he spoke with truth and he spoke with power.

That's exactly what we need in our lives. But we can never be the saving man without being the straightening man and the separated man and the solitary man. Let me ask you, do men follow Jesus Christ when you speak? Do men follow the word of God when you speak or do they follow the world or do they follow sin? Is your life holy? Are you obedient in your own life? Are you involved with the world, loving the world? Does your conversation build up Jesus Christ, or does it merely edify yourself? Are you willing to decrease that Jesus Christ might increase?

Since you're in John, look in John chapter 3, beginning there, verse 26. You see, after our Lord was baptized by John, of course our Lord began to preach, and He drew away many of John's disciples and a lot of other people as well. And so in verse 26 of John chapter 3, "And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. You yourselves bear witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled." Watch, "He must increase and I must decrease." So the question has to be asked, are we willing to decrease in order that Jesus Christ might increase?

Illustration: General Robert E. Lee

Weaver shares the story of Lee showing compassion to a taunting wounded Union soldier at Gettysburg, exemplifying character, honor, and self-control even in defeat.

Let me tell you something. I preached a message years ago titled "The Message Christian Manhood." I used these four points. This message is not like that one, not exactly, anyhow it's different. But I used one illustration in that message that I want to use today. I want to point out a real example of Christian manhood outside of the Bible. There are many, there are many, but this one to me is just the epitome. Regardless of what the politically correct crowd states, regardless of what the revisionist historians write, regardless of what the mainstream media reports, the truth of the matter is this, one of the humblest, most godly, most consistent Christian men that ever lived was General Robert E. Lee. People in England, Lord Wolseley, General Wolseley, some of the others admired Lee so greatly. Even after Lee died, the North tried to claim him because he was such a godly individual. I could give you illustration after illustration. But I want to give you one illustration that happened that shows you the character, the integrity, the compassion, and the honor of General Robert E. Lee.

I'm going to read this. It is the words of a wounded Yankee soldier who was wounded at Gettysburg. Here's what he said about General Lee. "I'd been a most bitter anti-South man and fought and cursed the Confederates greatly and desperately. I could see nothing good in any of them. The last day of the fight, I was badly wounded. A ball shattered my left leg. I lay on the ground not far from Cemetery Ridge, and as General Lee ordered his retreat, he and his officers rode near me."

"As they came along, I recognized him. And though faint from exposure and loss of blood, I raised my hands and I looked Lee in the face and shouted as loudly as I could, 'Hoorah for the union. Hoorah for the union.' The general heard me, looked, stopped his horse, dismounted and came toward me. I confess at first I thought he meant to kill me. But as he came up, he looked down at me with such a sad expression upon his face that all fear left me and I wondered what he was about." "He extended his hand to me, grasping mine firmly and looking right into my eyes and said, 'My son, I hope you will soon be well.'" The Yankee soldier said, "If I live a thousand years, I shall never forget the expression on General Lee's face. There he was, defeated, retiring from a field that had cost him and his cause almost their last hope. And yet he stopped to say words like these to a wounded soldier of the opposition who had taunted him as he passed by. As soon as the general left me, I cried myself to sleep there on that bloody ground." Can you imagine that? Someone with enough character and self-control to go to a taunting enemy and say, "My son, I hope you'll soon be well."

Conclusion: The Call for Real Men

Real men have character, honor, and integrity; they stand alone if needed, choose suffering over sin, order their lives by God's Word, and point others to Christ. Weaver prays for God to make real men.

The point of this message is this: real men have character, honor, and integrity. They can stand in the face of opposition, and if needed and necessary, they can stand alone. And real men, real men had rather suffer than sin. Like Moses, he chose the affliction of his people rather to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Real men order their lives according to the Word of God, and they straighten things out with biblical principles. Real men point others to the Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to see in the next few messages over and over that real men and real manhood has nothing to do with physique. That's nothing to do with muscles. It has nothing to do with age. It has everything to do with character, integrity and honor.

If we want what our forefathers had, we have to build upon the foundation that they built upon. By the way, the favorite hymn of General Robert E. Lee was "How Firm a Foundation." "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word." We need real men, men who can withstand the onslaughts of Satan, the world, the flesh, and stand solidly for the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your grace and Your mercy and Your life that You've given to us through Jesus Christ. We do pray, Father, for the character, the integrity, and the honor that is found only in Jesus Christ and only in obedience to His Word. Lord, give us real men and make real men of us. Help us, Lord, to be holy, to be godly and obedient. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Biblical vs. Humanistic Manhood

Summary: True manhood is defined by God's Word, not by age, physique, or worldly standards. It is rooted in character, integrity, and obedience to God.

Evidence: When we're talking about a man, you must understand that there is a vast difference between the biblical definition of manhood and the humanistic definition of manhood. (01:19.7-01:56.2)

The Solitary Stand of a Real Man

Summary: A real man is willing to stand alone for truth and righteousness, even when no one else supports him, because his character is not dependent on peer approval.

Evidence: John, at this point in time, was the only one who was standing and crying out. And he was standing alone, and he was not ashamed to be alone. (13:54.0-14:01.0)

Separation from Sin and the World

Summary: A real man separates himself from sinful influences and worldly systems, choosing to suffer affliction with God's people rather than enjoy temporary pleasures.

Evidence: He was willing to stand and stand alone, but he was also willing to separate himself from sin and wickedness. (22:38.6-23:17.3)

Straightening Out Conflicts Biblically

Summary: A real man actively resolves conflicts and offenses according to Scripture, not allowing bitterness or the devil to gain a foothold.

Evidence: Make straight the way of the Lord... So when you have problems that are not straightened out, what happens? They turn into your life into bitterness, resentment, ill will, perpetual anger, and hatred. (31:47.6-32:30.9, 39:46.3-40:32.4)

Pointing Others to Christ

Summary: A real man's ultimate purpose is to bear witness to Jesus Christ, leading others to follow Him through a pure life and clear testimony.

Evidence: He was giving witness to the light. He was pointing out the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. So the saving man is the man just who merely points others to the Lord Jesus Christ. (42:30.7-42:55.3)

Character Revealed Under Pressure

Summary: Circumstances do not create character; they reveal it. A man's true nature is shown when he is tested, alone, or under pressure.

Evidence: Circumstances never make or break a man. They just simply reveal him. What you are under pressure is really and truly what you are. (19:12.0-19:46.8)

The Danger of Loving the World

Summary: Loving the world system is idolatry and incompatible with love for the Father. A real man must choose to please God rather than the world or the flesh.

Evidence: Loving the world is an act of idolatry. That's why he said, 'Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.' (30:21.9-30:57.3)

The Example of Godly Men in History

Summary: Historical figures like General Robert E. Lee exemplify Christian manhood through humility, compassion, and unwavering character, even toward enemies.

Evidence: One of the humblest, most godly, most consistent Christian men that ever lived was General Robert E. Lee. (46:14.9-48:01.3)

Key Arguments

God is actively seeking men of character to stand in the gap.

Summary: From Ezekiel 22:30, God sought a man among the leaders and people to intercede and prevent judgment, but found none, indicating a perpetual need for godly men.

Evidence: And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. (06:18.0-07:07.8)

John the Baptist modeled solitary courage.

Summary: John stood alone against religious and political corruption, demonstrating that a real man does not need a crowd to do what is right.

Evidence: He was unmoved by peer pressure or peer approval. He was not ashamed to stand out in the crowd. And he stood, and because it was necessary, he stood alone. (13:54.0-15:01.0)

Character is defined by private actions, not public image.

Summary: True character is what a man does when no one is watching; it is tested by what it takes to stop him from doing right.

Evidence: Character is what a man is in the dark. You tell me what you would do if you knew that no one else would ever find out about it, and I'll tell you exactly what you are. (16:16.8-17:11.1)

Separation is essential for fulfilling God's purpose.

Summary: A man devoted to Christ and family must avoid distractions and sinful entanglements, abstaining from all appearance of evil.

Evidence: If a man is going to devote himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, if he's going to devote himself to his wife and to his family, he's going to have his hands full just simply doing that. Why in the world would you want to get into anything... that's going to distract you from your mission? (23:17.6-23:44.4)

Unresolved conflict gives place to the devil.

Summary: Biblical commands in Matthew 5, 18, and Ephesians 4 require believers to initiate reconciliation promptly, regardless of who is at fault, to prevent bitterness.

Evidence: Neither give place to the devil. That means if I do not get the problem resolved, if I do not straighten it out, okay, I'm giving place to the devil. (39:13.0-39:45.3)

A real man's witness flows from a pure life.

Summary: John the Baptist's disciples followed Jesus simply because John spoke truth with a clear witness; his life matched his message.

Evidence: Did you notice that John did not have to beg, plead, cajole, demand, harass, harangue, command. He just simply spoke. And folks followed the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? His life was pure. His word was true. His witness was clear. (43:45.1-44:41.6)

Real men choose suffering over sin.

Summary: Like Moses, a real man esteems the reproach of Christ greater than worldly treasures, choosing affliction with God's people over the pleasures of sin.

Evidence: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season... Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. (28:13.7-28:54.2)

Historical examples validate biblical manhood.

Summary: General Robert E. Lee's compassion toward a taunting enemy soldier illustrates the character, honor, and self-control that define a real man.

Evidence: He extended his hand to me, grasping mine firmly and looking right into my eyes and said, 'My son, I hope you will soon be well.' (49:33.7-50:34.9)

Scripture References

John 1:6

Context: Introduced as the key verse showing John the Baptist was a man sent from God.

John 1:23

Context: John's self-identification as the voice crying in the wilderness, used to illustrate solitary, separated, and straightening manhood.

Ezekiel 22:30

Context: God sought a man to stand in the gap but found none; used to show God's search for men of character.

Ezekiel 22:24-29

Context: Describes the corruption of prophets, priests, princes, and people, the 'them' among whom God sought a man.

John 1:7

Context: John came to bear witness of the light, showing his God-given purpose.

John 1:19-22

Context: The questioning of John by priests and Levites, where he denies being the Christ, Elijah, or the prophet.

Deuteronomy 18:15

Context: Referenced as the prophecy of a prophet like Moses, which John denied being.

2 Timothy 4:16

Context: Paul stood alone at his first answer; used to parallel John's solitary stand.

1 Thessalonians 5:22

Context: Command to abstain from all appearance of evil, supporting the call to separation.

Romans 13:14

Context: Make no provision for the flesh; used to warn against dabbling with sin.

Romans 1:1

Context: Paul separated unto the gospel; separation is both from evil and to righteousness.

1 John 2:15-17

Context: Love not the world; explains the world system's opposition to God and its passing nature.

1 Peter 2:11

Context: Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul; reinforces separation from flesh.

Hebrews 11:24-27

Context: Moses chose affliction over pleasure, esteeming Christ's reproach greater than Egypt's treasures.

2 Timothy 4:10

Context: Demas forsook Paul, having loved this present world; contrasts with Moses' choice.

Matthew 5:23-24

Context: If a brother has something against you, leave your gift and be reconciled first.

Matthew 18:15

Context: If a brother trespasses against you, go and tell him his fault alone.

Ephesians 4:26-27

Context: Be angry and sin not; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

John 1:29

Context: John sees Jesus and declares, 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.'

John 1:35-37

Context: John again points to Jesus, and two disciples follow Him.

Historical References

Great Depression

Context: Used to contrast the work ethic and character of people during the Depression with modern entitlement mentality.

Josiah Gilbert Holland

Context: Quoted his poem 'God Give Us Men' to illustrate the need for men of character and integrity.

General Robert E. Lee

Context: Presented as an example of Christian manhood, specifically his compassion to a wounded Union soldier at Gettysburg.

Lord Wolseley

Context: Mentioned as one of the English admirers of General Lee's character.

Important Quotes

Character is what a man is in the dark.

Significance: Defines the core of Weaver's message on integrity: true character is revealed when no one is watching.

Circumstances never make or break a man. They just simply reveal him.

Significance: Emphasizes that trials expose pre-existing character rather than creating it.

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

Significance: John the Baptist's humble self-description, used as the model for solitary, separated, and straightening manhood.

He must increase and I must decrease.

Significance: The attitude of a real man who points others to Christ rather than seeking his own glory.

My son, I hope you will soon be well.

Significance: General Lee's compassionate words to a taunting enemy soldier, exemplifying Christlike character under pressure.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Significance: Highlights the incompatibility of worldliness with genuine love for God.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

Significance: The foundational verse establishing John the Baptist as the biblical example of a real man.

I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

Significance: God's lament over the lack of intercessory men, setting the urgent need for godly manhood.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean to be a 'solitary man' in the context of standing for truth today, and when have you had to stand alone?

Context: Based on John the Baptist's example of standing alone against religious and political opposition.

How can we practically 'make no provision for the flesh' in a culture that constantly promotes self-gratification?

Context: From the discussion on separation and Romans 13:14.

Why is unresolved conflict described as giving 'place to the devil,' and what steps can we take to reconcile quickly?

Context: From the teaching on Ephesians 4:26-27 and Matthew 5, 18.

In what ways does loving the world manifest as idolatry in a believer's life?

Context: From the explanation of 1 John 2:15-17 and the example of Demas.

How does the story of General Lee's compassion challenge our natural responses to those who oppose or taunt us?

Context: From the illustration of Lee at Gettysburg.

What does it mean to 'decrease' so that Christ may increase in our daily lives and witness?

Context: From John the Baptist's statement in John 3:30.

How can we cultivate the kind of character that remains steadfast when no one is watching?

Context: From the principle that 'character is what a man is in the dark.'

Why do you think God is still seeking men to 'stand in the gap,' and what does that look like in our families, churches, and nation?

Context: From Ezekiel 22:30 and the call for intercessory men.

Applications

Develop private integrity

Summary: Examine what you do when alone, because character is defined by actions in the dark, not public image.

Stand alone if necessary

Summary: Be willing to uphold truth and righteousness even when no one else supports you, following John the Baptist's example.

Evidence: He was willing to stand, and he's willing to stand alone if necessary, because he is a man of honor and character and integrity. (15:01.8-16:16.3)

Separate from worldly influences

Summary: Avoid activities, entertainment, and relationships that draw you away from God and make provision for sinful desires.

Evidence: Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. (24:24.7-25:34.2)

Resolve conflicts biblically and quickly

Summary: Take initiative to reconcile with anyone who has something against you or whom you have offended, before the day ends.

Evidence: Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. (38:47.7-39:45.3)

Point others to Christ through a pure life

Summary: Live in such a way that your words and actions naturally direct people to Jesus, without manipulation or pressure.

Evidence: He just simply spoke. And folks followed the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? His life was pure. His word was true. His witness was clear. (43:45.1-44:41.6)

Choose suffering over sin

Summary: When faced with temptation, value Christ above temporary pleasures, following Moses' example of esteeming reproach for Christ as greater riches.

Evidence: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. (28:13.7-28:54.2)

Decrease so Christ may increase

Summary: In all areas of life, seek to magnify Christ rather than self, allowing His glory to be the focus.

Evidence: He must increase and I must decrease. (45:25.5-46:11.6)

Show Christlike compassion to enemies

Summary: Respond to hostility with kindness and self-control, as General Lee did toward the wounded Union soldier.

Evidence: He extended his hand to me, grasping mine firmly and looking right into my eyes and said, 'My son, I hope you will soon be well.' (49:33.7-50:34.9)

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:51:42Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T05:53:21Z

Clean Transcript

Where Are The Real Men - Part 1 of 3

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Let's open our Bibles today, if you would please, to the book of John chapter 1. We're going to look at verse 6 and verse 23, and then we're going to come back and fill in a few verses as well. But John chapter 1 and verse 6, simple verse. The Bible says, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John." Then if we'll skip down to verse 23 where John is answering those who questioned who he was, he replied and said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah." The title of the message today is going to be the beginning of a three-part series. The title is, "Where Are the Real Men?" If you'll remember a few months back, I preached a message which I entitled, "Where Are the Real Women?" I had many responses to that message, and all of them were favorable.
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But each response ended also with another question. And that question was, "When are you going to preach a sermon on where are the real men?" And I was really very surprised because that question was not only asked by single women, it was asked by married women, and it was also asked by some men. And so this is going to be the response to that question. When we're talking about a man, you must understand that there is a vast difference between the biblical definition of manhood and the humanistic definition of manhood.
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In fact, biblicism and humanism have absolutely nothing in common. In fact, they are just direct opposites. Manhood is not determined by age. It's not determined by muscles or abilities. In fact, I believe that there's a vast difference today in the character and in the integrity of those men that lived even a hundred years ago and those that are alive today. Character certainly has fallen by the wayside in every area. If you would ever stop and think about this, even back during the Great Depression, there are a lot of people who were out of work, a lot of people who had absolutely nothing, and yet even the hobos, when they would come up to a house and knock on the door, the first thing they would ask is, "Is there some work that we can do for a sandwich or a bowl of soup?" At least they were willing to work. The interesting thing is a book Alice and I came across years ago.
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The title of it is, "We Had Everything But Money." And it is stories from the Great Depression, how people survived, how they made their money, how they got along on little food and made what little food they have stretch. Wonderful, wonderful stories. But on the other hand, today we've sired a generation of people and a society of people who have had everything given to them. They know nothing really and truly about work. They know nothing about sacrifice. They know nothing about frugality.
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Everything's been handed to them basically on a silver platter. And if they don't get what they want, then their attitude is, "We'll take it because we deserve it and it should be ours." And so the truth of the matter is we need men today. We need men certainly with understanding and certainly that will demonstrate what biblical manhood is. It was Josiah Gilbert Holland who wrote this. Listen to it carefully. He said, "God give us men.
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A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands. Men whom the lust of office does not kill. Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy. Men who possess opinions and a will, men who have honor, men who will not lie, men who can stand before a demagogue and damn his treacherous flatteries without winking, tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog, in public duty and in private thinking, for while the rabble with their thumb-worn creeds, their large
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professions and their little deeds, mingle in selfish strife, low freedom weeps, wrong rules the land, and waiting justice weeps." And certainly, I think you can see how appropriate that is for us today. And certainly, we need men. We need biblical men. We need godly men.
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Now, before we look at John chapter 1, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Ezekiel chapter 22, and I want you to pay close attention to verse 30. Ezekiel chapter 22 and verse 30. After we look at this verse then we're going to come back and look at the context. But notice if you would in the book of Ezekiel chapter 22 and verse 30. Notice in this passage God Himself is speaking. And so the Bible says this, Ezekiel 22 verse 30, "And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." Now God said, "I sought for a man among them." God seeks for men. And the Hebrew word here is the word ish, which designates a man and not a woman. It distinguishes a man from a woman. And so God is seeking for a man to stand, a man to intercede, a man to pray, a man who will do that which is right and holy and obey.
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He's looking for someone in this passage that will confront evil and wickedness and corruption and will not back down. You find many men like that in the Bible. Moses was a man who stood in the gap, so to speak, along with Abraham, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Samuel, just to name a few. These men all stood in the gap and basically defended their land. But I want you to look, if you would, again at verse 30, because God said, "I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." So God is looking for a man that will stay off his hand of judgment and destruction. But the interesting thing is, He said, "I sought for a man among them."
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So the question is, who is the them? Who is God seeking a man from among? Well, the interesting thing is, the answer is, He's seeking for a man among the priests, the prophets, the princes, and the people. Let me show you. So let's begin reading in Ezekiel 22 beginning there with verse 24. God says, "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey, they have devoured souls, they have taken the treasure and precious things, they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, have profaned mine holy things, have put no difference between the holy and the profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
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And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy. Yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And," note now, "I sought for a man among them." Who's the them? The prophets, the priests, the princes, the people.
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Then he said, "...that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." So not any among the people, not any among the princes, not any among the prophets, not any among the priests were able to stand before the Lord, and intercede for the land, that he would not judge and destroy it. It's very rich and such a blessing when you come to a passage like John 1 in verse 6, when God looked at John the Baptist and said, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John." Now, of course, John was a real man in the sense that he confronted evil, he confronted corruption and wickedness, and he did not pull any punches.
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He confronted the leading religious leaders of his day, as well as the political leaders. You remember he looked at those Pharisees and said, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" But he also called them a bunch of vipers, much like our Lord did when He looked at the Pharisees and He says, "Woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, how can you escape the damnation of hell?" So obviously John the Baptist was not pulling any punches as well. John certainly was not Christ. He was certainly not an angel, but he was a man. But I want you to remember this. He said in John 1 in verse 6, "There was a man sent by God whose name was John." So, in other words, John was sent with a specific mission and purpose. And that purpose, if you look in John 1 and verse 7, notice if you would what the Bible says there, John 1, verse 7. The Bible says, "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of that light, that all men through him might be saved."
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So John was sent by God for a purpose. He had a specific mission in mind. And may I point out that real men do indeed have a purpose. They do have a real mission in mind, and that purpose and that mission is to serve and honor the Lord Jesus Christ. So real men do have a purpose.
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Now, there are many truths that can be brought to light and to bear based upon John 1, and I want to share these with you. First of all, I want you to note the fact that John was a solitary man. He said in verse 23, "I am the voice of one." Now, I want you to notice that when John gave this answer, he was answering the question of those Jews that had sent the priests and the Levites from Jerusalem. Watch verse 19. "And this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?"
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And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, "I am not the Christ, I am not the Messiah." And they asked him, "What then, art thou Elijah, or Elias?" And he saith, "I am not." Then they asked, "Art thou that prophet?" And he answered, "No." Well, what prophet are they referring to? Well, that would refer back to Deuteronomy 18, where Moses said, "A prophet like unto me shall the Lord thy God raise up from among thee." So it's another way of saying the Messiah again. So they asked him, "Art thou that prophet, that special anointed one?" He says, "No." Verse 22, "Then said they unto him, Who art thou that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?" And then he gave this answer. "I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah."
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Now, I want you to note what John could have said when they came from Jerusalem and said, "Who are you? Who are you?" John could have rightly looked at them and said, "What's wrong with you? Don't you know who I am? I'm the subject of Old Testament prophecy. I was supernaturally conceived. God directly intervened for me to be born. Moreover, I was filled with the Holy Spirit from my mother's womb.
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I was sent to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Don't you know who I am?" He could have answered that way truthfully and accurately, but he didn't. "Who art thou?" "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." John, at this point in time, was the only one who was standing and crying out. And he was standing alone, and he was not ashamed to be alone.
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He was unmoved by peer pressure or peer approval. He was not ashamed to stand out in the crowd. And he stood, and because it was necessary, he stood alone. In fact, he was alone. So, you see, it's easy for someone to stand for what is right, as long as we have our family, and our friends around us. We have large support groups. When we have great encouragement and great help, it's very simple to stand. There's no problem there. In fact, when you have all your family and friends in the great support group, there's no price to pay for standing. But when you are alone and by yourself, and no one else is going to stand with you, that's when you have a price to pay. And John stood alone, and he stood for that which is right in an age of error, heresy, sin, and compromise. And he stood and proclaimed the truth when no one else would proclaim it. That's why he answered and said, "I am the voice of one." No one else was crying out, demanding repentance.
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No one else said, "Repent of your sins and believe." No one else said, "Repent of your sins and obey." He was alone. He was a solitary man with a solitary voice. All the prominent religious leaders of his day were against him. All the political leaders of his day were against him. You have to remember, that's how he lost his head. When he looked at King Herod and he said, "What?
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It's not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife." And it ultimately got his head chopped off. So basically, here he is standing against a corrupt religious establishment, as well as a corrupt political establishment. The point I'm trying to make is this. A real man does not need a multitude or an army behind him in order to do that which is right. He's willing to stand, and he's willing to stand alone if necessary, because he is a man of honor and character and integrity. You've probably heard it said that a man who will not stand for something will fall for anything, and that is certainly true. And unhappily today, so many people do not have the character and consequently, they fall very easily and fall very readily.
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Now, let me tell you something that I have actually said in times past. I'm going to say it again. And if God will give me breath and grace, I'm going to say it until I die. But I want you to understand this. Character is what a man is in the dark. You tell me what you would do if you knew that no one else would ever find out about it, and I'll tell you exactly what you are. You say, "Well, if I knew that no one would ever find out about it, I'd go down to that bank and I'd get every bit of the money out of it I could carry." Well, you're a thief. "Well, if I knew no one would ever find out about it, I'd run off old sister so-and-so or brother so-and-so." Well, you're an adulterer. "Well, if I knew nobody would ever find out about it, I'd really take care of old so-and-so because I despise him." Well, you're a murderer. Character is not what you are around everybody else.
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Character really and truly is what you are when you're alone. You know, everybody has a front. Everybody has a face. Everyone has a facade. There are people who will smile at you and praise you and compliment you and then as you turn to walk away, they stab a knife in your back. I mean, you understand that. But you tell me what you would do if you knew that no one else would ever find out about it, and I will tell you exactly what you are, because it's when we are alone and we are by ourselves and no one can see us, no one can hear us, and no one can read our minds. It's what we are. Will we resist sin alone? Will we refuse wicked thoughts alone? Will we do that which is right when no one else is around? So character is what a man is in the dark. The second truth is this, that the test of your character is what it takes to stop you. So many people think, "Well, boy, they're going to really have to persecute me and prosecute me in order to stop me."
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That's usually not true, especially in this day and time. When you stop and think about the professing Christians who quit serving Christ, who leave church, who never come back just because somebody makes them mad. Or they get their feelings hurt. Or they don't get the praise that they think they deserve, or they don't get the congratulations and they don't get the recognition. I'm simply saying this. It does not take someone with a machine gun standing there saying, "Deny Christ." No, no, no, no. All you got to do is say something they don't like and hurt their feelings and they'll pick up their marbles and go home. And that's all there is to it. So little character. So the test of our character is basically what it takes to stop us.
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But here's another truth in light of that that we must understand. And that's this, that circumstances never make or break a man. They just simply reveal him. What you are under pressure is really and truly what you are. When one caves in under pressure, it demonstrates that he's weak. Now, the pressure didn't make him weak. He was already weak. The pressure just simply revealed him. It's just like in a battle. When the enemy starts firing, and the man starts running, you say, "Wow, he's a coward. The battle made him a coward." No, the battle didn't make him a coward. He was already a coward in his heart. The battle just revealed him.
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On the other hand, if he takes his weapon and charges headlong into the enemy and defends his people and destroys the enemy and saves his comrades, someone says, "Well, the battle made him a hero." No, he was already a hero in his heart. The battle just simply revealed him. So it's our character that's going to be displayed under pressure, under test, under trial, and basically what is going to happen, those tests and those trials are going to reveal to us and to others exactly what we are.
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See, John's attitude was this. If no one else will stand for what's right, I'll stand. If no one else will speak out against wickedness, I'll speak out. If no one else will obey, I will obey. In other words, John did not need a crowd. He did not need a bunch of friends. He said, "I'm willing to do that which is right alone." He was a solitary man.
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There's a verse, I want you to look at it, it's found in 2 Timothy, chapter 4 and verse 16. Turn there, hold the book of John if you would, but look in 2 Timothy very quickly, chapter 4 and verse 16. Don't you know what the Apostle Paul said? He said, "At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge." Isn't that astounding? He said, "At my first answer, no man stood with me." And then he went on to say, "But all men forsook me." You know, there's a clear implication in this verse, and that is this, that we are chargeable, and we are accountable, and we're responsible to stand with men who are standing for truth, and honor, and integrity, and that which is right in the eyes of God. So just like John, Paul was willing to stand even if he had to stand alone. So when you talk about manhood from the Bible, and when God looked at John the Baptist and said, "There was a man," you have to understand that a real man is a man who's going to be able to stand for what is right, even if he has to stand alone.
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Now, look back, if you would please, to verse 23 of John chapter 1, because here's the second characteristic of a real man. He gave the answer and he said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." So John was in the wilderness. He was not in the bars. He's not in the saloons. He's not in the dance halls. He was not in the ecumenical councils.
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He was willing to stand and stand alone, but he was also willing to separate himself from sin and wickedness. Have you ever stopped to think about this? If a man is going to devote himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, if he's going to devote himself to his wife and to his family, he's going to have his hands full just simply doing that. Why in the world would you want to get into anything, recreation-wise or any-wise, that's going to distract you from your mission or from your purpose? Remember, the Bible says, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
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The same came for a witness." In other words, he had a purpose. Nothing was going to deter him from fulfilling that purpose and that mission. And so the truth of the matter is, serving the Lord and raising a family is a full-time job in and of itself. So why in the world would anyone get involved in any activity, any organization, any recreation, or anything that would destroy that purpose in life?
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Now, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 22, to abstain from all appearance of evil. It's not that we're just to abstain from evil. We're to abstain from all appearance of evil. And then there's another passage in Romans 13, verse 14, where the Bible says, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof." So when someone then begins to play with sin, when they begin to play with the world and dabble and tempt the flesh, it's not going to be long before you're going to be swallowed up in wickedness.
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So we have to learn how to apply separation. And by the way, when you read a verse like Romans 1 in verse 1, where the apostle said, "Paul, an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." Separation is not just from something that is wicked and wrong, it is to that which is right and holy as well. There has to be a separation, not just from sin, but from the world and from the flesh as well. We have to understand that the world is not our friend. The flesh is not our friend. Sin certainly is not our friend. When you look at 1 John 2, verses 15 through 17, God says, "Love not the world." Now let me just stop there. When He says love not the world, He's not talking about the created world. He's talking about the world system. He's talking about everything in the world that is opposed to Him. For instance, He goes on, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
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Now think about that. "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." He tells you why. "For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are not of the Father, but of the world. And the world, and the lust thereof, passeth away. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." So he says the world is going to pass away. You see, not only is the world against us, but our flesh, that is the principle of sin within us, is probably our greatest enemy, because it cries to be satisfied and pleased and fulfilled. That's why Paul said, "Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof." Don't plan on something that you know that's going to lead you to that which is wicked and wrong.
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Now, Peter said it a little differently, but it's the same principle. He said in 1 Peter 2 and verse 11, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims that you abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." Why in the world would we engage in something and desire something that's going to war against us, fight against us, and seek to destroy us? So, if we love the world, we're not separated unto the Father. If we love our flesh, we're not separated unto the Father.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. Like Moses, we have to choose, and we have to choose wisely. Let me show you. Hold John 1, but look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, beginning there with verse 24. Watch this section very closely. The Bible says, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter."
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Now let me just stop and give you the implication here. If he was Pharaoh's daughter, if he was the son of Pharaoh's daughter, that means he's going to be in line to be the ruler of Egypt. He could become a Pharaoh. But the Bible says by faith when he was come to years, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Note what he chose.
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"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." Now why would he choose affliction rather than pleasure? When you stop and think, as Pharaoh, he could have had whatever he wanted, done whatever he wanted to have done, Egypt at that time was one of the leading and richest nations in the world. But here's why he chose to suffer. Verse 26, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
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For he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Therefore by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible." But note, he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. So the question is, how much do we value the Lord Jesus Christ? And how much do we value His Word? How much do we value His truth?
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So, it's interesting that Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. You compare Moses with Demas. You know, Demas worked with the Apostle Paul. And yet the Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 10, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world." And the interesting thing about the phrase, "having loved," it's from the Greek word agapao, which is a spiritual love. In other words, he loved this age, his present age, he loved his present world over and above the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now, I want you to understand something. Loving the world is an act of idolatry. That's why he said, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him," because when a man spiritually places the world and its pleasures above God, it is nothing less than idolatry. Now, listen. We may either walk pleasing unto the Lord, which we have been commanded to do, or we may walk pleasing unto the world, or we may walk pleasing unto the flesh.
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But we can't do all three at the same time. So we're either going to please the Father and not please the world and not please our flesh. Because if we please the flesh or the world, then we're not going to please the Father. So John then said, "I'm the voice of one," a solitary man, "crying in the wilderness," a separated man. I'm separated from everything that's contrary to God unto the gospel and the truth of God. But let's go back to John chapter 1 and verse 23, because here's a third thing in verse 23. Watch carefully. He said, "I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah."
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Now the Greek word for straight is the word euthyno, and it simply means to make straight, to make level, to make plain. And it speaks of someone at that time who was steering a ship or driving a chariot. If you drove that chariot, you wanted to drive it straight. It's kind of like our adage when somebody starts to drive off. And what do we say? "Keep it between the ditches." In other words, drive straight is what it amounts to. So he says, "Make straight the way of the Lord." In other words, do not convolute the way of the Lord. Do not let the way of the Lord become circuitous. Do not let it become convoluted in any way whatsoever. Why? Because our Lord shows us the straight and narrow way. It is His way.
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According to the scripture, it is the highway of holiness. It is the way of obedience. And John was preaching repentance unto obedience. And so often, instead of making straight the way of the Lord, what we do is we block it, we barricade it, we convolute it, we make that which is simple and plain and straight into something circuitous, problematic, and it turns up being a dilemma.
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Our problem basically is our pride. Our problem is our rebellion. Our problem is our disobedience. So let me give you an illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 5 and Matthew chapter 18 and hold both of those passages. Because each one of us has experienced broken fellowship with someone. It may be a fellow believer, it may be a family member, there's been arguments, there have been disagreements, there's been hurt feelings, there's been scarred pride, there's broken fellowship. What in the world should we do in such an instance? Well, I want you to look at this first of all in Matthew chapter 5 verses 23 and 24. Our Lord gives us this direction. He says, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."
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Now, let me just try to put this where it can be very easily understood. And I want to use Steve for an illustration. Let's suppose that Steve has something against me, okay? I don't know what, but he's got something against me. I don't have anything against him. I'm not upset with him. I'm not angry with him. I'm not mad with him, but he's got something against me.
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And I come to worship God. I come to pray. And he says, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave thy gift before the altar and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Okay?
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Now remember, I don't have a thing against him. But I remember that he said something that indicated that there was a problem. Here's my question. Whose responsibility is it to resolve the problem and work it out? It's mine. It's mine. Now, hang on. Look in your Bibles to Matthew 18. Matthew 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 15. Matthew 18, verse 15. Here it is. "Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." We're not going to deal with verse 16 and 17 right now.
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That would only follow if the first fail. But look at verse 15 again. "Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee." In this instance, who now is hurt? Who now is upset? Who now is offended? It's me. Do you realize it is possible to hurt someone, to upset someone, to offend someone, to use that word biblically, without even knowing it. How many times have you said things and someone misunderstood or took it the wrong way?
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I mean that's very easily done. Steve could say something and I could think when I heard it, "What? Why would he say something like that? I bet he's trying to cut me down." You see what I'm saying? And Steve could be absolutely, totally, perfectly innocent. Didn't mean a thing by it.
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Now, in this instance, I have somewhat against him. He doesn't have anything against me. Whose responsibility is it to get it worked out? It's mine. So it doesn't matter if he's got aught against me or I've got aught against him. It's still my responsibility, really and truly what should happen. If both parties know that there is a problem, we should be meeting halfway to get the thing resolved and get the thing worked out. You follow that?
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So all I'm trying to say is this. Problems do not go away. Problems do not vanish. Problems do not disappear. And unless problems are straightened out, unless they are corrected, unless they are resolved in a biblical manner, they're only going to get worse.
#52 | 37:54 to 38:14 | cleaned
Now, I want you to turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 4, and look, if you would, at verses 26 and 27. Ephesians 4, verses 26 and 27. Watch this carefully. Ephesians 4, verse 26, God says, "Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil." Now, without me preaching an entire message on verse 26, He says, "Be ye angry, and sin not."
#53 | 38:15 to 38:47 | cleaned
So I'll just make this statement. There is a righteous anger, and there is an unrighteous anger. A righteous anger is directed at sin in order to resolve the situation. An unrighteous anger is usually directed at other people, or sometimes even ourselves. But he says, "Be angry and sin not." So there is a way to be righteously angry and not to sin. But note what he said, "Be angry and sin not.
#54 | 38:47 to 39:12 | cleaned
Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." So if I have aught against Steve or Steve aught against me, and I know about it, how soon should I get it settled? Before the sun goes down. Before the sun goes down. What about verse 27? "Neither give place to the devil." That means if I do not get the problem resolved, if I do not straighten it out, okay, I'm giving place to the devil.
#55 | 39:13 to 39:45 | cleaned
So when you have problems that are not straightened out, what happens? They turn into your life into bitterness, resentment, ill will, perpetual anger, and hatred. And you look at the bitter, vindictive people that are running around under the umbrella of Christianity, and they have violated this scripture. They refuse to straighten things out in a biblical manner. When John was asked who he was, he said, "I am the voice of one.
#56 | 39:46 to 40:32 | cleaned
I'm a solitary man crying in the wilderness. I'm a separated man. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah." I am a straightening man. And we need to learn as men to straighten things out in our lives, in the lives of our wives, our children, to the best of our ability, for the honor and the glory of God. Straighten things out with anyone with whom there is a disagreement, with whom there is a problem, to the best of your ability.
#57 | 40:32 to 41:05 | cleaned
All you can do is be obedient. You say, "What if that person will not repent? What if that person does not want to hear me?" Well, you've tried. You've done that which God has commanded you. That's their sin. That's their problem, not yours.
#58 | 41:06 to 41:18 | cleaned
Now, notice, if you would please, back in John chapter 1. Let me give you something else here. I want you to look now, if you would please, at verse 29 and then verses 35 through 37. I'm going to give you this point that John was not only a solitary man, a separated man, a straightening man, he was a saving man. I'll explain that. Look in verse 29. He says this, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Now skip down to verse 35. "Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus." Now let me clarify something, and I'm sure that you know what I mean by this. When I say that John was a saving man, I'm not saying that John could save anyone. John certainly could not. He could not save himself.
#59 | 41:19 to 42:30 | cleaned
He could not save anyone else. Neither can I, neither can you. But what he could do is point them to the one who could save, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what he was doing. He was giving witness to the light. He was pointing out the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. So the saving man is the man just who merely points others to the Lord Jesus Christ.
#60 | 42:30 to 42:55 | cleaned
Here is the thing that is astounding. If you'll skip back down to verse 35, "Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus." Isn't that interesting? Did you notice that John did not have to beg, plead, cajole, demand, harass, harangue, command. He just simply spoke. And folks followed the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? His life was pure. His word was true. His witness was clear. And he spoke with truth and he spoke with power.
#61 | 42:55 to 43:45 | cleaned
That's exactly what we need in our lives. But we can never be the saving man without being the straightening man and the separated man and the solitary man. Let me ask you, do men follow Jesus Christ when you speak? Do men follow the word of God when you speak or do they follow the world or do they follow sin? Is your life holy? Are you obedient in your own life? Are you involved with the world, loving the world? Does your conversation build up Jesus Christ, or does it merely edify yourself? Are you willing to decrease that Jesus Christ might increase?
#62 | 43:47 to 44:41 | cleaned
Since you're in John, look in John chapter 3, beginning there, verse 26. You see, after our Lord was baptized by John, of course our Lord began to preach, and He drew away many of John's disciples and a lot of other people as well. And so in verse 26 of John chapter 3, "And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
#63 | 44:42 to 45:24 | cleaned
You yourselves bear witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled." Watch, "He must increase and I must decrease." So the question has to be asked, are we willing to decrease in order that Jesus Christ might increase?
#64 | 45:25 to 46:11 | cleaned
Let me tell you something. I preached a message years ago titled "The Message Christian Manhood." I used these four points. This message is not like that one, not exactly, anyhow it's different. But I used one illustration in that message that I want to use today. I want to point out a real example of Christian manhood outside of the Bible. There are many, there are many, but this one to me is just the epitome. Regardless of what the politically correct crowd states, regardless of what the revisionist historians write, regardless of what the mainstream media reports, the truth of the matter is this, one of the humblest, most godly, most consistent Christian men that ever lived was General Robert E. Lee. People in England, Lord Wolseley, General Wolseley, some of the others admired Lee so greatly. Even after Lee died, the North tried to claim him because he was such a godly individual. I could give you illustration after illustration. But I want to give you one illustration that happened that shows you the character, the integrity, the compassion, and the honor of General Robert E. Lee.
#65 | 46:14 to 48:01 | cleaned
I'm going to read this. It is the words of a wounded Yankee soldier who was wounded at Gettysburg. Here's what he said about General Lee. "I'd been a most bitter anti-South man and fought and cursed the Confederates greatly and desperately. I could see nothing good in any of them. The last day of the fight, I was badly wounded. A ball shattered my left leg. I lay on the ground not far from Cemetery Ridge, and as General Lee ordered his retreat, he and his officers rode near me."
#66 | 48:01 to 48:46 | cleaned
"As they came along, I recognized him. And though faint from exposure and loss of blood, I raised my hands and I looked Lee in the face and shouted as loudly as I could, 'Hoorah for the union. Hoorah for the union.' The general heard me, looked, stopped his horse, dismounted and came toward me. I confess at first I thought he meant to kill me. But as he came up, he looked down at me with such a sad expression upon his face that all fear left me and I wondered what he was about."
#67 | 48:48 to 49:31 | cleaned
"He extended his hand to me, grasping mine firmly and looking right into my eyes and said, 'My son, I hope you will soon be well.'" The Yankee soldier said, "If I live a thousand years, I shall never forget the expression on General Lee's face. There he was, defeated, retiring from a field that had cost him and his cause almost their last hope. And yet he stopped to say words like these to a wounded soldier of the opposition who had taunted him as he passed by. As soon as the general left me, I cried myself to sleep there on that bloody ground." Can you imagine that? Someone with enough character and self-control to go to a taunting enemy and say, "My son, I hope you'll soon be well."
#68 | 49:33 to 50:34 | cleaned
The point of this message is this: real men have character, honor, and integrity. They can stand in the face of opposition, and if needed and necessary, they can stand alone. And real men, real men had rather suffer than sin. Like Moses, he chose the affliction of his people rather to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Real men order their lives according to the Word of God, and they straighten things out with biblical principles. Real men point others to the Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to see in the next few messages over and over that real men and real manhood has nothing to do with physique. That's nothing to do with muscles. It has nothing to do with age. It has everything to do with character, integrity and honor.
#69 | 50:37 to 51:36 | cleaned
If we want what our forefathers had, we have to build upon the foundation that they built upon. By the way, the favorite hymn of General Robert E. Lee was "How Firm a Foundation." "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word." We need real men, men who can withstand the onslaughts of Satan, the world, the flesh, and stand solidly for the Lord Jesus Christ.
#70 | 51:39 to 52:25 | cleaned
Father, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your grace and Your mercy and Your life that You've given to us through Jesus Christ. We do pray, Father, for the character, the integrity, and the honor that is found only in Jesus Christ and only in obedience to His Word. Lord, give us real men and make real men of us. Help us, Lord, to be holy, to be godly and obedient. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
#71 | 52:26 to 53:01 | cleaned
♪
#72 | 53:16 to 53:42 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:51:42Z

Where Are The Real Men - Part 1 of 3

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver begins a three-part series on biblical manhood, contrasting it with humanistic definitions. Using John the Baptist as the prime example, he outlines four characteristics of a real man: solitary (willing to stand alone), separated (from sin and the world), straightening (resolving conflicts biblically), and saving (pointing others to Christ). He also references Ezekiel 22:30, where God sought a man to stand in the gap but found none, and illustrates godly character with the story of General Robert E. Lee showing compassion to a wounded Union soldier.

Introduction: The Question of Real Men

Scripture Reading — John 1:6

"There was a man sent from God whose name was John."

The Decline of Character and the Need for Men

Weaver laments the loss of character, work ethic, and sacrifice in modern society compared to the Great Depression era, quoting Josiah Gilbert Holland's poem calling for men of honor and integrity.

God Seeks a Man: Ezekiel 22:30

God sought a man among the prophets, priests, princes, and people to stand in the gap and intercede, but found none. Weaver highlights that God is still seeking men of character.

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:30

"And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none."

Now God said,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:30

"I sought for a man among them."

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 22:24-29

"There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey, they have devoured souls, they have taken the treasure and precious things, they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, have profaned mine holy things, have put no difference between the holy and the profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

John the Baptist: A Man Sent from God

John the Baptist is presented as a real man who confronted evil without compromise, fulfilling his God-given purpose to bear witness to the light.

Characteristic 1: A Solitary Man

John stood alone, unmoved by peer pressure, willing to do right even without support. Weaver explains that character is what a man is in the dark and that circumstances reveal, not make, a man.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:16

"At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge."

Isn't that astounding? He said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:16

"At my first answer, no man stood with me."

And then he went on to say,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:16

"But all men forsook me."

Characteristic 2: A Separated Man

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Now, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 22, to abstain from all appearance of evil. It's not that we're just to abstain from evil. We're to abstain from all appearance of evil. And then there's another passage in Romans 13, verse 14, where the Bible says, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof." So when someone then begins to play with sin, when they begin to play with the world and dabble and tempt the flesh, it's not going to be long before you're going to be swallowed up in wickedness.

So we have to learn how to apply separation. And by the way, when you read a verse like Romans 1 in verse 1, where the apostle said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:1

"Paul, an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God."

Now, Peter said it a little differently, but it's the same principle. He said in 1 Peter 2 and verse 11,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:11

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims that you abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul."

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:10

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."

Characteristic 3: A Straightening Man

John's mission was to make straight the way of the Lord. Weaver applies this to resolving conflicts biblically, using Matthew 5, Matthew 18, and Ephesians 4 to show the urgency of reconciliation.

Now, I want you to turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 4, and look, if you would, at verses 26 and 27. Ephesians 4, verses 26 and 27. Watch this carefully. Ephesians 4, verse 26, God says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26-27

"Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil."

Now, without me preaching an entire message on verse 26, He says,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26-27

"Be ye angry, and sin not."

Characteristic 4: A Saving Man

John pointed others to Jesus, the Lamb of God. His pure life and clear witness led disciples to follow Christ without coercion. Weaver calls for men to decrease so Christ may increase.

Scripture Reading — John 1:29

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Now skip down to verse 35.

Scripture Reading — John 1:29

"Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus."

Illustration: General Robert E. Lee

Weaver shares the story of Lee showing compassion to a taunting wounded Union soldier at Gettysburg, exemplifying character, honor, and self-control even in defeat.

Conclusion: The Call for Real Men

Where Are The Real Men - Part 1 of 3

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	1QxcBHfwD3I
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace
Genre	Sermon
Date	2021-08-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 177: Where Are The Real Men — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	72

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Question of Real Men: Weaver introduces the sermon as a response to requests for a message on 'Where Are the Real Men?' following his previous sermon on real women. He emphasizes the contrast between biblical and humanistic manhood.
The Decline of Character and the Need for Men: Weaver laments the loss of character, work ethic, and sacrifice in modern society compared to the Great Depression era, quoting Josiah Gilbert Holland's poem calling for men of honor and integrity.
God Seeks a Man: Ezekiel 22:30: God sought a man among the prophets, priests, princes, and people to stand in the gap and intercede, but found none. Weaver highlights that God is still seeking men of character.
John the Baptist: A Man Sent from God: John the Baptist is presented as a real man who confronted evil without compromise, fulfilling his God-given purpose to bear witness to the light.
Characteristic 1: A Solitary Man: John stood alone, unmoved by peer pressure, willing to do right even without support. Weaver explains that character is what a man is in the dark and that circumstances reveal, not make, a man.
Characteristic 2: A Separated Man: John was in the wilderness, separated from sin and the world. Weaver stresses the need to abstain from evil and make no provision for the flesh, choosing to suffer affliction with God's people rather than enjoy sin.
Characteristic 3: A Straightening Man: John's mission was to make straight the way of the Lord. Weaver applies this to resolving conflicts biblically, using Matthew 5, Matthew 18, and Ephesians 4 to show the urgency of reconciliation.
Characteristic 4: A Saving Man: John pointed others to Jesus, the Lamb of God. His pure life and clear witness led disciples to follow Christ without coercion. Weaver calls for men to decrease so Christ may increase.
Illustration: General Robert E. Lee: Weaver shares the story of Lee showing compassion to a taunting wounded Union soldier at Gettysburg, exemplifying character, honor, and self-control even in defeat.
Conclusion: The Call for Real Men: Real men have character, honor, and integrity; they stand alone if needed, choose suffering over sin, order their lives by God's Word, and point others to Christ. Weaver prays for God to make real men.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God is actively seeking men of character to stand in the gap.

From Ezekiel 22:30, God sought a man among the leaders and people to intercede and prevent judgment, but found none, indicating a perpetual need for godly men.

And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. (06:18.0-07:07.8)

John the Baptist modeled solitary courage.

John stood alone against religious and political corruption, demonstrating that a real man does not need a crowd to do what is right.

He was unmoved by peer pressure or peer approval. He was not ashamed to stand out in the crowd. And he stood, and because it was necessary, he stood alone. (13:54.0-15:01.0)

Character is defined by private actions, not public image.

True character is what a man does when no one is watching; it is tested by what it takes to stop him from doing right.

Character is what a man is in the dark. You tell me what you would do if you knew that no one else would ever find out about it, and I'll tell you exactly what you are. (16:16.8-17:11.1)

Separation is essential for fulfilling God's purpose.

A man devoted to Christ and family must avoid distractions and sinful entanglements, abstaining from all appearance of evil.

If a man is going to devote himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, if he's going to devote himself to his wife and to his family, he's going to have his hands full just simply doing that. Why in the world would you want to get into anything... that's going to distract you from your mission? (23:17.6-23:44.4)

Unresolved conflict gives place to the devil.

Biblical commands in Matthew 5, 18, and Ephesians 4 require believers to initiate reconciliation promptly, regardless of who is at fault, to prevent bitterness.

Neither give place to the devil. That means if I do not get the problem resolved, if I do not straighten it out, okay, I'm giving place to the devil. (39:13.0-39:45.3)

A real man's witness flows from a pure life.

John the Baptist's disciples followed Jesus simply because John spoke truth with a clear witness; his life matched his message.

Did you notice that John did not have to beg, plead, cajole, demand, harass, harangue, command. He just simply spoke. And folks followed the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? His life was pure. His word was true. His witness was clear. (43:45.1-44:41.6)

Real men choose suffering over sin.

Like Moses, a real man esteems the reproach of Christ greater than worldly treasures, choosing affliction with God's people over the pleasures of sin.

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season... Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. (28:13.7-28:54.2)

Historical examples validate biblical manhood.

General Robert E. Lee's compassion toward a taunting enemy soldier illustrates the character, honor, and self-control that define a real man.

He extended his hand to me, grasping mine firmly and looking right into my eyes and said, 'My son, I hope you will soon be well.' (49:33.7-50:34.9)

Scripture References

John 1:6: Introduced as the key verse showing John the Baptist was a man sent from God.
John 1:23: John's self-identification as the voice crying in the wilderness, used to illustrate solitary, separated, and straightening manhood.
Ezekiel 22:30: God sought a man to stand in the gap but found none; used to show God's search for men of character.
Ezekiel 22:24-29: Describes the corruption of prophets, priests, princes, and people, the 'them' among whom God sought a man.
John 1:7: John came to bear witness of the light, showing his God-given purpose.
John 1:19-22: The questioning of John by priests and Levites, where he denies being the Christ, Elijah, or the prophet.
Deuteronomy 18:15: Referenced as the prophecy of a prophet like Moses, which John denied being.
2 Timothy 4:16: Paul stood alone at his first answer; used to parallel John's solitary stand.
1 Thessalonians 5:22: Command to abstain from all appearance of evil, supporting the call to separation.
Romans 13:14: Make no provision for the flesh; used to warn against dabbling with sin.
Romans 1:1: Paul separated unto the gospel; separation is both from evil and to righteousness.
1 John 2:15-17: Love not the world; explains the world system's opposition to God and its passing nature.
1 Peter 2:11: Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul; reinforces separation from flesh.
Hebrews 11:24-27: Moses chose affliction over pleasure, esteeming Christ's reproach greater than Egypt's treasures.
2 Timothy 4:10: Demas forsook Paul, having loved this present world; contrasts with Moses' choice.
Matthew 5:23-24: If a brother has something against you, leave your gift and be reconciled first.
Matthew 18:15: If a brother trespasses against you, go and tell him his fault alone.
Ephesians 4:26-27: Be angry and sin not; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
John 1:29: John sees Jesus and declares, 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.'
John 1:35-37: John again points to Jesus, and two disciples follow Him.

Historical References

Great Depression: Used to contrast the work ethic and character of people during the Depression with modern entitlement mentality.
Josiah Gilbert Holland: Quoted his poem 'God Give Us Men' to illustrate the need for men of character and integrity.
General Robert E. Lee: Presented as an example of Christian manhood, specifically his compassion to a wounded Union soldier at Gettysburg.
Lord Wolseley: Mentioned as one of the English admirers of General Lee's character.

Important Quotes

Character is what a man is in the dark.

Defines the core of Weaver's message on integrity: true character is revealed when no one is watching.

Circumstances never make or break a man. They just simply reveal him.

Emphasizes that trials expose pre-existing character rather than creating it.

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

John the Baptist's humble self-description, used as the model for solitary, separated, and straightening manhood.

He must increase and I must decrease.

The attitude of a real man who points others to Christ rather than seeking his own glory.

My son, I hope you will soon be well.

General Lee's compassionate words to a taunting enemy soldier, exemplifying Christlike character under pressure.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Highlights the incompatibility of worldliness with genuine love for God.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

The foundational verse establishing John the Baptist as the biblical example of a real man.

I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

God's lament over the lack of intercessory men, setting the urgent need for godly manhood.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean to be a 'solitary man' in the context of standing for truth today, and when have you had to stand alone?

[Context]

Based on John the Baptist's example of standing alone against religious and political opposition.

[Question]

How can we practically 'make no provision for the flesh' in a culture that constantly promotes self-gratification?

[Context]

From the discussion on separation and Romans 13:14.

[Question]

Why is unresolved conflict described as giving 'place to the devil,' and what steps can we take to reconcile quickly?

[Context]

From the teaching on Ephesians 4:26-27 and Matthew 5, 18.

[Question]

In what ways does loving the world manifest as idolatry in a believer's life?

[Context]

From the explanation of 1 John 2:15-17 and the example of Demas.

[Question]

How does the story of General Lee's compassion challenge our natural responses to those who oppose or taunt us?

[Context]

From the illustration of Lee at Gettysburg.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'decrease' so that Christ may increase in our daily lives and witness?

[Context]

From John the Baptist's statement in John 3:30.

[Question]

How can we cultivate the kind of character that remains steadfast when no one is watching?

[Context]

From the principle that 'character is what a man is in the dark.'

[Question]

Why do you think God is still seeking men to 'stand in the gap,' and what does that look like in our families, churches, and nation?

[Context]

From Ezekiel 22:30 and the call for intercessory men.

Applications

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