1. Godly men have knowledge of and are obedient to the Word of God
2. Godly men possess true character
3. Godly men are teachable

If you were unable to attend any of the Frontline campuses for this message, I encourage you to go online to www.frontlinedc.com and click on “sermon archives.”

The next characteristic of a godly man that young men not only need to understand but embrace is:

4. Godly Men Protect and Provide

Words that parallel this thought: Courage, Boldness, Strength

This is NOT a blustery, pretentious sort of bravado, but instead we’re talking about a Christ-like, humble awareness of the God-given responsibility of men to protect and provide for family, friends, and strangers.

First, God made a commitment to protect us in many passages of Scripture. One such example is 2 Thessalonians 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” Then He calls men likewise to provide for his own in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Those are strong words and they are meant to be understood with the weight offered in the wording of the passage.

Not only are we to provide for family, but many passages such as the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-27) show that we are to protect and provide for not only friends but strangers as well.

We live in a culture where men have been emasculated in many ways. Even suggesting that men have a God-given responsibility to protect and provide for those around them is dismissed as an antiquated notion by many. Yet, young men today must gain a biblical perspective on this issue and realize the weight of responsibility they have in being godly models of protection and provision.

5. Godly Men Are Servant Leaders

The kind of servanthood the Bible refers to is primarily expressed through sacrifice.

“Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…” (Ephesians 5:25-29) This passage obviously speaks directly to husbands’ relationship to their wives. However, it also speaks to a larger principle of the sacrificial mandate given by God to all men to be accurate examples of His kind of love.

A godly man’s life is a life lived thinking of others as more important than self. Paul admonishes the Philippians to, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:3-5) Paul then goes on to explain exactly what it looks like to have the “attitude of Christ in verses 6-11. Phrases in those particular verses that stand out in relation to our topic include: “made Himself nothing,” and “taking the very nature of a servant,” and “humbled Himself,” and “became obedient to death.”

Godly men must live lives of humble sacrifice for the sole purpose of serving others and giving glory to God.

There are many passages in the Bible and many great books on the subject of godly manhood. Among the many strong resources I’d recommend Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood, Wayne Grudem, editor. As I mentioned in my message on qualities of a godly man, I also like The Measure of a Man: Twenty Attributes of a Godly Man by Gene Getz. The Measure of a Man is terrific as a small group resource.

Again, the five qualities of a godly man listed in this blog are in no way an exhaustive list of godly male attributes; far from it. Rather, these are five qualities that I’ve seen as particularly challenging for young Christian men in our culture, in general and in Frontline in particular.

I pray that every man who reads this is both convicted of his area (or areas) of particular challenge and is, at the same time, empowered by the Spirit of the Living God to live this kind of life. This kind of life can only be lived by the power of the Holy Spirit living through us.

Your servant for His sake,

Todd Phillips, Frontline Pastor

Join us at Frontline over the next three weeks as our Senior Pastor, Lon Solomon, gives a series of messages entitled “People Jesus Met.”

We’ll be examining some of the encounters that Jesus had with different people and what lessons we can learn from them.

You won’t want to miss it!

A special offering for these three ministries will take place during services June 5-6 and June 12-13 at all MBC and Frontline campuses, the proceeds of which will be divided equally between the three ministries.

Below you will find short descriptions, videos and links to their websites for more information on how you can support them and get involved!

DayBreak
DayBreak is an inner-city ministry whose mission is to impact Lincoln Heights in Northeast DC with the message of Jesus Christ by offering children’s programs such as an after-school program, tutoring, mentoring and Saturday Vacation Bible School. Through these programs, DayBreak staff and volunteers build relationships and share the love of Christ with both children and parents. DayBreak is a separate 501 (c) (3) non – profit organization and an integrated auxiliary of McLean Bible Church.

Click here to view the DayBreak Video.

Jill’s House
Jill’s House is scheduled to open in fall of 2010 and will serve the 40,000 – plus children with special needs in the Greater Washington, DC area with short-term overnight care, social activities and a range of therapy activities, providing the opportunity for respite for their families. Jill’s House is a separate 501 (c) (3) non – profit organization and an integrated auxiliary of McLean Bible Church.

Click here to view the Jill’s House Video.

The House
The House is a youth center located in Southeast Washington, DC that provides an opportunity for inner city youth and their families to connect to Christ through creative programs that meet both physical and spiritual needs. Many of the students suffer from a severe lack of exposure to opportunities beyond their own neighborhood. The volunteers and staff share their time and gifts with these students by encouraging them to be involved with various programs and projects at The House. In the midst of violence, drugs, abuse, and other ills, The House provides a safe and strong community for youth in Southeast Washington, D.C. The House is a separate 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

Click here to view the House Video.

Click Here for more information!

First, my apologies to those who attended Frontline this past weekend at any one of our campuses for the express purpose of learning what the Bible says in regard to the topic of masturbation. I know it must have been difficult to wait patiently for the question to come up in the message only to be left in the cold by your pastor! None-the-less, here we are. So, let’s dive right in.

Based on one survey, one third of Christian women and nearly all Christian men struggle with this issue. Another survey reports that 31 percent of laypeople and 30 percent of pastors considered masturbation to be wrong, 32 percent of lay people and 35 percent of pastors said it was not wrong, and the remainder said it depends on circumstances. How’s that for a unity! Regardless, for a subject that is an almost universal experience among men and for somewhere around a third of women, the topic is very seldom addressed in Christian community.

Fathers wonder what they should tell their sons. Women are confused about what to say to their daughters. Small group leaders don’t know what they should say to young adults who ask about the issue, so they tend to discourage it because that’s what everyone else does.

So, is there a biblical response to the subject of masturbation?

First, there simply is no specific approval or prohibition of masturbation in the Bible. Some of you will quickly refer me to Genesis 38 (which does not address masturbation, but the act of a man ‘pulling out’ of a woman before ejaculation) or Leviticus 15:16-17 (which deals only with the act of becoming ceremonially unclean rather than sinfulness). I’m not going to dissect these passages because these passages do not prohibit masturbation and are therefore not relevant to our discourse here.

In the New Testament, the passage most commonly offered as a prohibition of masturbation (based on the underlying principles of the passage) is Matthew 5:27-30:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.”

The argument then is that desire (or lust) for a woman (or man) then is as sinful as the actual act of sex outside of marriage. Therefore, if someone is masturbating, the pictures they have in their mind during the act causes the act to be sinful. It is very important to note here what Jesus means when he is speaking of “lust.” There is a differentiation between the attraction we feel for members of the opposite sex, which is a God-given attraction that draws men and women together in healthy ways toward the ultimate commitment of marriage, and a covetous desire for possession of the other person for personal gratification.

So, some argue at this point that as long as one fantasizes “appropriately” during masturbation then it is not sinful. For example, if a single person fantasizes that they are having sex with their future wife or if a married person fantasizes about their spouse during masturbation then the act is not sinful. This is, from your humble pastor’s perspective, the strongest argument for the assertion that it is possible to masturbate and not sin. NOTE – I said that this is the strongest argument I can find to offer the very small possibility that masturbation with an appropriate mental picture is acceptable in the sight of God. I AM NOT AGREEING WITH THIS ASSERTION. If this argument were to hold water, it still leaves such a small potential for engaging in this act without sinning as to be practically unattainable.

I have friends from seminary and other pastors who have a different view of this issue than I do. But, I will say that although masturbation can be considered a “gray area,” I advise young adults to steer clear of the act for several reasons:

1. 1. “Think on such things…”

Paul exhorts all believers to guard their thought life. In Philippians 4:7-8 Paul speaks to the importance of a holy thought life:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Phil. 4:7-8)

Our thought life is the true battlefield. Masturbation is an act where the mind can quickly turn to impure thoughts that do not honor God.

1. 2. When in doubt, don’t

Dave Young on our Prince William staff said it well: I don’t do it BECAUSE I don’t fully understand what it is, what its ripple effects will be on me or a potential spouse, and how God feels about it. And spiritually speaking, God says, “but the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Rom 14:23). I have not heard any reports to convince me of exactly what it is and isn’t so it’s an unknown.

1. 3. Paul’s Advice

Paul, when discussing the fact that single people were “burning with passion” for one another, offers marriage as the solution, rather than some form of appropriate masturbation. (1 Corinthians 7:9)

1. 4. “Flee from Sexual Immorality”

1 Corinthians 6:18 warns us to “flee form sexual immorality.” How involved do we want to get to something that is so close to (if not is) sexual immorality? This would seem very unwise from a biblical perspective.

1. 5. “I’ll stop when I’m married”

The goal of sex within the bonds of marriage is oneness with your spouse. The goal of masturbation is self-gratification. Masturbation and sex with one’s spouse are diametrically opposed in their goals. Many people take with them into the marriage bed the goal of self-gratification that they’ve learned from their experience with masturbation. This often creates many challenges in the marriage bed.

Many singles tell me that they will stop masturbating when they get married because they’ll have an outlet for their sexual desires. For most, this is simply not the case. Many people find that they’ve developed two sex lives…one with their spouse and one with themselves. This takes away from the development of intimacy between spouses.

1. 6. “Not Even a Hint…”

Ephesians 5:3 states: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” We are “set apart” for the work of God as Christ-followers. We then should not allow there to be a hint of sin or engage in anything that would be considered “unwise.”

A life lived for God’s name and His renown are the ultimate goals of our lives. Live lives that are worthy of God and worthy of His calling on your life! (Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:12)

See you Sunday!

Well, we’ve added a brand new way to connect with and pray for fellow Internet Campus viewers.

Click here to visit the Internet Campus Prayer Wall. Once you’re there, you can click “Share Your Prayer Request” and a form will appear for you to type your request. (Note: you can opt to have your prayer request remain anonymous)

Once your request has been moderated, it will be posted to the prayer wall, where others can pray for it!

Please let us know if you have any questions!

Click here to visit the Internet Campus Prayer Wall

Join us at Frontline tonight as Todd starts a new series called “It’s Complicated: Sex, Dating, Friendship and Boundaries”.

Be sure to invite your friends to check it out! Also, make sure to take advantage of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to help spread the word!

We will send this prayer email to everyone on our current church-wide e-newsletter list.  If you are not yet signed up for our e-newsletter and want to register for this daily email in March, please click here to enter your email address. If you are already in our e-news system, you will receive an email with instructions on how to update your preferences.  If you are registering with our e-news for the first time, you will see a list of all e-newsletters we offer.  Be sure to check the box next to 31 Days of Prayer to ensure your email is on the correct list.

We hope you will join us and be a part of what God will do as we seek him together.

Information and Guidelines for subscribing to MBC e-news.

In addition to our 31 Days of Prayer e-newsletter for March, we also have a primary MBC News email list, as well as, a number of e-newsletters designed to keep you informed about specific areas of ministry. We also have a series of Prayer Warrior emails where you can sign up to receive prayer requests directly from ministry leaders at MBC.

Q. I’m not on any of the lists, what do I do?

A. If you have never signed up for our church e-newsletter or any other e-news like the Prayer Warriors, please click here to sign up for the first time.  You will be asked for your email address and then taken to a screen where you can subscribe to any of our e-newsletters.

Q. I am already signed up for one of the MBC e-news lists, what do I do?

If you are already on one of our MBC email mailing lists, please click here to update your preferences. After you enter your email, please check your inbox for a message from us explaining how to update your e-news preferences.  These extra steps are required to ensure your privacy.

At Frontline we believe strongly in the power of prayer. Because of this, we desire each member of our congregation to be fostering a vibrant prayer life. As Todd mentioned in his recent sermon on prayer, without a strong “inner man” we will be crushed by external forces and even by our own gifts and talents.

One way you can begin building a strong prayer life is by signing up to be a “Prayer Warrior” for McLean Bible Church. We truly appreciate your prayers and thank you for your willingness to pray for McLean Bible Church and Frontline.

Click Here to sign up to be a Prayer Warrior

Rescue and recovery efforts have become top priorities across the globe, and countries with poor relations have set aside their differences to help Haiti.

Many have been contacting us at the church to find out how you can be involved with serving our brothers and sisters in Haiti. We would like to encourage you to connect with any of the four below mentioned organizations as each of them are currently actively engaged in disaster response efforts. They are listed in no particular order. But each one is doing a great work to serve the people of Haiti, in the name of Christ.

www.WorldHope.org
www.WorldVision.org
www.WorldRelief.org
www.Compassion.com

As of right now, MBC does not have plans to mobilize disaster response teams. We will be hosting a prayer night Sunday, January 24th, after FL Tysons in Community Room B.  Please join us as we lift up the people of Haiti in prayer and respond to specific prayer requests.

Please continue to be in prayer for the people of Haiti.