Men, listen up--this message is for you!

We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:11-12).

Why do more women go to church than men? Not so long ago, I read an article on this subject; the author suggested that in modern America, worship services are more often geared towards the interests of women and children than they are towards men. It was suggested that when churches are lopsided in how they do ministry, men feel little interest in attending.

This article stuck with me. I wondered what a sermon specifically geared towards men might be like. So fellas, today is your day—this sermon is specifically for you. Ladies, take note—here is a chance to take a peek inside the men in your lives. And kids, this is an opportunity to find out what things Dad holds as important.

There are a lot of opinions floating around about what it means to be masculine, but I think that most men find their satisfaction in life tied to three things: being capable, being strong, and being needed.

Every man needs to feel capable. Most men define themselves by their jobs, because success in a career is largely tied to your skill as a worker. There are few better rewards in the workplace than a promotion, because a promotion is proof that your skills are recognized. The worst way that you can insult a man is to question his competence: "Do you know what you’re doing?" "Why don’t you stop and ask for directions?" Being capable means that you can get things done.

The need to be capable can show itself in many different ways. Some men value education as a measure of their ability; they take great pride in getting a Master’s Degree or a doctorate. Other men enter the field of construction to show their ability to build things. Some men find satisfaction in solving difficult problems; they gravitate towards careers in science or mathematics. Still others enter politics or business because organizing things and getting things done is where they shine the brightest.

It should come as no surprise, then, that men prize certain traits over others. Men value reasoning skills because intelligence enables them to solve problems. Men value strength and speed because these qualities get things built well and under budget. Men value independence, because to rely upon others is to suggest that you are less than fully capable. Men value positions of leadership, because being the leader validates them as the most skilled person in the group.

Yet our world is a challenging place to live in. Men who prize their education can never rest, because researchers are finding out new things every day; a man who became a surgeon 20 years ago would be hopelessly behind the times if he did not constantly keep up on the newest medical findings. Men in the construction business cannot help but shake their heads as they see buildings they have poured heart and soul into, slowly deteriorate from abuse and the ravages of time. Politicians may work years to get reforms into place, only to see their work swept away by a new administration with different priorities or by the ruling of a single court.

The Christian knows the reason for these problems—the cause is sin. Sin causes decay and death and destruction. Sin is the reason that hurricanes destroy cities and hail wipes out crops. Sin is the reason that politicians cannot agree on what is good public policy; sin is the reason that employees do not get the recognition that they deserve. Sin gets in our way, tears down all that we struggle so hard to achieve. Sin tempts us to give in to despair. This sad truth moved Solomon to write, I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

Yet we have hope—hope in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Jesus is both solution and example to us. Jesus is the solution to sin. He proved His power over sin by ordering a storm to be quiet and curing a paralyzed man of his disability. He defeated sin by dying in our place on the cursed cross, a world-changing sacrifice that sent the devil scurrying in retreat and brought life and immortality to light, so that our efforts in life need not be in vain. He proved that sin no longer has final say over us by speaking these wonderful words: Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven (Matthew 9:2).

Jesus also serves as an example to us. Operating under the Father’s direction, the Son of God built this world; John 1:3 tells us, Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. When He was born into this world with a man’s body, our Lord learned the trade of a carpenter. And when He comes again at the end of time, Jesus will gladden us with the words: I am making everything new! (Revelation 21:5) Our Savior shows us the importance of working for a brighter tomorrow.

Another important aspect of being a man is to be strong. It used to be a compliment to say of a man, "he can hold his liquor." What was being complimented was his toughness and self-control. Toughness and self-control are important if you want to achieve your goals. It has been said that there are three types of adversaries man faces in life: nature, your fellow man, and yourself. Nature opposes you with drought and storms, rust and rot, disease and pestilence. Your fellow man opposes you with crime and war, lies and cheating, disrespect and jealousy. Your betray yourself through broken promises and temperamental outbursts, uncontrollable lust and careless gambling, a weakness for alcohol or drugs. You cannot stand up to these challenges if you’re not tough; you can only achieve your goals if you have strong self-control.

We respect determination in the face of adversity. But who of us can claim to be strong all the time? Disease can steal our strength; dementia can dull our minds. Our families can be torn apart by divorce or adultery. Our lives can be shattered when events take away our homes, our jobs, our community. How can you be strong when your body betrays you? How can you be tough when those you have loved and trusted turn their backs on you? How can you maintain your determination when the things you have built your life upon are suddenly gone? How many times have you felt like the man who wrote Psalm 102: my days disappear like smoke, and my bones burn like red-hot coals. My heart is sick, withered like grass, and I have lost my appetite.

Again, Christ is the answer. He provides the example: even though He knew that most people would reject Him, He came into our world to pursue His objectives anyway. Even though it would cost Him repeated beatings, He told the truth about our sins and His identity as our Savior. Even though it resulted in the most awful execution ever recorded, Jesus laid down His life to free us from the power of sin, death, and the devil. For Him, the goal of our salvation was worth any price that He would be demanded to pay. Paul writes, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:8)

Of course, none of us has the strength of the Son of God; yet we are permitted to sample it. Through the Holy Spirit, our Savior shares His strength with us, strength to endure when sin presses us hard. We gain access to this strength by the Means of Grace—the Holy Word delivering God’s promises as the Bible is read; the water, empowered by God’s Word, delivering His promises through Holy Baptism; and the bread and wine, empowered by God’s Word, delivering His promises through Holy Communion. The strength of Christ is available for your use, to keep you strong—all you need do is come and receive it. In Philippians chapter four Paul asserts: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

The third thing important to men is to be needed. When it comes to relationships, men see their contribution consisting in two things—to provide and to protect. Men feel a need to provide. Most will work tirelessly even at a job they hate if it is the best opportunity they have to support their family. What good is it to be capable if you cannot provide for your family in times of need? What good is strength if it cannot be used to support your loved ones through times of weakness? It is this need to provide that leads some men into agriculture, where their skills can be used to feed many people. Men also feel a need to protect. What better purpose can your skills and strength be put to, than to defend from harm those you love? It is this drive to protect that moves so many men to become policemen, firefighters, doctors, and soldiers. These two drives explain why men so often feel lost when a loved one leaves their life; without someone to defend and provide for, all the ability and strength in the world can seem meaningless, without purpose.

It doesn’t take too many years of adulthood to realize that as providers and protectors, we usually come up short. Most men cannot provide for their families with six-figure incomes. No husband can protect his wife from the ravages of old age. No father can shield his children from every danger that life throws their way. I’m sure your life is littered with regrets about misspent money, wasted opportunities, and misplaced priorities.

As Christians, we have a reassurance that is available to no one else. Jesus forgives you; He forgives you for not being the provider you should have been. He forgives you for every time you failed in your role as defender. He forgives you fully and completely; Psalm 103 says as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Furthermore, our Lord has a way for you to be the best possible provider and protector. Consider: what is the best gift you could ever give your loved ones? What is the worst danger that they need protection from? The best gift of all is eternal life with Jesus; the worst danger is dying apart from the Lord and suffering in hell with Satan for a cellmate. Men, what use are your skills, what value has your strength, if you are not using them to turn your loved ones away from sin and towards the Savior who holds out His nail-scarred hands in loving welcome? You may not have a lot of talent or toughness, but you can still be the best provider and defender in the lives of those who are precious to you. You can care enough to speak up when they commit a sin, and warn them that such deeds lead in the wrong direction. You can care enough to tell them about the hope you have in Jesus; you can care enough to be in church together with them at every opportunity; you can care enough to pray for them and with them. You can be the earthly hands through which Jesus the Master Carpenter both defends against evil and provides an eternal home with God.

The people who are precious to you need you to fulfill your purpose—to bring God’s blessings into their lives.