Jun 13, 2019

Taking His Stand



And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”
But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. ~Acts 2:12-14


It was a great honor to recently have Patrick Morley of the Man in the Mirror on the Men in the Arena Podcast. Not only has his first book of the same title sold millions of copies, his organization has equipped over ten million men since its inception. Our interview focused on his newest book, The Christian Man—one quote standing taller than the rest.

     “When it comes to spiritual growth, I would condense      all the years I’ve spent teaching into this one idea: A Bible, a small group, and serving someone else will solve 90 percent of your problems.”

     This is a powerful statement in light of Pat’s experience and the state of manhood today. Too many men in churches stand alone. They show up late. They leave early. They worship anonymously. They are faceless and nameless in the bleachers of the church they call home.
     This should not be! We all need men to stand with us as we stand to push back the darkness.
     I love what happens next in Acts 2. It’s the Day of Pentecost and Jerusalem is in an uproar. The Apostles are praising God in foreign languages that bystanders understand and people are both amazed and perplexed. God’s Spirit is invading the world, but as expected, verse 13 reveals a counter attack, “But others were mocking.”
     Those “others” were Jewish men, but check this out. I love what Peter does.
     Can you imagine the scene? Thousands are present. Some are praising God in other languages. Others are mocking them just as loudly. Chaos was ensuing. A riot with seconds away as Peter waves down the crowd.
     “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice.”     Noticed something else. Not only did Peter stand with the eleven but he focused his message at the men first, knowing that once he won the men the rest followed. When a man gets it—everyone wins. Three thousand were saved that day, in part, because one man stood with his brothers against all odds.
     Am I being overly dramatic? Maybe. Am I stating truth? Absolutely. It takes more than one man to charge the gates of hell with a squirt gun! It takes more than one man to change your family, church, and city too. It takes you plus your men on the roof (Mark 2).
     A Christian man should never stand alone in this life because he won’t stand alone in the next. No man should be left behind. Who is standing with you? Are in you active in a men’s small group? Are you engaged on Sunday with the men of your church? If not, please reach out to us. We can help you get plugged in.