| Training Up Faithful Men (T.U.F. Men) |
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| Jesus commanded that we "go therefore and make
disciples…"(Mt. 28:19). We are not to make
(or be) merely converts or confessors; we are to make
(and be) disciples. A disciple is a follower of Christ.
The word "disciple" comes from the Greek word
that literally means "learner." The idea is
that not only do we come to Christ for salvation but
we follow Christ as Lord. A disciple of Jesus is one
who follows Him in order to learn from Him (Mt. 11:29).
We in turn are to teach one another to observe (not
just to know, but to follow/do) all that He has commanded
us (Mt. 28:20). And so we become life long learners
in the school of Christ. |
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| This is, as I said in the beginning, something which
is true for every believer and for all of their allotted
time here on earth. We are to teach, help, edify, equip,
encourage, warn and serve one another until we present
one another perfect before Christ (Eph. 4:12-13; Col.
1:28). This is true in regard to young and old, male
and female, new believer and seasoned saint. It is across
the board, full spectrum, without partiality and always
continuing. |
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| It is expected of all believers that they learn to
follow. It is expected of all believing men that they
learn to lead. Leading doesn't mean holding a man-given
office; it means fulfilling a God-given role. For Christian
men, it is the role of headship. |
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| Our Lord has chosen that men are to be the heads of
their homes and churches. This is all, of course, under
the supreme headship of Christ (Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 11:2-3).
The responsibility for headship is given to men. Every
man is called to headship. Yielding submission to Christ
as Lord of his life, man is required to lead his own
life well-pleasing to the Lord, lead his family well-pleasing
to the Lord, lead in his social life (work, school,
whatever he does) as well-pleasing to the Lord, and
to lead in his church as well-pleasing to the Lord.
That doesn't mean that every man will be an elder any
more than it means at work that every man will be a
supervisor. We lead by character, by being like Christ,
by ordering our actions and reactions after our Savior,
by representing Him well in all we do, by standing on
truth and walking in the Light. Every man is called
to that. If a man is married, that is how he leads his
wife; if a father, that is how he leads his children:
as one who follows Christ he leads them. |
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| That is why I want to tell you about
T.U.F Men. That stands for Training Up Faithful Men.
It is based on 2 Timothy 2:2 which says "the things
which you have heard from me in the presence of many
witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be
able to teach others also." Here at MCC we desire
to take this charge seriously. The future spiritual
well-being of our church family as well as individual
families within the church is at stake. Men need to
be trained to be godly husbands, fathers, servants:
men of God who are faithful to God. In turn, men need
to take seriously the call from God to be life long
learners in the school of Christ, to make it a priority
to be a true TUF Man. We will be offering ongoing classes
designed specifically for men. These classes are designed
to help men grow deeper in their understanding of Truth
and to live out truth in their everyday lives. It isn't
about expanding a knowledge base; it's about growing
"in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"
(2 Peter 3:18). Our goal is not to know stuff but to
know Him. And as we become closer followers and disciples
of Jesus we will be more effective fishers and leaders
of others. T.U.F. Men: Training Up Faithful Men. |
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| Your Fellow-Servant, |
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| Pastor Gary |
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