What is Biblical Manhood? | Kingsmen

Reclaiming Biblical Manhood and the Purpose of the Kingsmen Podcast

Welcome to the Kingsmen Podcast, where we are reclaiming biblical manhood by training and equipping men for the work of the kingdom. I'm your host John Moffitt, I'm the pastor of Grace Reform Church in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and also one of the hosts of Theocast, a weekly podcast if you want to check that out.

Guys, I just want to get right into explaining the purpose behind this podcast. So here's what we're gonna cover, the why, what, who, and where. We just figured we'd make it super simple. Why another podcast?

Well, I'll be frank with you, I am so exhausted by the term biblical manhood, and everybody's getting it wrong. And I don't mean like I'm the only one that's getting it right, but when I listen to people describe biblical manhood, it causes me to be depressed.

I think about, you know, I'm a six-foot-one guy, I've played basketball, football, I like to hunt, you know, I've got a deep guttural voice, I can get down in there. But when I hear people describe, you know, biblical manhood as being able to, you know, masculinity, and go out and kill a bear, and eat some bacon, and be able to fight with your hands, defend your wife, well, that is what men can do.

Does it describe biblical manhood? That can describe the innate testosterone driven of a man, but that's not how the Bible describes a biblical man. And then you have the other side of it, where this is becoming really popular, and it's how boisterous and loud, and really this defense mechanism.

We're going to defend me and mine, and we're gonna defend the weak, and so it's a lot of politics, where we're talking about abortion, or homosexuality, or drag queens, and all this kind of stuff. And listen, that particular side of it, it does bother me as well.

I am disturbed by the way in which our culture is abusing the innocence of people, and people are dying, and we're confusing children's minds about sexuality. But that isn't what biblical manhood is. It's pursuing that loudly and obnoxiously is not necessarily what I would call the demand for being a biblical man.

A Biblical Example of Manhood Instead of Mere Reaction

So the purpose of this podcast, I'm at a point where instead of pointing out, well, this is wrong, you know, go out into the wilderness and pursue, you know, whatever manliness you think that is, or be loud and involved in politics over here, I don't want to tear those two down.

I'd rather just present what I think is a biblical example of it, and start helping men get excited about this. I'm excited about it. I am excited about the work of the King. I am excited about what God has for me, a new purpose and meaning in life.

And when I think about all of the pain and the suffering that's happening right now in our world, and as a pastor, I deal with a lot of suffering people, and it's hard when they walk out of my office.

If I didn't know why God has me who I am as a man, and as a pastor, and as a father, and as a citizen of the United States, it would be hard for me to do my job, and it would be hard for me to love and care for people.

So this podcast is designed to help you guys start to reevaluate where you get your information, why you utilize it to influence your life, the decisions that you make. That's what this podcast is for.

What the Podcast Will Cover in Everyday Life

So what is it that we want to try and accomplish? What are we doing with this podcast? Well, gentlemen, it's not gonna be long. I want to try and design this so you could get it done in a workout, or you could get it done on your drive into the office.

And we're gonna start looking at every area of our life from Scripture, and ask ourselves, what has God called us to be as men, first of all? Not even married, not husband, just as men. What does that look like?

To love and have a relationship with our King as a man, in general. And then we're gonna talk about as husbands and as fathers. We're gonna talk about it from your standpoint as your career, and then as a citizen of the United States, or whatever country that you find yourself in.

Most of the men that I have in my mind as I'm doing this podcast, and really the heart behind this podcast, is for the men in my church. I just want to encourage them and strengthen them, that outside of Sundays and our time as men, as we gather, I want to give you one more resource to just cause you to stop and think about, why do I get up in the mornings?

Why do I continue to fight sin? Or, let me put it this way, some of you guys are stuck, still, you're stuck on porn, you're stuck with addictions to different drugs and alcohol, your addiction could be your job, your addiction could be your kids.

Why is it that we wrestle with these things? Not that they're ever going to go away, but the meaning of some of your life is to just stop doing that. That's the greatest desire of your life, and I'm thinking, at the end of your life, are you gonna stand up and say, praise God, I conquered porn, I conquered alcohol.

It's like, that's not what we're called here to do. The purpose of our life is not to overcome sin. We need to overcome sin, but that's not the purpose of our life. We have something that's far more significant than this, and so that's what we're gonna be talking about.

What has God called you to that should cause you to want to lay your life down? I mean, Jesus says that the purpose of being a disciple with Him is to lay your life down. Most of us look at that and we're like, it's a little radical, John, I don't know, I don't think I want to be a missionary, you know, the work of the kingdom, that's for pastors, and you know, we're all a part of His kingdom.

We're all His children. Every person in His kingdom has a role to play, and we're gonna talk about what that looks like. How you can wake up on understanding that your job isn't your identity, but your job is a tool for the work of the kingdom.

That your responsibility to love and care for your wife and to reflect your King to her so that she can feel protected and loved. It's not the muscles that's gonna protect her, guys. It's not your guns.

You can't protect your wife from all evil that's out there. Just watch the news, but what you can do is give her a sense of security and hope because of who you are in Christ and who she is in Christ.

That's powerful. So that's who this is for. This podcast is designed for men who really want to take their faith to the next level and say, listen, I'm tired of trying to pursue and find meaning in something that that really has no meaning.

That's who this podcast is for. And so, lastly, we're gonna talk a little bit about where are we going with this. This is gonna be probably different for people who have ever listened to Theocast and heard me preach.

Gentle Strength, the Gospel, and the Word of God

This is literally how I talk when I get to go with our men, and I don't think that we need to be crude. I don't think we need to be harsh. As a matter of fact, when I think about my Christ, my King, my Messiah, and his description of those who are dealing with men who are weak, who are enslaved, who are struggling sinners, who just can't seem to pull themselves out of the mess that they're in, I don't need to yell at you.

That's not why I'm here. You don't need a drill sergeant. Think of it this way. Paul says in Galatians chapter 6, those who are trapped in sin, he says, those of you who are spiritual, go to them with a spirit of meekness and gentleness, right?

With patience. That's the design of this podcast. Gentlemen, we have used all kinds of tactics in the past to motivate ourselves. I have as well. I've wanted to get in shape, and so I've gone with the guy that's gonna yell at me and be angry with me if I don't show up at the gym and all that, and then eventually you just get to the point where you avoid those people, because who wants to be around angry people all the time?

Nobody wants to be around angry people all the time, right? And then I've tried the other side where, you know, that's the coach where he's trying to motivate you with positive thinking, and you know, you kind of get to a point where you're like, well, that's not working either.

That's not what this is for. I believe with all of my being, and I wouldn't be doing this podcast, and I wouldn't be a pastor, and I wouldn't spend all of this time if I didn't believe what I'm about to say.

I believe the greatest motivating factor for men is the gospel. I really believe that. This is why Paul tells Titus, and he explains to him the gospel, and he says, insist on this. Insist on these things.

Do not forget them. There's a reason, too, Paul begins his letter in Romans, and he says, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Well, why would Paul have to say that? Because in a world where the kingdom of light is being proclaimed, that good news, a lot of people look at it and they're embarrassed by it.

It's shameful. Guys, there's a reason why we're not motivated by the gospel, because the world mocks at it. It laughs at it. I would even say the Christian world mocks and laughs at it. Let me give an example.

When you tell people that to discipline yourself spiritually isn't going to produce in you spiritual sanctification and growth, they think you're crazy. They think that you've lost your mind, and that the only way in which you're going to grow spiritually is if you actually put the effort and time in, and then they add to your life all of these laws, all of this requirement for you to do.

Guys, let's talk about the things that you've tried. We've all done this, and I'm gonna give this caveat here because sometimes people misunderstand me. Gentlemen, you should know your word. I'm gonna teach you how to know your Bible.

You're gonna become men of the word. You can't be a man of the King if you can't be a man of his manuscript, so we got to know his manuscript, right? But waking up at 530 every single morning and making sure you're spending 30 to 40, 50, I mean, how much time, guys, is it gonna take?

If you spend five hours a day in the word, are you gonna be a stronger Christian? Are you gonna be able to fight your sin better? That's kind of the idea of what we're being told, is that if we just spend more time in God's Word disciplining ourselves, whether it's in the word or prayer, most men that I talk to, they don't even know how to pray.

They don't even know the purpose of prayer. What you're going to talk about, prayer is paramount for understanding the work of the kingdom. The Word of God is paramount, and understanding and using God's Word rightly will either cast you, if you use it wrong, it'll cast you in despair, and you'll even have a little bit of disdain and hate for God, or if you use it rightly, it'll invigorate you, and you'll feel like no matter how sick you are, no matter what your job is, no matter what your past is, you'll be able to run and lay your life down for God, and it won't bother you because, like, I know what my king has said, I know who he is, and there's nothing else that matters for me than this.

That's what the Word of God is, but instead, most podcasts are, here's five ways to discipline yourself, and you can do, and they start giving you this list of stuff, and you've all tried it, and it doesn't work, okay?

This podcast is not going to give you five lists of things that you need to go out and do that are my wisdom of things that I have done. Listen, in many ways, I'm a very disciplined man. There are things that I've got done, I have a schedule, I make sure there's certain things happen, I have four kids, you know, I got one in college, I have a church that I'm responsible for, I have a podcast that I do, but that's not what gets me up in front of this camera and this microphone.

It's not my discipline. I'm not here to tell you how to be successful like me. I'm not successful. In the eyes of the world, I'm not a very successful person. I'm actually, they think I'm crazy because of what I do, and every time I tell people, people ask me, what do you do for a living?

I always kind of want to tell them like, well, I'm a motivational speaker, because then they would think more highly of me, but when I say I'm a pastor, they think I'm crazy. Guys, when we stop using our careers as our identity, people are gonna think you're crazy.

You're not a doctor, you're not a lawyer, you're not a photographer, you're not a guy who picks up trash. That happens to be what you do to function inside the kingdom, but that's not who you are. That's not who you are.

We have to stop finding our identity in our discipline. Oh man, I can't tell you how many guys I've met. You can look at their body, and they present their body as, look how good I am, because I am well-physiqued, and I have a, listen, good for you, but that doesn't mean I should respect you just because you're really good at fitness, or some people love to find their identity in their bank account, in the cars that they drive, in the clothes that they wear.

I've been around these people too, but in the end, that is so shallow. You and I both know, if you've ever been there where you've kind of hit the pinnacle of your life and career, if you're young and you're a young teenager and you listen to this, let me tell you, I'll bring men onto this podcast who have succeeded in great areas, and yet they are completely dissatisfied.

They have no satisfaction whatsoever. As a matter of fact, a lot of them just struggle with depression, and they struggle with anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts, because everybody expects them to be something that they're not.

They're just not. So this podcast is going to be designed to learn from what God's Word has said, and then utilize it in all areas of our life. So guys, you have two volumes you can listen to. You can either listen to the volume of the world and what the world has to tell you, and then they're good.

Listen, there's a reason why we lust. There's a reason why we become greedy. We become envious, because Satan is a brilliant advertiser, right? We look at that. We all desire the new car smell, right?

A beautiful woman walks by. All of that stuff, guys, it intrigues all of us. But when you can get your eyes focused on what the King has for you, it's a lot easier to set aside these temptations. It's a lot easier to deal with them, not alone.

Weakness, the Armor of God, and Life in the Church

So that's still going to be the last thing we're going to talk about, is that it's going to be hard to apply a lot of what we're talking about in the Kingsman podcast, because everything about this podcast has nothing to do with you as an individual.

You're going to remove the individual side of your nature and realize you are not a strong God. You're not a strong man. To be a biblical man is to embrace weakness. It's to embrace vulnerability. You know what a soldier who goes out by himself into the field fighting against the enemy by himself, you know what we call him?

You call him a dead soldier because he's going to make it to the next foxhole. That's not how we fight a war. We don't fight it as individual soldiers, right? We fight it as an army, as a unit of one.

And so this podcast is going to really help you to shape you and get your mindset out of, I need to work harder. No, you need to embrace your weakness. You need to understand that if you are aware of how weak you are, then you're going to utilize God's means to protect you.

This is why he says put on the full armor of God because you are not capable of withstanding Satan's attacks. He doesn't say this is how you protect yourself by what you do. And by the way, we're going to talk about the armor of God as it relates to the kingdom, but it's not, there aren't actions that you do.

It's a mindset of where I am being protected. So the podcast is going to challenge you in the essence of the law and the gospel in every area of your life. It's going to challenge you in the areas of where we are going to discipline our life.

There is discipline, gentlemen, but it's where we discipline our life. It's not allowing areas of our life to get distracted from that which is most significant and important for us. And so we are going to say no to certain things so that we could focus in on our king, his kingdom, his church, and those outposts.

And then lastly, I'm going to teach you how to rely and trust on other men, particularly godly men that are in your church. I'll speak just a minute to my men and to our church. Gentlemen, I pray that this is encouragement to you.

There's a lot of men in our context who are alone, who are scared, who look strong, who are very burly, got big beards, got big bodies, but they're scared teddy bears because they're afraid that someone's going to figure out who they are and they're fake.

I already know you're fake. I already know you're weak. I already know that you're a disaster and your heart, your mind is all over the place and you're tired of putting on a show. This podcast is going to help you think through that where you don't have to be fake anymore.

You can be real and you find your strength in not what you have done but what Christ has done. And you find the meaning of your life not in your dollar, not in your waistline, not in what people think of you.

You find your meaning in Christ and nothing will separate you from his love. And that's going to be the greatest motivation you'll ever find is Christ's love for you. You're going to learn to be a gentle, kind, but yet firm man of God.

And you're going to learn how to withstand the idiocracies of the world and be able to help those who are weak because you're going to be using the strength of something that is outside of yourself, a supernatural strength.

That's the Kingsman podcast. That's Reclaiming Biblical Manhood. I hope you enjoy the journey and I hope you join us. We'll see you next week.