MEN AS PRIESTS

Men have been called to be the priests in their home. As such, the Old Testament priest serves as an example of what we are to do. There were several things that a priest had to do, that we today, need also to be doing. First of all, a priest had to keep himself undefiled by sin. Since he had to make sacrifices for the people, he couldn't be in a place of sin himself. Every time a priest came on duty, the first thing he did was to make atonement for his own sin, before being in a place to intercede for the people. If the high priest was in sin when he went into the Holy of Holies, he would die. In our families, we must become the example of Christ. As our wives strive to submit to us, we should be so much like Jesus, that they are submitting to Him. Just as Jesus was without sin, we too must endeavor to be without sin. Atonement In Old Testament worship, one of the main functions of the priesthood was to offer sacrifices for the people's atonement for their sins. They would collect the sacrifices and offerings of the people, and give them to God, keeping the portion for themselves that God had commanded. Fortunately for us, Jesus has made the one and only sacrifice for us. We no longer have to slaughter animals in order to bring the blood before the altar of God. All we have to do is repent and ask for forgiveness, it is already provided. Our children need to see us as willing vessels, quick to repent and ask for God's forgiveness. It is only through our example that they will learn to turn to God, instead of running away from him. Our offerings today are either financial offerings, or time offerings (spending time serving the Lord in the local church). When we neglect to give to God what belongs to God, we are robbing our families of the blessings that He has in store for them. It is God who gives us the ability to gain wealth, that is used to support our families (Deuteronomy 8:18), none of us are capable of doing it on our own. Prayer & Intercession Women tend to be more comfortable praying than men are. For some reason, men tend to leave this area to their wives. However, as priests, the man should be the number one prayer warrior in the family.

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3) As head, men are in a unique prayer position. They, and only they, can offer prayer protection and covering to their wives and children. Nobody else is in the unique position to offer that protection. Satan desires to attack and destroy your family. But "No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house." (Mark 3:27 & Matthew 12:29) How does Satan bind you? By keeping you from praying. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12) This battle is one that can only be won in prayer. No matter how strong a man is physically, no matter how good a fighter he is in the physical, he can't use that to protect his family. It is only by battling in prayer that men can truly protect their families. Teaching Priests are required to become the experts on God's Word. When the people need instruction in God's ways, they are the ones to do it. When the "book of the law" was found in Ezra, it was Ezra, acting as high priest who read it to the people. In our families, it isn't the woman's responsibility to teach the children about God's ways, it's the man's. Yes, the woman can assist with the instruction, but if the man doesn't take the leading role, the children won't take it seriously. If they don't see their father reading the Bible, they won't read it either. Even if mom studies the Bible regularly, as long as dad doesn't, they will see that they don't have to either. In ancient Israel, it was the man who taught his family the Word of God. Even in more recent times, the Jewish people still have their family worship centered around the role of the father. All of the Jewish festivals, which God established, are celebrated in the home, directed and taught by the father. Paul said "women keep silence in the churches...if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home..." (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) Part of this was because the Jewish synagogue could be a very noisy place, as they discussed scripture, seeking to understand. Since the women and men sat separately, it would cause a disturbance for a woman to ask her husband a question across the room. However, Paul also makes it clear that a woman is to ask her husband, learning from him.
MEN AS LEADERS
God has given men the responsibility of being the head of the home. I stress the word "responsibility" there. It isn't that men have special privileges. It's that they have a job to do, which they will answer to God for. Anyone who truly knows anything about leadership knows that the old adage about "rank hath it's privileges" is phony. There are very few, if any, privileges that go with rank, and the ones that might be there, don't in any way make up for the burden of the responsibility. If one is more concerned about taking those advantages, than taking the responsibilities, they can't lead anyway, because nobody would follow them. What is Leadership? Leadership is the process of inspiring people to accomplish a common goal. In the military, that common goal is the mission. Taking the next hill, defending their site, or destroying something that belongs to the enemy. In business, that goal may include making a profit, satisfying the customer, or having the best product in the market. In a family, the goal is serving God and raising our children. A true leader is a servant. Jesus, while celebrating the last Passover meal with his 12 chosen disciples, took on the role of a servant, and washed their feet (John 13:4-14). Not only was He acting as a servant, but the job He chose to do as a servant was usually left for the lowest servant in the house. There are four requirements to be a leader:

• A leader must have a vision.

• A leader must make decisions.

• A leader must be responsible.

• A leader must be out in front.