“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child;

when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

1 Corinthians 13:11

Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15

Establishing our boundaries

• Ordinarily, Portrait is a picture of a person; however, in literature and in discourses as one we have tonight a Portrait is a description or analysis of a person or thing. 
• A Mandate is a commission or authority given to someone to act or do something. Mandates are given or authorized either from the greater to the lesser, by authority in an act or law of a constituted organ or appointed  or elected person
• In today’s Message we identify specific descriptions that we see as a Biblical and Godly Man; we also draw out the Mandates that God demands on the Godly man grounded on that portrait

Generalized Truth to Particularized Principles

• The Portraits of a Man and a Woman are established in the Image of God reality. They, both are made in his likeness, and thus, they are equal in God. However, as history progressed there are specific roles and mandates that get pronounced for each gender
• The Responsibility given in the Garden of Eden are first to both Male and Female (Gen. 1;26). However, over the corpus of the scriptures we find that some of these emphases remain in the masculine man and not in the Feminine man
• However, the ones we emphasis today are attributes strongly towards the Male man or masculine man. Masculinity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys, which are influenced by both biological and cultural factors (Wikipedia)

Four Metaphors of a Godly Man

1. Kingly (Royal) Mandate (Genesis 1:26-28)

   • A Godly Man Serves and Leads His Marriage, Family and Society
   • God gave human beings both responsibilities and capacities to execute leadership in the earth
   • This mandate is for Man (Adam, generic) as human being
   • Human beings were given a Creation Mandate, which is also known as Dominion Mandate (Gen.1:28).
   • The Mandate is to be Fruitful, to Multiply, Fill the Earth, and have dominion.
   • Human beings are to bring order in a chaotic situation. These words reveal a demand of submission from subjects and enemies. This is a set of colossal responsibilities, which demand specific capacities to execute them.
   • The Royal Mandate shines brighter when Men lead their marriages, family and society with godly virtues.
   • Kingly Mandate is expressed when we subdue situations and express the dominion of God in our spaces of influence

2.   Developer (Nurturer) Mandate,

• A Godly man develops and provides for his family
• The Word Work is from the Hebrew term avad a common word translated “work,” “serve,” “labor,” “cultivate,” or “perform acts of worship.
• From this term we get the Portrait of a man as a Developer, Nurturer and Gardner
• Man is supposed to develop the best with whatever he is given: He is a developer
• This is also known as the Cultural Mandate. Its description is found in Genesis 2:15 which states that “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress (work) it and to keep(Guard) it (Gen 2:15).
• his wife. He is a developer of his Children
• A man develops and multiplies whatever is in their hands. Human beings are to invest time, energies, ideas, and passions in bringing good things into being. A godly man devotes himself in cultivating, building, and growing others
• Develop and accomplish things of Value is a mandate given to Men
• Man as a developer, and a gardener uses their gifts, talents, skills and experiences to develop and provide for their families. This can be anything that accomplishes good.
• Notice the Man is called to nurturer in this text. It is not only women that are Nurturer
• I dare say the core work of a husband to his wife is to develop and nurture her.
• A Man as a husband is a nurturer, gardener and developer of the wife emotionally and spiritually.
• Similarly, a godly Father intentionally nurtures his children and prepares them for their destiny
• A man in the home and society is supposed to influence others towards goals that are enriching and transformational; man is a developer of others.

3.   Guardian (Protector) Mandate

A Godly Man protects his Marriage, and Safeguards his Family

• And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress (work) it and to keep (Guard) it (Gen 2:15).
• The Biblical Manhood or masculine mandate come from the words “Keep it” which also means to protect. The word Keep carries the meaning of such words as “guard,” “protect,” “take under custody,” or “exercise care.
• The Mandate of Man is to protect his God-given arena, especially the Family. He is a guard and keep it safe.
• Mandate to Protect implies that Man stand guard so that people and things are kept safe. So that which have been developed is also safeguarded
• To be a man is to stand up and be counted when there is danger or other evil.
• A man’s presence is to make wives and children feel secure and at ease.
• To be a man is to stand against wickedness that eats at the core of the family and society 
• A Man is a Gatekeeper to the Family and to the society.
• Man as a protector also ensures that he protects his children by passing on wisdom, godly character, and teachings to sustain them in the world Proverbs 4:10–15

4. Priestly Mandate

A Godly Man spiritually leads his Family through his priestly and intercessory roles

• Another significant mandate man carries in the Family is the Priestly mandate
• The words to “dress it” in Gen. 2: 15 also have the root meaning connoting “serving and worship.”
• A Godly Man is one who does not only encourage family to be spiritual but leads the way into spirituality.
• A man grows godly as he grows capacity to express biblical headship in Marriage and lead his Family according to the Word of the Lord
• Therefore, the Edenic Mandate implies the responsibilities of stewardship in taking care of the earth.
• The Man takes the central role of leading in spiritual activities in the home.

5.   There is a Demand on Your Life

It is a demand for you to act as a Mature Person

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:11. He says: When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

• An Immature Man is one who acts as if their needs are the only ones that matter. They prioritize themselves, their emotions, their wants, their priorities, over everyone else.
• One major way of growing up is learning how to shift the focus off yourself and direct your attention to those around you.
• There are many ways to view men based from Scriptures. We can either view Biblical Men on the basis of the virtues they should have or at the
• One Major way is Live out the Portrait of Godly Man exposed in this message.
• The portrait and mandates of a Man are better seen in the arena of Marriage, Family and Society.
• The place and roles the man plays in a Marriage and Family are so pivotal and they help to strengthen the foundations of any society. A family (society) with a weak man is the one main strategy of the devil in destroying nations Over the years, and in many societies it has become clear that All suffer if men fail.
• We must realize that Men are failing because there are lot of things in the natural and the supernatural realms that stand against them. A weak man is an advantage to the devil. A man without responsible actions, but blames others and society, one without vision and self-control, such is a weak man. A godless and leaderless man is a danger to himself and Society.
• When we fail to be Men, godly and masculine men, our children, our families, and society will not have models of a what Biblical man looks like

Today we call Upon You to pray to increasing grow into a mature Man

Altar Time

Take time to Pray for all the Metaphors of Your Portrait as a Godly Man