In Matthew 25: 14-30 Jesus indicates that those who do not use what God has given them are guilty of not honoring the Master. (Luke 19: 12-27)
In every community there are three groups of men, which I like to describe as sitting in three different chairs.
The Third Chair I call the Easy Chair – has no relationship with God and does not acknowledge a need for a savior and is a comfortable chair that is full of conflict.
The Second Chair I call the High Back Chair – attends church weekly – appears godly but sometimes in hiding is worldly and is somewhat comfortable chair that is full of compromise.
The First Chair I call the Stool – striving to become Christ like and is an action chair that is full of commitment.
In every community there are three groups of men, which I like to describe as sitting in three different chairs.
The Third Chair I call the Easy Chair – has no relationship with God and does not acknowledge a need for a savior and is a comfortable chair that is full of conflict.
The Second Chair I call the High Back Chair – attends church weekly – appears godly but sometimes in hiding is worldly and is somewhat comfortable chair that is full of compromise.
The First Chair I call the Stool – striving to become Christ like and is an action chair that is full of commitment.
Most men sitting in chair 3 know they that something is missing in their lives but they do not know or maybe even want to know what it is. They feel this way because of wounds or examples they have had. What they need are men who are sitting in the first chair to come around being an example of what they truly long for.
Men sitting in chair 2 are being pulled between the world and the kingdom of God. Because he struggles with this pull he does not utilize the gifts given to him. They maybe struggling with sin, life controlling habits, fear, or doubt. What they need to move out of the 2nd chair to the first is another man to come along side of him.
Hebrews 10: 25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.
The idea I would like to present to you today is the idea of Christian Accountability, which applies to men in the second and first chairs. I can tell you today that 100% you need accountability because you have difficulties in one of the following areas:
Each of us need more prayer time, need for more Bible study, we battle with Lust, we have problems with Finances, problems at Work, we struggle with Pride and Power, we have a problem Sharing the Gospel, we struggle with time to Exercise, we do not Eat Right, or we Let Life Rob us of Joy.
What is Accountability?
It is a system of check and balances to protect us from harm from ourselves or others.
It allows us to be answerable to one another that we have chosen, focusing on key relationships such as our spouse, close friends, colleagues, coworkers, boss, small group members and pastor.
It enables us to share our lives with one another in a deep, introspective way.
It is not a place to vent all of our frustrations.
It is not a place to complain about how life has dumped on us.
It is not about confronting.
It is more about encouraging one another and challenging each other to move forward toward the goals we choose.
Hebrews 10: 25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.
The idea I would like to present to you today is the idea of Christian Accountability, which applies to men in the second and first chairs. I can tell you today that 100% you need accountability because you have difficulties in one of the following areas:
Each of us need more prayer time, need for more Bible study, we battle with Lust, we have problems with Finances, problems at Work, we struggle with Pride and Power, we have a problem Sharing the Gospel, we struggle with time to Exercise, we do not Eat Right, or we Let Life Rob us of Joy.
What is Accountability?
It is a system of check and balances to protect us from harm from ourselves or others.
It allows us to be answerable to one another that we have chosen, focusing on key relationships such as our spouse, close friends, colleagues, coworkers, boss, small group members and pastor.
It enables us to share our lives with one another in a deep, introspective way.
It is not a place to vent all of our frustrations.
It is not a place to complain about how life has dumped on us.
It is not about confronting.
It is more about encouraging one another and challenging each other to move forward toward the goals we choose.
It involves trust, confidentiality and honesty.
With this post I encourage you to consider which chair you are sitting in and which chair you would like to move to. If you are already sitting in the first chair I encourage you to reach out to another man who is sitting on chair two or three and help them move to the next chair or make the leap to the first chair.
Note: The three chair idea comes from Bruce Wilkinson's book, "30 Days to Experiencing Spiritual Breakthroughs"
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