The Point of Purity Podcast

Are You a Super Man of God?

May 25, 2023 Steve Etner Season 3 Episode 128
The Point of Purity Podcast
Are You a Super Man of God?
Show Notes Transcript

In this episode we begin a new series taking a fun look into the fictional story of Superman and ask you the question: “Are You a Super Man of God?” 

Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at  http://www.thepuritycoach.com

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Faster than a speeding ticket, more powerful than the Energizer Bunny, able to leap tall bushes in a single bound; bends a wet noodle with his bare hands and changes the course of mighty anthills, and who – disguised as Mitch, a mild-mannered father of three and deacon in the church – fights a never-ending battle for truth, godliness, and the Christian way.

Welcome to today’s episode of the Point of Purity Podcast. A weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity. I’m your host, Steve Etner, Author, National Speaker, and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry. This is Episode #128 and in this episode we begin a new series taking a fun look into the fictional story of Superman and ask you the question: “Are You a Super Man of God?”

 

Let me try to begin this new series by painting a word picture for you. Our scene opens with Mild Mannered Mitch sitting in his pastor’s office, anxiously wringing his hands while staring blankly out the window. At that moment he feels anything but the super hero he is supposed to be. The Super Man his family needs him to be. Once again, he encountered his Kryptonite - and this time it had struck a devastating blow. “I can’t believe I did that, again! Pastor, why do I keep doing the things I don’t want to do? This isn’t supposed to be happening to me! Why do I struggle so much with this stupid habit? Why is this sin haunting me? After everything I’ve tried, after all the help you’ve given me, you’d think I’d be over it by now!” Sitting behind his desk, silently praying for wisdom – and for Mitch - Pastor watched as his friend hung his head in shame. Softly, mournfully Mitch groaned, “I hate this sin, so why do I keep giving in to it?”

Can you relate? Can you feel the ache in Mitch’s heart? I mean, c’mon guys – we try to be the super man that others want, need, even expect us to be. And to be honest, most of the time we succeed – at least partially. We are pretty good at presenting the “spiritual man of steel” persona to those around us, but inwardly we are anything but. There are times, those ever so annoying times, that our own personal Kryptonite – the sin that so easily entangles us – weakens our will and ability to fight, and we give in to that nagging temptation. At the moment, it feels good; almost rewarding … almost. But then, once the wave of enjoyment passes over us, we are left sinking in the muck of regret, guilt and even shame. Where once we walked in victory, we now wallow in defeat. Oh, that stupid Kryptonite.

In case someone who’s listening to this episode right now has been locked up in a time capsule since the late 1930’s, let me explain Kryptonite to you. You see, Superman’s power comes from the Earth’s yellow sun. Kryptonite is the only thing that can weaken Superman. At some point in the past, his home planet (Krypton) exploded, sending dangerous fragments of the planet’s crust plummeting to earth. Kryptonite is simply a radioactive element from Superman’s past. Depending on its size and proximity to the man of steel, that green glowing particle of planet from his former life might only weaken him momentarily. The larger the Kryptonite, the more it can sap his powers; causing him to collapse on the spot, virtually unable to move or defend himself. Armed with that knowledge, Kryptonite gives the villain an easy advantage over Superman, and if the villain understands how it works, he can strategically use its effects to defeat the man of steel. Oh, that stupid Kryptonite.

Watch this now: like Superman, your power, your ability to effectively live a life that honors and glorifies God, your capacity to fight off the attacks of the enemy and be God’s man of steel comes directly from the Son. The closer you are in your relationship to the Son, the greater your power. Yet you too have a weakness. There is something that can take you down without any warning. It’s your Kryptonite. It’s a piece of your past life (before Christ). It’s a sin that plagues you and easily trips you up. It’s that radioactive element of your former life that the enemy uses to his advantage. Maybe it’s a lustful thought, a lazy streak, a flare of anger or even a hint of pride. It could be a piece of chocolate cake, a can of beer, a cigarette, or a desire to cut corners at work in order to save some bucks. Whatever it may be, it’s part of your sinful past. It’s a splinter from the planet of King Me. And it’s nasty. Oh, that stupid Kryptonite.

I’m willing to wager that you, like Mitch in our story, have asked yourself penetrating questions about your own Kryptonite. “Why do I continue to do the things I don’t want to do? Why can’t I be consistent in living a life that glorifies God? Why can’t I get victory once-and-for-all over this sin-issue in my life?” Don’t think you’re alone in this my friend. We are all right there with you. We all encounter chunks of Kryptonite that weaken us and takes us down. Even the Apostle Paul significantly wrestled with this issue. Listen as I read to you Romans 7:15-25.  

“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” (Romans 7:15-25)

Well ... If you’re anything like me, after encountering your Kryptonite for the umpteenth time, you’ve probably even tried to barter and bargain with God in the process. Maybe you’ve prayed something like this: “Father, if you will only take this away from me, I promise You that I will (fill in the blank with some great and grand gesture on your part, meant to somehow impress God with your magnificent sacrifice)!”

Let’s face it. Kryptonite shows up in the strangest of places and at the oddest of times. As a result, it can be very discouraging when you’ve cried out to God for forgiveness, mercy, and grace to help you in your time of need only to find that just a few short hours (or if you’re lucky, days) later that ol’ piece of your past once again weakens your will and ability to fight; and you fall back into that same old sinful routine. The overwhelming feelings of guilt and shame drive you down to your knees in a renewed resolve to never do that again. Only to find that the very next day, the cycle repeats itself over and over as you continuously give in to the same temptations that relentlessly pound you down. Oh, that stupid Kryptonite.

For many of us, this self-defeating pattern can leave us wondering, “What’s wrong with me?” Or maybe you’ve even found yourself blame-shifting by asking, “What’s wrong with God? Why is He failing me? Why isn’t He helping me? Why can’t I change? 

God, why won’t you change me?

Consider this: It’s not that we “can’t” change, nor is it that for some cosmic, unknown reason the Almighty, all-powerful God of the Universe is choosing not to change us; but rather: deep down we don’t want to change. You see, we do what we do because in our heart we want what we want. As long as life is about my pleasure and my happiness, I am going to be focused on doing those things that I think will help me achieve my goals. 

It is vitally important that we get this point. As long as King Me is sitting on the throne of our heart, everything we think, say, and do will be for the benefit of King Me! That’s our Kryptonite. That’s the one thing that constantly gets between us and the Son. That is what drains us of our supernatural ability to stand against the attacks of the enemy. King Me needs to come off the throne of our life finally and for good!

God has promised to equip us with everything we need to live a life that honors him – to be His Man of Steel (read 2 Peter 1:3). However, if real change is going to happen, if we are going to be the Super Men that God has called us to be, we must daily (moment-by-moment) choose to remove the “I” from life – dethroning and deposing King Me. 

Guys: stop hanging around and playing around with your Kryptonite! The bottom line is simple: the outer man (my human behavior) will not consistently glorify God until the inner man (my heart, my spiritual being) learns to glorify Him every moment of every day. 

So let’s go! Let’s take this journey to super herodom together. Let’s choose right here and right now to face the Son, identify our Kryptonite, and let’s become God’s Men of Steel!

 

OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode as we continue to look at some snippets of my book “Are You A Super Man?”  if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about our ministry, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com

Let me take a moment here and tell you about my book: “Are You a Super Man? How to Become God’s Man of Steel.” It’s available on Amazon.com. If you’re a man looking for a 12-week men’s Bible study that you can do with your accountability partner(s) or with your men’s small group (or even by yourself) this book is a must do. “Are You a Super Man of God? Becoming God’s Man of Steel” is a fun look at what it means to be God’s Man of Steel in a world that is Anti-God, Anti-Christ, and Anti-Bible. As Christian men we try to be the Super Man of God that others want, need, even expect us to be. We do fairly well most of the time at presenting the “spiritual man of steel” persona to those around us, yet inwardly we know we are far from being the godly man we want to be.

As a Super Man of God your strength, your ability to effectively live a life that honors and glorifies God, comes directly from the SON. The closer you are in relationship to Jesus Christ, the greater your power to resist the archenemy of your soul (the devil) and watch him flee from you (James 4:7).

Yet, truth-be-told, you also have a weakness. It’s your Kryptonite, that radioactive element of your life before Christ that your spiritual archenemy uses to his advantage. The fact is, when you play around with your Kryptonite, it weakens your will and ability to stand firm and fight the fight of faith.

In this 12-week men’s Bible study you will learn how to identify your Kryptonite, steer clear of it, find your super-spiritual strength as you daily draw closer to the SON, and be the man of steel God has called and equipped you to be. So, let me encourage you to go to Amazon.com today and purchase your copy of “Are You a Super Man of God?

And if you have not yet subscribed to this Point of Purity Podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!

So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.