More people watched the Saints win their first Super Bowl last Sunday than have every watched a sporting event or any other program on American TV. It was a great football game filled with gutsy calls, heroic athletics, unexpected errors, and referees who understood their role and let the champions play.
This football season has been remarkable. Bobby Bowden, one of my heroes, retired and coached his last game as the legendary head coach of the Florida State Seminoles. Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide ran the table with an undefeated season, beating the best teams in college football. Brett Favre had a season pro quarterbacks 15 years his junior will know only in their dreams. Favre also reminded us football is a game for warriors. Though his Minnesota Vikings lost the NFC championship to the Saints, images of Favre grimacing in pain, struggling to stand after a crushing tackle, resonated with football fans, especially those who have played the sport. In that moment we saw a glimpse of masculinity that appeals to men.
Men are different from women, and acknowledging it does no harm to women. I am grateful for the strong, courageous women God has placed in my life (my wife, daughter, sister, mom, mother-in-law, etc). Yet, my boys and I acknowledge we are wired differently. For example, I have never had to remind my daughter that some topics are fit for the locker room and not for the living room.
Many talk as if making disciples of men is a lost secret of Christianity. Quite the contrary, we need only look at how Jesus made disciples of men. The Gospels are filled with page after page of Jesus’ example. Our largest barrier is our own approach to the Scriptures. In matters such as making disciples, we go to the Scriptures only for truths to teach, when we should also be looking to them for examples to follow.
Below are a few principles that will improve your efforts to make disciples of men. Consider these to be a starter list. Time spent studying Jesus’ example will reveal much about how He made disciples of men.
Shoulder to shoulder. When we think of making disciples of men, we usually think of classes, courses, and conferences. They have their place, but Jesus spent much time shoulder to shoulder with His disciples. C.S. Lewis wrote in The Four Loves that friends develop relationships side by side. Men develop friendships as they do things together, and doing (serving) together is more than a fruit of disciple making. It is one of the most important means of discipling men.
Models are attractive. Blonde, brunette, and red are not the models I am suggesting. Courageous men of character inspire other men. You may not own a gun or have ever served in the military, but you need to be a courageous leader and demonstrate Christ-like character. One reason I love urban church planters, especially the humble ones, is because they are men of faith, risking it all for the King and His kingdom. They inspire other men to join them, partner with them, and sacrifice with them.
Somebody needs to win. Mobilize strong men to do something with no purpose and no way of knowing if they are making a difference, and you will discourage and disenfranchise them. Football players practice for one reason, to have a chance to win the game. Many churches operate as if they are inviting men to come to practice for no purpose. They never have a game, and if they did, there would be no way of knowing if someone scored or won the contest. Set goals. Declare the simple, clear purpose of your ministry efforts. Be accountable and hold your men accountable.
Climb big mountains. Listen to the voice of God and call your men to join you in climbing the mountains He sets before you. When Christianity becomes nothing more than sitting in a seat for 75 minutes a week and giving a little money, no wonder many men say going to church is not for them. Instead, adopt a segment or people group of a city and challenge your men to reach them with the gospel so that churches are started and multiply. Lead them to the hard places, places that demand sacrifice and courage. Lead them to make a difference in your community in the name of Christ. I look at some of our Christian efforts and have to ask, “Is this really the best we can do?” For example, in some parts of Africa, female missionaries outnumber male missionaries 7 to 1. Come on men! Is this really the best we can do? Shame on us for not challenging our men to achieve great things for Christ.
Words mean things. We have fostered the image that Christian men should be timid, soft, passive, and wimpy. It is simply not true that the Scriptures support this image. We need to use words like planting, bold, armor, victory, faith, harvesting, courage, steadfastness, running, discipline, power, race, and war in relationship to our being a disciple of Jesus. In just a few weeks, my senior pastor will be preaching a series called Warrior. Today in our senior leadership team meeting, we joked about having a choir of samurai warriors during this series. While it was not a serious thought, I believe we would have the attention of our men! The New Testament frequently includes images of agriculture, sports, and war, and we will do well to include them when we disciple and teach men.
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