A Call for Men to Go on Mission
By: Scott Jones
Men need a mission. Men’s ministries that involve only sharing feelings and didactic teaching, will not hold men’s interest for long. Men are wired to DO. They need objectives and goals - a MISSION.* How about a call for them to be disciple makers and leaders in their families, in their church bodies, and in their communities and government?
One reason the Church has failed to engage men is that it does not challenge them to go “on mission”. As a result, men turn to other pursuits as a substitute: work, sports, and hobbies, where they can have clear objectives and can achieve those objectives. Though some of these pursuits are valid like working to take care of their families, some are but wood, hay, and stubble.
Men need to be doing the good works that God prepared beforehand that they would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) Men need to be equipped to carry out the mission that God has ordained for them in the three main spheres of relationship: Family, Church, and Government. Unlike other pursuits, these are the areas where they can make significant contributions – works that will stand the test of fire in the final judgment. ;
Family
All men are called to walk faithfully with the Lord. In addition, all men have a responsibility to care for their relatives. (1 Timothy 5:8) Nevertheless, a man who is married has a key role as leader of his family; this is his first mission. The first objective of this mission is for the husband to love his wife as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. (Ephesians 5:25) Marriage is an earthly model of the relationship between Christ and His Church. While scripture clearly teaches that the husband is the head of the household, this headship requires a sacrificial love – agape in Greek. This means that the husband puts the health, safety, and well-being of his wife above his own. Indeed, the man is commanded to love his wife as his own body. (Ephesians 5:28) As Christ will one day present the Church as His glorious bride, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27), so also the husband, as the spiritual head of the family is to seek to present his wife in the same way. Headship in the Biblical sense is not a power thing – it is service, being willing to serve your wife even to death. Fortunately, not many of us are called to that extreme. Compared to that, filling the dishwasher, cleaning a room, or simply listening to her is easy stuff.
Our next objective is to raise up our children in the training and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) One of the key elements of this objective is teaching our children to love the Lord. Men, this is our mission – it is not a task we can outsource to the local government school or to the youth leader! Teaching our children to love the Lord should be a cooperative enterprise between a husband and his wife. Nevertheless, a man should not abdicate to his wife. The mother of his children needs his leadership, involvement, and example. The Bible has a lot to say about teaching our children, for example:
Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, (Deuteronomy 4:9)
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) See also Deuteronomy 11:18-19.
Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psalm 34:11)
Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; (Proverbs 4:1)
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)
Men, our mission in life is to teach our children and to make sure they grow up to love the Lord and all his precepts. This means spending time with them in God’s Word and teaching them to apply the Lord’s precepts to the activities of life, as we go about our daily tasks. If our government school does not support us in godly instruction, maybe our task is to remove our children from it. Regardless of the school we choose, our families need to see us model a Biblical worldview. Actions speak louder than words.
Another objective for us as men is to provide materially for our families This objective is for both single and married men – see again 1 Timothy 5:8. This requires a man to be productive and to work heartily as for the Lord. A word of caution: we cannot make our work our idol. If we are spending more time seeking the next raise or promotion, than loving our wives and children and training them, we may be too focused on work. It is a temptation for men to substitute the mission of work for the mission of family. It is not good to be greedy for money. (1 Timothy 3:3)
When the work/life relationship of a married man is out of balance, the wife is left to pick up the slack. This leaves sons and daughters without a healthy role model of Biblical headship.
Church
Men are called to lead in ministry within the fellowship of believers. This is not to the exclusion of women who have a calling as well. We are all one Body in Christ. (Galatians 3:28) We all have a commission for evangelism, discipleship, and caring together for the household of faith, but it is clear in scripture that God intends for men to be the key overseers in the local church. The point here is that we need more men raised up as leaders and the time is now. Paul tells men to aspire to the office of overseer (or elder or bishop). (1 Timothy 3:1) In describing the qualifications for Church leadership, Paul includes two attributes related to family leadership:
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife… (1 Timothy 3:2)
One who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); (1 Timothy 3:4-5)
Paul reiterates these qualifications in Titus 1:6. Thus, the mission of leadership in the Church is downstream of godly leadership in the Family.
The first objective for a man is to be well-grounded in the Word of God. This is true in all three spheres of relationship: Family, Church, and Government. A man must be able to accurately discern the original meaning of the scriptures and then to integrate them into sound doctrine, by considering the whole counsel of scripture. Regarding overseers, Paul says: holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. (Titus 1:9) Paul emphasizes sound doctrine again, while describing the behavior of older men: But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience… (Titus 2:1-2)
This suggests another objective for men: to cultivate the fruits of the spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23) These are not works of the flesh, but flow from abiding over time with the Holy Spirit. Men then should cultivate a habit of spending time abiding with the Lord and learning to hear His voice.
While the ultimate objective is to serve as an elder, not all are called to this office. Nevertheless, the attributes Paul lists in 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus 1 provide insight into the objectives men should set within the Church. While leadership is a worthy objective, another objective is to serve. The opportunities are limitless. Some men do handyman work for the local church or for single moms. Others serve in prison ministry, feeding the homeless, praying at abortion facilities. A man should inventory his skills, passions, and spiritual gifts and seek out the works of service to which the Lord is calling him. Serving well is preparation for greater leadership roles. (1 Timothy 3:10 & 13)
Teaching is also a worthy objective. Paul lists the ability to teach as a qualification for an elder. Teaching is a way a man can prepare for leadership. When I was a new believer, my wife and I taught children’s Sunday school. Preparing lessons for children is a great way to learn the key stories of the Bible. There are other teaching opportunities, too. Teaching small groups, a Sunday school class, or a men’s Bible study are possibilities. One of my friends taught a study for older men to help them prepare for retirement. Another helped men and women with job transitions. Teaching young families to handle their finances biblically is another useful opportunity.
Government
God has ordained government to reward that which is good and to punish evil. (Romans 13:3 and 1 Peter 2:13-14) Proverbs informs us that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice…. (Proverbs 29:2) Consequently, if we are to have righteous government, punishing evil and rewarding good, we need to have godly leaders. Exodus 18:21 provides a list of four key attributes for godly leadership:
Ability – a leader must have the requisite skills for the position sought.
Fear of God – a leader must be a follower of the Lord and have demonstrated the ability to apply a Biblical worldview courageously.
Truth – A leader must not bear false witness, nor lead others astray with false teaching and gaslighting.
Hating dishonest gain – A leader must not be greedy, one who seeks personal gain. How can such a person be trusted with public resources?
One hurdle is that often men (and women) don’t know where to begin. That is where our ministry, Christians Engaged, comes in. The first objective is to take the Christians Engaged Pledge to:
Pray for the nation;
Vote in every election; and
Engage in some form of education or service in the civil or political sphere.
Engagement, like serving, also depends on a man’s background, skills, gifts, passions, and the needs in his community. It is up to each individual to decide how best to serve his community, state, and nation. Here are some examples of engagement opportunities that we teach in our On-Ramp to Civic Engagement class.
Speak at a civic meeting.
Are there smutty books in the school library? Speak out at a school board meeting.
Is your town council wasting public funds on projects that only benefit a special interest? Speak out at the city council meeting.
City and county government have many boards with seats for citizens, such as parks and recreation, zoning, appraisal, etc.
Get involved in a political party.
Attend your precinct convention. Become a delegate to the district or state conventions where you can influence party policy.
Become a precinct chair. Organize your neighborhood to work for righteous government and to support candidates that will execute justice.
Become an election judge or clerk. Work to assure election integrity at your local polling place.
Campaign
Do you know of a godly candidate? Support the candidate financially and by helping in his or her campaign: answer phones, block walk, or speak at local meetings on behalf of the candidate.
Become a campaign manager.
Run for office. Maybe God is calling you to serve in office.
If you feel unequipped to engage in any of these ways, do not fear. Christians Engaged is here to help you with training, advice, and connection to resources. Some of the tools we offer include:
On Ramp to Civic Engagement - This is our entry level course to teach believers to walk in a godly manner in the tumultuous sphere of civics and politics.
Salt & Light: How to Impact our Local Communities -This course provides knowledge and useful tips for engaging at the school board, city, and county level.
Christians Engaged Campaign School - This course provides in depth instruction on how to successfully execute a campaign for public office.
Nehemiah: How to Rebuild the Walls of a Nation - This course provides knowledge of public leadership by examining the example of Nehemiah, a faithful public servant of the Kingdom of Babylon.
Christians Engaged also has a series of courses for everyone who desires to learn how to apply a Biblical worldview in every sphere of life:
Biblical Conduct (coming October 2024)
The Christians Engaged “Pray, Vote, Engage” Conference. Once a year Christians Engaged gathers people to hear from speakers with practical experience in ministry, civics, and politics. It is a great opportunity to learn skills and to network with like-minded believers – and we also worship and pray together.
Hopefully, you can see that leadership in the Family and the Church helps a man develop the attributes and behaviors needed to lead his community, state, or nation. It is not enough for men to live passively in a holy huddle. Men are called to action and to leadership in the sphere of government.
Equipping the Church
Lastly, I believe the Body of Christ is responsible for equipping men to carry out these missions in the spheres of Family, Church and Government. Unfortunately, the twenty-first century Church has largely failed in this regard. The Church has feminized men and has rendered them largely impotent as leaders of their families. They have not laid out a clear call of leadership and mission for them. Small wonder “church stuff” is largely left to the women.
While some churches have strong, active elder boards, far too many are staffed by a senior pastor surrounded by a group of “yes men.” Men are often asked to join men’s ministries where the groups sit around and just “fellowship” or talk. They are not doing anything together or making a difference. And government – most churches regard that as an evil place where Christians will only get soiled. Stay away! In this posture, we are losing a huge opportunity to send equipped men into leadership positions in our communities.
None of this is as it should be. Church, we can do better. Pastors, please call men to be bold, courageous leaders, who seek godly attributes, serve their wives and children, and stand firmly against evil in the community. Give men a MISSION – objectives and goals. They don’t need to sit around talking. Men need action. They need to be DOING.
It is the Church’s job to equip them to do the work God prepared for them beforehand. Men’s ministries must help men plan the actions they need to take, equip them for their missions in the spheres of family, church, and government, and then hold them accountable to report progress.
In an ideal world, the local church would be equipping men for mission. In the world in which we all live, the parachurch ministries have a role. We help supplement and empower local churches to help raise up leaders.
Christians Engaged exists to awaken the Church and to help pastors equip their flock, men and women to:
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)
It is time that men were on mission. We are here to empower them for Family, Church, and Government leadership. America needs your involvement and your leadership.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
*Hat tip to Steve Deace who frequently brings up this theme on his program, The Steve Deace Show.
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