Men the Church Needs

In many cases, we have a good amount of Christian women in the Lord’s church. Sometimes it is due to life expectancy, and, at other times, it is due to a lower percentage of faithful men. Regardless of the reasons, the church needs men. We are called to lead our families, and congregations to heaven. Just as men cannot do what women can do, women cannot do what men can. There must be both for proper balance. So what kind of men are needed in the Lord’s church?

Righteous

We need righteous men like Noah. Righteous men have always been the minority, aside from the creation and immediately after the flood. We must be comfortable standing out from the crowd that chases immorality. Peter recorded,

“For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.” 2 Peter 2:5

        Noah believed and obeyed God. He was favored by God because he trusted him and was righteous in the midst of an evil world. Can we be like Noah in this day and age? Yes, we most certainly can. Just as Noah built the ark to save eight souls, let us build up our families and our congregations according to God’s pattern to lead those souls we are responsible for to heaven. 

Patient

        We need men of patience like Job. It is very easy to let our emotions and the stresses of life overwhelm us and cause us to lose our patience. Part of the curse of the fall of man is that man must work with adverse conditions (i.e. thorns and thistles). In addition, we face a lot of pressure as men. To be strong, to protect our families, and to provide for our families. There is a lot of weight that is on our shoulders. Job lost nearly everything in a matter of hours. Yet he never lost his integrity because he never lost sight of Jehovah. It is written, “and he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah” (Job 1:21). Job’s patience is something that all men should seek to model. His reasoned approach was seen further when his wife was being less than encouraging, 

“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:9-10). 

In spite of the pressures of life, we must reflect on the patience of Job and hold fast to our integrity always. 

Knowledgeable

We need men of knowledge like Timothy. It is not often we equate knowledge with younger men. Timothy, though, was noted as one who had knowledge. Paul wrote, 

“But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness:  that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” (2 Tim.3:14-17)

        Timothy’s knowledge was not of an earthly origin, it had a divine origin. Paul encouraged him to abide (stay) in the things which he learned and was assured of. Timothy was blessed to have a faithful mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5) that helped to establish the faith of this man. Timothy however took a good foundation and made it his own. We need young men who will take the reigns and make the faith their own and work out their salvation with fear and trembling, and who will know what God has said and teach others. Timothy had a great example also in Paul. Paul spoke kindly, encouraged, and stirred up his young protege. This is the wisdom of the Apostle given of God, and we need more Pauls to help more Timothys along. Timothy had to receive the knowledge and keep it; Eunice, Lois, and Paul all had helped to impart knowledge to Timothy as all men had to choose to be knowledgeable. 

        What kind of men does the church need? Simply put, we need holy men. Your mothers need righteous sons. Your wives need godly husbands, your children need longsuffering fathers who emulate our Heavenly Father. We have seen the blight that occurs with the absence of fathers in the home. Have you wondered what effect the lack of faithful godly men is having on the Lord’s church? Could it be that instead of bemoaning the lack of elders and preachers, maybe we should look to the root of this problem? We lack the men the church needs: righteous, patient, and knowledgeable men. Without these types of men, the problem will persist. Godly men are invaluable and can be a great asset to all who know them. 

Grace and Peace, 

R.D. Beavers