When, if ever, have you called out the men of your church?

Men today live very busy lives and the church is hesitant to call men out. We make resources available to men and we invite men to participate in our events, but we never approach requiring that men join us at anything. I wonder if this is a mistake? What do we communicate to men when we tell them that every opportunity in the Christian life is essentially optional?

Is this consistent with God’s program for men? Let’s look at:

Exodus 23:17   ‘Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.’ (NASB)
Exodus 34:23   ‘Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.’ (NASB)
Deuteronomy 16:16  ‘Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses.’(NASB)

Periodically, God calls men out. He told Moses to do call men out three times a year. These feasts were special occasions that happened on an annual basis.

When do we dare to call men out?

I think this is a matter of prayer and we must hear from God on this. We need to select these times carefully and do our best to make sure it is a time worthy of a man’s investment.

If you attended “Stand in the Gap: A Sacred Assembly of Men” back in October of 1997, then you responded to a call to men. 1,400,000 men gathered on the National Mall that Saturday afternoon. ‘Stand in the Gap’ was a once in a lifetime event. What can we do in 2006?

Maybe it is an in-house gathering in our own local church.
Maybe it is a denominational gathering in the region.
Maybe it is going to something like IRON SHARPENS IRON.

This year, let’s follow God’s model of ministry to men and call men out. Give men an opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves. We were created for this – God wired us this way.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this! Please drop me a note at brian.martin@ironsharpensiron.net

I’d also like to call you out to join me at one of the nine IRON SHARPENS IRON Men’s Events this year. See you there! www.IronSharpensIron.net

*Here’s something to call men to – our radio ministry ‘equips men daily’.

Listen to our radio program each day at www.oneplace.com/ministries/man_2_man_express