Extreme brokenness, extreme ministry
By Teddy James
The typical U.S. Protestant congregation draws an adult crowd that is 61% female and only 39% male. On the average Sunday there are 13 million more women in church than men.
With statistics like these it is easy to see why author and speaker Shane Idleman is so passionate about getting men to be active in churches. (www.shaneidleman.com, 866-942-8967)
Idleman’s books include What Works When “Diets” Don’t; What Works for Singles: For Relationships, for Life; What Works for Young Adults: Solid Choices in Unstable Times; What Works for Men: Regaining Lost Ground; and One Nation Above God.
AFA Journal: What is your story?
Shane Idleman: I accepted Christ when I was 12 at a revival meeting. But my fruits couldn’t be seen. In my 20s I was snorting cocaine and partying. I finally got married at 24 and that ended in divorce four years later. That whole life of chasing everything the world had to offer swallowed me. It took me losing everything to repent and come back to God. Then I looked at life completely different.
I believe I did accept Christ at 12, but I had a falling away. That’s where all my passion comes from. When I recommitted my life, I gave up everything. I gave up my home and my career. My mom had a room I could stay in. She didn’t have a television so for three years I studied. I read book after book, and I realized what I put into my mind plays a bigger role than I had thought for a long time, especially in our culture.
I’m not being legalistic, because some things are okay to watch, but if you’re filling your mind with CSI, MTV and American Idol, how do you think the Spirit of God is going to speak boldly through you? Especially if you are filled with things that oppose Him. God is calling me and all men back to living passionately, and having a passionate relationship with Him. I see Him using me as a tool to call men to that.
AFAJ: What qualities define the man who is passionate about his faith?
SI: God desires a broken and contrite heart. I think He is calling people to have that broken spirit and to restructure our days to spend time with Him in the morning in prayer and reflection. He is calling us to be broken in front of Him.
I see so many Christians, including myself, who get prideful and upset which leads to the victim mentality, unforgiveness and anger which is ruining our lives. All the while God is calling us to let it all go. Think of it like this: How can you be filled with the Holy Spirit if you are already filled with yourself?
In our arrogance and pride, most people have to be humbled through events. Instead of getting angry and upset, we should allow God to break us. It’s like what Christ said to Paul, “Why are you fighting against me?” People fight God their entire lives.
AFAJ: Do we have to wait until our lives crash down around us to be humble or can we turn around before that point?
SI: If we are going down the wrong path, there are consequences. But God is continually calling us back. With young adults, they’re pregnant, suicidal or depressed, or they’ve made some wrong decision and feel God can’t use them now.
It’s a lie! God’s children can get back in the center of His will regardless of their circumstances. There may be consequences. But what would you rather do; run outside of God’s will, or fall back into His arms and ask for guidance and direction?
We know God’s perfect will, but within that perfect will are broken people whose dreams have been destroyed, whose lives seem ruined. If you give that to God and begin feeding your mind with the things of God and commit your life to Him, He can take that life and rebuild it.
We have extreme snowboarding, extreme mountain biking, extreme motor-cross, extreme skateboarding, extreme makeovers and so on. Why can’t we have an extreme love for holiness, purity and God’s Word?
We should be like David in the Old Testament. Thank God for the broken bones. Thank God for the brokenness that He has given. I think that is why Jesus said it is so hard for the rich man to get into heaven. There is no need for God where there are riches; there is no brokenness. There’s no genuine need for Him.
AFAJ: How do churches get men to step up?
SI: I think it’s outlined in Scripture. Guys are hearing that God is a God of love, and He is. We need that encouragement sometimes, but I think men are not being challenged enough. To get a man to change, he must repent and turn back to God. I think churches are simply not challenging these men to break them down. I don’t want to come off as fanatical, but in my experience speaking at men’s conferences, men hear messages of repentance and say, “We never heard that in our church.” It awakens something inside them.
It’s a genuine call to repentance. Only the Spirit of God can really do it, but I think in our post-modern culture, men turn on the television and compare themselves to characters they see. This makes them feel they are pretty good.
Are they accountable? Do they answer for the Web sites they view, how they treat their spouse? Are they in the Word? There are so many different things, but Godly, challenging relationships can guide us. And hard sermons are missing. You don’t hear people say things like, “That sermon kicked my teeth in,” or “That was a really convicting sermon.” They just aren’t being preached.
AFAJ: Is revival coming?
SI: It’s hard to say because I’m often reminded of Peter saying in Acts 3:19, “Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” The word refresh is the same as revival. It reminds me that it starts within us. If you follow the revivals of old, there are a couple of small things to notice. It started with personal revivals. We are looking at this as we want a national revival, and we want God to pour out His Spirit. There’s no doubt that He can and will, but I think it starts in us.
These personal revivals will begin to affect society as a whole. Not only that, but in every single case, every revival I’ve studied, the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith were being proclaimed. The messages we are hearing today wouldn’t cut it. Revival is the Word of God piercing the heart of man and causing him to turn back to God. If we’re not preaching that today, it’s going to be hard to see revival. You don’t see revival when you see a pastor sitting up on a couch, and I don’t care if they use those. But if they are just saying “Love your neighbor,” and “God wants you to love people and treat them good,” it’s not piercing the heart.
I think we could start seeing revival, but rather than waiting and praying for that, start focusing on one man at a time. You read about Luther and Zwingli and Knox. They started the Reformation. Their fire caught someone else and that caught someone else until it started a movement.
Men’s ministries
Band of Brothers (BOB), CEO Vance Brown is passionate about men’s ministry. BOB is a ministry centered on challenging men to live a “no matter the cost” life for Jesus. Brown says, “At the end of the day we believe a man’s life can be changed forever if he is truly believed in and challenged to be what he was designed to be by his Creator. Men need other men to believe in them. The number one thing we are trying to do is raise up true disciples of Christ. It’s God doing it, but He is using us.” (www.bandofbrothers.org, 719-577-7777)
Downline was founded in 2004 by Kennon Vaughan. He was given the vision when he experienced true Biblical discipleship personally. Downline offers a program specifically for discipling men and another designed for women. The ministry also provides many opportunities for mission trips. (www.downlineministries.com, 901-683-5377)
Men at the Cross was started by Joe White who was driven by the Great Commission. White challenges men to “Love one man to Jesus until he’s ready to love another man to Jesus.” If one man would begin a six-month cycle of loving a man to Jesus and the two men continued the process, in 16 years 7 billion men would be reached. (www.menatthecross.org, 417-266-3000)
Promise Keepers desires to ignite and unite men. Their drive is to change the world by living out the seven promises. Their vision is three words: Men Transformed Worldwide. (www.promisekeepers.org, 1-866-PROMISE)
