Another reason why men don’t go to church …

According to scripture, church leadership is supposed to be composed of our most spiritually mature men. But if you listen to many sermons today, you might question whether that’s actually true.

In an effort to identify and illustrate, pastors often share about their own weaknesses in their sermons. We may, however, have gone overboard with that as many tend to drone on and on, week in and week out, about their own failings and weaknesses.

Accordingly, it seems many pastors are weak at marriage, parenting, leading, following, faith, and a number of other things they rattle off as areas they struggle with. I would agree there are times when it is appropriate — and even beneficial — for a leader to share about his weaknesses, but he also needs to demonstrate strength. That doesn’t seem to be happening much in the church today.

And that’s another reason why men don’t attend church!

Men are drawn to leaders they can trust, men they can have confidence in, and leaders who they believe have strength. Most men have as a “given” that we all have our weaknesses, we all have our failings, we all have our struggles, but to lead men to victory over such things we need to hear about courage, about a faith that produces appropriate confidence, and a discipline that enboldens a man to stand in the gap.

The Apostle Paul gave us a good example. While he was able to reference his “thorn in the flesh” and point to personal weaknesses, this was also a man who challenged us to put on the whole armor of God, and to discipline ourselves like a boxer buffeting his body in preparing for a prize fight.

We know David was a musician and could write soul-stirring psalms, but we also know as a young man he was a shepherd who killed a lion and bear … and that was prior to taking on Goliath!

Men need to hear and see some strength from our pulpits!

Too often today, they hear a litany of weaknesses, with the closing of the sermon being, “… but through Christ we can be strong and overcome.” Most men have already tuned out halfway through the list of weakness. Men are overtly aware of where they are weak; they seek a source for strength, for courage, for a way to win!

You cannot call men to battle with a wimpish battle cry: “I know it’s hard. I know it’s scary. I really struggle with it all. Sometimes I really doubt. Sometimes I don’t really know what to think. Sometimes I want to give up. But God will deliver us!” A regular diet of such sermons doesn’t stir the spiritual warrior in a man!

While we want to be “authentic” in every way, maybe it’s time we demonstrate and illustrate how God can strengthen us to truly be men of spiritual valor. I think that would capture the attention of many men who are already very aware of their own weaknesses.

“6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous …” Joshua 1:6-7a.

Scotty