PHOTO BY TAXI

Men are a whole different animal. I think thats pretty obvious by now. Those of you who have raised little boysthose of you who were little boysknow exactly what Im talking about. They dont do tea parties. They dont play games like wedding day or mommies and daddies. You practically have to threaten them to get dressed up for church. Jeans with holes in the knees are preferred, and smelly T-shirts. Or capes and swordsany bathroom towel will do. Or cammoboys love to play army. They want to jump off the roof. They want to blow up stuff. They want to ride their bikes fast, downhill, with no hands. Little girls dont invent games where bloodshed is a prerequisite for having a good time, where large numbers of people die as part of the fun.

Now, boys may grow into men, but nothing really changes. Look at the movies men loveits all right there. Braveheart, Top Gun, Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, any of the James Bond or Indiana Jones episodes. Women didnt make those movies box office hits. Men did. Have you ever wondered why?

All men share certain desires desires that God has written into the masculine soul. If you test this against what boys love to do, or the films men love, I think youll agree with me. Every man wants a battle to fight, an adventure to live and a beauty to rescue. Its what he lives for. Its what makes a man come alive.

Nowwhat do our churches have to say to a man longing for battle, adventure, beauty?

It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out why many guys are not excited about Christianity. The way we talk about the gospel, the way we describe Jesus, the way we do churchfrankly, to the ears of some men, it all sounds very effeminate. To them church seems like a class run by Miss Manners, and Jesus looks like Mr. Rogers with a beardthe worlds sweetest man.

And this view is not confined to the non-Christian man. When all is said and done, I think many men in the church believe that God put them on the earth to be a good boy. The problem with men, we are told, is that they dont know how to keep their promises, be spiritual leaders, talk to their wives or raise their children. But, if they will try real hard they can reach the lofty summit of becoming a nice guy.

Thats what we hold up as models of Christian maturity: Really Nice Guys. We dont smoke, drink or swear; thats what makes us nice. Now let me ask my male readers: in all your boyhood dreams growing up, did you ever dream of becoming a Really Nice Guy? (Ladies, was the Prince of your dreams dashing or merely nice?)

At a recent church retreat I was talking with a guy in his fifties, listening really, about his own journey as a man. Ive pretty much tried for the last 20 years to be a good man as the church defines it.

Intrigued, I asked him to say what he thought that was. He paused for a long moment. Dutiful, he said. And separated from his heart. A perfect description, I thought. Sadly right on the mark.

If you want to reach a man with the gospel of Jesus Christ, you have to get two things straight. First, you have to recover the masculine side of the gospel. Second, you have to speak to a man as a man. You have to speak his language. This is what Paul meant when he said he became all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:22). Paul meant that he was willing to adapt his approach to people depending on their situationswho they were, where they lived, what they lived for.

Notice the simple invitation of Christ to Simon Peter and his brother Andrew: Come, follow meand I will make you fishers of men (Mark 1:17). He appeals to them at their levelfishing. This is what they know and love. He doesnt say, Follow me and I will make you mothers of men. He doesnt say, Follow me and I will make you have tea parties with men. He speaks to them as men.

And then Christ takes it up a notch and invites them into the big leagues.

A battle to fight

As I write this, my three boys are tearing around the house with toy guns, trying to take each other out. Jumping over couches, sneaking down stairs. Bang, bang, bangyoure dead! Ktchhh, ktchhhgotcha! As they run past my office, they toss in an orangea grenade. Boom! one of them yells.

This is not some psychological disturbance brought on by violent television. It is the very essence of the image of God in a boy. Have we forgotten? The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name (Exodus 15:3). Our God is a warring God, a God of battle. I think even a quick read of the Old Testament would be enough to convince you that war is a central theme of Gods activity.

Think of Exodus, where God goes to war to set his captive people free.

Then its war to get to the Promised Land. Moses and company have to do battle against the Amalekites; again, God comes through. Then its war to get into the Promised LandJoshua and the battle of Jericho, and all that.

After the Jews gain the Promised Land, its war after war to keep it. Israel battles the Canaanites, the Philistines, the Midianiteson and on it goes. Deborah goes to war; Gideon goes to war; King David goes to war. Elijah wars against the prophets of Baal; Jehoshaphat battles the Edomites.

Are you getting the picture?

And many people think the theme of war ends with the Old Testament. Not at all. Jesus did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34).

In fact, the birth of Christ was an act of war, an invasion. The enemy knew it and tried to kill him as a babe (Matthew 2:13). No pale-faced altar boy, Christs whole life is one marked by battle and confrontation. He kicks out demons with a stern command. He rebukes a fever, and it leaves Peters mother-in-law. He rebukes a storm, and it subsides. He confronts the Pharisees time and again, to set Gods people free from legalism. In a loud voice, he wakes Lazarus from the dead. He descends into hell, wrestles the keys of hell and death from Satan, and leads a train of captives free (Revelation 1:18, Ephesians 4:8-9). When he returns, I might point out, Jesus will be mounted on a steed of war, with His robe dipped in blood, ready for battle (Revelation 19:11-15).

War is not just one among many themes in the Bible. It is the backdrop for the whole story, the context for everything else. This is the essence of Christianity that may be most misunderstood by the church. We are at war. God didnt create man to be His altar boy on earth. He didnt set within us this heart for battle to simply become nice guys minding our manners. He created us to join him in His battle against evil. Thats what gets a mans blood going; thats what gets his attention. Battle.

And so, if we are going to reach men with the gospel, weve got to tell them the whole story, not the Christianity of Miss Manners. That may work with pre-school children, but it will not work with men.

An adventure to live

And what about adventure? Just yesterday my son Luke, nine years old, finished building a go-cart from some scrap lumber and four old wheels. He used a rope for steering, an old 2x4 for brakes. And as soon as his race car was finished, you know what he did? He took it to the top of our street, the highest hill he could find, jumped on and let er rip. Men long for adventure. Its a spiritual longing given to us by God Himself.

Eve was created within the lush beauty of Edens garden. But Adam, if youll recall, was created outside the garden, in the wilderness. In the record of our beginnings, the second chapter of Genesis makes it clear: man was born in the outback, from the untamed part of creation. Only

afterward is he brought to Eden. And ever since then boys have never been at home indoors, and men have an insatiable longing to explore. We long to return; its when most men come alive. As John Muir said, when a man comes to the mountains, he comes home. The core of a mans heart is undomesticated and that is good. I am not alive in an office, as one ad has it. I am not alive in a taxi cab. I am not alive on a sidewalk. Amen to that. Their conclusion? Never stop exploring.

Our modern theology has gone so passive weve lost the adventure God has for us. To many men we want to reach, church appears to be boring; they think theres nothing daring, nothing radical about becoming a Christian. Church looks like a program for moral improvement. Period.

But, my goodnesslook again. Every time God gets hold of a man in the Bible, He invites him into a great adventure. He calls Abraham to leave his job, his 401(k), his relatives and his club membership to follow Him to a country hes never even seen. He sends Moses back where he is wanted for murder to demand the release of his people from the ruler of the mightiest nation on earth. Moses doesnt have an armyhe has a speech impediment. God sends a young David against a Philistine giant, and all the kid has is a slingshot.

Jesus calls Peter out of the boat and onto the water. That is the picture of Gods way with a man. If men knew that Gods invitation to them was the greatest adventure of their lives, theyd have a whole different attitude toward Christianity. He isnt asking us to become ushers; hes calling us into an adventure of the highest order. Of course, until we know that, until we have adventure with God, its going to be pretty hard to convince non-Christian men of that. God has a mission for us and for thema mission far beyond a course on proper dress and behavior.

A beauty to rescue

If you look again at the movies men love, youll see that nearly every one of them involves at some point a beauty to rescue. Theres nothing that will get the attention of a man like a beautiful woman. You do recall that before the fall of man, God said something just wasnt right. It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Adam needed Eve, and when God stands her before him, Adam is wowed.

A man wants to be the hero to the beauty. Guys going off to war carry a photo of their sweetheart in their wallet. Men who fly combat missions will paint a beauty on the side of their aircraft; the crews of the World War II B-17 bomber called those flying fortresses names like Me and My Gal or the Memphis Belle. Who would Robin Hood or King Arthur be without the women they love? Lonely men fighting lonely battles. Indiana Jones or James Bond just wouldnt be the same without a beauty at his side, and inevitably he must fight for her.

You see, its not just that a man needs a battle to fight; he needs someone to fight for. Remember Nehemiahs words to the few brave souls defending a wall-less Jerusalem? Dont be afraidfight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.

The battle itself is never enough; a man yearns for romance. Its not enough to be a hero; its that he is a hero to someone in particular, to the woman he loves. Adam was given the wind and the sea, the horse and the hawk, but as God Himself said, things were just not right until there was Eve.

How does a life following Christ provide a man an opportunity to rescue a beauty? Well, theres his wife, but many men dont know that she needs to be rescued, or how to do it. If we could show men that becoming a Christian is the door to the kind of relationship they really want with their wives, it would get their attention for sure. And I mean also the kind of sexual relationship men want with their wivesshow them the Song of Songs. Ask them: What kind of God would put that book in the canon of Holy Scripture? Too many unsaved men think God is a prude, some sort of Puritan party-pooper. It would get their attention if they actually read what He wrote and found that He wants the same for them.

Men want to matter; they want to come through, they want to be heroes. If we called upon them to fight for their wives, their daughters, for the hearts of Gods people (the Bride He fights for), I think they would respond. Most men have no idea this is what Christianity is all about. In fact, they think it has nothing to do with Battle and Adventure and the Beauty. No wonder they couldnt seem to care less.

Evangelism for men

What does all this mean? Whether were trying to reach men for Christ or involve Christian men in the adventure of evangelism, we need to adjust our approach by always treating men as men, not as creatures who need to be tamed. Here are some practical implications. Think about what makes men tick, come alive: battle, adventure, beauty. Whether you are simply trying to strike up a conversation, or invite him to an event, here are two recommendations for engag ing his heart, the first step in evangelization and involvement.

1. Talk about movies

When Im talking to a man, I usually start with the films he loves. It doesnt take much to get a guy talking about a movie that turned his crank. Look at the movies guys watch, and youll see an incredible opportunity to talk about the gospel.

In Braveheart, William Wallace is the kind of man every guy wants to be like. Start there. Then go on to say that you think Wallace is what Jesus is like. Youre kidding me, will be the likely response. But lookWallace is fierce, and brave. And at the end, he gives his life for his people. He dies, that they might be free. Thats the gospel! Ill bet the men youre trying to evangelize or involve have never made the connection.

Maximus does the same thing in Gladiator. He, too, is a mans man and a picture of Christ. In a promotional for the film, Maximus is called the general who became a slave, the slave who became a gladiator, the gladiator who defied an empire.

Is not Jesus the Lord of Hosts, the captain of angel armies? You bet He is. But when He came to earth, He came as a bondservant, from the lower class. And as I pointed out earlier, He did not come as a pacifist but as a warrior to fight for us and our freedom. Gladiator means swordsman. And Jesus brought down an

empirenot the Roman empire (though that did happen eventually), but the kingdom of darkness.

See how cool this is? The gospel is all over the place in the films men love.

Seriously, what would the guys you know do with the idea that Maximus has some of the characteristics of Jesus? It would blow all their misconceptions and categorizations. And we need to start by intriguing a man, shattering his stereotypes of church and Jesus and Christians.

How about The Matrix? Its a pretty rockin movie. And its also based on the gospel. A world held in bondage to darkness. A man dies to set them free.

Or what about Saving Private Ryan? The mission is a man, as the promotions for the film had it.

All that effort to save just one guy. Didnt Jesus say He would leave the ninety-nine to find the one (Matthew 18:12)? You bet He did. In the movie, they die that he might livejust like Christ.

2. Do guy stuff together

If you want to reach a man, take him to the driving range. Watch the Final Four together. I ask guys to go fishing or bird hunting. Thats where a man comes alive. Now, many churches do this sort of thing, but too often it feels like a bait and switch trick. Come to this cool eventthen you hear the gospel and learn how to be a nice guy, a Ned Flanders kind of Christian.

Its tragic that so many men think Christianity is irrelevant to the life they really want. But when youre out there, doing the things men love, you connect with them. They begin to realize, Wowmaybe Christians arent such geeks after all. I mean, these guys are cool. They really enjoy life.

Some friends of mine invited a buddy to come with them on a mountain-biking trip to Moab, Utah, to ride for three days. At the end of the event he said, Theyre a bunch of Christians who ride like crazy. I like these guys. Reactions like that open the door. In the midst of the adventure, you can say stuff that dismantles his misconceptions about God. Isnt it cool how God made us to love this stuff? you might say. I mean, I used to think that God didnt want us to have fun. Then I began to read about Jesus. Did you know He said He came that we might have life (see John 10:10)? Walking with God is the biggest adventure Ive ever known. Something like that.

Here are two suggestions. First, we have to recover the gospel for what it isbattle, adventure and beauty. The reason so many men ignore Christianity is simply because what little of it theyve seen ignores what God made them for. Second, we have to go for a mans heart. Its not about getting him into a suit and tie and into Sunday school. Its about reaching his heart for God. Thats where the action is. Thats what Christ came for.

John Eldredge is the author of Wild at Heart, winner of the Gold Medallion Award for inspi- rational books. He is director of Ransomed Heart Ministries in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

resources
Extend your men on mission

NAMBs Mission Education team partners with other teamsfrom Evangelization to Church Planting to Mobilizationto help men be on mission. Check out these resources that will help you train and send men (and women too!) into the mission fields around them.

Extended Welcome will help your church become more excited about and effective in reaching visitors and bringing them into the life of your church.

Who Me? Help Start a Church? not only teaches lay people how to be involved in church planting it also serves as a strategy to put them directly on the field with a new church plant.

The Adventure of His Mission, and My Life a Mission Trip are strategies to put adults and students on the field through short-term mission efforts.

Power Plant is a partnership that combines church planting with the effectiveness of World Changers and mission education for students.

Sons of Virtue is a study guide designed for fathers and sons to work on 10 biblical virtues and develop godly character.

To order the resources above, call 866-407-NAMB. Kurt Warners Good Sports Gang is a video series featuring real-life football star Kurt Warner and his band of animated sports ball characters. Available at Christian and mainstream stores. Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com Solid Rock Climbers for Christ www.srcfc.org Association of Resort & Leisure Ministers www.arlm.org 52.7 Adventure Relational evangelism and postmodern evangelism training through rock climbing, camping, and backpacking www.527adventure.info Yosemite Christian Ministries home.inreach.com/ycm