By: Sharon Smith Leaman, published February 16, 2024
A hero went Home this week.
It’s hard to put into words the measure of a man. God gives many good men to His church. As I mourn this beloved pastor, I can’t help but wonder how many of our young men are in the queue to lead the next generation. I know not every man can or will be like him – but that was not his aim, nor his desire to be a standard for comparison. His aim was to build men who follow after Christ (1 Cor. 11:1) and become more Christ-like (Rom. 8:29), from one degree to another (2 Cor. 3:18). Christ is the only imitable way, truth and life (John 14:6).
Yet, the scriptures do command us to “consider your leaders and the outcome of their faith” (Hebrews 13:7) and to follow them, as they follow Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). I’ve had ample opportunity to “consider…the outcome” of this pastor’s life as a sheep in his flock for 35 years. And, at the risk of the criticism of romanticizing a fallible man, I offer these reflections of one man’s faithful life to encourage the Church to nurture our young men, so that it will flourish in their generation.
Set Christ apart in your heart by faith.
We must encourage our sons to live wholeheartedly for Christ. There is no middle ground, no nuanced path. Indeed, the way is narrow and has only one gate. Our pastor would say to us, “Look to Christ” who is the “author and finisher of our faith” in all things (Heb. 12:2). Our world holds many glittering distractions for a young man’s heart, but we must pray that our sons’ hearts esteem Christ above all else. When men learn to find their treasure in Christ alone, many worldly distractions fall away, scattered in dull comparison. We must pray for our young men because this act of “setting apart” is a sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit alone, in His timing. The Church must exercise patience, grace and grit to equip men to grow into “mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).
Have a vision to change the world.
We must encourage our young men to have a vision for their lives that extends beyond their personal gain, for the glory of God’s kingdom. Our pastor’s vision to change the world was not to have a world-renowned name for himself, but to lead, train and send men “into all the world” (Matt. 28:19) for Christ’s name. As we foster interests and enable talents of our sons, we need to never stop encouraging them to think big and take risks for His glory and for the good of others. While some may regard the vision to “change the world” is overly presumptuous, it’s not when we couple ambition with a confidence that God can do all things. Let’s teach our young men to dream big dreams and trust God for the outcome. Our heavenly Father “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).
Know and be faithful to the Scriptures.
We must encourage our sons to be faithful and hold fast to the historic Christian faith as it is revealed systematically and inerrantly in the holy Scriptures. Our pastor was an eager student of the Bible all his life. He would say more times that I can count, “Come let us reason together” (Is. 1:18) and would show us how to look into the Scriptures because in them, God has given us everything we need for salvation and “life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). He applied his intellect to mining out truths and applied them to everything – not in a pedantic, stuffy, or ethereal way, but with clarity and pastoral care. We must encourage our young men to be students of the Bible, to “not lean on their own understanding” but endeavor to have their minds renewed with objective truth and mediate on how to apply these truths to daily living. We must set before them godly examples of helpful accountability to build disciplined habits of daily Bible reading, memorization, and application so that they lead others with clarity and truth in gentleness and respect in their generation (1 Pet. 3:15).
Love people and build a community.
We must encourage our sons to value community. A repeated theme of the testimonies of our pastor was how he genuinely loved us. His love for us wasn’t to draw people to himself, but to draw us in towards one another, to build a local “household of God” that loved one another in truth and on covenant promises. He believed that if he connected with people on the basis of God’s Word, he could build true community that ministered to the needs of people, way beyond his finite time and ability. He shared his life openly and often times, unguardedly, demonstrating that he trusted in the grace of God alone, not in the strength of his own personality. He equipped men to lead and care for others. Our young men need masculine love and the comradery of other men who serve and give of themselves to care for the household of God. The Church must be resolved to honor masculinity in God’s community and give our young men a community of godliness.
Have heroes.
Our young men need examples to follow. They need heroes who inspire them to put aside childish pursuits and become men who lead through sacrifice and service (1 Cor. 13:11). Our pastor would herald his heroes: Jim Elliot, Billy Graham, his own pastor, Harold Ockenga of Park Street Church, to name a few. Indeed, as he lived, he considered the outcome of their faith, and put himself under their tutelage. Our young men need public and private examples of godly men in generations past and present. Our pastor would tell us that his personal pursuit of holiness was for the benefit of others—because his wife needed a godly husband and his children a godly father and the church a godly leader. He modeled meekness and godliness even in his later years of immense personal suffering. He showed us how to die. The church needs more everyday heroes like him to prepare our young men to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” and to “fight the good fight of the faith” until the Lord calls them home (1 Tim. 6:11-12).
In His goodness, our heavenly Father provides for His church through faithful, God-fearing men who lead now and endeavor to train the next. I am so grateful for the gift God gave to our congregation for 49 years. And looking ahead, our sons need men of courage and clarity to carry the baton of faith into the next generation.
“Rise up, O men of God!
The church for you doth wait,
her strength unequal to her task;
rise up, and make her great!”
Sharon Smith Leaman is a member of New Life in Christ Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia. She would love to hear from you if this article sparked an interest in you. You may reach her at leamans@yahoo.com.
Now A Mirror Dimly 