“WANTED: A FEW GOOD MEN”

by Dr. Don Sisk

For many years one of the slogans used by the U.S. Marines for recruiting volunteers has been: “Wanted: A Few Good Men.” The message was that everyone could not be a Marine, but they did need a few good men. As we read the New Testament, we are aware that the Lord was looking for “a few good men.”

The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 is a command from our Commander and Chief Officer. Our Commander commanded us to make disciples. The announcement “teach all nations” means we must make disciples.

When we look at churches that are filled on Sunday morning with people who consider the few minutes in the church on Sunday morning their whole duty to God and man, we know that we are short on discipleship. The average church member gives less than two percent of his total income for the work of God. The great majority never read their Bibles outside the church. In a recent survey it was revealed that the average believer spent less than five minutes per week in prayer. Conservatively speaking, 95% of those who profess to know Christ as their Saviour never bother to share their faith with others.

Obviously these kinds of believers will not “turn the world upside down.” They will not “fill their city with their doctrine.” They will not be looked upon as real Christians, those who imitate Christ.

Never has the church had such a great opportunity, as great an open door, as we have in this last decade of the twentieth century. I have had the privilege of seeing some of the great harvest fields. I feel like a man in the middle of a huge corn field who can have as much of the corn as he can pick. I see so many hungry souls. We must proclaim to the believers, “Wanted: A Few Good Men.” Where are the disciples?

Are you a disciple? Jesus said in Luke 14:26, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Jesus is saying that if you want to be His disciple, you must love Him supremely. In fact, your love for anything else or anyone else must appear to be hatred in contrast to your great love for Him.

Luke 14:27 states, “And who-soever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Jesus says very plainly, “If you wish to be my disciple, you must die to your self, your desires, your will, your successes, your failures.” You must nail these to the cross. Cross bearing is not popular, but it is absolutely necessary for discipleship.

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Jesus says again that discipleship requires that we forsake everything. Anything more dear to us than Jesus will prevent true discipleship.

It is obvious that Jesus does not commit His work to just anyone. He does not give His power to uncommitted believers. He has a great work that must be done. He needs “a few good men.”

A disciple is someone who abides in Christ. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). A disciple is one who consistently walks with Christ. He enjoys His presence.

A disciple obeys Christ. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). Obeying Christ is not a smorgasbord type of thing where we choose what we want to obey and neglect that which we do not like. Note: Christ said, “Teaching them to observe all things.” When we cease to obey, we cease to be disciples. Discipleship is a life-long project.

A disciple is one who bears fruit. “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8). He has the fruit of conduct: he looks like Jesus, and he acts like Jesus. A disciple has the fruit of converts. Everything produces its own kind. By their fruit you shall know them.

A disciple lives not for self, but for his teacher. John 3:30 says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The disciple seeks not glory for himself, but for his teacher.

The greatest blessing for the believer is to be chosen by Jesus to do His bidding. Thank God He is still looking for “a few good men.” You don’t have to be handsome or pretty. You don’t have to be popular. However, you must be totally committed to Him. Will you follow Him? There is much to be done, and there is no limit to what He can do through us. But there are so few who are willing to serve. No wonder Jesus commanded us, “Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into His harvest.”

Somewhere there is a searching soul who has a great need and a hunger for Christ. Needed: one disciple like Philip. “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert” (Acts 8:26). Philip was available. “He arose and went.” Disciples are available.

Somewhere there is a struggling soul. Needed: one disciple like Ananias. In Acts 9:10 we read, “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.” This may have cost Ananias his life. However, we read in verse 17, “And Ananias went.” Disciples are expendable.

Somewhere there is an ethnic group. They need the truth about the Saviour. Needed: one disciple like Peter. “Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them” (Acts 10:20). The others may not understand. No one has ever done anything like this before. You may lose your position. In verse 21 we read, “Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius.” Disciples are flexible.

Somewhere there is a city, an island, a village, a town, a nation, an individual. Needed: one disciple. “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”