Marine Corps and New Recruiting
The story is told of a high-school recruitment seminar wherein representatives from three different branches of the armed services were to make their presentations for potential recruits. During the one hour seminar, the first two speakers took a combined total of fifty-six minutes to make their presentations, leaving the last one, a Marine Corps recruiter, only about four minutes. He walked very slowly and purposefully to the podium, silently but thoughtfully surveyed the audience for about one full minute of his scant four, and then said something like: “I only see about maybe three of you in this entire audience whom I believe have any chance at all of even remotely making it in the Marine Corps. You know who you are. Come and see me in a couple of minutes when this is over.” He then returned to his seat without another word. Care to guess who had the longest line of determined potential recruits demanding consideration as they engaged and engulfed him at the end of the seminar?
We who are members of the churches of Christ are quite aware that we will probably never be one of the largest congregations in the towns we seek to serve and save with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are very much aware that the lifetime of study, transformation, and hard work that it takes to be a true and devoted disciple and soldier of Jesus Christ (II Tim 3:1-4:8; I Ptr 4:1-19) simply will not appeal to everyone – and especially to any of those who might prefer a little bit easier, less exclusive, less exhaustive, more relaxed doctrine, or more politically-correct, people-pleasing, “anything still goes because God loves us all so much” religious lifestyle (See Romans 6:1-2). Jesus Himself said as much as He told us that very truth in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
We should therefore be ever-mindful that we are ever-searching for those precious few (amongst those very many) who are truly seeking, and very seriously willing, to take God at His Word in all things and obey whatever He says in order to get to Heaven – no matter what (Jn. 10:27-28). Not only will this new understanding help us to realize just how wide of a net we must spread amongst the many to catch the few; just how much work we must put in in the process; and help us better cope when we’ve done all we can and they still walk away; but it will also help us to lovingly but firmly find a way to say and convey as we seek new converts to Christ and His kingdom: “If you’re possibly one of the many who might prefer the wide and easy way, then you’d really never be seriously spiritually happy here. But if you’re one of those few who want real, relevant, vital and vibrant Biblical Christianity – and you know who you are – then come by and see us this coming Sunday.”
Now while some might say that that particular approach is perhaps a bit on the harsh side when it comes to evangelism, I would like to suggest that maybe, just maybe, like the Marine Corps Recruiter, you just might find yourself with the most “potential recruits” you’ve ever had visiting with you this coming Sunday if thus challenged, instead of coddled and cuddled, petted and pampered! To God be the glory!