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Steve Brown: Great-grandchildren have a tendency to run. I'll explain on Key Life.

Guest (Male): That was Steve Brown and this is Key Life. We're dedicated to the teaching that the only people who get any better are those who know that if they don't get any better, God will still love them anyway. Steve is an author, seminary professor, and our teacher on Key Life.

Steve Brown: If you were listening, hey. Thank you, Matthew. If you were listening yesterday, I spent some time talking about the difference between institutions and institutionalism.

Institutions are necessary to get anything done. Institutionalism is when there's a hardening of the arteries of an institution, and pockets of power began to develop. Esoteric language becomes the norm. People protect their turf. People pretend that they know stuff they don't. People pretend to be better than they are. And we have a tendency to to run.

Especially generationally, those who have never had the original experience of that time. The scripture, by the way, was not written for experts or academic theologians.

Let me show you what happened. This actually happened when I was a young pastor and the Jesus Revolution swept the country. I don't know if you saw that movie, Jesus Revolution. That they got it.

I mean, I felt like I was going through those days again. And I was there as kids started coming into our church in droves, and God's Spirit was moving, and it was an incredible time.

And sometimes, and I think maybe it's happening. Sometimes in the mornings when I pray, I think of those times and I say, "God, do it again!" Do it again, please.

The young people who came to faith at our church during that movement, a whole lot of them often skipped a generation in their relationship in the church.

They, this is true, and I saw it happen over and over again, those young people. And sometimes they were unwashed. They smelled like pot. They didn't know not to cuss. But Jesus had hugged them and changed their lives, and God was doing something special.

And to my surprise, I can't tell you the number of times I saw one of these young people sitting and talking to an old guy or an old lady and loving each other.

Do you know what happened? They shared a common truth and experience with the older members in the church that they did not share with their parents.

The actual and factual observation, a microcosm, if you will, has illustrated a much larger reality, a macrocosm. Where the original, simple, and powerful call and experience of Christ have become obscured in the church's institutionalism.

The call and work of Christ have somehow become so defined by qualifications and rules and procedures that to participate fully, we need to be to meet somebody's very high standards, and those are not the standards of Jesus.

I've I've got some good news for you, if you haven't already left. It's news that can change your guilt and shame and fear and regret into an effective witness for Jesus Christ.

Someone has said, "They didn't want to be a member of a club that would accept them as a member." I sometimes feel that way about the church. However, the church is the only club with a single qualification for membership.

And what would that be? We must not be qualified. We've somehow lost that reality. I often preach in a church where the pastor's a close friend. The interesting thing about that church is that my friend had sinned big and publicly.

He was disciplined by the denomination, but left it when it became apparent to him that he was never going to be forgiven and restored. So he started a church. And he said, "I'm going to design this church for people like me."

That church has flourished. I like preaching there because I don't have to wear a mask. Last time I was there, I told them, "I love you guys because you're as messed up as I am. You're as sinful as I am. You're as dirty as I am."

That facetious remark has truth to it. I recently read that a friend will forgive you if you kill somebody, but a true friend will help you bury the body. Where do you find true friends? Garth Brooks sang "Friends in Low Places." And that's great with an unspoken truth built into it.

The only place where you have true friends is in low places. You have to pretend and constantly adjust your required mask of goodness and competence everywhere else.

I've said all of this to suggest, so listen up, that if you're a Christian, you're qualified. Jesus qualified you on a cross. Listen to me, you drifted off there for a minute, don't do that.

It has nothing to do with what you know, how gifted you are, the power you have. It's just the opposite. Paul wrote that God said to him, and I quoted it before, 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I've often told seminary students.

They would go in, and they never like this. But most of them are preaching their first sermon and they were nervous. I said, "Look, before you get up and preach, say," and you can't say it out loud, but say it to yourself to the congregation, "Get out of my way! The King of Kings has commissioned me! What I will tell you is desperately important, and by God, you will listen!"

When students wince, I say that they can repent, if they must, but only after preaching the sermon. I get it if you feel more comfortable sitting on the sidelines of life and ministry.

Actually, sometimes I feel that way too, but if you would like to be involved and don't believe that you can, hopefully what I'm going to teach you will disabuse you of that belief.

My late friend Alan Emery, he was the chairman of the Billy Graham Association board. Taught a Bible study for kids at his big house in New England. And I used to go and sit in the back, and I love him, and he adds a great attraction to heaven.

But years ago, he wrote a book that was titled "A Turtle on a Fence Post." The book's point is that when you, when you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he didn't get there by himself.

I used some quotes from that book on a broadcast once, and a listener, this is true, actually sent me a dead turtle. I guess he killed it. Nailed to a gate post he had made.

I suppose it was the thoughtful gesture, but there was no way I'd keep a dead turtle in my study. But the youth pastor, Kent Keller saw it. Asked what it was, when I told him, you know what he said? "Way cool!"

So, I gave it to him. And so far as I know, he still has it. But don't miss the point of Alan Emery's title and his book. When you see a turtle on a gatepost, you know that that turtle didn't get there by himself.

When you see a Christian pointing to Jesus and laughing, you know that he or she didn't get to that point by himself or herself. When you see a Christian shining, you know that he or she didn't get there by himself or herself.

Hey, you think about that. Amen.

Guest (Male): Thank you, Steve. All this week we've been exploring the biblical basis of Steve's new book called "God's Not Mad at You." As a reminder, you can stream and share all of these episodes for free at keylife.org/notmad. Steve will be back tomorrow along with Pete Alwinson for the nearly world-famous Friday Q&A. Tomorrow, they'll answer this question, among others, "What are relationships in heaven like?" Hey, whoever sent in that question, thanks, that's a good one. Hope you will join us tomorrow for that answer.

We are in the family, and we cannot be cast away. How many times have your children done things that were not pleasing? You may have been disappointed in their decisions, but you did not throw them away or kick them out of the family. Your heavenly Father will not put you out of the family no matter what you do. That excerpt is from an article by Jerry Perrys, and you can find it in our digital magazine, available now at keylife.org/digitalmagazine. You'll also find articles from Steve, Justin Holcomb, and Chad West. Get all of it for demand right now.

And before you go, if you've been blessed by the work of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your financial support? Giving is easy, just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or you can give safely and securely by text. Just take out your phone and text Key Life to 28950. That's Key Life, one word or two, it doesn't matter, text that to 28950. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and 4C in Canada, and as always, Key Life is a listener-supported production of Key Life Network.