Key Life Network

Steve Brown: If I lose the kickers, I lose my power. Not true. Let's talk on Key Life.

Matthew: Welcome to Key Life. I'm Matthew, executive producer of the program, and our host is author and seminary professor Steve Brown. The church has suffered under "do more, try harder" religion for too long, and Key Life is here to proclaim that Jesus sets the captives free.

Steve Brown: Thank you, Matthew. If you were listening yesterday, we're talking about the subject of kickers and how kickers destroy our joy.

I mean, and some of them are benign. They're they're used by Christians because we want to do right, because we really care that others walk the faith properly, because we think we're not doing it right and we need to fix it. And so those kickers are often done for the right reasons.

But nevertheless, they're kickers and they kill us. And then yesterday, I talked about the kickers that aren't that way. That's where some leader or preacher or teacher or professor uses a kicker to get power.

I've done that in the past. I wrote a book called How to Talk So People Will Listen, and that means that I know how to talk so people will listen. And sometimes, if you if you're watching this on television, you can see I'm blushing.

Sometimes I've used that to get my way. Sometimes I've used that to get power. Sometimes I, and I have a glib tongue. I win debates. And sometimes I've done that for self-aggrandizement, and that is and I repent.

And I thought I would give you that confession so I could call on you, if you're involved in that sort of thing, that you repent too. However, having been there and done that, I know how to name and define the demon. Let me show you.

Acts 17:11 says, "Now these Jews, who were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so."

Paul had presented the message of the gospel with its outrageous message of forgiveness and reconciliation, and he had done it without kickers, and he got into trouble because he did. Read the book of Galatians. Given the riots and the division, the plots against Paul, some people weren't happy with his message without kickers.

In fact, the first major formal meeting of Christians in Jerusalem had as its agenda dealing with kickers. But some thing some think, "But Steve, if I lose the kickers, I lose my power." That's true. It means that you might have to find your power somewhere else and maybe even in Jesus. Do you think?

I know Christian churches that are built on kickers where ministry functions are guilt and rules. I haven't done a lot of that, but I've often been tempted to get what I wanted with, "After all that Jesus has done for you, it seems that you would," and then name it.

"Or how do you think God feels about your," and then name it. "What would Jesus do?" You can increase offerings, build buildings, and even create empires on kickers. I used to tell seminary students that if they wanted a big church, one of the ways to do that was to preach condemnation and rules.

I told them, there are those who will leave, but a bunch of others will come and remain looking down their noses at those who have left. And soon you might have a big church. The problem is that it'll be a big church of angry, mean-spirited Pharisees.

The problem with that is that Pharisees who condemn others often end up condemning one another. You will then create a church that might require more from you than you can give. So I said to students, be careful.

Pastors who create safe places in their churches for their people also create safe places for themselves. Serving as a pastor is hard enough without making it worse.

I remember a young pastor who was called to a prominent church. A friend of mine had suggested that he call me for some advice. He didn't like me, but he respected his friend, and he called me. I asked this young pastor to tell me about the church to which he had been called, and he gave me a long list of bad things: former pastors who had been lax on doctrinal matters, people who cared nothing about supporting the church or its programs, and elders who, for heaven's sake, smoked cigars.

He asked if he thought he should accept the call as a pastor. And I said, "No way. You don't have enough love." He hung up. And then he went, accepted the call, created a church of Pharisees, and eventually had to leave himself.

It happens that way. You got to be very careful. When you cut slack for people, people cut slack for you. And the Gospel stands up and sings the Hallelujah Chorus. Watch the kickers. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew: That was Steve Brown, and if you're just joining us, we are working our way through Steve's new book called God's Not Mad at You, and it is due out later this year. Tomorrow we'll get into the idea that the church is a gathering place for sinners, not for those who have it all figured out. That's tomorrow. Be sure to join us.

Well, in case you didn't know, Father's Day is coming up. Are you a good father? It takes more than elbow grease, it takes the grace of God. Steve spoke about the challenge of understanding the role of fathers in a sermon called The Best Father You Ever Had. Take a listen to part of that sermon, then I'll be back to tell you about a special free offer. Here's Steve.

Steve Brown: I realize, duh, I'm not God. I mean, he he knows what he's doing. I hardly ever do know what he's doing and question him often on it. He does it right. I sometimes don't even know what right is. I can't I can't father the way God fathers because I'm not God.

Some of you wear those WWJD bracelets, "What would Jesus do?" That comes from a book that was written in 1886 by a guy by the name of Sheldon, and it was called In His Steps. And if you've read that book, and it's a great little book, these people decide that in everything they do and say, they're going to ask, "What would Jesus do?"

And some amazing things happened in that particular book. Now, that was the fictional side of the theological side of what is called the social gospel. Men like Walter Rauschenbusch, along with Sheldon and many others, and it was a great idea, said that what we have to do is to apply a little ecclesiastical elbow grease, a little personal elbow grease, and then we can see major changes happening in our world and in our nation and in ourselves.

Now, there's something to that, but the last time I looked, it wouldn't fixed. The hungry are still hungry, the day is far spent, and we're still empty. People sin about as much as they did. Politicians are just as dishonest as they were. Our culture isn't more compassionate and kind and authentic. So, maybe it doesn't work, and you know why it doesn't work? Because you're not Jesus. That's why.

Now, it's good to ask what would Jesus do. I've been trying to be like him all my life with varying degrees of success. Sometimes I am, and sometimes I'm not, but I know that I'm not Jesus. And so when I say, "What would Jesus do?" I might know what that is, but I don't know how in the world I'm going to be able to pull it off.

And so, that's the reason it's very difficult for me to teach on parenting. I'm not the greatest parent in the world. I've made so many mistakes and still do as a grandparent. It's really really hard to do that.

When Ray asked me to do this thing on parenting, I felt like Moses when God told him about circumcision. You want me to do what? And, and I wouldn't do this for anybody but Ray and Jesus. But there's another reason why this is hard for me.

You know what it is? I'm not dead yet. I have a wonderful wife, and and but I'm a hard guy to live with. It's got to be really hard for her. She you know, we've been married so many years. I don't remember what it's like not to be. She's so much a part of me, but let me tell you something, she may just come in next week and say, "I've had it."

"Enough is enough, I'm out of here." And I don't want to be teaching on marriage when that happens. And I've got wonderful kids. They they really are. They're secure, they walk with Christ, they're loving, they love me and their mother. I mean, it's so cool. But they've seen the bad side of their daddy too.

It may be that they're getting tired of the phoniness and they say, "I've had it up to my ears with religion. I'm going to be an atheist or a Buddhist." Now, I don't think it's going to happen, but it could happen. And I've got plenty of time to screw it up, so so I'm not dead yet. If I knew when I was going to die, you ought to come hear me teach the last week on marriage and on parenting. It would be profound.

Now, let me tell you something. Everything I just said about me is true of you too.

Matthew: If you're a dad, if you know a dad, if you had a dad, this sermon is for you. So call us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE and we'll send you that whole sermon on CD for free. Again, that number is 1-800-539-5433. You can also email Steve at keylife.org to ask for that CD or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses for the U.S. and Canada. Again, ask for the absolutely free CD called The Best Father You Ever Had.

One last thing, if you value the work of Key Life, would you help us in that work through your giving? You can charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope, or you can now give safely and securely through text. Just pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950. That's Key Life, one word or two, doesn't matter. Text that to 28950. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the states and FORCE in Canada, and Key Life is a listener-supported production of Key Life Network.