Education Quote by Timothy Keller
““Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day. However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.””
About This Quote
The quote argues that modern churches fail to attract the marginalized outsiders Jesus drew, suggesting a mismatch between contemporary preaching and Jesus' original message.
In simple terms: Modern churches often attract conservative believers, not the marginalized outsiders Jesus appealed to.
Key Takeaway
Reevaluate preaching to align with Jesus' inclusive message.
Themes
religion
inclusion
church dynamics
mission
marginalization
Mood
reflective
concerned
Type
observational
critical
When to use this quote
- church leadership meetingscommunity outreach
- cultural relevance
Key Concepts
evangelism
social outreach
authenticity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can churches become more welcoming to outsiders?
- What message truly reflects Jesus' intent?
A Different Perspective
Changing preaching alone may not shift deep cultural perceptions.
![“24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: [Alexis de] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a special salience today — because while we have gotten very good at deconstructing old stories (the religion that was the subject of my first chapter…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/85a/timothy-keller-240_sad_24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the_25320.jpg)
