--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most important way to gain a hearing…" description: "\"“The most important way to gain a hearing from postmodern people, confront nominal Christians, wake up “sleepy” Christians, and even delight committed ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/timothy-keller-240_christianity_the-most-important-way-to-gain-a-hearing_2429325.png" --- # The most important way to gain a hearing from postmodern… ![“The most important way to gain a hearing from postmodern people, confront nominal Christians, wake up “sleepy” Christians, and even delight committed Christians — all at the same time — is to preach the gospel as a third way to approach God, distinct from both irreligion and religion. Why? First…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/timothy-keller-240_christianity_the-most-important-way-to-gain-a-hearing_2429325.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/timothy-keller-240_christianity_the-most-important-way-to-gain-a-hearing_2429325.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/timothy-keller-240_christianity_the-most-important-way-to-gain-a-hearing_2429325.png) > ““The most important way to gain a hearing from postmodern people, confront nominal Christians, wake up “sleepy” Christians, and even delight committed Christians — all at the same time — is to preach the gospel as a third way to approach God, distinct from both irreligion and religion. Why? First, many professed Christians are only nominal believers; they are pure “elder brothers” (see Luke 15:11 – 32), and often making this distinction can help to convert them. Second, many genuine Christians are elder-brotherish — angry, mechanical, superior, insecure — and making this distinction may be the only way to reach them. Third, most postmodern people have been raised in or near churches that are heavily “religious.” They have observed how religious people tend to bolster their own sense of worth by convincing themselves they are better than other people, which leads them to exclude and condemn others. Most contemporary nonbelievers have rejected these poisonous fruits of religion, but when they did so, they thought they had rejected Christianity. If they hear you calling them to follow Christ, even if you use biblical language such as “receive Christ and you will be adopted into his family” (see John 1:12–13), they will automatically believe you are calling them into the “elder brother,” moralistic, religious approach to God. Unless you are constantly and clearly showing them that they have misunderstood the gospel and that you are talking about something else besides religion, they won’t be listening for the true gospel.”” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Preach the gospel as a distinct third way, avoiding both secularism and legalistic religion, to reach nominal, elder‑brotherish, and postmodern Christians. **In simple terms:** Present Christianity uniquely, separate from both irreligion and rigid religion. Key Takeaway Offer a fresh, inclusive gospel perspective. Themes faith culture communication mission postmodernism Mood hopeful challenging Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church outreach - interfaith dialogue - secular audiences - young adults Key Concepts theology evangelism cultural engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can you convey this third way without alienating either side? - What language best bridges cultural gaps? A Different Perspective Risk of oversimplifying complex beliefs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Christianity Hear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity-hear-260854/) [Contemporary Nonbelievers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary-nonbelievers-260853/) [Elder Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elder-brother/) [Nominal Christians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nominal-christians-260851/) [Preach Gospel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preach-gospel/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-approach-260852/) [Religious people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-people/) ## Related quotes > [I have nothing to do with this pseudo-religious approach that Gandhi is advocating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/i-have-nothing-to-do-with-this-pseudo-religious-approach-that-gandhi/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [“The essence of a religious approach to the world, it seems to me, is to be found, not in the imposition of theological dogma,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-a-religious-approach-to-the-world-it-seems-to-me-is-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A religious approach to marriage is the idea that if we work hard enough at something, we can earn the acceptance, approval, and life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/a-religious-approach-to-marriage-is-the-idea-that-if-we-work-hard/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Unfortunately, many of our churches calibrate their life to these nominal Christians. The predictable result is that you get fake, hypocritical churches that confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/unfortunately-many-of-our-churches-calibrate-their-life-to-these/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [A ground frequently taken by Christian theologians is that the progress and civilization of the world are due to Christianity; and the discussion is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradlaugh/a-ground-frequently-taken-by-christian-theologians-is-that-the/) [Charles Bradlaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradlaugh/) > [“... so many nominal Christians throughout history, took no notice whatsoever of the key parable of Jesus Christ himself, which taught that you shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/so-many-nominal-christians-throughout-history-took-no-notice/) [Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [“Thus they did not do, as many unfortunately do nowadays in Christendom. When the ancient miracles of God are related, they say, "Now God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-martin-boltzius/thus-they-did-not-do-as-many-unfortunately-do-nowadays-in-christendom/) [Johann Martin Boltzius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-martin-boltzius/) > [Servile, and base, and mercenary, is the notion of Christian practice among the bulk of nominal Christians. They give no more than they dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/servile-and-base-and-mercenary-is-the-notion-of-christian-practice/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Big cities have a lot of 'younger brothers' who have left traditional parts of the world and their families for a more liberal lifestyle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/big-cities-have-a-lot-of-younger-brothers-who-have-left-traditional/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Elder brothers obey God to get things. They don't obey God to get God himself — in order to resemble him, love him, know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/elder-brothers-obey-god-to-get-things-they-don-t-obey-god-to-get-god/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“If we just preach general doctrine and ethics from Scripture, we are not preaching the gospel. The gospel is the good news that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-just-preach-general-doctrine-and-ethics-from-scripture-we-are/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“USE WORDS IF NECESSARY The popular saying “Preach the gospel; use words if necessary” is helpful but also misleading. If the gospel were primarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/use-words-if-necessary-the-popular-saying-preach-the-gospel-use-words/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [To preach the gospel is to show people their need for salvation against a backdrop of God's nature and the character of sin, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-preach-the-gospel-is-to-show-people-their-need-for-salvation/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [My first introduction to chemistry came at a quite early age through my mother's elder brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wilkinson/my-first-introduction-to-chemistry-came-at-a-quite-early-age-through/) [Geoffrey Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wilkinson/) > [“If you wish success in life, make perseverance you bosom friend, experience your wise councellor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/if-you-wish-success-in-life-make-perseverance-you-bosom-friend/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [ “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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the-following-alexis-de/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-stay-away-from-christianity-because-part-of-the-bible-s-teaching/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-the-preaching-of-our-ministers-and-the-practice-of-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“of temple, presence, and sacrifice; of covenant and faithfulness; of kingdom and victory. When we seek to communicate the gospel to a particular culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/of-temple-presence-and-sacrifice-of-covenant-and-faithfulness-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Finally, you are ready to launch your church. Begin by developing action steps and goals that can be used as benchmarks to track your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/finally-you-are-ready-to-launch-your-church-begin-by-developing/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-a-child-of-god-you-don-t-lose-your-status-if-you-have-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Christianity quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) [Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The most important way to gain a hearing from postmodern people, confront nominal Christians, wake up “sleepy” Christians, and even delight committed Christians — all at the same time — is to preach the gospel as a third way to approach God, distinct from both irreligion and religion. Why? First, many professed Christians are only nominal believers; they are pure “elder brothers” (see Luke 15:11 – 32), and often making this distinction can help to convert them. Second, many genuine Christians are elder-brotherish — angry, mechanical, superior, insecure — and making this distinction may be the only way to reach them. Third, most postmodern people have been raised in or near churches that are heavily “religious.” They have observed how religious people tend to bolster their own sense of worth by convincing themselves they are better than other people, which leads them to exclude and condemn others. Most contemporary nonbelievers have rejected these poisonous fruits of religion, but when they did so, they thought they had rejected Christianity. If they hear you calling them to follow Christ, even if you use biblical language such as “receive Christ and you will be adopted into his family” (see John 1:12–13), they will automatically believe you are calling them into the “elder brother,” moralistic, religious approach to God. 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