The Agenda of Self-Aggrandizement

The theatre manager came down and tapped him on the shoulder and said firmly, "Sir, I know exactly how you feel. I feel the same way, but it's dangerous to sit there. You better stand."

When you stand or bow before any religious authority you demean yourself. And when your demeanor requires that others stand before you, you have violated the very essence of your faith.

Religion leads to the placing of heavy burdens on the shoulders of others. Shepherds lead. Butchers drive. You can always tell the people of God and the leaders they have by whether they are driven or led.

I can't tell you the number of letters I've received from Christians who have left the church. They left because they were tired of building an empire for someone else. Put a saddle on the back of a new Christian and ride him 'til he dies. Give him the rules. Give him the stuff to do; build the churches; create the parking lots and the leader finds that everyone stands in his presence.

Booker T. Washington has a great story in his autobiography. He has a wonderful reference to his older brother. The slaves were required to wear flax shirts. When they were new they were stiff and rough because it was inexpensive flax. And his Brother loved him.

His brother would take the new shirts and wear them until they were soft and would then give the soft shirts to his little brother, Booker Washington.

When I read that I thought, you know, that's what we're supposed to do as religious professionals. But, we give them the harsh shirts. We make them wear them until they are soft then we require them to present the soft shirts on the altar of our own self-aggrandizement.

Whenever you build an empire, be very, very careful.

All their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren. -- Matthew 23: 5-8

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Copyright 2002 Key Life Network. Today's Daily Wisdom is from Steve Brown. His Bible teaching is heard daily on hundreds of radio stations through the Key Life Network. For the frequency of a station near you go to www.keylife.org

Today's Daily Wisdom post was edited by Keith Todd, moderator of theSermon Fodder list which offers Christian humor and modern day parables forenjoyment and for use as sermon illustration material. To subscribe go to http://www.sermonfodder.com or drop an email note to Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com