Reformissionary

Keller on Church: Four Fronts & Three Goals

In Tim Keller's book, Center Church, he discusses four ministry fronts...

1. Connecting People to God (through evangelism and worship)
2. Connecting People to One Another (through community and discipleship)
3. Connecting People to the City (through mercy and justice)
4. Connecting People to the Culture (through the integration of faith and work)

Center Church, pg 293

In the same section Keller explains three goals of ministry and their comprehensive scope as taught by Edmund Clowney...

In his biblical-theological work on the church, Clowney speaks of the biblical "goals of ministry" as threefold: (1) we are called to minister and serve God through worship (Rom 15:8-16; 1 Pet 2:9); (2) we are to minister and serve one another through Christian nurture (Eph 4:12-26); and (3) we are to minister and serve the world through witness (Matt 28:18-20; Luke 24:28; Acts 5:32).

Center Church, pg 294

I reproduce these here simply because they are ringing in my ears as I rework some of the groundwork of my church. Keller does such an excellent job keeping things simple, and yet puts them in one of the great new books on the complexities of church and ministry in our day. This is Keller's great service to the church. If you don't have Center Church, get it (WTS | Amazon | Kindle).

If you have a nice, short list like some Keller gives to explain the church, I'd love to see some in the comments. Or feel free to blog about it and share a link here. 

Also, please check out my Tim Keller Resources page.

Related articles

Books Worth Checking Out This Christmas

Cheap Kindle Books 12.17.13

Lots-o-Links 12.14.13

Tim Keller: Galatians & Judges

Tim Keller's two new "God's Word for You" commentary-like books from The Good Book Company are only $1.99 each for the eBooks! But it only lasts more days. Click here to grab them. Just loving this new series of books.

Joni Eareckson Tada on Keller's New Book

If I were to write a book on suffering, I would wonder what Joni Eareckson Tada thought of it. Well, she writes a glowing review of Tim Keller's new book on suffering, Walking With God Through Pain & Suffering. Here's a blurb...

Yes, suffering is a mystery, but it is not a mystery without at least some explanation. Besides, life may be hard, but God is good—much more so than we can possibly imagine. And he stands ready to give, well, perhaps not the answers the world would like, but to give the One who holds all the answers in his hand.

Tim Keller does a righteous job of showcasing to us, and to the world, that Jesus is worth trusting. Period. End of argument. After all, when they hang you on a cross like meat on a hook, you have the final word on suffering.

Go read the rest of the review. And pick up Walking With God Through Pain & Suffering for 41% off (or Amazon | Kindle)

Tim Keller & Our Character Flaws

Tim Keller, through the lens of what he's learned from John Newton, thinks about how we deal with character flaws. 

The final result of all this is that people cannot see their sins because they are looking only at their virtues. ...Christians do not work on the supernatural graces of the spirit that are not natural to us, and that mitigate or eliminate the dark side—the besetting sins—of our nature. 

So how can we be shaken out of our lethargy and awakened to our need to grow? Here are some principles that I have gleaned from Newton’s letters over the years. 

1. Know that your worst character flaws are the ones you can see the least. 

2. Remember that you can’t learn about your biggest flaws just by being told—you must be shown.

3. Be willing to listen to correction and critique from others.

Go and read much more from Tim Keller on this.

Keller | Four Kinds Of People

In Tim Keller's excellent expository guide to Galatians says there are four kinds of people concerning works & the law. I'll give you his categories with a very short explanation. Check out Galatians For You (Amazon, Kindle, WTS) starting on page 117 for a fuller explanation.

1. Law-obeying, law-relying | "Under the law," often smug, self-righteous, superior. Sensitive to criticism despite outward confidence. "Pharisees." They go to church.
2. Law-disobeying, law-relying | Strong works-righteousness, but not living consistently. May go to church, but on periphery b/c of low spiritual self-esteem. Guilt-ridden.
3. Law-disobeying, not law-relying | Secular & relativistic. Vague spirituality. Choose own moral standards & insist they are meeting them. Earn salvation by feeling superior to others.
4. Law-obeying, not law-relying | Understand the Gospel and living out the freedom of it. More tolerant than #3, more confident than #2, more sympathetic than #1. Still struggle to live out #4 and see the world as a #1, #2, or #3.

Keller | Questions for Sleepy or Nominal Christians

Helpful post today from Tim Keller on revival and the Spirit's work on sleepy and nominal Christians. Here's a teaser...

So how do you wake up sleepy Christians and convert nominal Christians? Let me give you what I would call my modernized American versions of the kinds of questions I would ask people if I was trying to get them to really think about whether or not they know Christ. These questions are adapted from The Experience Meeting by William Williams, based on the Welsh revivals during the Great Awakening. He would ask people to share about these types of questions in small group settings each week...

[...]

Have you been finding Scripture to be alive and active? Instead of just being a book, do you feel like Scripture is coming after you?

You are going to have to go to Tim Keller's blog to read the rest of the questions. This is an issue near and dear to me as I think there are few things more important for the American church than to work for the conversion of "Christians." You have to ask questions that will show them who they are, and who they aren't.

Tim Keller | The Grieving Sisters

Dr. Timothy Keller's third installment in the eBook series, Encounters With Jesus, is out. Go download The Grieving Sisters for $1.99. Also check out: The Skeptical Student and The Insider & The Outcast. These are coming out monthly.

About the Encounters With Jesus Series | "Those who met Jesus were often profoundly affected by their conversations with him. In his Encounters with Jesus series, Timothy Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, explores these conversations to show how they can still change our lives today." 

If you don't have it, I highly recommend the Kindle Paperwhite. Or you can download the book and read it for free on various Kindle apps for your computer, phone, or tablet.

Giveaway | Tim Keller on Galatians

UPDATE: Winners announced! Jonathan Smith, corey Sosebee, Jim Upchurch, Michael Battenfield, and Ronnie Batchelor. Please email me (pastorsteve [at] gmail [dot] com) your mailing address and I will make sure you get your books! Congratulations! If you didn't win (for some of you...again), keep your eyes peeled. I do regular giveaways here at Reformissionary.

Steve

_____

Tim Keller's new expository guide to Galatians, Galatians For You, is out today. Along with it is a Good Book Guide on Galatians called Galatians: Gospel Matters. It's a seven week study guide for individuals and groups. The fine folks at TheGoodBook.com have outdone themselves by giving me several copies to give away. More on that below, as well as how you enter to win. First, a bit about the books:

About Galatians For You...

First in a new series of expository guides to the Bible, Timothy Keller's Galatians For You walks you through the book of Galatians, showing how the gospel message changes the whole of our lives. 

Combining a close attention to the detail of the text with Timothy Keller's trademark gift for clear explanation and compelling insights, this resource will both engage your mind and stir your heart.

About Galatians: Gospel Matters study guide...

This seven-study guide by Timothy Keller will excite Christians about the gospel, and apply it to every aspect of their lives.

Gospel Matters takes us to the heart of a dispute of eternal significance. The Galatian church was torn between the view that their efforts saved them, and the gospel, which told them that it was Christ's work, not theirs, that mattered. The choice still confronts us today making this a hugely relevant and exciting book to study. 

I'm giving away these great books in 5 pairs (5 readers will get both!). So cool. By the way, I've been using the Galatians For You book as I preach through Galatians, and I'm halfway through. But it's written with the average Christian in mind and is suited for any of my readers. So good.

Simple to enter...

1. Tweet (post to Facebook if you aren't on Twitter, or do both!) without the quote marks: " Win Tim Keller's two new books on Galatians FREE! RT & comment at Reformissionary to enter: http://bit.ly/TKgalbks "

2. Comment below with where you shared it (so I can confirm you did step 1) with your real name and real email (kept private).For Fun in the comments, guess how many books (or volumes) on my desk are by or about Martin Luther. Hint: It's more than zero. :) 

I will use Random.org to pick 5 winners tomorrow (Wednesday) evening after 5pm central time. May the odds be ever in your favor!

(If you can't wait, I highly recommend you go purchase them now. Buy the book here and get the study guide free. Or buy only the book here at a deep discount.)

Tim Keller | The Insider & The Outcast

Dr. Timothy Keller's second installment in the eBook series, Encounters With Jesus, is out. Go download The Insider & The Outcast for $1.99. I just did. Also pick up the first installment: The Skeptical Student. These are coming out monthly.

About the Encounters With Jesus Series | "Those who met Jesus were often profoundly affected by their conversations with him. In his Encounters with Jesus series, Timothy Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, explores these conversations to show how they can still change our lives today." 

If you don't have it, I highly recommend the Kindle Paperwhite. Or you can download the book and read it for free on various Kindle apps for your computer, phone, or tablet.

Tim Keller | New Galatians Resources

Two great new resources from Tim Keller via The Good Book Company, both on Galatians. First is Galatians For You (also WTS), a book length expository guide to Galatians. Second is Galatians: Gospel Matters, a seven lesson study guide for individuals and groups.

From the website concerning Galatians For You...

First in a new series of expository guides to the Bible, Timothy Keller's Galatians For You walks you through the book of Galatians, showing how the gospel message changes the whole of our lives. 

Combining a close attention to the detail of the text with Timothy Keller's trademark gift for clear explanation and compelling insights, this resource will both engage your mind and stir your heart.

The good news is you can get the study guide free when buying the book...

LAUNCH OFFER
Get a free Galatians Bible study by Timothy Keller with every copy of Galatians for You. Simply add Galatians for You to your cart and you will be offered a free copy of Galatians: Gospel Matters at checkout. Offer valid until March 31st, 2013.

I've just started using Galatians For You for my new series of sermons through Galatians. I am using a number of commentaries for my series including Schreiner, Stott & others. This is the one book that I could put in the hands of any member of my church and they would find it helpful for personal reading & study, for teaching others, etc. It's not really a commentary, though you can use it that way (I am). But it also defines terms. From the introduction...

Any words that are used rarely or differently in everyday language outside the church are marked in gray when they first appear, and are explained in a glossary toward the back.

I'm looking forward to adding each new expository guide to my library as they are released, and they will be some of the most recommended books in my church because they are accessible to every Christian at every level of maturity in Christ. What a great idea! The Good Book Company needs to be on your publisher-radar if they aren't already. I'm not only using this resource; I'm using other study materials for discipleship in our church. Good stuff on The Good Book.

Tim Keller on Les Mis

Tim Keller commented on recently viewing the movie version of Les Miserables with his wife, Kathy. It's short and to the point, and I'm only giving you a snippet...

I could make this review, very, very short: It’s been a long time since Kathy and I left a theater with tears running down our cheeks.

[...]

I for one am glad that millions of viewers will be exposed to the themes of redemption, self-righteousness, and self-sacrifice. Critics uncomfortable with the unabashed sincerity with which those themes are treated have mocked the film as “risible.” The rest of us can weep tears of joy.

In the short "review" there's more good stuff. Go read it.

Keller on Morning Joe | Every Good Endeavor

Morning Joe yesterday had Tim Keller on to talk about Every Good Endeavor. He's so good at bringing clarity to issues quickly.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

How the Holy Spirit Makes Us Wise

Tim Chester points to this excellent quote from Tim Keller in Every Good Endeavor. I wanted to share it with you. You should also read Chester's blog. Regularly gives you gems like this...

Here then is how the Spirit makes us wise. On the night before he died, Jesus told his disciples that he would send the Holy spirit and ‘when he, the Spirit of truth, come … he will glorify me …’ (John 16:13-14). The Spirit does not make us wise in some magical kind of way, giving us little nudges and insider tips to help us always choose the best stock to invest in. Rather, he makes Jesus Christ a living, bright reality, transforming our character, giving us new inner poise, clarity, humility, boldness, contentment, and courage. All of this leads to increasing wisdom as the years go by, and to better and better professional and personal decisions.

Go get Every Good Endeavor.

Keller | "How Faith Affects Our Work"

In his new blog post about his book, Every Good Endeavor, Tim Keller discusses four ways Christian faith influences and shapes our work. It is what he says is the meaning of his book in a nutshell. Here they are listed for you. Go read Dr. Keller's post, "How Faith Affects Our Work" for more explanation of these four points. And pick up a copy of Every Good Endeavor.

1. The Christian faith gives us a moral compass, an inner GPS giving us ethical guidance that takes us beyond merely the legal aspects or requirements in any situation. 
2. Your Christian faith gives you a new spiritual power, an inner gyroscope, that keeps you from being overthrown by either success, failure, or boredom.
3. The Christian faith gives us a new conception of work as the means by which God loves and cares for his world through us.
4. The Christian faith gives us a new world-and-life view that shapes the character of our work.

The Two Movements of the Gospel

The power of the gospel comes in two movements. It first says, “I am more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe,” but then quickly follows with, “I am more accepted and loved than I ever dared hope.” The former outflanks antinomianism, while the latter staves off legalism. One of the greatest challenges is to be vigilant in both directions at once. Whenever we find ourselves fighting against one of these errors, it is extraordinarily easy to combat it by slipping into the other. Here’s a test: if you think one of these errors is much more dangerous than the other, you are probably partially participating in the one you fear less.

Tim Keller in Center Church, page 48 (Kindle)

Tim Keller | The Skeptical Student

Dr. Timothy Keller continues to add to his library helpful books, now in a new format. Check this announcement from the publisher, Dutton...

On December 4th, Dutton will release the first essay in a new e-book series by renowned pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller. The series, entitled ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS (December 4, 2012; $1.99), will feature ten installments, launching with The Skeptical Student.

The Skeptical Student is based on a series of talks Keller gave in Oxford, England to a campus group – most of them skeptics – earlier this year. During these talks, Keller explored the inspiring story of Nathaniel’s life-changing encounter in the Gospel of John. It has lessons for those who are skeptical themselves about Christianity and also for Christians who encounter skepticism from those who do not believe.

Timothy Keller is the pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the author of The Reason for God and the recently published Every Good Endeavor. The other titles in the ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS series include:

• The Insider and the Outcast
• The Grieving Sisters
• The Wedding Party
• The First Christian

I doubt I'm the only one excited about this project. I've just received the first installment look forward to the rest. It should be a valuable resource for pastors, apologists & evangelists, and probably most of all to the everyday witness to Christ...those who love their neighbors.

How We Appeal To Unbelievers To Believe The Gospel

Tim Keller discusses biblical contextualization in his book Center Church (Kindle version). In one section he talks about how to persuade unbelievers, and specifically that you can't only persuade in one way only since "people of different temperaments and from different cultures reason differently." (p 114) We can't take one biblical story and draw out a one-size-fits-all appeal to believe the Gospel. Here's Keller's list of the different ways we appeal to unbelievers to believe the Gospel. He explains them further in the book with Scripture, so please go read more on pages 114-115.

1. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of fear of judgment and death.
2. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of a desire for release from the burdens of guilt and shame.
3. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of appreciation for the “attractiveness of truth.”
4. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God to satisfy unfulfilled existential longings.
5. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God for help with a problem.
6. Lastly, the appeal is to come to God simply out of a desire to be loved.

GIVEAWAY! | Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller

WINNER: Kevin Chen. Congrats! His guess of what water I was drinking was Costco brand, Kirkland. That was wrong. But Todd Gragg & Nate Downey were correct with "Nestle Pure Life." Good work guys! Thanks for your participation all! Hope you pick up the book. My copy came in the mail today and I ordered two more today to give away.

-----

UPDATE: WTS has Every Good Endeavor listed for 70% off today!

-----

TODAY ONLY, I'm giving away one copy of Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller. It's brand new, out today! From Dr. Keller's website...

In a work world that is increasingly competitive and insecure, people often have nagging questions: Why am I doing this work? Why is it so hard? And is there anything I can do about it? 



Tim Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, has taught and counseled students, young professionals, and senior leaders on the subject of work and calling for more than twenty years. Now he puts his insights into a book for readers everywhere, giving biblical perspectives on such pressing questions as:


• What is the purpose of work?

• How can I find meaning and serve customers in a cutthroat, bottom-line-oriented workplace?

• How can I use my skills in a vocation that has meaning and purpose?

• Can I stay true to my values and still advance in my field?

• How do I make the difficult choices that must be made in the course of a successful career?



With deep insight and often surprising advice, Keller shows readers that biblical wisdom is immensely relevant to our questions about our work. In fact, the Christian view of work—that we work to serve others, not ourselves—can provide the foundation of a thriving professional and balanced personal life. Keller shows how excellence, integrity, discipline, creativity, and passion in the workplace can help others and even be considered acts of worship—not just of self-interest.

Another great resource from Tim Keller. Glad I have a copy (thanks to the good folks at Dutton) to give away to one of my readers here at Reformissionary. Here's how to enter for your chance to win.

1. Tweet (or post to Facebook if you aren't on Twitter, or do both!) without the quote marks: " GIVEAWAY of Tim Keller's new book, Every Good Endeavor. RT & comment at Reformissionary to enter: http://bit.ly/egeTK "

2. Comment below (so I can confirm you did step 1) with your real name and real email (kept private) and For Fun guess what brand of bottled water I just consumed before bed last night.

*I'll use random.org to pick the ONE winner sometime after 5pm today. I'll announce the winner on the blog & send out an email. May the odds be ever in your favor! And whether you win or not, this will be a great book to give away in our churches as our congregation needs gospel words on our work. So get a couple copies (Amazon | Kindle). I will be.

Tim Keller: Center Church | $8.99 on Kindle

Wow! Center Church is $8.99 on Kindle. No idea how long. So hurry up and get it! I have a physical copy and I'm buying the Kindle version too.

5 Characteristics of Gospel Renewal Preaching

I listed the three basic traits of frontline prayer yesterday from chapter 6 of Tim Keller's Center Church. Chapter 6 is "The Work of Gospel Renewal." Today, from the same chaper, Keller's five characteristics that define preaching for gospel renewal. He explains all five in some detail, so pick up the book. 

1. Preach to distinguish between religion and the gospel
2. Preach both the holiness and the love of God to convey the richness of grace
3. Preach not only to make the truth clear but also to make it real
4. Preach Christ from every text
5. Preach to both Christians and non-Christians at once

(Center Church, pages 77-79)

Three Basic Traits of Frontline Prayer

In chapter 6 of Center Church, Tim Keller discusses "The Work of Gospel Renewal." The first means of Gospel renewal Keller mentions is Extraordinary Prayer. There he lists the three basic traits of frontline prayer (as contrasted with "maintenance prayer")...

1. A request for grace to confess sins and to humble ourselves
2. A compassion and zeal for the flourishing of the church and the reaching of the lost
3. A yearning to know God, to see his face, to glimpse his glory

Keller then states, "If you pay attention at a prayer meeting, you can tell quite clearly whether these traits are present."

Use these 3 traits as a guide when you lead times of focused prayer in your church, small group, and prayer meetings. As Keller writes, "To kindle every revival, the Holy Spirit initially uses what Jonathan Edwards called 'extraordinary prayer' -- united, persistent, and kingdom centered."

(Center Church, page 73)

Tim Keller Speaking LIVE on Center Church

Livestreaming now! 2pm on Friday, October 19th...

Watch live streaming video from zondervan at livestream.com

Tim Keller | New City Catechism

Tim Keller posted on his blog today about New City Catechism...

One of the reasons to develop intermediate catechisms like New City Catechism is to fill a gap between children’s catechisms and the longer and more extensive older ones. New City Catechism is short—52 questions and answers, one for every week of the year. It is based on Calvin’s Geneva, and the Westminster Catechisms, and perhaps most of all on the Heidelberg. As such it gives people a strong dose of each, introducing them to the practice of catechesis, and developing in them an appetite and capacity for going deeper. It can therefore be used by church leaders as a bridge toward teaching members the older and more extensive catechisms of their respective denominations.

Read Dr. Keller's post "Why Write New Catechisms" as well as his previous post "Why Catechesis Now?" I'd also love to hear from those who have started using New City Catechism. What do you think about it?

Tim Keller: The Meaning of Marriage | $2.99 on Kindle

The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller is $2.99 on Kindle. (It's now $12.99...hope you didn't miss the deal! But still, a good price for a great book.)

No idea how long this will last. But I own the physical copy & multiple other copies to give away (and use for marriage counseling). And I still bought this for Kindle. You should too. This may be the most important book written on marriage (or that will be written on marriage) for years to come.

Grab it, and tell others!  

Keller's Five Questions

I'm not sure I've posted this before, but even if I did it's worth putting up again. David Cooke has posted Keller's Five Questions over at Cookies Days (a blog you should check out). He first posted it in 2009, I believe.

Keller said these are five questions he asks of a biblical text as he reads it for himself. Helpful.

1. How can I praise him?
2. How can I confess my sins on the basis of this text?
3. If this is really true, what wrong behavior, what harmful emotions or false attitudes result in me when I forget this? Every problem is because you have forgotten something. What problems are you facing?
4. What should I be aspiring to do on the basis of this text?
5. Why are you telling me this today.

Tim Keller | Center Church Livestream

This should be good. Two hour livestream with Tim Keller focusing on Center Church during a @TGC regional event. A week from today. Mark your calendar. Here's the schedule...

3:00-3:15 p.m.
Introduction to Tim Keller and The Gospel Coalition New England Regional Conference
Stephen Um

3:15-4:00 p.m.
Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City
Tim Keller

4:00-4:45 p.m.
Contextualization and Theological Vision
Tim Keller, Richard Lints, David Wells, and Stephen Um

4:45-5:00 p.m.
Live Q&A from Boston audience and from online
Use #TGCNE12 and #CenterChurch

Tim Keller | Center Church Giveaway!

UPDATE: Winners listed in the comments as...

Justin Edgar (@jstuddog)
Dan Buraga (@DanBuraga)
Steve Davis (@WhiteKnuckled)

Congratulations!

----------

TODAY ONLY, I'm giving away three copies of Center Church by Tim Keller. From the website...

In Center Church, Timothy Keller offers challenging insights and provocative questions based on over twenty years of ministry in New York City. This book outlines a theological vision for ministry—based on classic doctrines but rethinking our assumptions about church for our time and place—organized around three core commitments:

Gospel-centered: The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone and strategy of all that we do.

City-centered: Cities increasingly influence our global culture and affect the way we do ministry. With a positive approach toward our culture, we learn to affirm that cities are wonderful, strategic and underserved places for gospel ministry.

Movement-centered: Instead of building our own tribe, we seek the prosperity and peace of our community as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

I'm telling you, if you haven't seen this book it is a sight to see. Big and packed! It will be a staple in seminaries and church planting training programs. "Awesome" is the word for it. Great for reading through or at least having for refererence.

I asked the good folks at Zondervan several weeks ago if they could provide some giveaway copies of Center Church because I want readers of my Tim Keller Resources page to have a chance to win one. They gave me three! Thanks Zondervan!

Here's how you enter for your chance to win. Simple.

1. Tweet (or post to Facebook if you aren't on Twitter, or do both!) without the quote marks: " Want a free copy of Tim Keller's Center Church? RT this & comment at Reformissionary to enter: http://bit.ly/TKbook "

2. Comment below (so I can confirm you did step 1) with your real name and real email (kept private) and For Fun guess the number of writing utensils on my desk right now (pens, pencils, markers, etc. Hint: I have two coffee mugs for writing utensils plus more than that. It's more than 1 and less than 100.

*I'll use random.org to pick the 3 winners sometime after 5pm. I'll announce the winners on the blog & send out emails. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Keller: Every Good Endeavor Intro

The intro to Tim Keller's new book, Every Good Endeavor (book website), is available in PDF form. The book releases November 13th. A blurb...

Unless there is God. If the God of the Bible exists, and there is a True Reality beneath and behind this one, and this life is not the only life, then every good endeavor, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God’s calling, can matter forever. That is what the Christian faith promises.

Tim Keller | Center Church Releases Tomorrow!

I'm very excited to have Center Church by Dr. Timothy Keller in my library. It's nearly 400 pages and is packed full of good stuff. It's hard to describe how "packed full" it is until you see it. You can see pieces of it here...

• Introduction & Table of Contents
• Chapter 10: Active Contextualization

Check out some of the praise it's receiving...

I'm not exaggerating when I say that Center Church is my favorite book Tim Keller has written thus far.
- Scotty Smith, Christ Community Church

This is not simply curriculum content; it is exactly the kind of life-giving, generative gospel theology our churches need.
- Stephen Um, CityLife Presbyterian Church, Boston

This book will help you if you are serious about seeing your city transformed by the gospel of grace.
- Darrin Patrick, Vice President of the Acts 29 Network

In Center Church, one of the great missionary statesmen of our times lays out a vision of the church vigorous enough to transform entire cities through its agency of the gospel.
- Alan Hirsch, Founding Director of Forge Mission Training Network

Watch this video. Note that Keller says, "Things that work in cities often we find work outside of cities as well." This is more than a book for city-center church planting, and as I have said several times, the best books on the church (regardless of where you are located) are urban church books. 

Buy Center Church at 35% off (or 34% off at Amazon, if you prefer).

Tim Keller: "Losing My Religion" Open Forum

If you want to listen to what Tim Keller does when he holds Open Forums for non-Christians, skeptics, seekers, etc...listen to "Losing My Religion: Why Christians Should Drop Their Religion." Redeemer has audio from 44 Open Forums, though I haven't checked if audio for others is offered free like this one. MP3s are typically $2.50, but this one is free.

I listened today. Instructive for us as missionaries and preachers, evangelists and apologists, disciples and strugglers with religiosity. He confronts religion, truths, psychology, philosophy, and truth-claims respectfully, yet still directly. 

How can we as pastors and ministers speak to our city, our culture, with intellect, wisdom, courage, and charity? Keller's example helps me, and I hope it will help you too.

Keller: It Takes Faith to Doubt

From Tim Keller, part 2 of his posts on how the Gospel changes our apologetics...

...a gospel-shaped apologetic starts not with telling people what to believe, but by showing them their real problem. In this case we are showing secular people that they have less warrant for their faith assumptions than we do for ours. We need to show that it takes faith even to doubt.

[...]

There is a way of telling the gospel that makes people say, “I don’t believe it’s true, but I wish it were.” You have to get to the beauty of it, and then go back to the reasons for it. Only then, when you show that it takes more faith to doubt it than to believe it; when the things you see out there in the world are better explained by the Christian account of things than the secular account of things; and when they experience a community in which they actually do see Christianity embodied, in healthy Christian lives and solid Christian community, that many will believe.

Read all of How the Gospel Changes Our Apologetics, Part 2 (Part 1)

Tim Keller | How The Gospel Changes Our Apologetics

How do we do apologetics? Tim Keller weighs in...

Apologetics is an answer to the “why” question after you’ve already given people an answer to the “what” question. The what question, of course, is “What is the gospel?” But when you call people to believe in the gospel and they ask, “Why should I believe that?” —then you need apologetics.

I’ve heard plenty of Christians try to answer the why question by going back to the what. “You have to believe because Jesus is the Son of God.” But that’s answering the why with more what. Increasingly we live in a time in which you can’t avoid the why question. Just giving the what (for example, a vivid gospel presentation) worked in the days when the cultural institutions created an environment in which Christianity just felt true or at least honorable. But in a post-Christendom society, in the marketplace of ideas, you have to explain why this is true, or people will just dismiss it.

Go read Dr. Keller's entire post and visit my Tim Keller Resources page for much more from Tim Keller.

Tim Keller: Dealing With Evil

Tim Keller on how liberals and conservatives deal with the reality of evil in his sermon on Spiritual Warfare...

The Gospel is the only approach that truly is not simplistic, that looks at the messed up families, looks at messed up hearts, looks at messed up neighborhoods and says, "There's biological problems, there's sociological problems, there's psychological problems, there's moral problems, there's spiritual problems, there's demonological problems...we're going to look at all of those things, we're going to deal with all of them. All of them!" ... Until you embrace the Christian understanding of evil, you are reductionistic, you are simplistic. You'll either make the liberal mistake of underestimating cosmic evil, or the conservative mistake, frankly sometimes of just saying we can't do a thing.

Fireside Chat: Tim Keller & Eric Metaxas

If you missed it, you should check out this interesting discussion for the New Canaan Society between Eric Metaxas (twitter) and Tim Keller. The discussion is in large part about science, creation, evolution, hell, and Rob Bell.

Eric Metaxas and Tim Keller "Fireside Chat" from Brian McGee on Vimeo.

Tim Keller Evangelism Tips

The salternlite blog transcribes 10 "evangelism tips" from Tim Keller. I believe these come from this talk. By the way, for some reason blog trolls love commenting on how "preach the gospel" isn't on the list. If you assume Tim Keller isn't talking about preaching the gospel in and through these things, you are dense and your comments will not be appreciated. For those of us who are thinking about how we can bring the gospel to our neighbors, these suggestions should be simple and helpful. A bit more context is given at the end.

1. Let people around you know you are a Christian (in a natural, unforced way)
2. Ask friends about their faith – and just listen!
3. Listen to your friends problems – maybe offer to pray for them
4. Share your problems with others – testify to how your faith helps you
5. Give them a book to read
6. Share your story
7. Answer objections and questions
8. Invite them to a church event
9. Offer to read the Bible with them
10. Take them to an explore course

Keller suggests, according to salternlite, to start with 1-4, move to 5-7, and then 8-10. Too often we start at the bottom.

Keller: OT & Charge of Inconsistency

Once you grant the main premise of the Bible—about the surpassing significance of Christ and his salvation—then all the various parts of the Bible make sense. Because of Christ, the ceremonial law is repealed. Because of Christ the church is no longer a nation-state imposing civil penalties. It all falls into place. However, if you reject the idea of Christ as Son of God and Savior, then, of course, the Bible is at best a mish-mash containing some inspiration and wisdom, but most of it would have to be rejected as foolish or erroneous.

Tim Keller - "Old Testament Law & the Charge of Inconsistency"

Tim Keller | "Changing the World Through Cities"

Tim Keller recently spoke at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee on "Changing the World Through Cities." Go listen and/or download.

UPDATE: There were three talks given, all available online. (Also note the 2007 talk.)

• "Should I Not Love That Great City"
• "Gospel Movements In Cities"
• "Changing the World Through Cities"
• Plus, a little birdie told me there is a Q&A session not posted

Tim Keller | Redeemer Report Articles

Here are all of Tim Keller's Redeemer Report articles from 2008 through now. (Source, including many articles by other authors)

• The Gospel and Humor (June 2008)
• The Importance of Hell (August 2008)
• Yes, I Wrote (Another) Book (September 2008)
• The Difficulty of Community (October 2008)
• Financial Scarcity + Gospel Joy = Riches (December 2008)
• The Grace of The Law (January 2009)
• Pharisees With Low Standards (February 2009)
• The Resurrection and Christian Mission (April 2009)
• Scoffers, Scorners, and Snark (May 2009)
• The Obtrusive Self (June 2009)
• Covenant Renewal and Redeemer’s “DNA” (September 2009)
• The RENEW Campaign and Redeemer’s Future (October 2009)
• Sending Everybody (November 2009)
• Thank You. Thank You. Now Let's Repent (December 2009)
• Work and Cultural Renewal (January 2010)
• Lay Leadership and Redeemer’s Future (February 2010)
• Authority (April 2010)
• Long Distance Spirituality (May 2010)
• Faithfulness and Meekness (June 2010)
• From “Come and See” To “Go and Share” (September 2010)
• How to Pray Better in Public and in Private, Too (October 2010)
• Justice and Generosity (November 2010)
• Only Believers or Disciples? (January 2011)
• Backlash and Civility (February 2011)
• The Honors of the King (March 2011)
• New Website for Those Investigating Faith (June/July 2011)
• The Lay Ministry Dynamic (August 2011)
• The Altar (October 2011)
• Year-End Generosity (December 2011)
• Why Conversion and Revival are Biblical (February 2012)
• Statement on NYC School's Decision to Ban Churches (February 2012)

Lots-o-Links 12.15.11

5 Ways Wives Can Encourage Their Husbands | Jared Wilson

When you nitpick and nag, you give mouthpiece to the accuser who wants your husband to know not only does he not have what it takes, he is worthless because of it. So find ways to constructively criticize and help him repent, but more than that, tell him what you like about him, how you find him attractive or admirable, how you respect him or are impressed by him. Outdo him in showing honor (Rom. 12:10).

Coming Together On Culture, Part 1: Theological Issues  | Tim Keller

On the surface, the Reformed and evangelical world seems divided between "Cultural Transformationists" and the "Two Kingdoms" views of these things. Transformationists fall into fairly different camps, including the neo-Calvinists who follow Abraham Kuyper, the Christian Right, and the theonomists. Though different in significant ways, they all believe Christians should be about redeeming and changing the culture along Christian lines.

Pencil Does Not Fade | Joe Thorn

A cursory search on the internet shows most people stating as fact, “Writing in pencil will fade over time.” Rather than trust the opinion of some random dude on Yahoo Answers who hasn’t even read an article on the subject, I thought I would ask some people who could give me better direction. So I contacted the National Archives. They were happy to answer my questions quickly and provide helpful references. After a few email exchanges with people who spend their time in historic documents, here is the bottom line for those wondering if writing in pencil will fade.

Graphite pencil is a very stable material.  It does not fade in light. It does not bleed in water unless other dyes were added.

Mark Dever - Reading Sibbes Aloud | After purchasing the 7 vol Works of Richard Sibbes I was reminded that Mark Dever, who literally wrote the book on Sibbes, has read aloud a number of Sibbes sermons. A nice idea, and worth checking out.

Tim Keller | Google Talk On Marriage

Tim Keller is 100 gifts to the Church. Maybe one of the most important is his ability to talk to non-Christians & intellectuals. Here's his hour long talk to the employees at Google on The Meaning of Marriage. How many Christians could talk to this crowd in such a reasonable and inviting way on an issue of decreasing weight in our culture? Wonderful. (HT:JT)

Keller | Preaching in a Secular Culture

From Tim Keller's new article, "Preaching in a Secular Culture," on some practices for preaching to secular people...

• Solve all problems with the gospel
• Beware of assumptions
• Engage in apologetics
• Provide applications for both parties
• Be authentic
• Be conscious of alienating language
• Expect, and respect, doubt
• Address the wider community
• Draw on cultural references
• Read across the spectrum

For more on these 10 practices and a lot more on preaching in a secular culture, go read the whole article.

Tim Keller | "Gospel Polemics, Part 4"

Tim Keller continues (& concludes) his blog series on Gospel Polemics with "Gospel Polemics, Part 4: Everybody's Rule." Here's a roundup of the first six rules. A blurb from "Everybody's Rule" concerning the evil of ad hominem arguments...

...no one has written more eloquently about this rule than John Newton, in his well-known “Letter on Controversy.” Newton says that first, before you begin to write a single word against an opponent, “and during the whole time you are preparing your answer, you may commend him by earnest prayer to the Lord's teaching and blessing.” This practice will stir up love for him and “such a disposition will have a good influence upon every page you write.” Later in the letter Newton says, “Be upon your guard against admitting anything personal into the debate. If you think you have been ill treated, you will have an opportunity of showing that you are a disciple of Jesus, who ‘when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not.’ ” It is a great danger to aim to “gain the laugh on your side,” to make your opponent look evil and ridiculous instead of engaging their views with “the compassion due to the souls of men.”

[...]

I would even ask seminaries to consider at least one course in “Polemical Theology” which would not simply list the errors that need to be refuted, but which would teach students how to go about theological dispute in a way that accords with Biblical wisdom and the gospel.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Tim Keller | The Berlin Conference

Tim Keller gave three talks at the 2011 Berlin Conference, two of which were followed by questions & answers. You have to register on the City to City Europe website to download, but it's worth it. His talks...

• The Gospel-Centered Church (also Q&A)
• The Urban Church (also Q&A)
• The Holistic Church

Go to City to City Europe to download them.

Tim Keller | The Meaning of Marriage Q&A

Karen Swallow Prior interviews Tim Keller on his new book, The Meaning of Marriage. A blurb...

What does your book contributes to the conversation about marriage that other books have not?

It's not simply a how-to manual. Many Christian marriage books are "here's how to work on your problems." On the other hand, the book is not just theological on "here's the biblical view of marriage." The most recent and the best-selling Christian books on marriage from the last few years were either theological, polemical, or absolutely practical. This is a combination of those.  Most books I know on the subject recently have not been written by pastors; they've been written by counselors or theologians or people like that. This book was originally a series of sermons. When you preach, the sermon usually goes from the theological to the more polemical and into the practical.

Read the entire interview.

Tim Keller | "Gospel Polemics, Part 3"

Tim Keller has been writing about Gospel polemics. His first post he gave some introductory thoughts. Last post Dr. Keller listed 3 rules for Gospel polemics. This post he gives three more. Here are all six...

1. Carson’s Rule—You don’t have to follow Matthew 18 before publishing polemics.
2. Murray’s Rule—You must take full responsibility for even unwitting misrepresentation of someone’s views.
3. Alexander’s Rule—Never attribute an opinion to your opponent that he himself does not own.
4. Gillespie’s Rule A – Take your opponents’ views in total, not selectively. 
5. Gillespie’s Rule B – Represent and engage your opponents’ position in its very strongest form, not in a weak ‘straw man’ form.
6. Calvin’s Rule – Seek to persuade, not antagonize, but watch your motives! 

Go read all three posts: Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3

Tim Keller | "Gospel Polemics, Part 2"

Tim Keller discusses 3 rules for Gospel Polemics in his new post that "will help us neither avoid polemics nor engage in them in a spiritually destructive way." Here are the rules, but go read his explanations.

1. Carson’s Rule – You don’t have to follow Matthew 18 before publishing polemics
2. Murray’s Rule – You must take full responsibility for even unwitting misrepresentation of someone’s views
3. Alexander’s Rule – Never attribute an opinion to your opponent that he himself does not own

Read "Gospel Polemics, Part 2," or start with "Gospel Polemics, Part 1."

Tim Keller | "Gospel Polemics, Part 1"

Polemics is medicine, not food. Without medicine we will surely die—we can’t live without it. This is why “polemical theology’ must be a required part of every theological curriculum. Yet we cannot live on medicine. If you engage in polemics with relish and joy—if polemics takes up a significant percentage or even a majority of your time and energy—it is like trying to live on medicine alone. It won’t work, for the church or for you.

Tim Keller, "Gospel Polemics, Part 1" - read more

Bloodlines by John Piper

John Piper's new book on race, Bloodlines (Kindle), is getting some buzz. Mostly because of the video at the end of this post, which you should watch. It's a trailer for a 20 minute documentary. Then today I noticed the forward is by Tim Keller. So, of course, I had to share that with you (via)...

I was excited when I learned that John Piper was writing a book on race and the gospel of the cross. When John gave me the privilege of reading the manuscript, I devoured it and found that despite my high expectations I was not disappointed. It was helpful to me personally, helpful to me theologically (in understanding the relevance of the gospel to racial conflict), and it was especially encouraging to me to think that many in the evangelical world would read it.

John and I are both old enough to remember the complicity of evangelical churches and institutions with the systemic racism in the US before the civil rights movement. I took my first church in a small town in the South in the early 1970s. The courts had recently ruled that the whites-only public swimming pool, operated by the town with taxpayers’ money, had to be integrated. So what did the town do? It shut the pool down completely, and the white people of the town opened a new private swimming pool and club, which of course, did not have to admit racial minorities. Because I was a young pastor, our family was often invited to swim there, and swim we did, not really cognizant of what the pool represented.

One of the reasons I think this book is so important is that conservative evangelicals (particularly white ones) seem to have become more indifferent to the sin of racism during my lifetime. Why? One reason, of course, is the stubbornness of the sinful heart. We never want to hear about what is wrong with us. Another factor may be cultural. Many have made racism and prejudice virtually the only thing they will still call a “sin,” and they often lay the guilt for the sin of racism at the doorstep of those who are social conservatives. Because of that, many who identify themselves as conservatives simply don’t want to hear about racism anymore. They give lip service to it being a sin, but they associate any sustained denunciation of racism with the liberal or secular systems of thought. John’s book is a strong antidote to this misconception. His motivation is simply as a preacher of the Word to bring to light what God says in it regarding race and racism.

There are many ways in which this book will help the church in its struggle with the sin of racism. First, John takes us to all the biblical texts that speak most directly to the subject of race. But—and this was most helpful to me—John does not stop there. He then goes to most of the central doctrines and themes of our faith and shows the implications of each one for our understanding of race. He demonstrates how Jesus’s proclamation of the kingdom, his substitutionary atonement, the doctrine of conversion, of union with Christ, of justification by faith—all transform our attitude toward our own race and culture as well as to those belonging to other races and cultures.

I won’t ever forget how one of the elders in my first church, who had been growing in his understanding of the gospel and of the cross of Jesus, said to me, “You know, I realize I’ve been a racist all my life.” I hadn’t spoken to him of racism at all, but as he was going deeper into the theology of grace, he connected the dots for himself. I must say that most of us are not that insightful, and that’s why we need this volume. Let John Piper connect the dots for you.

Tim Keller
February 2011
Foreword from Bloodlines by John Piper

Keller | Lloyd-Jones on Preaching & the Gospel

Tim Keller's newest blog post on Martyn Lloyd-Jones & preaching: "Lloyd-Jones on Preaching the Gospel, Part 2"...

Do we preach the gospel so clearly even when we are seeking to edify that there are always at least a trickle of people within our church who come to see that they never really believed? The purpose of every sermon, according to Dr Lloyd-Jones, is not to give information and general instruction but to preach the gospel and make it real to the heart.

Tim Keller | "Wisdom and Sabbath Rest"

From Tim Keller's article, "Wisdom and Sabbath Rest," which is adapted from a 2007 leadership training session talk at Redeemer.

The purpose of Sabbath is not simply to rejuvenate yourself in order to do more production, nor is it the pursuit of pleasure. The purpose of Sabbath is to enjoy your God, life in general, what you have accomplished in the world through his help, and the freedom you have in the gospel—the freedom from slavery toany material object or human expectation. The Sabbath is a sign of the hope that we have in the world to come.