Exponential: Tim Keller – Breakout Session 7, “How to Accomplish the Jesus Mission”

Tim Keller is the Founding Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and the author of numerous books.

 

The application and facilitation of biblical, spiritual revival.

• The reason we’re not reproducing churches like we should is because we’re not alive.
• Being a reproducing churches is what you are, not just what you do.
• Explosive reproduction happens in revival.

 

16 DYNAMICS OF BIBLICAL, SPIRITUAL REVIVAL

 

3 Instruments of Revival (We have control over)

1. A recovery of the difference between the gospel and religion.

• Religion is the attitude that says, “I obey God, therefore I’m accepted.”
  • This person comes to church out of fear.
  • These people are trying to control God.
  • They feel God owes them because they’ve ‘paid their taxes.’
  • Most churches are filled with this type of person.
  •  The gospel says, “I’m accepted by God through the sacrifice of Christ, therefore I obey.”
• This person comes to church out of desire.
  • These people delight in letting God be God.
  • They can flow with whatever God throws their way.

2. A return to extraordinary, corporate prayer.

• Barrier-breaking, united prayer.

3. Creativity

• You never have a revival the same way twice.

 

3 Aspects of Revival (We have no control over)

1. Nominal church members get converted.

• When traditional people have never really experience regeneration, understand the difference between religion and the gospel they tell everyone.
•  This causes numbers of others to come under conviction and to follow.

2. Sleepy Christians wake-up.

• They understand in their head that Jesus is their Savior, but in their heart they look to human approval, or other things as their functional Savior.
• Jesus is their intellectual Savior, but not their functional Savior.
• They begin to sense the reality of Christ on their heart.
• They begin to make Jesus their functional Savior.

3. Evangelism taking place outside of programs.

 

6 Balances of Revival (These are partially controllable)

1. A strong emphasis on edifying worship.

• Worship that makes non-Christians feel welcome but Christians feel uplifted.

2. A strong emphasis on great teaching & preaching.

• This has to be gospel-oriented.
• Has to make the truth clear, but also real.

3. A strong emphasis on life-changing community.

• Life-change takes place amongst those you hang out with.

4. A strong emphasis on evangelism.

• When revival takes place there is a humility in Christians toward the nonbeliever, but there is also a boldness to share the gospel.

5. A strong passion for justice and the poor.

6. There is cultural engagement.

• You look at the culture and ask, “How can we make in impact?”
• Revival makes it impossible to seal off their lives from Christ.

 

4 Results of Revival (We have no control over)

1. There’s always a luny fringe.

• There will always be a fringe of people that take things too far.

2. There’s always a backlash.

• This can take place inside your denomination or your church or even in your culture.

3. There are a lot of churches planted.

4. There is real social healing.

 

As important as revival is, no revival lasts forever.

 

We have to be careful not to get too anxious, because ultimately there is only one revival that will bring ultimate healing – it’s called ‘the New Heaven and the New Earth’.