Shaped by the Gospel by Timothy Keller

Author:Timothy Keller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2016-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

Unbalanced revivalism indeed undermines the work of the established church. But balanced revivalism — a commitment to corporate and individual gospel renewal through the ordinary means of grace — is the work of the church. This is because it is possible (even common) for a person to be baptized, to be an active member of the church, to subscribe to all biblical doctrines, and to live according to biblical ethics, but nonetheless to be wholly unconverted. Revivalist ministry emphasizes conversion and spiritual renewal, not only for those outside the church, but also for those inside the church. Some need to be converted from clear unbelief; others need to see, to their surprise, that they’ve never been converted; still others need to sense their spiritual stagnation.

In commenting on “the truth of the gospel” (Gal 2:5), Martin Luther says the gospel is for us “the principal article of all Christian doctrine . . . Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.”14 If it were natural or even possible for our hearts to operate consistently from the truth and in the life-giving power of the gospel, we wouldn’t need to have it beat into our heads continually. We wouldn’t need a persistent, balanced, revivalist ministry of gospel renewal. But of course it isn’t possible; and so we do.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Have you ever experienced spiritual renewal in a corporate setting as described in this chapter? If so, how would you describe it? How did it differ from a more personal experience of renewal?

2. What training currently takes place in your church for teaching children and new believers, and what three things could you do differently after reading this chapter?

3. What does it mean to say that “the basic insights and practices of gospel renewal ministry are right for two reasons: they fit our times, and they center on the heart in a biblical way.” How does gospel renewal ministry fit our times, and how is it uniquely focused on the heart?

4. How can you bring more of a gospel renewal focus to your existing ministry?

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.