by Timothy J. Keller
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Servanthood
The Cost of Mission
The reality of meeting God changes you into a person of mission: one who is willing to leave what is comfortable in order to love and serve others. As you take risks to bless others, you will find yourself receiving not only the gifts and resources necessary to do so, but the greatest blessing of all - His presence in your life. Scripture: Genesis 12:1-4
Better than Miracles
1 Corinthians 13 seems sweet,but in the context of the entire book of 1 Corinthians,it is a sober warning against straying from the Gospel. If a person is gifted - as many of the Corinthians were - then it is frighteningly easy for that person to mistake their spiritual gifts for spiritual fruit. When we serve others in the church,are we serving Jesus or are we serving ourselves? Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Acts 18:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Corinthians 10:24; Matthew 7:21-23
The One God Uses
We need a calling in life greater than the selfishness of our own hearts. When Elijah takes Elisha as his successor,we see an example of the call of God. Elisha did not call himself,but was called by God. Though he was rich,he gave up his wealth in order to answer God's call. Likewise,every Christian must follow the specific call that God has laid out for them,and must fall back upon the grace of God when we inevitably fail to measure up to all that God has called us to do and to be. Scripture: 1 Kings 19:15-21; 2 Kings 2:8-14; Matthew 9:13; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 2:10; John 1:42; 1 John 1:9; Romans 8:31
Real Friendship and the Pleading Priest
Abraham,in his intercessory prayer for Sodom,engages in the first priestly action of the Bible. His intercession implies a corporate responsibility in which righteousness as well as sin can be ascribed to a people,and his actions point to Christ,the great priest,and our role as the royal priesthood. Scripture: Genesis 18:16-33
Neighbors
The parable of the Good Samaritan demonstrates a powerful example of gospel neighboring. Through examining this parable,we can recognize four elements to help us to act out the neighbored grace modeled by Jesus in our own lives: God's mandate,magnitude,proper motivation,and method. Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
The Steward Leader: A Biblical Model for Leadership (with Q&A)
The Bible offers a model of leadership based on service, viewing ourselves as servants of Jesus Christ and stewards of what we have been given. Through unconditional relationships with God and our brothers in Christ, we learn how to love and minister effectively, and how to wisely utilize our gifts. This talk was given during a leadership training session at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:17-18, Philippians 2, John 13:16
Mercy and Justice
Blueprint for Revival; Social Concern
The parable of the Good Samaritan demonstrates a biblical model of social work and compassion. The Samaritan meets the physical,financial,emotional,and material needs of the man in his path. This parable reminds us that real faith is expressed in deeds as well as sentiments and words. Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
Blessed are the Poor
Luke 6:20-26
Justice
The biblical concept of justice emphasizes restoring the wholeness of the world. However,we contribute to the breakdown of the society when we put ourselves first. In Isaiah,we are shown some of the ways that God identifies with the poor,calls us to change our self-centered hearts,and works towards restoring the shalom of the world. Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-14
Hope for the Poor
There are some churches that care about evangelism but not about serving the poor. Other churches will eagerly serve the poor but they don't care about proclaiming the Gospel. But churches aren't meant to do one or the other; they must do both. In fact,the two are linked. When non-Christians see Christians sacrificially serving the needy,it displays the beauty of God to them and becomes an aid to evangelism. Separately,serving the poor doesn't just help others,but helps ourselves. One of the signs that we have truly experienced God's love is that we can love others - in word and in deed. Scrpture: 1 John 3:1-3, 14-20; Deuteronomy 15:7-8; Deuteronomy 4:5-7; Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9,12; Galatians 6:10; Luke 10:25-37; 1 John 4:2; 1 John 2:3-4; Luke 9:58
Generosity
Treasure vs. Money
Greed is a particularly dangerous sin because it hides in our hearts while binding us to our materialistic desires. Money has tremendous power over us: for some it is our significance,for others it is our security. We can break free from our slavery to money by treasuring Jesus,who was willing to pay the ultimate price so that we may be his ultimate treasure. Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34; Luke 11-12
The Gospel and Your Wealth
Money will always reveal what you truly worship. As God's money managers,we are called to share the money he has provided to us with those who do not have as much. However,money exercises great power over us and we are often oblivious to this power. If you feel unable to part with your wealth,meditate upon the radical generosity of Christ on the cross and he will become the treasure of your heart.
Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4, 8-10;4:1-6; Malachi 3-4
Radical Generosity
Habbakuk tells us how to deal with evil times and maintain joy when everything is going wrong. There are three principles to giving: give sacrificially,joyfully,and graciously. We must recognize that everything is a gift from God,so we're giving back from his gifts. Habbakuk points to Jesus as the true source of our strength. Scripture: Habakkuk 3; Matthew 6, Luke 19
Money and the Logic of Grace
Naturally we're inclined to spend our money on ourselves and if we have any left over,we will give it to ministry and charity. However,Jesus shows us how our priorities need to change. Giving to ministry and charity must come first. Only then should we figure out how to spend the rest of our money. Yet,it is only through the Gospel that we can give so much away. It is only when we are spiritually rich that we can stop looking at money as our real wealth and security. It is only when we look forward to the resurrection that we can be assured that the sacrifices we've made in this life will pale in comparison to the joys awaiting us in the age to come. Scripture: Luke 14:7-24; Luke 14:26; Luke 11:42-43; 2 Corinthians 8:3; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6; John 12:43; Romans 8:11; Matthew 25; Matthew 27:46