Redeemer Presbyterian Church Sermons
The church is described as "living stones" to represent it as a deeply interconnected community. We must neither give into culture nor withdraw from culture, but maintain our beliefs while engaging and serving the world. The power to maintain this balance comes from being secure in Christ and united as a church body, with him as our cornerstone.
The identity and mission of the church centers around human relationships, and we need to be in relationships with each other to understand God. As "spiritual temples" we become the dwelling place of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As part of a "royal priesthood" we are called to worship and offer spiritual sacrifice to God. All of this is done in community with the past, present, and future body of believers.
Timothy and Kathy Keller continue to discuss the biblical view of singleness and marriage in an open forum setting. Topics discussed include the biblical passage on eunuchs, coping with romantic rejection, spiritual growth as a single person, seeking a spouse, making an idol out of a romantic relationship, meaningless romantic relationships, dating non-Christians, and myths about both singleness and marriage.
Many Americans disregard Christianity not because they don't believe in God, but because they don't believe in the church. Jesus exhorts the church to be a "city on a hill," a community where people love and serve one another, in fellowship with God as well as with our neighbor. When he fulfills our deepest needs, we can find resources that we never knew we had for serving others.
Christianity presents a revolutionary view of sex, singleness, and marriage that rejects both traditional and modern conceptions of the purpose of sex. Ultimately, our hope in our future family, future journey and certainty of our true love, Jesus Christ, shapes our attitudes towards sex, singleness, and marriage.
Timothy and Kathy Keller discuss the Biblical view of dating, sex, and romance; the goodness of singleness; and the Christian ordering of the different types of love. This talk was done in an open forum setting and is followed by a Q&A.
Lust exists, it is powerful, and we must respect its power. The Bible rejoices in sex and sexual desire, but lust is an impersonal, inordinate desire and an idolatrous search for meaning. Lust can be overcome if you esteem Jesus as your bridegroom and the lover of your soul.
Ruth is a story of redeemers. Ruth teaches us that friendships can change the world (as with Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer), and that we can and must reach across spiritual and cultural barriers to do so (as with Ruth, the hidden redeemer). Both Boaz and Ruth point to Jesus, our true Redeemer. Once we realize that, we can ourselves reach across barriers to engage in spiritual friendships and be true disciples of Jesus.
Racial and cultural differences exist. They cannot be resolved by simply embracing broad-mindedness, but by adjusting our lives and forming deep relationships with people from whom we are different. These relationships will enable us to finally view all aspects of God’s glory.
Jesus not only saves us from our sins, he weaves us into a new human community. That community is characterized by a reversal of values. When we realize that we are both sinners and saved by grace, we will have freedom from the values that previously defined us, and yet a regard and love for those who don't share our values.