INTRODUCTION
Pg. 13-25
I. Overview.
The Introduction to Keller's book Center Church is divided into seven different sections with headers. They are:
In the first section, Keller introduces us to his book with the observation that there are two criteria churches and ministers have traditionally used to evaluate ministries. One way is to measure the success of a ministry through the numbers of people it reaches. In this view, both the number of conversions and the size of the crowds reveal if a ministry is doing what it is supposed to be doing. "In reaction to this emphasis on quantifiable success," says Keller, "many have countered that the only true criterion for ministers is faithfulness. All that matters in this view is that a minister be sound in doctrine, godly in character, and faithful in preaching and in pastoring people."
1. SUCCESSFUL, FAITHFUL, OR FRUITFUL? (13-14)1. SUCCESSFUL, FAITHFUL, OR FRUITFUL? (PG. 13-14)
2. THE "SECRET" OF REDEEMER'S SUCCESS (14-16)
3. HARDWARE, MIDDLEWARE, SOFTWARE (16-17)
4. THEOLOGICAL VISION (17-19)
5. WHY A WHOLE BOOK ON THEOLOGICAL VISION? (19-21)
6. CENTER CHURCH (21-23)
7. THE BALANCE OF THREE AXES (23-24)
In the first section, Keller introduces us to his book with the observation that there are two criteria churches and ministers have traditionally used to evaluate ministries. One way is to measure the success of a ministry through the numbers of people it reaches. In this view, both the number of conversions and the size of the crowds reveal if a ministry is doing what it is supposed to be doing. "In reaction to this emphasis on quantifiable success," says Keller, "many have countered that the only true criterion for ministers is faithfulness. All that matters in this view is that a minister be sound in doctrine, godly in character, and faithful in preaching and in pastoring people."
Keller attempts to show the weakness of both of these views by themselves and then offers a third view for evaluating ministry: fruitfulness. Keller points out a few Bible verses about the meaning and significance of bearing fruit and then uses 1 Corinthians 3:9 to illustrate the "pastoral nurture of congregations as a form of gardening:"
The gardening metaphor shows that both success and faithfulness by themselves are insufficient criteria for evaluating ministry. Gardeners must be faithful in their work, but they must also be skillful, or the garden will fail. Yet in the end, the degree of the success of the garden (or the ministry) is determined by factors beyond the control of the gardener. (pg. 13)Keller concludes that the measurement of fruitfulness is needed to hold ministers accountable without the "crushing" and unrealistic expectations of large crowds and big buildings.
2. THE SECRET OF REDEEMER'S SUCCESS (PG. 14-16)
In this section, Keller talks about his transition from Westminster Seminary to Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Because of their early success in reaching people in a hard-to-reach place, he began offering conferences on Redeemer's principles of ministry for the purpose of sharing with others their everyday experience of gospel work in Manhattan.
Keller distinguishes between two different types of books that ordinarily get written for ministries. The first type of book lays down a Biblical and theological foundation for ministry building and can be a regurgitation of what many pastors learned in seminary. The second type of book can more or less be described as a self-help book for ministries who are trying to get themselves off the ground. In either case, Keller explains why neither one by itself hits the target every time. He articulates the difference between those two type of books and the type of book Center Church aims to be.
Keller recounts his initial frustration which came because more often than not what people were hoping to glean from him were the "secrets" to a successful ministry program (as is found in the second type of book). They wanted to erect Redeemer's model in their own home towns and have it become just as successful. Keller explains why such was impossible:
During these years of conferences, it became clear that the real "secret of Redeemer's fruitfulness did not lie in its ministry programs but in something that functioned at a deeper level. What was important for observers to grasp was not so much the particular ministry expression but the way in which we arrived at the expressions we used at Redeemer. We had thought long and hard about the character and implications of the gospel and then long and hard about the culture of New York City, about the sensibilities of both Christians and non-Christians in our midst, and about the emotional and intellectual landscape of the center city. It was the character of that analysis and decision-making process rather than its specific products that was critical to the fruitfulness of our ministry in a global city center. (pg. 15-16)3. HARDWARE, MIDDLEWARE, SOFTWARE (PG. 16-17)
Here Keller explains that most pastors just focus on their hardware (theology) and their software (practice). There is, however, another aspect that gets overlooked. In-between hardware and software is what he describes as middleware. It is "the space where we reflect on our theology and our culture to understand how both of them can shape our ministry." In other words, one should consider their theology plus their cultural setting in order to determine what ministry practices they should have. This can be simplified by saying:
Theology + Culture = Ministry Forms
4. THEOLOGICAL VISION (PG. 17-19)
In the section under this heading, Keller completely abandons the term "middleware" only to replace it with the term "theological vision." As near as I can tell, one's theological vision is essentially the same thing as one's middleware. According to Keller, "a theological vision is a vision for what you are going to do with your doctrine in a particular time and place . . . It is a faithful restatement of the gospel with rich implications for life, ministry, and mission in a type of culture at a moment in history." In Keller's view, a lack of theological vision is one of the key reasons churches and ministries fail at being fruitful. He insists that in order to be fruitful we must determine the way in which the gospel can best challenge the culture.
5. WHY A WHOLE BOOK ON THEOLOGICAL VISION? (PG. 19-21)
Keller has written a book about theological vision because it became more and more important for him to plant churches that were unlike Redeemer Presbyterian Church in its particulars, but shared a similar theological vision. He felt strongly that a solid theological vision needed to be articulated.
6. CENTER CHURCH (PG. 21-23)
Keller identifies his personal theological vision as "Center Church" because the gospel is at its center, the center is the place of balance, it is shaped by and for urban and cultural centers, and the theological vision is at the center of ministry. The Center Church theological vision can be best expressed in three basic commitments:
Imagine the Center Church theological vision's three basic commitments as three axes. There's a gospel axis, a city axis, and a movement axis.
Keller's premise is that the more a church's theological vision conforms to the Center Church, the more fruitful it will be. 5. WHY A WHOLE BOOK ON THEOLOGICAL VISION? (PG. 19-21)
Keller has written a book about theological vision because it became more and more important for him to plant churches that were unlike Redeemer Presbyterian Church in its particulars, but shared a similar theological vision. He felt strongly that a solid theological vision needed to be articulated.
6. CENTER CHURCH (PG. 21-23)
Keller identifies his personal theological vision as "Center Church" because the gospel is at its center, the center is the place of balance, it is shaped by and for urban and cultural centers, and the theological vision is at the center of ministry. The Center Church theological vision can be best expressed in three basic commitments:
A. Gospel. Keller's theological vision emphasizes the gospel over other doctrines that tend to divide or distract us from what is really important.7. THE BALANCE OF THREE AXES (23-24)
B. City. Within the framework of a Center Church theological vision churches have to be able to balance loving, knowing, and reaching out to their local community with challenging and critiquing it at the same time.
C. Movement. This has to do with a church's relationship to its surroundings (the community, the church's history, the ecumenical church, and other ministries).
Imagine the Center Church theological vision's three basic commitments as three axes. There's a gospel axis, a city axis, and a movement axis.
A. Gospel Axis. In the center of legalism (justification by works) and antinomianism ("we're saved, we can live how we want") is the real gospel. A Center Church theological vision fixes on this center.
B. City Axis. A Center Church theological vision does not stand in constant judgment of its surrounding culture, nor does it always accept the culture by adopting the culture's gods as its own. The Center Church stands in balance, reaching out to culture and confronting it in love.
C. Movement Axis. Somewhere between a church that finds solace in structure, organization, tradition and authority and a church that revels in its fluidity and unity is the Center Church.
II. What to like.
In the first section, Keller does a good job dispelling the notion that success is equivalent with godliness or rightness. Like Keller, I, too, have been annoyed for too long by ministries and pastors being evaluated solely on their "success" and numbers.
III. What not to like.
Keller gives a brief description of fruitfulness by pointing to a few disconnected Bible verses, but he never defines fruitfulness. This might sound like a petty critique, but the question, "What is fruitfulness?" is of utmost importance if one is using fruitfulness as a standard for evaluating ministries. First, Keller references verses which, he infers, applies to professional ministers, not the whole body of Christ. Second, even assuming that Keller does know what fruitfulness is, it is nonetheless irresponsible these days to throw around a significant theological term and expect everyone to be on the same page as to its meaning. James Montgomery Boice's remarks in The Gospel of John are to the point:
Jesus says in John 15:1-11:
We learn this in Galatians 5:19-23 where we see that the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - Gal. 5:22-23) are are held up in comparison to the works of the flesh (sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these - Gal. 5:19-21), all of which are acts strictly forbidden in God's law. By contrast, the fruits of the Spirit are all acts that "against such things there is no law" (Gal. 5:23). In other words, sin marks the man in the flesh and obedience to God's word is the mark of the man in the Spirit.
This should be sufficient in helping to define fruitfulness for now. I would like to prove this point even further, but time will not permit me to do so here. For the time being, suffice it to say that one cannot understand fruitfulness apart from obedience to God. I wish Keller would have pointed this out or clarified in some way what fruitfulness is. The fact that he does not do so is curious.
Even more curious, though, is this: faithfulness is a much broader term than fruitfulness because anyone can be faithful to anything. Biblically speaking, however, faithfulness to God on the part of the believer also refers to obedience to God's law. According to Stuart Sacks in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, faithfulness is "more than momentary assent to the truth of God. It is commitment to that truth, and it manifests itself in continued obedience" (vol. II; pg. 765). Therefore, Christians are to be fruitful, but the way in which this is achieved is through our faithfulness to the totality of God's word.
Jesus says that "no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" (Luke 6:43). That is to say, those who are faithful to God's word (good trees) will not bear bad fruit or be unfruitful. In fact, Jesus identifies who those good trees are a few verses later when he compares those who obey His words to the one who builds his home on the solid foundation (Luke 6:47-48). It follows that those who are faithful are those who are fruitful. Keller asserts:
Hence, I offer the Keller Formula for Fruitfulness:
Keller rejects faithfulness as the sole standard for evaluating a ministry for fruitfulness. In Biblical terms, as we have seen, fruitfulness is faithfulness. They are the two sides of God's sanctification coin, which must be earned by the Christian's exertion (not to be confused with God's salvation coin which He gives for free). Where Keller errs is in his insistence that ministers must be "skillful" in order to be "fruitful." He is critical of ministers who evangelize but "there is little or no converting" (pg. 13). In fact, his appeal to the gardening metaphor in 1 Corinthians 3:9 is detrimental to his argument. The full context actually says:
Not all labor leads to the same number of conversions, but our faithfulness to God's law determines the extent of our reward. When we are working for God, we are assured that our labor is not in vain. No one knew this better than Paul who, although may not have been the most "skillful" speaker (2 Cor. 10:10), was faithful to do God's work and was blessed (Acts 20:35).
Hence, in contrast to Keller's formula, I offer the Biblical Formula for Fruitfulness:
IV. Memorable Quote.
V. Conclusion.
There may be more here to pick apart but since I have not read yet read Center Church in its entirety and am merely reviewing this book as I work my way through it I am going to try to be patient. My critiques of the major themes in this book will surely unfold as Keller unpacks his version of these ideas in the proceeding chapters.
I have no doubt Keller has written many things in these pages I will agree with that will become useful to me just as I am sure there are many faults in these pages. I have no strong bias toward or against Keller and intend to critique this book as fairly and honestly as I know how.
In the first section, Keller does a good job dispelling the notion that success is equivalent with godliness or rightness. Like Keller, I, too, have been annoyed for too long by ministries and pastors being evaluated solely on their "success" and numbers.
III. What not to like.
Keller gives a brief description of fruitfulness by pointing to a few disconnected Bible verses, but he never defines fruitfulness. This might sound like a petty critique, but the question, "What is fruitfulness?" is of utmost importance if one is using fruitfulness as a standard for evaluating ministries. First, Keller references verses which, he infers, applies to professional ministers, not the whole body of Christ. Second, even assuming that Keller does know what fruitfulness is, it is nonetheless irresponsible these days to throw around a significant theological term and expect everyone to be on the same page as to its meaning. James Montgomery Boice's remarks in The Gospel of John are to the point:
At this point we should probably talk about the real meaning of fruitfulness, for if we fail to do that or if we define fruit wrongly, we are inevitably going to discourage some Christians, which we should not do. Let me explain what I mean. If we begin with a phrase like Paul's words of expectation in writing to the Romans - "that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles" (Rom. 1:13) - and if we therefore identify the fruit of the Christian life with converts to Christ, then we will discourage any who, for whatever reason, do not see many come to the Lord. And we will discourage those who, because of sickness or old age or whatever unfavorable circumstances, are unable to do much and who are therefore made to feel they are useless. (pg. 1172)So what is fruitfulness?
Jesus says in John 15:1-11:
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (ESV)Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. But the branch is dead if it does not "abide" in the vine (15:4-6). Jesus uses the word "abide" 11 times in John 15. What does it mean to abide in him? Jesus does not leave us guessing. "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love" (15:10). Our abiding in Him, our fruitfulness, is conditioned upon our obeying God's commands. Fruitfulness is a life lived in obedience to the whole counsel and word of God (Eph. 5:9). It is the obedience to God's law.
We learn this in Galatians 5:19-23 where we see that the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - Gal. 5:22-23) are are held up in comparison to the works of the flesh (sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these - Gal. 5:19-21), all of which are acts strictly forbidden in God's law. By contrast, the fruits of the Spirit are all acts that "against such things there is no law" (Gal. 5:23). In other words, sin marks the man in the flesh and obedience to God's word is the mark of the man in the Spirit.
This should be sufficient in helping to define fruitfulness for now. I would like to prove this point even further, but time will not permit me to do so here. For the time being, suffice it to say that one cannot understand fruitfulness apart from obedience to God. I wish Keller would have pointed this out or clarified in some way what fruitfulness is. The fact that he does not do so is curious.
Even more curious, though, is this: faithfulness is a much broader term than fruitfulness because anyone can be faithful to anything. Biblically speaking, however, faithfulness to God on the part of the believer also refers to obedience to God's law. According to Stuart Sacks in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, faithfulness is "more than momentary assent to the truth of God. It is commitment to that truth, and it manifests itself in continued obedience" (vol. II; pg. 765). Therefore, Christians are to be fruitful, but the way in which this is achieved is through our faithfulness to the totality of God's word.
Jesus says that "no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" (Luke 6:43). That is to say, those who are faithful to God's word (good trees) will not bear bad fruit or be unfruitful. In fact, Jesus identifies who those good trees are a few verses later when he compares those who obey His words to the one who builds his home on the solid foundation (Luke 6:47-48). It follows that those who are faithful are those who are fruitful. Keller asserts:
Those who claim that "what is required is faithfulness" are largely right, but this mind-set can take too much pressure off church leaders. It does not lead them to ask hard questions when faithful ministries bear little fruit. (pg. 14)It becomes increasingly clear that what Keller means by faithfulness and fruitfulness is not the same as the Biblical understandings of these terms. It's important for readers to realize that in denouncing "success" and "faithfulness," when Keller speaks of fruitfulness he is referring to a balanced mix of both success and faithfulness, that is, faithfulness to God and at least some success in the eyes of the world (ie, number of conversions, learning, etc; though he stresses that there should not be huge expectations for the number of lives changed).
Hence, I offer the Keller Formula for Fruitfulness:
The Keller Formula for Fruitfulness
Faithfulness + Worldly Success = Fruitfulness
Keller rejects faithfulness as the sole standard for evaluating a ministry for fruitfulness. In Biblical terms, as we have seen, fruitfulness is faithfulness. They are the two sides of God's sanctification coin, which must be earned by the Christian's exertion (not to be confused with God's salvation coin which He gives for free). Where Keller errs is in his insistence that ministers must be "skillful" in order to be "fruitful." He is critical of ministers who evangelize but "there is little or no converting" (pg. 13). In fact, his appeal to the gardening metaphor in 1 Corinthians 3:9 is detrimental to his argument. The full context actually says:
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Cor. 3:6-9)Keller admits that in God's field some ministers plant, some water, and some reap. Doesn't it stand to reason, then, that some ministers may not see conversions if they are the ones planting the seeds while other ministers who are "reapers" will see more conversions? Does that mean the seed-planting minister is less faithful or less fruitful? Not at all, for "they will each be rewarded according to their own labor" (1 Cor. 3:8). Paul repeats this same message at the end of his letter. "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58).
Not all labor leads to the same number of conversions, but our faithfulness to God's law determines the extent of our reward. When we are working for God, we are assured that our labor is not in vain. No one knew this better than Paul who, although may not have been the most "skillful" speaker (2 Cor. 10:10), was faithful to do God's work and was blessed (Acts 20:35).
Hence, in contrast to Keller's formula, I offer the Biblical Formula for Fruitfulness:
The Biblical Formula for Fruitfulness
Faithfulness = Fruitfulness = Success in God's Eyes
IV. Memorable Quote.
Preaching is compelling to young secular adults not if preachers use video clips from their favorite movies and dress informally and sound sophisticated, but if the preachers understand their hearts and culture so well that listeners feel the force of the sermon's reasoning, even if in the end they don't agree with it. (pg. 15)
V. Conclusion.
There may be more here to pick apart but since I have not read yet read Center Church in its entirety and am merely reviewing this book as I work my way through it I am going to try to be patient. My critiques of the major themes in this book will surely unfold as Keller unpacks his version of these ideas in the proceeding chapters.
I have no doubt Keller has written many things in these pages I will agree with that will become useful to me just as I am sure there are many faults in these pages. I have no strong bias toward or against Keller and intend to critique this book as fairly and honestly as I know how.
No comments:
Post a Comment