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Preaching Notes: Tim Keller
The fifth installment of our Preaching Notes Series features pastor Tim Keller. I saved this for last on purpose. I think you'll find Tim's method fascinating and very different from the other manuscripts we've looked at so far.
Tim leads Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and is the author of The Reason For God
To be a great preacher, one needs to be tri-perspectival in their exegesis. That is, they need to be committed to the exegesis of the Bible, the exegesis of our culture, and the exegesis of the human heart. Some preachers claim that if you exegete the Bible properly, you don't need to bother yourself with the exegesis of our culture or the human heart. The problem with this view, however, is that the Bible itself exhorts us to apply Biblical norms to both our lives and to our world.
As a preacher myself, I benefit greatly from listening to a wide variety of preachers. In some cases I learn what to do, and in other cases I learn what not to do. But in every case, I learn something. Some preachers teach me how to be a better exegete of the Bible. Others teach me how to be a better exegete of our culture. And still others teach me how to be a better exegete of the human heart. But no preacher has consistently taught me how to do all three in the context of every sermon more so than Tim Keller. His balanced attention to all three forms of exegesis makes him very unique, in my opinion.
Tim knows how to unveil and unpack the truth of the Gospel from every Biblical text he preaches in such a way that it results in the exposure of both the idols of our culture and the idols of our hearts. His faithful exposition of our true Savior from every passage in the Bible painfully reveals all of the pseudo-saviors that we trust in culturally and personally. Every sermon discloses the subtle ways in which we as individuals and we as a culture depend on lesser things than Jesus to provide the security, acceptance, protection, affection, meaning, and satisfaction that only Christ can supply. In this way, he is constantly showing just how relevant and necessary Jesus is; he's constantly proving that we are great sinners but Christ is a great Savior.
Personally, I am grateful for Tim's friendship. His interest in me as a person and a preacher shows a side to him that many perhaps do not see. I know how busy he is and how many demands he has and yet he has always found time to talk with me, advise me, meet with me, and in a thousand other ways, help me out. So Tim, thanks for all you do and for who you are. Preach on brother—we're all listening!
Tim Keller's Preaching Notes
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Comments (28)
Whoa! Very different! I can't understand them at all. :)
I enjoyed this series. Thanks. Do we get to see yours?
Posted by Carole | August 29, 2008 11:55 AM
Okay, I'm ready for the deciphering code now.
Posted by Jason | August 29, 2008 12:57 PM
crazy...I couldn't imagine using something like that. But man I love to hear Tim Keller preach, speak, talk...
Posted by Adam | August 29, 2008 1:28 PM
Really incredible! Thanks, Josh. Let me also echo the others that have asked to see your notes. I've really listening to you online.
Posted by Dan | August 29, 2008 2:00 PM
Huh!!!! Is this a transcription? Yikes...I would be so lost...
Posted by abraham | August 29, 2008 2:59 PM
Further proof that Keller is like a mad scientist. A brilliant mad scientist.
Posted by Jay Risner | August 29, 2008 3:13 PM
Josh,
I think it would be great to see the notes from one of your sermons. Thanks for the series...very insightful.
Dan
Posted by Dan Cummins | August 29, 2008 3:40 PM
Wow!
I want to hear the sermon now.
Can anyone get me a copy of his sermon, "What is the gospel?" I read that this is one of his best.
Please check out my blog in TN @
http://winkandjeanannforjesus.blogspot.com/.
I would appreciate your prayers and support.
God bless!
Wink
Posted by Wink | August 29, 2008 4:37 PM
Wow, great series. His notes hurt my head.
Posted by jason | August 29, 2008 4:39 PM
man, it needs to be deciphered to use this. dr. keller must use this to shorten his transcript. is there a draft or original version to the transcript?
also, i agree with above comments. it would be great to see your sermon notes as well. thanks for doing this. very helpful and insightful.
Posted by joe lee | August 29, 2008 4:56 PM
Joe- Just thought to tell you, but there is no draft or original version. He types it as it is. Over the years he has slowly developed his own shorthand so that he can get his ideas on a smaller amount of surface. His older sermons were fully written manuscripts, but this is how he writes now. Just thought you would want to know.
-Michael
Posted by Michael Keller | August 29, 2008 10:23 PM
That is endlessly fascinating.
If you read faster, some of the words start coming out at you. I look forward to taking more time later to try to read a bit more.
It has been great seeing the vast differences in preparation amongst several men, but knowing their material is all a product of their study of the same precious Word of God.
Thanks for the series. It's been fun.
Posted by Heather | August 30, 2008 12:04 PM
Two questions:
Am I missing a link to where this sermon can be heard? It might help clarify the written mish-mash if I saw how it was presented.
Second, while you say that you have saved Keller for last, I hope that if others pass on manuscripts of prominent preachers (as you have asked) that you will share those as well. I have found this series fascinating.
(From one Portlander-to-another)
Posted by Calvin abig | August 30, 2008 6:56 PM
Fascinating! Josh, please keep this series going. It's very helpful.
Posted by Brian G. Hedges | August 30, 2008 9:10 PM
Hey Josh,
I wanted to say thanks for letting me do these caricatures. I had a lot of fun.
Posted by Drew Blom | August 31, 2008 11:11 AM
This series has been great! I'm bummed that it's over. It is so interesting to not only see different sermon notes, and to hear different people preach. Will you share your notes?
Posted by Sarah | August 31, 2008 3:15 PM
So who draws the peoples faces?Those are cool.Can whoever does it do one of my face?-Hannah Williams
Posted by Hannah Williams | September 1, 2008 8:42 PM
Thanks for this series - it has been fascinating! I am especially interested at how these guys all use very substantial notes, something I have been trying to move away from the last year or two.
I recently heard Mark Driscoll say he never prepares more than 2-3 hours for a sermon and only has a few post-its with notes on to prompt him. It would be interesting if you could get hold of a copy of these post-its!
Posted by matthew hosier | September 2, 2008 9:44 AM
Thanks for this series - it has been fascinating! I am especially interested at how these guys all use very substantial notes, something I have been trying to move away from the last year or two.
I recently heard Mark Driscoll say he never prepares more than 2-3 hours for a sermon and only has a few post-its with notes on to prompt him. It would be interesting if you could get hold of a copy of these post-its!
Posted by matthew hosier | September 2, 2008 9:44 AM
thank you michael. yes, it is fascinating to see dr. keller's note. it's more amazing he writes as it is in the transcript. you know how we guys love spy and agent stuff like 007? i thought i was reading an encrypted message in a spy movie.
appreciate dr. keller's ministry and his impact to this urban culture and what redeemer's doing in planting churches in cities.
by the way, michael, are you related to dr. keller? i see that your last name is keller as well. just out of curiosity. appreciate your comment.
Posted by joe lee | September 2, 2008 4:43 PM
After seeing this, I guess I will have to rethink my aversion to the term "Xmas," given Keller's use of "Xns" and "Xnty." Of course, given my limited ability to decipher all of his shorthand I may be incorrectly assuming that he is referrring to Christians and Christianity with those abbreviations.
Posted by Chuck Thomas | September 3, 2008 3:32 PM
Joe,
Michael is one of Tim's sons. (http://kellered.blogspot.com/)
Posted by Steve | September 4, 2008 11:40 PM
wow........
Posted by Mark Smith | September 5, 2008 4:14 PM
That's the crazies thing I've ever seen...it's amazing how all preachers have different styles. I would have never of guessed that Keller's would have been like that.
Posted by Charlie Wallace | September 24, 2008 10:15 AM
ha ha ha! tim keller's a beast. my head hurts just looking at it. no new lines, no indents, no breaks, no nothing. and he abbreviates like half of his words! scary...very scary.
Posted by Jon Ginn | April 12, 2009 10:48 PM
I have about 300+ of Tim's sermons and lectures and looking at his notes is fascinating. It's like looking at Beethoven's sketch books of, say, the 5th Symphony. It's all there and Tim is so immersed in the Gospel and his subject, that these "scribbles" are all he needs. And it's nice to know he needs some notes, because when listening to his sermons, it sounds like it's all right there...just who he is and what he thinks.
Posted by George Packer | September 28, 2009 11:03 PM
I've gathered from Keller's comments in various talks that he produces a written manuscript, reworks it through several versions, and then includes up to 3 hours of rehearsal and review of his notes. I've been told that Dr. Chapell memorizes his manuscripts too. If we had such a work ethic, the code that Keller uses would probably be all we'd need.
Doesn't mean anyone else is as gifted though...
Posted by Sam Harrell | October 31, 2009 10:57 PM
1) Tm Kllr s crzy 2 hv srmn nts lk ths, 2) Bt he s awsm!
Posted by Kyle Bryner | November 6, 2009 11:16 PM