Selling – Tim Keller Talks to a Marketing and Advertising Group

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

Religion & Spirituality, Religion, Religion & Spirituality:christianity, Christianity, Spirituality

4.8 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A lot of people have an incredibly negative view of marketing and advertising. Not too long ago, I heard somebody say that advertising is the first profession: in the Garden of Eden, the serpent said, “you need that apple.” They were saying that marketing is creating need in somebody else for your profit, whether they really need it or not. On the other hand, you could make a case that marketing is the oldest profession because of when the Bible says, “in the beginning was the Word.” God invented communication. And in many ways, at its best, that’s all marketing is: communication. So let’s look at 1) what marketing is, 2) what’s wrong with marketing, and 3) how you can integrate the Christian faith with work in marketing, advertising, and promotion. This talk and Q&A was given by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 4, 2005. Series: Center for Faith and Work. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Gospel in Life podcast. What if the gospel didn't just shape your private life,
0:10.1	but transformed the way you show up in the world? One of the most visible places that would play out is in your work.
0:16.9	Join us as Tim Keller teaches on how the gospel reshapes the way we approach our jobs.
0:22.2	After you listen to today's teaching, we invite you to go online to gospelonlife.com and sign up for our email updates.
0:29.3	When you sign up, you'll receive our quarterly journal and other valuable gospel-centered resources.
0:34.4	Subscribe today at gospelandlife.com.
0:43.8	Thank you. resources. Subscribe today at gospel and life.com. Now, those of you are right in marketing, promotion, advertising, probably know this.
0:51.7	In fact, it's perfectly fine that some of the rest of you can't define
0:55.6	yourselves as people who are actually in marketing, but of course, an awful lot of people
0:59.0	who if you're in business for yourself, you're in marketing, and if you're in a sort of small
1:04.8	businesses, you have to do it yourself. And you probably know that the subject of marketing
1:09.7	and promotion and advertising is one of great controversy, both in the church and in our culture in general.
1:17.6	A lot of people have an incredibly negative view of it.
1:20.1	In fact, not too long I heard somebody say that advertising is the first profession.
1:25.9	And you can see it in the Garden of Eden.
1:28.1	It's where the serpent said,
1:29.9	you need that apple.
1:34.2	And the person who was making the point was trying to say,
1:38.4	here's how they define marketing.
1:39.7	Marketing is creating need in somebody else for your profit,
1:47.0	whether they really need it or not.
1:49.3	That's pretty negative.
	...

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