cover of episode The Meaning of the City
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Dr. Timothy Keller
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本讲道探讨了在充满敌意的城市环境中，特别是类似于古代犹太人在巴比伦的经历，如何回应社会分裂和不同世界观的问题。讲道者指出，错误的应对方式包括巴比伦式的同化和犹太先知们所倡导的部落主义。前者要求放弃自身文化和信仰以融入主流社会，后者则主张保持自身群体和文化，并利用主流社会来壮大自身。 讲道者认为，上帝的回应是让犹太人融入巴比伦，寻求其和平与繁荣，这与人们的预期相反。这需要理解圣经中关于“属人的城”和“属神的城”的教导。“属人的城”以骄傲为基础，充满疲惫和压迫；“属神的城”以和平为基础，充满喜乐和公义。耶稣的教导指出，“属神的城”并非只存在于未来，而是存在于每个城市之中，是神的子民在每个城市中形成的另一个城市。 基督徒应该在每个城市中成为一个另类的城市，以生命的方式使用性、金钱和权力，而不是为了个人或部落的利益而工作，而是为了城市的利益而工作。属神的城的公民是他们所在尘世城市中最好的公民，他们不为了同化或部落主义而生活，而是为了城市的利益而服务，寻求城市的Shalom（完全的繁荣）。这并非放弃自身信仰，而是利用自身的信仰来服务城市。 讲道者以早期基督徒在罗马帝国瘟疫期间的行为为例，说明了绝对的服务如何赢得城市居民的青睐，并最终导致基督教的兴起。耶稣被钉十字架，象征着罪的惩罚和流放，但他为我们承担了这一切，使我们得以成为属神的城的公民。真正的成功并非世俗的成就，而是成为属神的城的公民，这赋予我们在尘世城市中从容生活的能力。基督教提供了一种爱那些与自己信仰不同的人的方法，因为耶稣为我们死时，我们并不相信他所相信的。 最后，讲道者呼吁基督徒应该生活在城市中，并以不以自我为中心，也不轻蔑的态度生活，而是为了城市的益处而服务，寻求城市的Shalom，成为城市中最好的公民。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The Jewish exiles in Babylon faced a hostile city filled with diverse and conflicting views. Similarly, modern society sees liberals, conservatives, and ethnic minorities feeling like exiles. This chapter explores how to respond to a city that is hostile to one's views and how to live in a fragmented society.

Shownotes Transcript

When the Jewish exiles got to Babylon, they found a huge city—hostile, big, brutal—and it was filled with other exiles, with different people groups and radically different views. Our culture is not so different.

Liberals feel our country is so conservative that they’re pulling their hair out, and conservatives feel our country is so liberal that they’re pulling their hair out. Both groups feel like exiles. Millions of ethnic minorities feel like exiles. So how do you respond to a city that’s hostile to your views? How do you live in a fragmented society? 

God’s answer to the Jewish exiles is astounding. In it, we see three things: 1) wrong ways to relate to the city, 2) God’s way to relate to the city, and 3) how to get the power to do it.

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 5, 2003. Series: The Necessity of Belief. Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4-14.

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