Foundations for Christian Mission, Mentor's Guide, MG04

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F O U N D A T I O N S F O R C H R I S T I A N M I S S I O N

Christian Mission and the City

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Welcome in the strong name of Jesus Christ! After your reading, study, discussion, and application of the materials in this lesson, you will be able to: • Define the concept of the city from the Bible, including the fact that cities were a collection of houses and buildings surrounded by walls, were significant and impressive for their time, and that some were dependent for protection and supply upon others. Cities, common in the ancient world, were relatively small, typically unpaved, strengthened by thick walls and high towers, and seats of government and power. • Lay out the spiritual meaning of the city, that is, the ways in which cities were associated with human rebellion and idolatry ( Enoch , the city of Cain), with independence and arrogance (as in the case of the Tower of Babel), and with evil and godlessness (as with Babylon). Cities were judged by God for their sinfulness (e.g., Sodom and Gomorrah, Jericho, Nineveh), and denounced for their false sense of security and power (specifically, Jerusalem). • Show how God adopted the city as symbol of his dwelling place and blessing, i.e., his selection of Jerusalem for himself, and his determination to make her a praise in the earth. Show further the divine irony of God transforming the image of rebellion into an image of refuge (i.e., the cities of Refuge), as well as the image of a place which can know and experience his forgiveness and blessing (i.e., Jonah and the experience of Nineveh). • Detail how, because of God’s own mercy and graciousness, there can be hope for any city which repents in the face of his judgment, yields in the face of his demands, and seeks his mercy in the face of his punishment. • Give evidence of the three critical reasons why urban mission must be a priority for all mission activity today. These include the following: the city as the seat of influence, power, and spiritual activity in the world, is becoming a magnet for the oppressed, the broken, and the poor, and is seen as the picture of our spiritual destiny and inheritance.

Lesson Objectives

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