Why a Public Faith?

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

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

4.8 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 4 August 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We live in a pluralistic society, so we must ask this question: how can people be true to themselves and still get along? No matter who you are, if you care about the social fabric, that’s a huge question to answer. My goal is to show Christians how they can be part of the solution. We’re going to look at the subject of public faith. In John 4, we see that immediately after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus talks to his disciples and gets really metaphorical. He talks about spiritual sowing and reaping. What’s he trying to get across? If we delve into it, we see that Jesus gives us 1) a call to spiritual sowing of seed, 2) the method of doing it, and then 3) the power, or the inner motivation, for doing it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 29, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: John 4:27-42. 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 Gospel and Life.
0:05.3	How do we share what it means to truly know Jesus, not just as a historical figure or moral teacher, but as Savior and King?
0:13.4	This month, Tim Keller explores what the Bible shows us about being public with our faith and sharing the hope we have in Christ.
0:26.6	Thank you. public with our faith and sharing the hope we have in Christ. Tonight's scripture comes from the book of John, chapter 4, verses 27 through 42.
0:35.3	Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman, but no one asked,
0:42.1	what do you want or why are you talking with her? Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town
0:48.7	and said to the people, come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? They came out of the town and
0:57.4	made their way toward him. Meanwhile, his disciples urged him, Rabbi, eat something, but he said to them,
1:04.1	I have food to eat that you know nothing about. Then his disciples said to each other, could someone
1:10.1	have brought him food?
1:11.6	My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
1:17.6	Don't you have a saying, it's still four months until the harvest?
1:21.1	I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields.
1:24.1	They are ripe for harvest.
1:26.4	Even now, the one who reaps draws a wage and harvest a crop for
1:30.6	eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying,
1:36.3	One sows and another reaps, is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for.
1:42.9	Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits
1:45.7	of their labor. Many of the Samaritans from that town believed him because of the woman's testimony
1:51.4	he told me everything I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them,
1:58.0	and he stayed two days. And because of his words, many more became believers.
2:03.8	They said to the woman, we no longer believe just because of what you said. Now we have heard for
	...

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