Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life Should I Not Love That Great City?
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May 13, 2026 A sermon exploring Jonah's clash with God's compassion for a hostile, sinful metropolis. It highlights three lessons: God's call to the city, his surprising view of urban life, and his deep love for its people. The talk connects biblical patterns, Augustine's two cities, and Jesus' sacrificial care to urge Christians to love and serve cities.
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God's Repeated Call To The Great City
- God is the protagonist who repeatedly calls prophets to go into large, strategic cities rather than stay in comfortable homogeneous places.
- Timothy Keller points to Jonah being called three times to Nineveh and connects that pattern to God's broader urban mission in Scripture.
The Church Should Prioritize Cities To Shape Culture
- The Bible shows an urban-centric strategy: God intends the church institutionally to focus energy and resources on cities because cities shape wider culture.
- Keller cites Jeremiah 29 and Acts showing exiles told to settle in Babylon and early missionaries targeting major urban centers.
Great City Means Big And Strategic
- The Hebrew word translated 'great' in Nineveh means both large and strategically important, so God targets influential urban centers.
- Keller argues reaching a city reaches professions, arts, and multiple peoples, multiplying cultural influence beyond villages.
