Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Should I Not Love That Great City?

Sep 2, 2024

40:45

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Explore the provocative tale of Jonah, highlighting how the real antagonists are often the morally righteous. Delve into God’s unwavering compassion for cities like Nineveh, challenging us to embrace urban life rather than disdain it. Reflect on historical moments, like the fall of Rome, and the spiritual responses they provoke. Discover the transformative power of faith amidst crises and the importance of loving our communities while recognizing their flaws.

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Quick takeaways

God calls Christians to actively engage with urban communities, reflecting a commitment to love and transform cities, as illustrated through Jonah's story.

God's dual view of cities reveals a need for moral accountability alongside compassion, emphasizing the intrinsic value of their inhabitants despite their flaws.

Deep dives

God's Call to the City

God emphasizes a powerful call to the city throughout the story of Jonah, urging him to go to Nineveh, a great city filled with diverse and extensive populations. This call is echoed three times, highlighting God's desire for Jonah to love and engage with the city rather than remain in a comfortable, homogeneous environment. The podcast illustrates how this call is not unique to Jonah, referencing historical events such as the Jewish exiles in Babylon and the early Christian missionaries who focused on urban centers to spread the gospel. This underscores the notion that while individuals may not all be called to live in cities, the church as an institution is summoned to invest its resources and efforts into urban communities for a greater impact.

Intro

2min

God's Compassion vs. Jonah's Reluctance

18min

Exploring Divine Concern for City and Humanity

3min

The Fall of Rome and Augustine's Response

8min

Faith and Morality in Crisis

8min

Loving the City While Acknowledging Its Flaws

2min

In Jonah, the antagonists are the religious, moral people. It’s us. It’s the city-disdaining, city-phobic, religious, moral people. We’re the antagonists, and God is the protagonist.

It all comes down to this last question when God says, “Should I not have compassion? Should I not love that great city?” This is what the story is about. It’s about God’s love for a big, unbelieving, unjust, violent, pagan city.

We can learn about three things here: 1) God’s call to the city, 2) God’s view of the city, and 3) God’s love for the city.

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 14, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11.

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.

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