I love John Piper's ministry. I've referred to it here before, and I have the sidebar on the right of my blog devoted to the resources of his that I've read or listened to lately. Yesterday I listened to a talk that he gave at Driscoll's pastors conference last year. It was the first time in a long time (a few months) that I listened to something from Piper. It filled me with conviction of sin, and a joy in the glory and holiness of God. As with most of the audio I link to in my entries, I highly recommend it. The talk reminded me of his book The Supremacy of God in Preaching (2003). The book was probably one of the three most important books that I've read in my Christian walk (alongside Desiring God [Piper] and Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God [Packer]). Here's a few paragraphs from the first chapter (pp. 26-27): How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." [(Isaiah 52:7)] The good tidings of the preacher, the peace and salvation that he publishes are boiled down into one sentence: "Your God reigns!" Cotton Mather applies this, with full justification, to the preacher: "The great design . . . of a Christian preacher [is] to restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men." The keynote in the mouth of every prophet-preacher, whether in Isaiah's day or Jesus' day or our day, is "Your God reigns!" God is the king of the universe. He has absolute Creator rights over this world and everyone in it. But there is rebellion and mutiny on all sides, and his authority is scorned by millions. So the Lord sends preachers into the world to cry out that God reigns, that he will not suffer his glory to be scorned indefinitely, that he will vindicate his name in great and terrible wrath, but that for now a full and free amnesty is offered to all the rebel subjects who will turn from their rebellion, call on him for mercy, bow before his throne, and swear allegiance and fealty to him forever. The amnesty is signed in the blood of his Son. At 109 pages, it's a short read with fairly large print and fairly small pages. It's Piper at his best. Adam said that it's the most readable of Piper's books. I completely agree. Get it. Read it. One of the blurbs on its back reads, "Here's a book that every preacher should read at least once a year. This book is a powerful antidote to the unbalance, self-centered preaching of today."
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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