Archives For John Piper

Is Bad Theology More Grievous Than Division?

Aaron Armstrong —  June 2, 2010 — Leave a comment

Piper’s response to this question gave me a fair bit to think about. In the video, Piper says:

Here’s the way I answer questions like that (and I ask them to myself all the time): It depends on the degree and nature of the division compared with the degree of seriousness to the theology mistaken.

I’m sad that we’re not all on the same page eschatologically. I wish Sam Storms and I were on the same page. I wish Doug Wilson and I were on the same page. And we’re not, and that’s sad.

It doesn’t cause me too many tears at that level. But when I see somebody I love going to a hurtful view of God, then I can be really grieved, and that hurts.

So that’s the theology side. There are some theological moves that are so destructive and so dishonoring to God and so close to the center that we should be deeply grieved and angered by them.

On the other hand, there are all kinds of divisions. If two of my elders hated each other—I mean, if they were saying ugly things about each other and doing wicked things, that would emotionally probably take me down deeper than most of these theological things.

I love our elder fellowship. I was meeting with the elders last night until 11 o’clock, and I came home just saying, “I love these guys!” Thirty guys sitting around a table, one heart, one mind, pulling together for the good of the church is the joy of my life. It has been for 30 years. If that broke at Bethlehem and the thing became war and anger and hurtful speech, probably emotionally I would be way more undone than by theological issues.

So what can you say? There are some kinds of disunity that are small and don’t move me. Other kinds that are deep, immediate, personal, and heart-wrenching. So in any given case I would have to ask, “What is the theological issue? and What is the kind of division? And then I’ll tell you which bothers or hurts or grieves me more.”

By John Piper © Desiring God

When we look at issues of theology and the things we divide over, do we always consider the degree of the offense or the root of the theological divide?

Sometimes, although not always, what we consider bad theology is due to preference. For example, I think the Arminian view of salvation is bad theology. But I still believe those who holds to this theological position are brothers & sisters in Christ. However, if one considers the crucifixion to be an act of “divine child abuse,” that is a grievous error worthy of separation. If someone denies the sufficiency of Scripture, again, there are grounds for division.

Similarly the things we divide over often come down to preference. Style of music. Dress. Bible translation (e.g. KJV only)… These are not things that need to cause division.

Thoughts?

What issues are points of division for you?

What positions are you willing to agree to disagree upon?

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God Loved You By Calling You

Aaron Armstrong —  May 6, 2010 — Leave a comment

The above is a powerful excerpt from John Piper’s final sermon before beginning his eight-month sabbatical, Consider Your Calling from 1 Cor. 1: 26-31:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

I would highly recommend you listen to the whole thing as it’s quite moving and encouraging.

The following text is from the sermon’s transcript:

“For consider your calling, brothers.” What is Paul referring to? Their job? Being a carpenter? Homemaker? Teacher? No. He is referring to the work of God in calling them to himself out of darkness into light, out of death into life. You can see the meaning pretty clearly in verses 22-24:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Continue Reading…

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Does Every Sermon Have to be About Jesus?

Aaron Armstrong —  April 19, 2010 — Leave a comment

Recently, John Piper addressed the question of whether or not he believes every sermon needs to be about Jesus.

The edited transcript follows:

How important is it for a preacher to preach Christ from every text of Scripture?

It’s an ambiguous question. Let’s see if I can give the two ways I’m hearing it.

It’s important that every sermon from a Christian preacher be a Christian sermon, that is, a sermon that, if a Jewish or Muslim person heard it, they wouldn’t like. If they like it, something is wrong with it, because they reject Christ as Messiah and crucified and risen as the forgiver of the sins of the world.

And since they reject it, if they hear a sermon that they’re totally OK with, then something is missing. The sermon should somehow communicate that this is all based on and aiming toward the work of Christ and the glory of Christ. Continue Reading…

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"Did Jesus Preach the Gospel of Evangelicalism?" – John Piper at Together for the Gospel

Aaron Armstrong —  April 16, 2010 — 3 Comments

The aim of my title is not to criticize the gospel of evangelicalism but to assume that it is biblical and true, and then to ask whether Jesus preached it. If I had it to do over again, I would use the title “Did Jesus Preach Paul’s Gospel?”—the gospel of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Christ’s blood and righteousness alone, for the glory of God alone.

This week at Together for the Gospel, John Piper shared a message that many considered the highlight of the conference: 

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The full manuscript is available at Desiring God, but here are a couple of highlights: 

Did Paul Get Jesus Right?

So the problem I am wrestling with is not whether evangelicalism gets Paul’s gospel right, but whether Paul got Jesus’ gospel right. Because I have a sense that among the reasons that some are losing a grip on the gospel today is not only the suspicion that we are forcing it into traditional doctrinal categories rather than biblical ones, but also that in our default to Pauline categories we are selling Jesus short. In other words, for some—perhaps many—there is the suspicion (or even conviction) that justification by faith alone is part of Paul’s gospel, but not part of Jesus’ gospel. And in feeling that way, our commitment to the doctrine is weakened, and we are thus less passionate to preach it and defend it as essential to the gospel. And we may even think that Jesus’ call to sacrificial kingdom obedience is more radical and more transforming than the gospel of justification by faith alone. 

Only One Thing Missing

[W]hen it comes to justification, it doesn’t matter whether the rich ruler is right when he says, “All these I have kept from my youth.” What matters is what he is depending on. What he is trusting in. So Jesus says to him in Luke 18:22, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” [. . .] Continue Reading…

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Sin is Defeated, Yet Sin Remains to be Fought

Aaron Armstrong —  April 7, 2010 — Leave a comment

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 1:15-23

Preaching from Ephesians 1:15-23, John Piper shared a powerful message called The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power Toward Us. Verse 18 above tells us that Paul prays for believers to have “the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you;” that they may know “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (v. 19).

But as Piper points out, sometimes it seems like we’re not walking in this reality. Rather than experiencing this power in our lives now and rejoicing it it, we are hindered by a spiritual dullness.

The transcript of the video follows:

Because of this spiritual dullness, we are not fully aware of the blinding, deadening power of sin that is now being conquered in our lives by God’s superior power. If you are feeling healthy, you will be thrilled with the power of your medicine, only if you know the deadly power of the disease it is holding back. If you are forgiven and have any measure of victory over sin in your life, you will be amazed at the power of God, only if you know the indescribable depth and power of sin. Continue Reading…

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Proud, Devoted and Dead

Aaron Armstrong —  April 5, 2010 — 9 Comments

During Jesus’ incarnation, the religious elite of His day, the scribes and Pharisees, would follow Him around and seek to trap Him, discredit Him and have Him arrested and killed.

The Pharisees honestly get a bad rap sometimes. During the 400 year silence prior to John the Baptist’s arrival on the scene, these men saw the godlessness of their countrymen and wanted to do something about it. They wanted Israel to live according to the Law.

So the strove to obey the Law as closely as possible. To obey God as His people.

The problem is they started adding to the Law.

The most common place was with the Sabbath. They had a lot of extra rules, particularly that there was to be no healing on the Sabbath.

So one day, Jesus is at Bethesda and sees a man who has been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. (John 5:6-9a)

Jesus performs an amazing miracle in the life of this man. People should be celebrating, right?

Here’s the problem: “Now that day was the Sabbath” (v. 9b).

So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” (v. 10-17)

The Pharisees sought to persecute Jesus because “he was doing these things on the Sabbath” (v. 16).

They did it because He broke their rules.

And they became so blind with pride that they could not see who Jesus was or what He was doing. Continue Reading…

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John Piper: Are You Being Confident or Making Presumptions?

Aaron Armstrong —  February 22, 2010 — 1 Comment
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When you take a risk (“stepping out in faith,” as they say), are you being confident in God’s provision—or are you making presumptions upon Hin. How do you know the difference? 

It’s a question I’ve been considering for quite some time. I really appreciated John Piper’s answer.

What are your thoughts—Have you ever taken a risk and not seen God provide the way you were expecting?

An edited transcript follows:

What’s the difference between confidence and presumption when it comes to God’s provision in risk-taking? 

Let the Bible give you whatever criteria it can in whether or not you take risks for Christ. So whatever the Bible forbids you to do, don’t do. What it commands you to do, do. So that’s the first place to start. 

Then let principles hold sway. Jesus was very hesitant—I mean, absolutely did not jump off the temple. Satan wanted him to do this radical, dangerous thing: “The angels will catch you and God will be glorified.” And Jesus saw it as a ruse. The devil didn’t want God to be glorified through his taking that risk and being rescued. And that may be the case for you as well. 

So I think part of that right there would be, “Is my motive in order to attract attention to myself as a risk-taker, and to get some honor for how valiant I am? Or is there a need right now that I’ve got to jump in to, and I’m not going to let fear stop me?” 

Those would be two very different motives, wouldn’t they? The sense that “I’m taking a risk and God’s going to get glory because I’m such a valiant risk-taker,” or “There’s a need here and a possibility that I can meet the need, and I’m going to overcome obstacles of fear to get there.”

So I think motivations and biblical guidelines and constraints are the way you move forward. 

By John Piper. © Desiring God 

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John Piper: Smiting Morality with Gospel Joy

Aaron Armstrong —  February 11, 2010 — Leave a comment

A powerful excerpt from Piper’s lecture at the 2010 Desiring God Conference for Pastors, “Lessons from an Inconsolable Soul: Learning from the Mind and Heart of C. S. Lewis.”

The abbreviated transcript follows:

Until we are gripped with the joyful impulses of gospel grace from the inside, we will always be thinking in terms of doing external duties as pressures from outside. This is called morality. But here is what I discovered with Lewis’s help:

A perfect man would never act from a sense of duty; he’d always want the right thing more than the wrong one. Duty is only a substitute for love (of God and of other people) like a crutch which is a substitute for a leg. Most of us need the crutch at times; but of course it is idiotic to use the crutch when our own legs (our own loves, tastes, habits etc.) can do the journey on their own.

The implications of this for my own pursuit of holiness and my teaching on sanctification have been pervasive. Lewis brings this insight to bear on the Puritans and William Tyndale in particular in a way this is profoundly illuminating:

In reality Tyndale is trying to express an obstinate fact which meets us long before we venture into the realm of theology; the fact that morality or duty (what he calls ‘the Law’) never yet made a man happy in himself or dear to others. It is shocking, but it is undeniable. We do not wish either to be, or to live among, people who are clean or honest or kind as a matter of duty: we want to be, and associate with, people who like being clean and honest and kind. The mere suspicion that what seemed an act of spontaneous friendliness or generosity was really done as a duty subtly poisons it. In philosophical language, the ethical category is self-destructive; morality is healthy only when it is trying to abolish itself. In theological language, no man can be saved by works. The whole purpose of the “Gospel,” for Tyndale, is to deliver us from morality. Thus, paradoxically, the “Puritan” of modern imagination—the cold, gloomy heart, doing as duty what happier and richer souls do without thinking of it—is precisely the enemy which historical Protestantism arose and smote.

This is what I want to keep smiting with Christian Hedonism: The gospel is designed to make forgiven sinners love righteousness, not do it against all their inclinations.

By John Piper. © Desiring God

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How Can You Encourage Your Mentor?

Aaron Armstrong —  February 3, 2010 — Leave a comment

I really appreciated Piper’s response to the question posed in this video.

As someone who’s greatly been blessed by the ministry of a much wiser man, I’ve found that some of the most fruitful times of ministry are when we’re able to invest in each other, which is really the heart of mentoring, isn’t it? Not simply give or take, but a mutual exchange.

Anyway, take a couple minutes, watch the video or read the transcript and give some thought to these question:  

Do you have a mentor? If so, how can you encourage him or her today?

The edited transcript follows.

As a young Christian I am often encouraged by an older mentor. I find it difficult to know how to encourage him, because I feel like the student. What are some ways I can encourage him in return?

The sin in a mentor’s heart wants you to make much of him by saying good things about his mentoring. The righteousness in a mentor’s heart wants you to make much of God and Christ because of what the mentor has pointed you toward or modeled for you.

This second one will, in fact, encourage him that he has done something right, and that’s not a bad feeling. But it needs to be right for God’s sake and right for Christ’s sake, not just, “I really need complements here, I really need affirmation.”

So I would tell the person who is being mentored to describe in significant ways the Christ-exalting good that has been done in your life. Describe what you’re seeing about Christ. Describe experiences that you’re having in ministry and in life that show the spillover and the fruit from the mentoring relationship.

Don’t think you have to think of a list of good things about that mentor. What he’s living for—if he’s a godly man—is your change and God’s glory in your life. So talk about that! Talk about God and talk about ministry. That would be the main.

Secondly, I would say to pray for him, and ask him how you can pray. Mentors are not above the need for prayer.

And thirdly, be a really good thinker and listener. In other words, if he is pointing you to something—showing you something, explaining something to you—be there! Be there emotionally and be there with your mind. An attentive, eager student communicates, “I’m expecting something valuable here,” and that honors the mentor.

By John Piper. © Desiring God.

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John Piper: Is it ever appropriate to call out prosperity gospel teachers by name?

Aaron Armstrong —  January 18, 2010 — Leave a comment
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The following is an edited transcript of the audio provided by Desiring God:

Is it ever appropriate to call out prosperity gospel teachers by name?

Mark Driscoll does it. I tuned in one time and he actually played a clip from Joel Osteen.

My problem is that I don’t read these guys enough and don’t know them well enough. If I read a whole bunch of books by so-and-so and had actual quotes that I could quote and arguments that I could give, I would feel more adequate to say something.

So that’s one criterion: I don’t feel like I’m in their world enough to know them well enough.

Secondly, if I knew that somebody I knew or my church was being swayed away by somebody that I felt was preaching a gospel different from our gospel, I would probably get real specific with the church, for the church’s sake.

So the first reason may be owing to laziness. I don’t think it’s owing to cowardice. Continue Reading…

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