Dr Piper reciting Philippians

Quote of the Day

John Piper:

There are two kinds of Bible scholars: those who are playful with truth and those who smell the smoke.

church membership?

There has to be some sort of mutual "membership-ish" understanding in the background of 1 Corinthians or else Paul couldn't tell them to "expel the immoral brother" [5.13].

So, what should church membership look like today? Did the Corinthians make each other sign a church covenant? How did they have a mutual and clear understanding of local church unity? It was there somehow.

Here are a few different church membership vows or church covenants that I've been reading over. Some are really incredible. I looked at Joel Osteen's church. Couldn't find one?

• The Village Church, Matt Chandler... here.
• Bethlehem Baptist, Dr John Piper... here.
• Mars Hill Bible Church, Rob Bell... here.
• Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll... here.

The straightforward membership summary of Mars Hill Bible Church is really beautiful:

BACKWARD, embracing the roots of our faith.
FORWARD, because the life of faith is a journey.
INWARD, because we want to be whole people.
WITHWARD, because we were made to live in community.
OUTWARD, because Jesus calls us to serve the world.
UPWARD, celebrating God's redemption of all things.

how to enjoy a pastor's conference [an entry two years in the making]

This was at the Desiring God pastor's conference in February of 2007. When the plane landed in Minneapolis it was -16 degrees. That's not awesome if you're from the south. It was a pretty flight though.

Because of the piercing frigidity outside, we had to spend our time inside somehow. We went to the biggest mall in America that includes and indoor roller coaster. Party on, Garth.

We found some 4x polo shirts to try on.

And finally, I showed my piety and maturity by jumping on the bed. Videographic expertise provided by Adam Mihm.

i'm glad and scared RETiREMENT is not in the bible

Here.

Justification

At the conference, I was also able to pick up Tom Wright's new book on justification. It will not officially come out in the states until the summer.

His interactions with Piper are direct. He sees the big picture. I love his emphasis on the Spirit, the covenant, and eschatology in justification.

Wright also has several chapters of introductory material that are very rich for any Bible reader. I am personally challenged at the length these guys go to in order to be faithful to the Scriptures.

PiPER ON LEWiS

Here, our good buddy John Piper retells the story of God calling him to be a pastor. He begins in good ol Greenville, SC. He also discusses several of the biggest influences on his life. About CS Lewis' influence on him, he says

He has made me wary of chronological snobbery. That is, he has shown me that “newness” is no virtue and “oldness” is no fault.  Truth and beauty and goodness are not determined by when they exist.  Nothing is inferior for being old, and nothing is valuable for being modern. This has freed me from the tyranny of novelty.

GOSPEL COALiTiON

I just went to Chicago for a pastor's conference - The Gospel Coalition. It was a really sweet time. A few of my seminary pals and I try to go to one every year for good fellowship and encouragement. The Spirit really challenged me to "fan into flame the gift of God" [2 Tim 1.6] and "fight the good fight" [2 Tim 4.7].

The conference theme was "Entrusted with the Gospel: Living the Vision of 2 Timothy."

One thing I absolutely detest about these conferences is that usually it feels like Calvinists patting other Calvinists on the back for being Calvinists. How utterly stupid. I usually walk into the huge conference hall and am immediately drenched with pride. I feel like I know more than at least 80% of these yahoos, who have only read every John Piper book and can give you 8 proof texts for each point in TULIP.

I was talking to this one guy who was probably about my age. I asked him what had encouraged him the most thus far. He mumbled off something vague and then jokingly said that he wasn't going to wash his hand because he shook Mark Driscoll's. I wanted to equally throw up, cry, and kick him in the face.

But our God is good and wise. The way that He humbled me in all of this, which was almost worth the trip itself, was through music. On one side you have the older pastors with their high-water pleated pants, braided belts, and "casual" Sunday morning blazers. On the other hand you have your late 20s/early 30s, black rimmed glasses, bed-headed [or faux hawk] church planters who are going to change the world because they have a tattoo.

BUT...

When all 4,000 of us came together to sing, those oddities didn't mean a thing. I just can't have pride in my heart at the Mark Driscoll-look-alike seven seats down when we're all belting out "He breaks the power of cancelled sin. He sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me."

Slowly, my arrogance was shot down. And it was not only shot down, but transformed. By the end of our time, I didn't look at those different from me and think, "What the heck? Are you kidding me?!" I was able to look them eye-to-eye, smile, and ask our Father in my heart to mold them, use them, and humble them.

Lastly, the reason that guys like Tim Keller, John Piper, and Mark Driscoll are loved is because they DO love Jesus and the Spirit has empowered them for kingdom work. So, it was a great blessing to sit under their teaching and wisdom. Did I agree with every small detail they said? No. Am I still a young idealist? Yes. Was I hugely convicted and prodded to more diligently put my hands to the plow and plead for grace in the journey? Absolutely.

Go listen and read [also here and here]. Good times.

A DiALOGUE WiTH DEATH

CHRISTIAN:

Hello, Death, my old enemy. My old slave-master. Have you come to talk to me again? To frighten me? I am not the person you think I am. I am not the one you used to talk to. Something has happened. Let me ask you a question, Death. Where is your sting?

DEATH [sneeringly]:

My sting is your sin.

CHRISTIAN:

I know that, Death. But that’s not what I asked you. I asked, where is your sting? I know what it is. But tell me where it is.

Why are you fidgeting, Death? Why are you looking away? Why are you turning to go? Wait, Death, you have not answered my question. Where is your sting? Where is, my sin?

What? You have no answer?! But, Death, why do you have no answer? How will you terrify me, if you have no answer? O Death, I will tell you the answer. Where is your sting? Where is my sin? It is hanging on that tree. God made Christ to be sin—my sin. When he died, the penalty of my sin was paid. The power of it was broken. I bear it no more.

Farewell, Death. You need not show up here again to frighten me. God will tell you when to come next time. And when you come, you will be his servant. For me, you will have no sting.

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ [1 Cor 15.55-57].

[unashamedly stolen from here]

never let the gospel get smaller

This is pure thievery from our good brother, John Piper. I know he doesn't mind. It's succinct and poignant. Go read.

CHRiSTiAN SCHOLARSHiP?

I think Edwards would regard it as a massive abduction of scholarship that so many Christians do academic work with so little reference to God. If all the universe and everything in it exists by the design of an infinite, personal God, to make his manifold glory known and loved, then to treat any subject without reference to God's glory is not scholarship but insurrection.

On Prayer [John Piper]

Is it a duty? Is it a discipline? Is it legalistic to say we have to pray? Further, it is likely a good read any time Piper gets fired up enough to say, "To hell with the devil!"

HERE!

PiPER & THE PROSPERiTY GOSPEL

MORE WRiGHT ON JUSTiFiCATiON

NT Wright is responding to his critics again [more here and here]. Good ol Johnny Piper is one of these critics who wrote debating and dialoging with him on justification. It will be good to read Wright's response just as it is good to read almost anything he writes. 

Dear Calvinists, Tom is your brother. He is not a heretic. He is smarter than you. This doesn't mean he is always right. It means that you read, seeking to be blessed by God's grace in his life. Shalom.

"examine yourselves to see whether or not you are in the faith" [2 Cor 13.5]

This is our buddy Piper at a pastor's conference. How should I say this? It's Beautiful. Fragile. Humbling. Terrifying. Sweet.

JOHN PiPER READS MY BLOG

Or at least it sure sounds like it.

Below is a video that echoes much of what I wrote yesterday. His outline in this video covers six issues: Womanhood, Race, Abortion, a prophetic perspective, God's sovereignty, and the Gospel. It is worth your time.

who cares what the Bible says

Hopefully the title has made you keep reading. I heard John Piper say that one time. Of course, he then followed it up with, "It is what the Bible means that counts." I pretty much agree. I know that content and meaning will have a tight-knit relationship, but what we want is meaning, not mere regurgitation of content.

And for people who don't like John Piper, Hilary of Poitiers essentially said the same thing. "Scripture is not in the reading, but in the understanding."

While I give a hearty AMEN to both of these I also understand that they necessitate weighty philosophical and epistemological explanations, of which I am ready to give a rational defense. I've been helped here by Kevin J. Vanhoozer. Go read everything he has written. Don't swear by it all, but be provoked by his breadth of thinking.

a midnight ramble

I just got home from a pastor's conference in Louisville, KY. It was good fun all the way around, getting to be with some of the boys and my dad too. Some of the guys who spoke did an ok job, but as usual, Dr Piper tore it up.

He preached on how the supremacy of Jesus should create radical sacrifice in the lives of ministers. I feel like when he speaks at these pastor's conferences he stands up there as an unmuzzled prophet. It was theologically, spiritually, emotionally, and practically overwhelming. It was like you couldn't even take notes or glance down at your Bible, but you knew you were being summoned to live and die in a manner past your capability. Terrifying and glorious at the same time.

There were a few lines he quoted from Isaac Watts that were particularly sweet and powerful:

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease
While others fought to win the prize
And sailed through bloody seas?

Other conference highlights included 5000 voices, one grand piano, and really old hymns. RC Sproul actually brought an excellent word as well. He explained the curse motif in the atonement from Gal 3.10-14, Dt 27-28, and elsewhere. Download and enjoy.

if you care at all about being a pastor or preacher, you get to listen to this

I almost fell crying from atop my painting ladder a couple of times while listening to this because it's so good. And free to download.

JOHN PiPER and ALCOHOL

This is a Sunday night sermon from October of 1981. I love just thinking about the fact that he grew up at the church across the street from Bob Jones. Fundamentalists unite!