john piper the supremacy of god in preaching

My burden is to plead for the supremacy of God in preaching-that the dominant note of preaching be the freedom of God’s sovereign grace, the unifying theme be the zeal that God has shown for his glory, the grand object of preaching be the infinite and inexhaustible being of God, and the pervasive atmosphere of preaching be the holiness of God. In so doing, it is not that the preacher dismisses felt needs he eclipses them. Second, the preacher should point his people to the grand truths of God. He argues, “People are starving for the greatness of God, but most of them don’t even know it.” Piper puts preaching on a higher ground-pointing preachers to engage the true, deep longings of the human heart.

Piper’s God-centered hedonism radiates through his preaching. Calvin’s theocentric approach did the same. For example, Luther and Spurgeon’s Christ-centered hermeneutic impacted their exegesis and their preaching. Mark it down the preacher’s presuppositions always shape the sermon. For better or worse, what comes out in the pulpit each Sunday will, over time, reveal what the preacher truly believes, values, and prizes.Īt the most foundational level, this begins with the preacher’s theological presuppositions. I’ve reread it every few years, and now, in the 25 th year since its initial publication, it deserves renewed attention.įirst, to preach is to put one’s deepest beliefs on display. While at Beeson, I grabbed a copy of Piper’s, The Supremacy of God in Preaching. It was an introductory dose of what all who’ve heard John Piper have come to expect-an unveiling of the majesty and supremacy of God. Piper spoke as one having authority an authority based upon the Word that accentuated God’s glory. With every word, my call to ministry intensified. Situated in the stunning Hodges Chapel at Beeson, I sat hanging on every syllable. While beginning to sense God’s call to ministry, in February of 1998 I joined a car full of college-age men aspiring to the ministry, and we traveled north from Mobile, AL, on Interstate 65 to attend the Conger Lectures on Preaching at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham.įriends described that year’s lecturer as the “John MacArthur of the North.” I would soon get to hear him in person. Comments Off on “The Supremacy of God in Preaching” Turns 25.

John piper the supremacy of god in preaching