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Enjoying God Blog

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At the close of John Piper’s recent controversial article on the election, he had this word of counsel to pastors and church leaders. I hope you find this helpful. I certainly did. It seems especially appropriate in our current season when circumstances outside of our control have been imposed so forcefully on us. I know that all those who serve in ministry roles feel frustrated in not being able to do what we think needs to be done. But seize this opportunity. Don’t waste the downtime. Press into the heart of God and to whatever degree you can interact with others. Make this your focus. Here is what Piper wrote.

May I suggest to pastors [and all on any ministry staff] that in the quietness of your study you do this? Imagine that America collapses. First anarchy, then tyranny — from the right or the left. Imagine that religious freedom is gone. What remains for Christians is fines, prison, exile, and martyrdom. Then ask yourself this: Has my preaching been developing real, radical Christians? Christians who can sing on the scaffold,

Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still;
His kingdom is forever. (Martin Luther)

Christians who will act like the believers in Hebrews 10:34: “You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” Christians who will face hate and reviling and exclusion for Christ’s sake and yet “rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, [their] reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:22-23).

Have you been cultivating real Christians who see the beauty and the worth of the Son of God? Have you faithfully unfolded and heralded “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8)? Are you raising up generations of those who say with Paul, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8)?

Have you shown them that they are “sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11), and that their “citizenship is in heaven,” from which they “await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20)? Do they feel in their bones that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21)?

Or have you neglected these greatest of all realities and repeatedly diverted their attention onto the strategies of politics? Have you inadvertently created the mindset that the greatest issue in life is saving America and its earthly benefits? Or have you shown your people that the greatest issue is exalting Christ with or without America? Have you shown them that the people who do the most good for the greatest number for the longest time (including America!) are people who have the aroma of another world with another King?

 

2 Comments

Thanks for highlighting this elemental and core ethic to the Christian walk.

Sincerely
It is very encouraging when our leaders actually press us to seek 1st the kingdom of God!

The King there in His beauty,
Without a veil is seen;
It were a well spent journey,
Though sev'n deaths lay between

Thank you both.

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