Tuesday, January 6, 2009

John Piper On "Tethered" Preaching

Here is another excerpt from John Piper, this time reminding us of the importance of Biblical preaching.


'Tethered' Preaching: John Calvin & the Entertaining Pastor
by John Piper

The Bible tethers us to reality. We are not free to think and speak whatever might enter our minds or what might be pleasing to any given audience--except God.

By personal calling and Scripture, I am bound to the word of God and to the preaching of what the Bible says. There are few things that burden me more or refresh me more than saying what I see in the Bible. I love to see what God says in the Bible. I love to savor it. And I love to say it.

I believe with all my heart that this is the way God has appointed for me not to waste my life. His word is true. The Bible is the only completely true book in the world. It is inspired by God. Rightly understood and followed, it will lead us to everlasting joy with him. There is no greater book or greater truth.

The implications of this for preaching are immense. John Calvin, with the other Reformers, rescued the Scriptures from their subordination to tradition in the medieval church. The Reformation, let us thank God, was the recovery of the unique and supreme authority of Scripture over church authority.

Commenting on John 17:20, Calvin wrote,
Woe to the Papists who have no other rule of faith than the tradition of the Church. As for us, let us remember that the Son of God, who alone can and ought to pronounce in this matter, approves of no other faith but that which comes from the doctrine of the Apostles, of which we find no certain testimony except in their writings. (Commentary on John)
Calvin's preaching inspires me to press on with this great and glorious task of heralding the word of God. I feel what he says when he writes to Cardinal Sadolet
O Lord, you have enlightened me with the brightness of your Spirit. You have put your Word as a lamp to my feet. The clouds which before now veiled your glory have been dispelled by it, and the blessings of your Anointed have shone clearly upon my eyes. What I have learnt from your mouth (that is to say, from your Word) I will distribute faithfully to your church. ("Letter to Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto," quoted in J. H. Merle D'Augigne, Let Christ Be Magnified, Banner of Truth, 2007, p. 13).
For Calvin, preaching was tethered to the Bible. That is why he preached through books of the Bible so relentlessly. In honor of tethered preaching, I would like to suggest the difference I hear between preaching tethered to the word of God and preaching that ranges free and leans toward entertainment.

The difference between an entertainment-oriented preacher and a Bible-oriented preacher is the manifest connection of the preacher's words to the Bible as what authorizes what he says.

The entertainment-oriented preacher gives the impression that he is not tethered to an authoritative book in what he says. What he says doesn't seem to be shaped and constrained by an authority outside himself. He gives the impression that what he says has significance for reasons other than that it manifestly expresses the meaning and significance of the Bible. So he seems untethered to objective authority.

The entertainment-oriented preacher seems to be at ease talking about many things that are not drawn out of the Bible. In his message, he seems to enjoy more talking about other things than what the Bible teaches. His words seem to have a self-standing worth as interesting or fun. They are entertaining. But they don't give the impression that this man stands as the representative of God before God's people to deliver God's message.

The Bible-oriented preacher, on the other hand, does see himself that way--"I am God's representative sent to God's people to deliver a message from God." He knows that the only way a man can dare to assume such a position is with a trembling sense of unworthy servanthood under the authority of the Bible. He knows that the only way he can deliver God's message to God's people is by rooting it in and saturating it with God's own revelation in the Bible.

The Bible-oriented preacher wants the congregation to know that his words, if they have any abiding worth, are in accord with God's words. He wants this to be obvious to them. That is part of his humility and his authority. Therefore, he constantly tries to show the people that his ideas are coming from the Bible. He is hesitant to go too far toward points that are not demonstrable from the Bible.

His stories and illustrations are constrained and reined in by his hesitancy to lead the consciousness of his hearers away from the sense that this message is based on and expressive of what the Bible says. A sense of submission to the Bible and a sense that the Bible alone has words of true and lasting significance for our people mark the Bible-oriented preacher, but not the entertainment-oriented preacher.

People leave the preaching of the Bible-oriented preacher with a sense that the Bible is supremely authoritative and important and wonderfully good news. They feel less entertained than struck at the greatness of God and the weighty power of his word.

Lord, tether us to your mighty word. Cause me and all preachers to show the people that our word is powerless and insignificant in comparison with yours. Grant us to stand before our people as messengers sent with God's message to God's people in God's name by God's Spirit. Grant us to tremble at this responsibility. Protect us from trifling with this holy moment before your people.
Pastor John
We need to be holding our pastors and teachers accountable to teaching us the Word; if we are not sitting under a Bible-oriented preacher maybe we should be looking for another church. And for those of us who are teachers, we need to make sure that what we are teaching is tethered to the Bible, otherwise we are not just wasting our time - we are wasting the time of those that we have the privilege of teaching.
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1 comment:

layperson said...

The God of Pulpit
The Passover given to Israel was upgraded and given to all mankind becoming the communion of Christ with His church. His body becoming the unleavened bread and his blood which covers all those who will simply receive his gift which is the new covenant (covering). Exodus 12, Mark 14
God’s covering is designed to prepare his people for action. The action defined and lived out in daily life is God’s love flowing from lives that listen and look for ways to participate in the divine nature (love). It’s a walk of faith for imperfect people whose hearts are changed and have desire to live their new life from the inside out. Romans: 12 1-2 they having received His covering now submit their lives to the author of life and love. In other words they seek to care about the things that matter most. This is their spiritual worship to care the way Jesus cares and to follow His example and daily leading. They want to care thus having all the dullness of superficial life removed to enjoy true fellowship, love, hope, and great joy. The food and drink provided in the new upgraded covenant is available daily to any who would desire to come and partake.
So why this blog is is called the “God of Pulpit”? Because preaching like any ministry should be the result of ministers living life from the inside out. It’s the word of god mixed with the life of the preacher.
If we think sermons will change the world without all of this we deceive ourselves. Pulpits should be a place to let real inner life surface in humility, love, and JOY. Its part of the threads of life God is weaving into our lives and an opportunity to get what is on the inside out to people who need to eat to grow strong and healthy. When people hear and see the message (the preacher) they should line up.
God of pulpit is a name I gave ego eccentrics who truly think their mission is life is to share their golden tongue. They think that somehow having their hearts set upon the Christ doesn’t matter as much as using their gift of monologue. God of pulpit is another form of worldly lust that seeks to exalt itself over its maker. The fallen golden tongues are all around us but thankfully many have seen the error of their ways and have chosen to take back the joy of their salvation and love people. Many preach again but what a difference in the message!
So preachers before you approach that pulpit remember to care about what the people need to see in your life more than in your words. Follow love under the covering of the Savior and give the people real meat.