"Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer,
the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they
laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask
alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into
the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him,
as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them,
expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and
gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:1-6)

I think I lost 75 bucks. Saturday night my wife and I decided to go to a neighboring town to buy some things for my son's room. Before we went I had hoped to go to the bank to cash two checks totalling $75. The banks was closed, I stuck the checks in my pocket, that's the last time I saw them. No clue where they are now, probably in a parking lot somewhere or in another guys bank account.

Needless to say I have been a tad bummed about "throwing away" 75 dollars like that. And to be honest a tad stressed about financial things. Then I read this, "When covetousness seeks to chain the heart to things passing away, grace empowers us to enjoy the One who is not only necessary, but enough. And not just barely enough but overwhelming joy and satisfaction." (Dave Harvey in Worldliness, page 115-116).

After reading this it hit me in a tangible way how fleeting money and "stuff" is. I can drop $75 out of my pocket and it is gone forever. I can't drop Jesus out of my pocket and He is gone forever. Jesus is eternal and because of this He is also sufficient for all things. Yeah, maybe I could use the $75, but in 150 years I doubt it will even be a passing thought.

Rewind some 2,000 years. A man that is crippled and confined to begging asks Peter and John for that which fades--money. He does not ask for healing. He does not ask for a changed life. He certainly does not ask for Jesus and being swept up in the grand purpose of praising God. His "felt need" is a few coins (who knows what he intended to spend it on) to get him through the day. He will be back at the gate tomorrow asking for more of that which fades and it seems he is content with that.

Notice what Peter and John do. Instead of answering his fading desire they answer the depths of his soul--the desires he never even thought about desiring. Two very different thoughts were happening as the apostles gazed at him. The beggar thought he was getting alms. The apostles wanted to give him something deeper. And here is essentially what they say to him, "We do not have the temporary, but we do have the eternal, and just so you know that get up and walk".

Perhaps you are wondering what "rise up and walk" has to do with the eternal. Look at the result of this...it shows us that "rise up and walk" is not the end. Here is the aim:

"And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his
feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:7-10)

The aim was worship in the temple. The aim was proclaiming the excellencies of the God that causes a lame man to walk and a dead man to live. This is the eternal which the "rise up and walk" leads to. Money would have faded. Even walking fades. But worship endures forever.

Here is the lesson for our mission: follow the example of Peter and John and give what endures forever. The people that we minister to have a ton of felt needs; some legit and some immature and silly. Yes, we minister in love. Yes, we love people and do what is best for them. And sometimes what is best for them is losing 75.00 to see the beauty and eternal worth of Jesus.

I close with this quote from John Piper:

"People are starving for the greatness of God. But most of them would not give this diagnosis of their troubled lives. The majest of God is an unknown cure. There are far more popular prescriptions on the market, but the benefit of any other remedy is brief and shallow. Preaching that does not have the aroma of God's greatness may entertain for a season, but it will not touch the hidden cry of the soul: 'Show me thy glory!'" (Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching, page 13)

Author: John Piper

Pages: 121

Publisher: Baker

Price: 11.19

Genre: Preaching/Pastoral


Quick Summary:

What is your first thought after hearing your pastor? Pastor, what do people most remember about your sermons? Is it the sermon or the God displayed by the sermon? What Piper calls for is passionate preaching of the supremacy of God. As Piper notes, “It does not matter if surveys turn up a list of perceived needs that does not include the supreme greatness of the sovereign God of grace. That is the deepest need. Our people are starving for God.” This book hopes to inspire pastors to feed the sheep with a vision of the supremacy of God in all things.

If you have read anything by John Piper then you know his passion—the supremacy of God. In this short book Piper writes four chapters in defense of his view of preaching: The goal of preaching, the ground of preaching, the gift of preaching, and the gravity and gladness of preaching. In the final three chapters Piper offers guidance from the ministry of Jonathan Edwards: Keep God Central, Submit to Sweet Sovereignty, and Make God Supreme.

What I Liked:

When I hear John Piper preach I come away with a fresh vision and passion for God. When I read this book I come away with a fresh vision and passion for proclaiming this great God. Piper can write as a lofty theologian. Yet, he can also write as a passionate and loving grandfather. It is the latter that provides the tone for this book. This book is God-centered and practical. I am in wholehearted agreement with Bryan Chapell when he writes of Piper’s book, “The plan is too simple for a fallen world to notice and too powerful for a faithful preacher to ignore.” This book inspires me.

What I Disliked:

The truth is that Bryan Chapell is right; this book is too simple (which says more about my sinfulness than about a criticism of this book). I admire John Piper and would like to learn a great deal from him. I expected to read this book and immediately know how to preach God passionately. I expected a formula that I could easily follow that would transform my preaching. Turns out you will not find that in this book. Instead you learn this: God is most glorified in our preaching when we are most satisfied in him. Simple, yet so powerful you cannot ignore it. Passionate preaching does not come from a how-to manual. It comes from being enthralled with God. So, because I am fallen I wish it were easier.

Should You Buy It?

This book cannot be ignored. It is a must have for preacher and congregant alike.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

With the infrequency that I have been able to blog, perhaps I should change the title to "This Week" in Blogworld instead of "Today".

Josh Harris has an excellent article on mentoring. He has experienced first hand the impact of mentoring. (CJ Mahaney mentored Josh). It would be my prayer that young men might be humble enough to pursue older men, and that older men might be confident enough in the gospel to mentor them.

Tim Challies urges us to Draw Out the Infection of sin through accountability partners. It is always difficult for younger pastors in smaller settings to find accountability partners, but this has motivated me to pursue it even further.

Dr. Galyon gives us Packer's 4th and 5th points on Calvinism.

Last week I linked to several articles on Mahaney interviewing Sinclair Ferguson. Go here and see it all.

Which one of these seven counterfeit gospels have you bit into?

Great question, great advice. Piper considers whether a pastor can preach what he does not feel.

One of my favorite sites the Reformed Mafia appears to be shutting down. Apparently the name "Mafia" has gotten a few people in trouble. This is no joke. I thought it was at first, until I tried accessing the site. I will let you know when something similar is up and running.

I almost made it without linking to a C. Michael Patton article. But this one, on Grace-Centered-Theology and Rewards, can not be passed up.

This is why I do not drink beer:
(HT: The Thinklings)

Ligonier Ministries celebrates April Fools Day with an interesting topic: Did Jesus Ever Laugh?

Absolutely brilliant post from Brent at Colossians 3:16. As one that is attempting to change an anti-intellectual culture, this article really hits home. Why It's Arrogant to Say, "Just give me the Bible..."

One of the most oft questions asked of me, is how were the people in the OT saved. Terry Rayburn discusses this question today, find his answer here.

Abraham Piper gives us 6 reasons that pastors should blog. He also desires for your thoughts and suggestions.

C.J. Mahaney has interviewed Sinclair Ferguson. Last week I linked to the first two parts, now parts 3, 4, and 5 are available.

Challies reviews Young, Restless, and Reformed. I have to get this book, as well as the Harris' brothers' Do Hard Things.

Why is asking of the Bible, "what does this mean to me", dangerous? C. Michael Patton tells us, and I agree.

One of the most often cited passages in support of contextualization is Acts 17. Phil Johnson discusses Paul at Mars Hill.

This is a wonderful quote on worry from Ed Welch's book Running Scared: "Worriers are visionaries minus the optimism." (HT: Josh Harris)

Last week I linked to Dr. Galyon's series on Packer's points of Calvinism. Today we are treated Packer's Third Point.

It seems like whatever Michael Patton posts I link to. Nonetheless, you also need to check out this series on The Problem Passages of Scripture, Part 1.

Nathan Finn gives a Baptist Look at the Lord's Supper.

(HT: Purgatorio)

There is quite a stir among my Calvinist brethren over the upcoming Jacobus John 3:16 Conference. Rhett from the Reformed Mafia, believes we are being set up for the kill. Tom Ascol continues to have hope. Dr. James Galyon has a very thoughtful response to Steve Lemke.

Frank Turk has an interesting take on the Rick Warren call to Mark Driscoll. (Hey, blogosphere, I just used the name Driscoll and Warren in the same post...can I anticipate 3,000 hits today?)

Great post at The Gate: A Reality Check, It's Not All About Me. (HT: Jared)

How do you apply the gospel to pastoral ministry? This is a phenomenal article by Rich Richardson. Seriously. Read it twice. Then apply.

John Piper offers 6 Apsects of Humility.

The Irish Calvinist (that makes it sound like there is only one guy in Ireland that is a Calvinist, doesn't it), has a wonderful post on Preaching. Here is a sample quote that rips into my small intestine: "Jesus just unfolds the Scriptures...This is a rebuke to those of us who teach and find more power in a pithy quote from a theologian than the precise and power-packed Word of God. Let’s preach and teach as men who are under the authority of the Word. May it be clear when we teach who the authority is. Sometimes contemporary preachers, particularly in the Reformed wing, tread dangerously close to a Protestant Magisterium with all of their appeals to “heroes” of the faith. If you are a preacher, does your word possess authority? If you are preaching the Word then it does. Men, preach to put God on display and make Jesus the hero."

Josh Harris and CJ Mahaney address how a pastor monitors the health of his own soul. Here is a similar article by CJ.

Very convicting statements by Dan Phillips. Here is the foundational point in his article: "Sure, God says to do ___, but I've figured out that that won't work. So I don't have to do it. And I won't. Because I'm too smart."

For those involved in the Purtian Reading Challenge, Timmy Brister offers his monthly biographical on our author of the month. This month is Thomas Watson.

Michael Patton asks, How Many Beliefs Can One Abandon and Still be Called Christian? I'm guessing the magic number is 7, but that's just because God seems to like that number. Maybe you should read Michael's article, it's probably more scholarly than my guess of 7. By the way, this article is really about what doctrines are essential to the Christian faith.

Google is really popular. I love Google. I use Google. But I am sure that some/many of the folks at Google need Jesus. My heart was happy to hear of Tim Keller receiving the opportunity to preach the gospel at the Google HQ. Justin Buzzard was there and blogged on Keller's message. What an awesome opportunity, I pray that the Holy Spirit preached the gospel to their hearts. (HT: Challies)

Tim Bayly asks Where Have All the Father's Gone? It's a pretty good article and makes the way for really good discussion. Maybe all of the suggestions are not the best, but it is a great article. (HT: Jared Wilson)

C.J. Mahaney points to an address by Jeff Purswell. In it he gives a humbling and earth-shattering statement to those of us that preach the gospel, "You are a standing in the very stead of God".

Eric Simmons has wonderful suggestions on how to pick a movie. His goal is to offer suggestions to help reduce these moments: "Have you ever had that really uncomfortable and convicting sense after watching a movie? You think, “Uh, that one might’ve been a mistake” or “I’m not so sure I should’ve watched that..."

Joshua Hitchcock of the Reformed Mafia gives us a great article and encouragement to not minimize the gospel. Great reminder of the Puritan culture and their refusal to minimize the gospel.

Tim Challies has a touching story about what it means to love our neighbor (even if they are a nuisance) without grumbling.

Is it possible to have masculinity without manhood? Albert Mohler comments on that question. I particularly like his closing statement: "We lie to ourselves if we believe that we can hold onto a healthy masculinity without honoring true manhood."

Michael Patton asks a very important question, Can a Christian Theology Allow for Abortion?

In our guys Bible study we are studying the Book of Job. A great question that comes out of that would be, how could I have joy if I had the afflictions of Job? C.J. Mahaney attempts to answer that question, Finding Joy in Adversity.

Calvinists beware! Many of us across the blogosphere have our ears open for the rumblings of the upcoming John 3:16 Conference. Tom Ascol throws the first challenge, encouraging us to listen and not get our tulips all ruffled. Nathan Finn also joins the conversation, here.

Perry Noble gives 5 things you should never hear from a staff member.

John Piper makes a clarification on a statement he made at The Resurgence. What is his view on Arminians in education? Find out here.

Should I find this funny?

Ingrown toenails are painful to endure. Apparently so are Ingrown Churches. Joe Thorn gives 7 signs that your church is ingrown. (HT: Steve McCoy)

Ouch! Trevin Wax delivers a convicting post on ear-tickling preaching. Here is a sample: "We crave a message that puffs us up. And ironically, the very message that is supposed to cut us low, the message of the cross can be delivered in such a way that people walk out of the congregation having patted themselves on the back."

Michael Patton gives us some Random Thoughts of Emergence.

The Reformed Mafia continues its series on Trouble with Frank Page. See Part 3, here.

Os Guinness has a wonderful quote, that resonates well with me, concerning the victim mentality of the Religious Right. (HT: JT)

Steve Camp provides an excerpt of Questions Given to Young Ministers by Isaac Watts.

I am praying that our church catchs the vision laid out by John Piper, here. Our entire church family should be worshipping together and not age-segregated.

Even though Nathan Busenitz has presented the case that Christians are not under the Law, he begins his new series on Appealing to the Law. See Part 1 and 2.

Are we still under the Law? Nathan Busenitz attempts to answer that question. Today we are treated to Part 1 in his series. His thesis will be that the apostlic saints saw that we are "no longer under any part of the Mosaic law". He will prove this by making four points. We are treated to his first point today; "the biblical saints saw the Mosaic law as a solitary unit." Check it out, here. You can also read the introductory post, here.

Trevin Wax is asking his readers to come up with Gospel Definitions. How would you define the gospel? He also offers advice on How the older gen. can mentor the younger.

In the category of This is What Happens When We Make Man the Center: the Daily Dose delivers an article about Easter. Joshua responds to a church marketing flier that says, "Easter: It's All About You". I understand what they are attempting to say. But whenever we make that which is secondary, the primary thing, we run the risk of idolatry.

Ed Stetzer has a great article on Ethnicity in the SBC.

Michael Patton continues his series on the Emerging Church. Today he tries to tack jello to the wall, or in other words, define the emerging church.

John Piper posts his son Karsten's poem on Luke 18:25. It is phenomenal.

Phil Johnson continues his discussion on total depravity. Today he asks, How did we Inherit Adam's Sinfulness?

If this guy is serious, then I apologize; it deserves not laughter but rebuke. If it's a joke, then it's a really good one. Because I am giving this guy the benefit of the doubt, and do not see how it cannot be a joke, I post it. (HT: Reformed Mafia)



Along the same lines John Piper discusses his hatred of the prosperity "gospel". (HT: purgatorio)

In John Flavel's Method of Grace he says this, "How humble and lowly in spirit should you be under your great advancement. It is true, God that magnified you greatly by this union; but yet do not boast. You bear not the root, but the root you. You shine, but with a borrowed light".

Flavel points to the foundation of this website. One, that because of our union with Christ we have all the light, that such men as Edwards, Spurgeon, McCheyne, Paul, Peter, etc. have. Their light is also borrowed. Two, it serves to humble us. Any light which we might bring forth does not come from us. We are never the source of light. Therefore, we must always make certain that Jesus Christ is the only boast. Thus leading to my mandate:

"So live and so study and so serve and so preach and so write that Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen God, be the only boast of this generation". Quoted from Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper.

This Conference was amazing. I also was honored to get to meet John Piper. It was only brief-- actually only long enough for me to shake his hand and to tell him thank you for his ministry--but it was a wonderful experience. (His light is also borrowed). Here are the links you need:

Session 1: The Pastor as Son of the Heavenly Father by D.A. Carson
Session 2: The Call to Courage by Crawford Loritts
Session 3: The Pastor as Son of an Earthly Father by D.A. Carson
Session 4: Evangelist Bill Piper: Fundamentalist Full of Grace and Joy
Session 5: The Pastor as Father to His Family and Flock by Carson
Session 6: Fathering a Pioneer Mission Ministry by Greg Livingstone
Session 7: Q & A by All Speakers

Tuesday's Breakout Session: Strategy for Fatherhood by Gregg Harris

Or you could just go here, and visit on the links straight from DG.