Supremacy of God
Pastoral Book Reviews
A very helpful book on the
centralized message of biblical preaching.
The Supremacy of God in Preaching
by John Piper
Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI: 1993, fifth printing.
115 Pages, Paperback
The goal of
preaching is to glorify God. This
is the aim of Piper’s book: he desires to excite preachers to preach
rightly – to Glorify God. Preaching
is lacking because theology is lacking, according to Piper. (I agree!).
If theology became important to preachers, instead of satisfying
the congregation with things which tickle their ears, then preaching in
America, and around the world, would improve.
In this short book of 7 chapters, Piper demonstrates why God
should be supreme in preaching, and how to make Him supreme in
preaching.
Overall, Piper’s book
hits hard into the face of contemporary evangelical preaching.
If preachers would listen to what Piper echoes in his book, their
sermons would ignite into inexhaustible flames.
The people in the congregation would describe their pastors as
men lit on fire for Christ as they preached.
After the preacher has
his theology down, having God and His glory as the center of his
preaching, hew then ought to rely completely on God’s Spirit for his
preaching. The unction and
power of the preaching of any good minister will be evidenced by what
that preacher believes and what attendance he has on God and His Spirit
for that preaching. Men
like the charismatic preachers of today who scream and yell, and say
“cliché” things, those things which tickle men’s ears, are not
preaching though they have large followings.
Remember, there, the people are following them, not Christ.
Piper says that preachers who know God and rely on God will have
sermons which glorify God.
I especially enjoyed
chapter 6 of his book which dealt with Edwards’ preaching and God’s
sovereignty. Without being
able to delight in God’s glory, this being the chief end of man, how
shall one preach effectively? Sovereignty
teaches us God’s immense and powerful glory – His weightiness.
How shall preachers neglect this aspect?
How could they if they are reading and studying their bibles?
Without sovereignty, God is not God and He has no glory to speak
of.
Every preacher who is a
preacher or desires the office should read and reread this very simple
and straightforward treatment of preaching.
Without God’s Supremacy at the center, preaching is nothing.
Some Quotes:
Piper quotes Cotton Mather: “The great design and intention of the
office of a Christian preacher is to restore the throne and dominion of
God in the souls of men.”
“One of the
implications this has for preaching is that preachers who take their cue
from the Bible and not from the world will always be wrestling with
spiritual realities that many of their hearers do not even know exist of
think essential.”
“Preaching would not
be valid without the cross.”
“Jonathan Edwards
preached the way he did because of the man he was and the God he saw.”
“The sovereign work
of the Spirit of God must be the power in which all is achieved.”
“The goal of
preaching is the glory of God reflected in the glad submission of His
creation.” |
