A Generation Passionate for Gods Holiness
Check out this One Day '03 message! Wow!
At least drag the timer to the 19.15 mark and listen for 5 minutes! Don't hear many apologies like this today!
"GOD IS NOT A MAN-WORSHIPPER...GOD IS A GOD-WORSHIPPER!"
posted by Daddy, Manf and Bean at 11:47 AM
2 Comments:
Well, that was quite an apology.
He apologized for his generation making the self the center and not Christ the center.
Then he says "Christ gives you the ability...", "Christ enables you...".
It still sounds like he's making me the center. The focus is still on me.
"If you...." "If you...". It's still Law language centered upon the action of the sinner.It ain't gonna' happen from our end. Never has...never will.
What about what Christ has done? What about what Christ is doing and will yet do?
Dr. Piper's Baptist, Calvanist slip is showing. He is a Baptist/Calvanist so there is no suprise there.
I really wouldn't expect him to hand over Christ with no strings attached, it's not in his theological makeup.
I'm sure he's sincere. I'm sure he's a nice man. I'm sure he has good intentions for us. But, you know what can be said about good intentions.
Jesus knew our natural inclination was to put our self at the center of everything. That's why we've replaced the table (the altar) of Lord's supper as the center in our houses of worship with band instruments. That's why we've removed the pulpits and lecturns front their rightful places of prominence and tucked them away in the attic.
This is why Jesus commanded us to baptise and to partake of His Holy Supper. So we could freely recieve from Him, externally, what we need most, the forgiveness of sins.
If we compromise a bit in the centrality of the Law/Gospel paradigm for the sake of church growth, it is not worth one nickel toward the price paid.
I'd like to see an apology for the apology where we are taken out of the equation and Christ is placed back at the center. And then just leave it alone.
Thanks -
Steve
12:24 PM
I want to be fair about my critique of Dr. Piper.
When I first heard Dr. Piper speak, about 6 months ago, I enjoyed it and thought it very good.
Since then I have been exposed to the Law/Gospel paradigm from several sources.
My pastor, the Law and Gospel radio program, and the blog 'A Crumb from the Master's Table'.
I believe now I am able to see and understand things about God's Word that I was previously unable to recognize.
I have learned that when the law is preached the proper use of that law(theologically speaking) is to kill you off, to the self, and the progress of the self where God is concerned.
I have learned that then, the Gospel (when properly preached and declared to you) can go to work and raise that killed off, old Adam, to new life (totally apart from any effort on my part).
I have learned that this is the Christian life. A continual dying and rising. A picture of baptism, over and over again.
It's not very exciting, or sexy, and doesn't build great churches, but I believe that is how our Lord has declared it shall be.
I thank the Lord and those in His service for teaching me these great and wonderful truths that I might be freed from the religious project and trust in the gracious thing that He has done for me and to me.
- Steve
11:56 AM
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