“You saw the world and said that it was good. You sent your only Son for You are good.” – Jeremy Camp, Wonderful Maker
That song was playing overhead as I sat and get ready for the morning’s first session. Friday night, John Piper mentioned his sermon from last Sunday, the last in a series on Spectacular Sins. He finishes this Sunday as he continues to talk on the most spectacular sin of all, the murder of the Son of God. And then he said the most amazing thing, that act pleased God! Hard to wrap your head around, but it speaks to the unfathomable nature of God, the God that exalts Himself to show mercy to me! (Must remind myself to listen to those sermons.)
We finished up the evening at Denny’s. Hey, it was open and could accommodate our crowd, OK! It was sweet finishing up the night talking and getting to know one another better. Ok, it was good for me to get to know others more. I talked with Ryan and Mark and heard their stories. I shared with Gareth and Jen about my experiences long ago working in a machine shop. Sharing stories, lives, aspirations; that’s what adds to the joy of the journey. I tend to be a loner, watching from the sidelines, observing from the corner (much as I was doing as I typed and look out at the auditorium filled with the noise of the crowd before we resumed for the third session.). I’m working to become more of a participant, but it’s a slow process. In the meantime, I watch, and that’s OK.
Yesterday’s messages followed on Friday night’s with the remaining pleasures of God, the things in which He takes great pleasure. He began with number three, God takes pleasure in all that He does.
Piper explained God’s Holiness vs. God’s Glory. God’s Holiness is described as His intrinsic, infinite worth. His Glory is His Holiness made public, for all to see. I thought that was cool. The display of His Glory comes out of His Holiness, beautiful and terrifying to behold.
Piper talked about the seemingly opposing images of God, comparing Ezekiel 18:23 where God says He does not delight in the death of the wicked and then Deuteronomy 28:63 where God says He will take delight in bringing ruin upon the wicked– His passion for the salvation of a soul and His hatred for the evil and sin. Piper painted a picture of God running around heaven leaping for joy over someone getting saved, and He was angry as He could be. Talk about passionate!
Piper shared verse after verse, and I tried to copy down all the verses, but he kept sharing one after the other and each added to the other and revealed more about God and His pleasure in what He does. Piper shared that God has absolute freedom to do all that He pleases. He is a sovereign God and as Proverbs 16:33 declares, every decision is from the Lord! I had read Genesis 50:20 many times and knew what it said, but I had not really saw what it meant until Piper read it again and I saw it as if for the first time. Joseph told his brothers, ” As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” God meant it for good. He didn’t just allow it, or work it out, He determined it and laid out the course of Joseph’s life including being sold into slavery, imprisonment. All this God did to “bring about that many people should be kept alive.” wow.
This led Piper to talk about the complexities of God, there are some things that we can’t figure out about God (OK, a lot of things…). He is too complex, too deep, too beyond our finite understanding. Piper shared that God is in sovereign control of the world, so that nothing that happens in your life is meaningless. (That definitely got the old brain thinking.) He also shared that God is merciful in His severity. (More to mull over.)
This led to the fourth pleasure of God, His pleasure in His creation. God delights in what He creates. Piper shared about the recent TV series Blue Planet that he and his family watched and worshiped! As they watched the creatures being observed and discovered, they would praise God for all that He had created, even the unseen things that we don’t see. God created them for His delight and His glory!
The next pleasure, God’s pleasure in Election. God chose whom He chose, not based on anything they (or we) had done. In Ephesians 1:3-6, we were chosen before the foundations of the world, predestined for adoption, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace.
Contrary to what others have said against it, it actually assures us of the success of evangelism (Acts 18:9), and gives us great assurance as believers (Romans 8:29-30). I have to share here, I’m relatively new to Reform doctrine. Or, rather, I’m relatively new to discussing it and acknowledging that is what I believe. I have been convinced of this doctrine for some time, just not fully assured that I can speak competently to it. I’m good at referring to writings I’ve read(monergism.com), but I know that I must come to the point where I can adequately defend it and share this great assurance with others as well. And yes, doctrine does matter.
The next pleasure was the pleasure of God in sending and sacrificing His Son. Now this pleasure was the most intriguing and challenging to me. At least in its declaration. I’d never heard it that way before. But Ephesians 5:2 says that Christ gave Himself up, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. He was a fragrant offering to God! It was the will of the Lord to crush him (Isaiah 53:10). God also took pleasure in his obedience.
God also takes pleasure in doing good to those who hope in Him. God delights to work for those who delight in Christ.
Now I must say, at this point in the conference, I listened more than typed. My notes are few, but maybe that is as it should be. Piper said the first five pleasures were about God, the last three about us.
The last pleasure that was presented was that God finds pleasure in the obedience of His people. Piper spoke of sacrificial love for people, enemies and friends. This love displays God’s value to us over the value of escaping the pains we encounter. Piper offered Hebrews 12:2 to help us endure. Look to Jesus. He then shared what our reward would be, Revelation 3:21, we would be granted to sit with Jesus on his throne. wow.
Now, I am bold to write this all and then tell you that you can listen to the audio of the conference on the Desiring God website. You may listen to it and then come back and tell me what I wrote wasn’t even close to what was said, but it was what I heard and what I came away with.
I said I would share what happened at the conference. I’m so glad that I was able to attend. Sitting and listening to Piper speak in person was awesome. Spending time with the Redeemer family was an added treat. Sitting and eating at In-N-Out was the perfect finish to a great weekend.
All Things Elda 