Brothers & Sisters we are not professionals

I have been reading John Piper’s: Brothers, We are Not Professionals. In this book, Piper calls all pastors/leaders to: “abandon the secularization of the pastorate and pursue the prophetic call of the Bible for radical ministry.” It is a call that I plan to embrace, and encourage you to do so as well. But that is not the point of this post. In his work, Piper quotes C.H. Spurgeon on the devout prayer warrior Jerome. Spurgeon says:

That was a grand action by Jerome, one of the Roman fathers. He laid aside all the pressing engagements and went to fulfill the call God gave him, viz, to translate the Holy Scriptures. His congregation were larger than many preachers of today, but he said to his people, “Now it is necessary that the Scriptures be translated; you must find another minister: I am bound for the wilderness and shall not return until my task is finished.” Away he went and labored and prayed until he produced the Latin Vulgate, which will last as long as the world stands. So we must say to our friends, ” I must go away and have time for prayer and solitude.” And though we did not write Latin Vulgates, yet our work will be immortal: Glory to God.

I want to encourage you, make time for prayer. It is the only power we have to effect the change of heart in other’s lives which we wish to see. It is the only way that we can bring Christlikeness to our own hearts, and to the hearts of those in our congregations. And after all isn’t that what people need, and deep inside want? Piper said it this way: Are not our people really yearning to be around a man who has been around God? From my experience, that is just what they are looking for, and just what they deserve in a pastor; a man who has been near God.

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Whether in Hell or on the Cross

Too often I take things into my own hands, even so far as stepping into God’s role. I was reading Piper last night when he stepped on my toes about this habit of mine. Piper was writing about humility, when he said: “Humility does not feel a right to better treatment than Jesus got.” You see, much of the time, we feel as if we that right to not be treated poorly. We have the right to everyone fulfilling our needs, whims, etc. We feel like we have a right to good service, a right to be treated with respect, a right to not be talked down to, the right to be treated well, etc. But you know, no servant is greater than his master, and our master Jesus Christ, was treated horrendously. Who are we to think that we deserve anything better? Piper went on to say that we should assume that we will be mistreated, and that we should not be indignant when we are treated poorly. This is Christlike humility, that we do not think too highly of ourselves, and that we esteem others more highly than ourselves.

So what do we do when we are wronged and treated horribly? After all, none of us like to be disrespected. Piper answers that question by pointing us to God and his greatness. Piper gives us this advice: “Peter (1Pet. 2:1-23) and Paul (Rom 12:19) give us great moral assistance in this difficult task by reminding us that God will settle all accounts justly and that temporary injustice will not be swept under the rug of the universe. It will be dealt with – on the cross or in hell. We need not avenge ourselves. We can leave it to God.” So the next time that person speaks to you condescendingly, leave it to God. The next time you are reviled and put down for your beliefs, leave it to the just and righteous one. The next time your girlfriend or wife says something that “insults your intelligence” remember that the Son of God, the I Am through whom the world and wisdom was created was treated the same way; and let God handle it on the cross or in hell. p.s. This thought of all of our hurts being taken care of on the cross or in hell really should force us to our knees in praise and thankfulness to God that our sins have been taken care of on the cross. But it should also send us to our knees in repentance for the lack of care we have towards those whose sins will be taken care of in hell. May it be that when we are sinned against, we see a sin and a sinner whose transgressions might be accounted for in hell. May this knowledge compel us to tell them to flee God’s wrath against sin, and run towards salvation by God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus.

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