An Old Book Review: The Supremacy of God in Preaching

The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper
November 5, 1997

Summary Of Contents

This book should be read by every preacher. It puts into perspective the toil, emotional strain, the theological digging, and all the rest of the personal investment that makes up the preaching task. According to Piper, every part of preaching should be for the glory of God, grounded in the Cross of Christ, delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit making God supremely central.

Piper develops this thesis in a two part book. The first part describes the motivations for God-centered preaching. Piper gives the theological underpinnings of the supremacy of God in the proclamation of His word. First, the glory of God is the goal of preaching. Second, the basis of all effective preaching is Christ's CrossWork. Third, the Holy Spirit himself, alone is the "power" of powerful preaching. Only the Holy Spirit can turn your work into a message from God.

Finally, in probably the most helpful section of the first part, Piper explains the manner of approach that the God-centered preacher will take to this task: gladness and gravity. Piper defines this approach as "Gladness and gravity should be woven together in the life and preaching of a pastor in such a way as to sober the careless soul and sweeten the burden of the saints" (52). Gravity is not somberness but a "blood-earnestness" that communicates through its intensity the weighty importance of the biblical principles being exposed.

The second part of the book uses the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards to illustrate how to put God squarely and supremely at the center of one's preaching and keep Him there. Edwards must have been a powerful man of God; Piper draws ten principles from his time on earth that paint a picture of a fully-yielded preacher of God's word. Were a preacher to take half of these timeless, practical injunctions to heart, he would be richly rewarded, as would his congregation.

Value of The Supremacy of God in Preaching

for biblical interpretation

In part two, Piper emphasizes the religious affections. We need to study the Scriptures to determine not only the lexical, syntactical, and applicational meanings of the text at hand, but the inclinations of the heart that the text intends to engender from the reader as well. Only then, will we have the full exegetical message that the biblical author is intending.

for Christian living

Preaching is a lifestyle. Our study of the Word with gladness and gravity (p. 47f) will yield fruit in our life which will transform our preaching. We will need to rely upon the Holy Spirit for our power because we will see our own frailty as preachers. Piper writes,

All genuine preaching is rooted in a feeling of desperation. You wake up on Sunday morning and you can smell the smoke of hell on one side and feel the crisp breezes of heaven on the other. You go to your study and look down at your pitiful manuscript, and you kneel down and cry, "God, this is so weak! Who do I think I am? ... My God, who is sufficient for these things?" (37-8)

for Christian ministry

This theocentric preaching will best glorify God and bring us the most happiness. Piper is convincing when he argues that God is most glorified when we enjoy Him most. If this is true, ministry of the word can no longer be a drudgery. It can no longer be work but holy food and the only true sustenance for the preacher's soul.

We will need to preach to engender the same holy affections that we discovered in our study. The response of the heart's motivations and inclinations from our people will be the glad fruit of this effort. (cf p.82-3)

We will need to speak to the hearts not through silly, light, romantic stories but with weighty, intense, theological content (cf. pgs. 84-5, 103-5). The human soul needs biblical meat not watery platitudes and trivialities.

We will need to use carefully chosen analogies, images, illustrations, and stories in our preaching to pound home the intended effect of the biblical authors. If an exegetical/theological point is the nail, the hammer force would be the "well-put" illustration. (cf. 88-90)

The biggest change that this book calls for in terms of philosophy of ministry is the "blood-earnestness" that must characterize all of our preaching. The importance and weight of our message is one such that we cannot fail to plead in brokenness for a response, threaten the biblical threats, warn the biblical warnings, and probe the inner-workings of the heart. (cf. 90-101) Piper hopes that we would preach like Jesus, ". . .the great example for preachers--the crowds heard him gladly, the children sat in his lap, the women were honored. Yet no one in the Bible spoke of hell more often or in more horrible terms" (pg. 63).

Conclusion

I intend to read this book every year to remind myself of the importance of my task as a preacher, the power that is behind me, the message of the Cross that provides the basis for every good thing I can say, and the principles that will enable God to speak and present himself through my messages. God must become supreme in my preaching!