Piper Denounces Prosperity Preachers, Playful Worship in Last Sermon
In his last message as pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church, John Piper condemned prosperity preachers for enticing worshippers into a faith that's not real Christianity.
"If you entice people with wealth, ... ease, health, chipper, bouncy, light-hearted, playful, superficial banter in your worship service posing as joy in Christ, you will attract people, oh yeah, you can grow a huge church that way. But Christ will not be seen in his glory and the Christian life will not be seen as the Calvary road that it is," said Piper on Sunday.
After 32 years of preaching at Bethlehem in Minneapolis, Piper handed the baton to Jason Meyer, who will be installed on Jan. 20....
I wonder what the great reformers would have to say to these new Calvinist= emergents. Ohh piper is a great fan of driscoll. Good discernment their. Hopefully this new pastor, is not as baptistcostal, as piper is.
The only righteousness I will ever have is the righteousness noted in Romans chapter 4 and 2nd Corinthian chapter 5 that was reckoned to me by God Himself based on the faith that He Himself has given to me in accordance with Ephesians chapter 2. In other words, my faith in who Christ was and is, to include His Lordship, and my confidence and trust in His substitutionary death on the cross is looked upon by God as the righteousness of Christ and is credited to me. This was, is, and will be forever a gift from God to demonstrate His righteousness, mercy and forgiveness. Nothing I have ever done or will ever do could remotely give me a right standing with God. Any work that I have ever done after my salvation is simply a manifestation of God living within me and conducting His affairs through me.
Philippians 3:9 KJV 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Some say this is AV speak for "faith in Christ". Others say that we are saved by the "faith of Christ". I go for the former.
Mike wrote: Pope Benedict XVI said in a 2005 speech, "I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina.
I wonder if he ever meditates and ponders the truth of the following verse:
Galatians 2:16 KJV 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
What!!! This coming from a man, that practices lectio devina!!
The practice of lectio divina is currently very popular among Catholics and gnostics, and is gaining acceptance as an integral part of the devotional practices of the Emerging Church. Pope Benedict XVI said in a 2005 speech, "I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina.
Baptist pastors seem to have the principle of speak no evil with anyone labelled a Baptist, John Ankerberg really does over do that avoidance. So, anyway, one wouldn't be surprised about this.
And here I thought he was going to repent of having Rick Warren speak at his church and for saying there was nothing wrong with Rick Warren's theology, or at least nothing significant. Oh well.
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