John Piper on the cross of Christ:
Even though all scorn the glory of God, and even though God’s righteousness is his unwavering commitment to uphold [His] glory– nevertheless, God designed a way to vindicate the worth of his glory and at the same time give hope to sinners who have scorned that glory– and what he designed was the death of his Son. It took the infinitely costly death of the Son of God to repair the dishonor that my pride has brought upon the glory of God.
John Piper on preaching:
The cross is also the ground of the humility of preaching because the cross is the power of God to crucify the pride of both preacher and congregation. In the New Testament the cross is not only a past place of objective substitution; it is also a present place of subjective execution– the execution of my self-reliance and my love affair with the praise of man. “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14).
John Piper on Luke 13:1-5:
Some people came to Jesus and told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Jesus responded in shockingly unsentimental words: “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” In other words, Jesus says, “Are you amazed that few Galileans were killed by Pilate? What you ought to be amazed at is that all of you haven’t been killed, and that you will be someday if you don’t repent.”
The obvious solution is for the sheep to form committees to study what has made the wolves so angry.
—via @tonywoodlief
From Sidney Greidanus’ Preaching Christ from the Old Testament:
The object and content of preaching is Christ, the Word in which the Father expresses Himself and communicates His will to man. (Domenico Grasso, Roman Catholic)
Ministers are commissioned and ordained in the church precisely to preach the Word of God. They are given some fixed terms of reference– namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ– and they are committed to this sole and perennial message. (Georges Florovsky, Eastern Orthodox)
R. C. Sproul in Knowing Scripture:
Sensuous Christians cannot be moved to service, prayer or study unless they “feel like it.” Their Christian life is only as effective as the intensity of present feelings. When they experience spiritual euphoria, they are a whirlwind of godly activity; when they are depressed, they are a spiritual incompetent. They constantly seek new and fresh spiritual experiences, and use them to determine the Word of God. Their “inner feelings” become the ultimate test for truth.
Sensuous Christians don’t need to study the Word of God because they already know the will of God by their feelings. They don’t want to know God; they want to experience him…
Jojo Agot 