Dr. John Piper- Understanding Suffering

When I was at Passion I had the privilege of hearing John Piper speak... He made some incredible observations about the suffering of Christ and suffering in our own lives:

1. Suffering is Essential- Jesus had to experience suffering to overcome it.
2. The son of God's suffering was planned before the foundation of the world... So God could adopt us. "Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain"
3. God permitted sin into the world to be followed by Suffering... to show the Greatness of the Glory of the Grace of God.
4. What Satan meant for Evil... God meant for Good.
5. When sin entered the world... Atrocities, Tragedies, Horrible Things entered the world with it.

Affliction comes... NOT FROM HIS HEART... but from a Painful Means to the Center of his Heart.

1. Christ absorbed the Wrath of God by suffering.
2. A perfect righteousness, adopted by us because of Suffering.
3. Christ overcame Death by suffering Death.
4. Christ disarmed Satan... by suffering.
5. Christ gives us a Perfect Final Healing because of suffering.
6. Christ brings us to God by suffering.

The Ultimate display of love in the Universe... Christ's Suffering.

Our sole purpose in the universe is to Praise the GREATNESS of the GLORY of the GRACE of GOD which is most evident in the Suffering of Christ, where he defeated death, so we could be adopted by God, he adopted us to Glorify Himself.

Wow.... just looking at my notes again from this sermon knocks me back. John Piper really helped me start to grasp the Suffering of Christ. (This was only the first part of the sermon)

Part Two- He began by talking about the Miner Tragedy and the miscommunication to the families and to the Nation. Here are something’s that he said that are neat to sit and ponder on.

· Will you join the Son in Suffering?
· No one will praise a Prosperity Jesus.
· Christianity is not supposed to be “The Good Life”
· Paul says, “We are to be pitied if we have only hoped in Christ for this life.”
· Most Christians live “A Mediocre Life”
· Paul made risky choices, “I am in Peril every hour, I die everyday.”
· Paul wouldn’t have chosen this life if it he didn’t believe it was true.
· Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
· What is lacking in Christ’s suffering? Nothing!
· Paul meant his mission is not to add to the Atonement, but add to the Extension of the Gospel.

John Piper closed by saying I am summoning you to a painful life. Then Louie Giglio followed him up by saying, we don’t suffer just because we are Christians. Everyone Suffers, but those that walk with Christ are rewarded in their sufferings. The car accident made me remember these sessions at Passion. These two sermons had a huge impact on me. I am not sure that I can even come close to getting the point across that Dr. Piper did but I thought I would try. I found out a couple of weeks ago that Dr. Piper was diagnosed with Cancer before we came to Passion this year. That makes his talk that much more sincere. I know that no one will respond to this because it is serious but I wanted to write it anyways.