Liveblogging Pastor John Piper at Southern Seminary Chapel 2

II Cor. 3:18-4:7

A Question to consider throughout: “How can the burden of Christ be light when the burden is a cross?” (cf. Matt 11:30; Matt. 16:24)

[Recap of Tues. message: The joy of faith is the joy of Jesus as supremely valuable. Paul’s ambition was to so live and so speak that others would apprehend Christ in joy.]

As we battle for the gospel truths we are constantly in danger of losing the good of the Gospel.

4 Foundational Truths Concerning the Good of the Gospel:

1. The event: I Cor. 15:1-3
2. The accomplishment on our behalf: Rms. 8:3; Gal. 3:13
3. The offer to everyone on the basis of faith alone: Eph. 2:8
4. The application of Christ’s accomplishment through faith.

These must point to the glory of Christ revealed in the Gospel for your everlasting enjoyment or we have fallen short of true Gospel proclamation.

• The Gospel. II Cor. 4:4,6– “The gospel of the glory of Christ” as the end to which doctrine is proper means. When you preach the Gospel, people should see the face of Christ: “We see with our ears when the Gospel is preached.”
• Lostness. II Cor. 4:3-4– “Lostness is blindness to glory.” We see this when people are disinterested in the Gospel.
• Conversion. II Cor. 4:6– God says, “See!” And Jesus is no longer boring, but rather we recognize Jesus for who He is.
• Application. II Cor. 4:4-5,7. You are indispensable to this saving work (cf. Acts 26:17-18). You are called to do what only God can do. God will not save apart from His appointed means. An additional point of application comes from a cross-reference to II Tim. 2:24-26, so that we may see how to be means of God granting repentance to churches who disagree– it is essential that we must have the attitude of patience and gentleness the Apostle described. We must lift up a glorious, sufficient, satisfying God and humble ourselves, making ourselves low as His servants.