John Piper doesn’t have a TV and doesn’t go to the movies very often. I’m all for godly engagement with culture in preaching Jesus, but this article from Piper is helpful in keeping the main thing the main thing. Here’s a snippet:
“If you want to be relevant, say, for prostitutes, don’t watch a movie with a lot of tumbles in a brothel. Immerse yourself in the gospel, which is tailor-made for prostitutes; then watch Jesus deal with them in the Bible; then go find a prostitute and talk to her. Listen to her, not the movie. Being entertained by sin does not increase compassion for sinners.”
Go read the whole article.
Even if at times his theology or method frustrate me, I am always drawn back to Piper because of things like this. He is such a pastor, he is highly practical, yet at the same time he makes me think grand things about God.
Did I just write ‘frustrate me’? I’m pretty sure that’s not what I wrote (but how could we possibly go back in time and prove what I said, anyway).
Maybe, confuse, or, disagree with. I’ve never been frustrated by Piper.
Dave – I protest. You used the word HELPFUL here. Arghhh!!!
haha!!
believe it or not, i noticed your update on twitter or facebook recently (or maybe blog?? somewhere)… having a rant against “helpful”. i’ve been paranoid about using it since!!
sorry about this time… it slipped through
want me to change it?
give me five words you think are more suitable (i’ll cycle through the 5 of them in my next essay…)