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John Piper Sermon Notes Vol. 1

 How To Get Wisdom: Become a Fool 2 Timothy 3:15

  • What is wisdom?
  • Human wisdom: Facts, knowledge with situational insight that together are able to achieve the righteous goal.
  • God's wisdom: Similar in definition but never fails (regardless of the situation).
  • God's wisdom is the perfect factual knowledge of reality and perfect situational insight and perfect resolve that together do achieve His goals.
  • Walk in His wisdom. Not yours.
  • Wisdom is a means to God's goal.
  • Scripture gives us the necessary wisdom and resolves to end in salvation.
  • Paths to wisdom: prize wisdom (Proverbs 4:8), pray for it o come to you (James 1:5), pursue it in the word and the world of God (Proverbs 6:6), walk with wise teachers, and live in light of eternity.
  • 1 Corinthians 3:18. A path to wisdom. We must embrace the role of the fool in the world to be wise. We are not ashamed of our foolishness.
  • Do not drain the power of the Cross with worldly/human wisdom. But be a fool for it.
  • Out rejoice the world in spite, and because of, their insults.
 
How To Know the Will of God Romans 12:1-2
  • We are to offer our physical/bodily being to God in all things.
  • We go and lay down on the altar but don't physically die. We die differently.
  • We can please God; this is what we are called to do.
  • The goal of all human life is that God through Christ be magnified.
  • How does all of life become worship? 12:2-renew our mind, live in such a way to value God above all else.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17. we are all new. But we need to be renewed.
  • What is the will of God? Sovereign will or His command to do what is right?
  • Sovereign will=His plan He always does. He decides/declares and it happens.
  • If God couldn't plan the murder of His Son then we could not be saved.
  • God hates the sin committed and disapproves of it, but is still sovereign over it.
  • Don't push Him away in time of need because then you have no God to help you heal/deal with the pain/suffering.
  • 12:2 talks about the will of command. Not the sovereign will of God. Paul is not saying 'renew your mind to find out what happens tomorrow'. Rather, 'renew your mind to find what ought to happen tomorrow.'
  • The will of command is revealed in the Bible 2 Timothy 3:16. He will tell you what to do via that. Ask God to give us a renewed mind so that when we read the Bible we can see what it means.
  • We must do much today where the Bible gives us explicit direction. So in our renewed mind, we can apply what we do know to produce godly action.
  • Holy Spirit renews our mind and gives us new thoughts/feelings. Cry out for the Spirit and His renewal.
  • 2 Corinthians 3:18. Beholding God in Christ through the word leads to our renewing of the mind.
 
Nothing Can Separate Us From the Love of Christ Romans 8:35-39
  • Paul spells out the threats to him in Romans 8:31-39
  • Christ is loving us now. His love is expressed in His intercession for me.
  • The love of Christ is effective in protecting us from separation from Him. Thus, this love is not the universal love of all people. But a particular love for His own people. Those who go to Hell don't know this type of love.
  • Christ has a love for everyone but a particular love for His bride the Church.
  • How do we know this particular love? Trust Him. His love is effective.
  • This love doesn't save us from suffering but brings us everlasting joy.
  • We don't face the "sword" here in the USA. Thus, we are to remember the persecuted Church.
  • We are not blessed with freedom to buy a bigger house/car but to bless others.
  • Embracing God's sovereignty brings us life and hope.
  • Don't think you know better than God how to run the world; that's pride.
  • God has a purpose for all hardship that happens to His people.
  • Death and suffering press in on us the perspective of eternity.
  • God's distribution of suffering is not equal. One thing prepares you for another.
  • God's love takes care of us right now and for eternity.
  • Suffer with others.
  • Suffering creates Gospel opportunity.
  • God's love frees us from greed; allowing us to love others.
  • Without God the world is hopeless.
 
Even the Devil Believes the Bible
  • Satan believes the Bible but hates its' truth.
  • We treasure its truth. That is what separates us from Satan.
  • The glory of God is the ground of our joy.
  • We were made to be satisfied in Him. And that's how His glory shines in us- by delighting in Him.
  • The word is our certainty and our satisfaction.
  • The quest for truth and the quest for joy are the same quest.
  • There is a glory that shines through the Scriptures that shows it to be the word of God.
  • The Bible shows that God intends for us to have a well-grounded conviction that He is powerful, wise, creator simply by seeing His glory through His creation.
  • We see God's glory in the creation; mainly in Christ.
  • We know the is word truth because in it we see God's glory.
 
Gospel Hope for Self-Haters Ask Pastor John Podcast
  • Self-hate fuels self atonement.
  • Self-hate is a judgment against ourselves. It is an issue of the conscience.
  • God is a God of mercy. We stand forgiven by God's work; not ours.
  • We usually judge ourselves by the wrong standards.
  • We also look to the wrong savior (ourselves).
  • Look to the God of mercy and grace and His Messiah.
  • Signs of Self-hate: Self-esteem issues and body issues.
  • Self-hate is a trap of failure/self-condemnation.
  • We are not failures or condemned. We are "in Christ".
  • Self-hate is pride and a fear of man.
  • IE we fail in our own eyes and other's lives.
  • Self-hate is not the same as humility in repentance.
  • The door to our humility is the mercy of God.
  • Thus, hear and believe God's voice in His word about you.

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