Beyond the Porch Swing
Passion 2020 session 2 take away
I’m amazed at the diversity of God! God takes something we all have and makes each of ours different. I’m talking about our brains. John Piper spoke in session two and for me, listening to him was like stepping into a room swirling with new wonders and mystery. I enjoyed figuring out what he was saying. This is my interpretation of his session.
Piper delved into two questions.
- Does all our emphasis on desiring God backfire in the end?
- Because God has everything about Him, in particular Christ and the cross, why is that not selfishness? (I think this was his second question but I was busy swirling in the vastness of his talk I can’t say for sure. He did talk about it though.)
Question 1
How would desiring God backfire? I think Piper meant as we are to give up our desires for God (Matthew 16:24) then isn’t desiring Him selfish.
Answer is no. Why? Because God is the only One and Thing worthy of being desired. Proof of this is in His name. Yahweh, and I Am verses a name like Janet. Though Janet is a fine name, it holds no power, authority or sacredness.
God Himself is the embodiment of everything; Yahweh. When we desire Him, He gives us
Himself.
Himself.
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/jer.29.13.esv
In giving us Himself, He gives us everything as He is everything.
I was reminded of a scene in the movie Pocahontas. The one where she says or implies that God is in the trees. That is an opposite view of reality. God’s isn’t in the trees, the trees live in the presence of God.
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”
Psalms 139:7-10 ESV
God is the encompassment of all.
The I Am!
Therefore (formal word but we are talking about John Piper's talk), when our desire is for people or things other than God, we’re left still incomplete. In God alone is completeness. Every other thing, person or circumstance can only gives us temporary satisfaction. Always.
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.”
Mark 8:35 ESV
Every time we Christians practices self denial and desire God is an opportunity for God to give us His everlasting pleasure.
Questions 2
Is God making everything about Himself selfish?
This question is based off of “who for the joy that was set before him”.
“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 ESV
The joy set before Christ was for our total benefit. He endured the horrors of the cross in order for us to be able to receive His everlasting pleasure. No selfishness as He gained nothing. God already is absolute completeness. We are not. The cross benefited only us!
Everything is about God because all things were made by Him and without Him, everything would cease to exist.
“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
John 1:3-4 ESV
Food for thought:
- In what or whom do I desire?
- Do I believe who God is and His completeness?
- If I do, am I living like I believe?
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