Revival and Christ-Exalting Joy (Introduction) | John Piper

Deep Dive into The Passionate Pursuit of Revival and Christ-Exalting Joy by John Piper - IntroductionThis collection explores the lives and ministries of three influential figures: Bill Piper, the author's father, Jonathan Edwards, and Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The author identifies his father and Jonathan Edwards as the most significant influences on his life at the deepest personal and theological levels.A powerful theme uniting all three men was their passionate pursuit of revival in the church and a hunger for a great awakening. Bill Piper was an itinerant evangelist, traveling widely to preach evangelistic crusades and revival meetings, dedicating his life to the salvation of the lost and church revival. Jonathan Edwards, a local church pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts, played an essential role in the First Great Awakening, dedicating years to describing and promoting it. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a pastor in London, also deeply longed for and preached about revival, seeing it as a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit revealing the glory of Christ.Beyond revival, a profoundly central role for joy in God was a common denominator in their thinking. They believed that without this joy, salvation would not exist, and God would not be properly glorified. Jonathan Edwards most clearly articulated this, stating that glorifying God is rejoicing in the glory He displays, and that the happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which God is magnified and exalted. This crucial insight led the author to his core formulation: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him."The author specifically credits his father, Bill Piper, with initially sowing the "wonderful seeds of sovereign joy" that later developed into the concept the author calls "Christian Hedonism." Bill Piper taught that to "sanctify" God means living a life fully satisfied with Him alone and presented satisfaction in Christ as a requirement for salvation. This deep emphasis on finding one's ultimate satisfaction in God, seen in the teachings of all three men, particularly Edwards and his father, profoundly shaped the author's theology and ministry.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed