Brothers, We are not Professionals (Ch. 1-18) by John Piper
Brothers, We are not Professionals (Ch. 1-18)
This reflection is from the book “Brothers, We are not professionals” by
John Piper. In chapters 1–18, Piper talks about pastors to reject the
professionalization of ministry and instead embrace its deeply spiritual
nature. He emphasizes that the ultimate aim of all ministry is the glory of
God. Piper calls for clear preaching of justification by faith, warns against
the debtor’s ethic, and encourages pastors to serve God through reliance on His
strength rather than self-effort. He highlights the necessity of prayer, deep
engagement with Scripture, and the importance of shaping preaching by the tone
and truth of the text. Through themes like Christian hedonism, and disciplined
study, Piper paints a picture of pastoral ministry.
In the preface to the new edition, John Piper notes that over the past
ten years, the pressure on pastors to act like professionals has only increased…
today, especially for younger pastors, the focus has shifted to being a great
communicator who keeps up with modern media trends. I completely agree with
him. The place that I came from, Pastors are more into acting like
professionals and they view pastoral ministry as professional job. In my first
year of pastoring, I felt this pressure deeply. Every sermon felt like a
performance where I had to include the latest jokes, follow popular styles, and
speak in a way that would entertain the congregation. But over time, I realized
I was not being faithful to the biblical text. I began to see that I was doing
what people wanted, not what God had assigned me to do. This conviction
reminded me of what I was taught in seminary that preaching should be grounded
in truth, not trends.
I really agree with how Piper builds his argument
in the book. He first talks about how pastoral ministry is not a profession,
and then he shifts to focus on the glory of God. That really spoke to me. Like
I mentioned earlier, during my first year of ministry, I felt a lot of pressure
to treat ministry like a job, to give polished illustrations and deliver
sermons that people wanted to hear. But in doing that, I realize now that I was
robbing God of His glory. My focus was more on impressing people than pointing
them to God. Piper reminds me that the foundation, the means, and the goal of
God’s love for sinners is His deeper love for His own glory. And I am
encouraged by Piper that I should not rob the glory of God by trying to get
attention from people and not seek people validation.
I grew up in a Christian family and went to
church regularly, but I missed the most important message of all i.e. justification
by faith alone. Sadly, I am not exaggerating when I say that I never heard this
message preached during my childhood. It breaks my heart that many pastors in
my community have completely failed to preach the justification by faith alone clearly.
Reading this book reminded me of what truly matters and gave me new confidence
to preach justification by faith alone boldly and to live it out with joy. On
page 37, Piper urges to tell people joyfully and passionately that they do not
need to earn salvation, it is a free gift. But in my case, justification by
faith seems the most expensive one and rarest. Yes, I honestly feel sad for
those pastors. But maybe God wants to use that experience to grow in me a heart
that preaches the Gospel with passion.
As much as I love the gospel of Christ, and as
passionately as I have been preaching it every time I have the opportunity, I
have to admit that I have preached it wrongly at times. This is something I
only realized after reading this book. Piper talks about something called the
“debtor’s ethic.” He explains how it has a subtle but dangerous appeal,
especially to immature believers. It often sounds like a gratitude-driven
message, saying things like, “God has done so much for you; now what will you
do for Him?” or “He gave you His life; now how much will you give to Him?” To
my surprise and conviction, I realized I have actually said those exact things
in my sermons. Even though I was trying to present the gospel, I now see that I
was mixing in a message of payback. Reading this opened my eyes. The gospel is
not about paying God back and we can never fully pay it off.
Piper deeply challenged the way I think about
serving God. I often feel the pressure to do more for God. And in the process,
I begin to see myself as the giver as if I am the one bringing my strength,
effort, and money to serve Him. For example, when I was involved in Bible
translation ministry, this kind of thinking often drove me. I lived among an
unfamiliar people group in a remote area where the Bible was not available. It
was challenging for me because I faced language barriers, difficult translation
work, and even finding a suitable church. What kept me going was the thought
that I was giving my time, strength, and effort for the Lord. But Piper, reminded
me that even in my most active moments of service, I am still a recipient of
God’s grace, strength, and power. True service that glorifies God is not about
what I can give to Him, but about how I rely on Him to work through me. This
truth keeps me humble. It reminds me that God is always the one supplying the
power, and He never gives up His role as the giver. Yes, truly I serve by the
strength he supplies.
Piper asks a powerful question: What opposes a
pastor’s life of prayer more than anything? His answer is surprising but true, it
is the ministry itself. It is things like budget planning, staff meetings,
counseling, home visits, writing reports, and preparing sermons that take over
and leave little space for prayer. Based on my own experience, I fully agree
with Piper. I have been involved in both Bible translation and pastoral
ministry at the same time, and the responsibilities from both areas kept me
busy. Ministry tasks like meetings, home visits, and sermon preparation often
distracted me from developing a strong prayer life. What surprised me most was
that I did not even feel guilty for not praying consistently. I thought morning
prayer was enough but to be honest, I often missed that too. Piper’s words
stirred me deeply. His challenge has encouraged me to take my prayer life more
seriously and to build my ministry upon it. I really meant it!
I
have often Query the Text in the wrong way. Whenever I read a passage and want
to go deeper, instead of slowing down to meditate on it with prayer and asking
the Holy Spirit for insight, I usually run straight to commentaries written by
my favorite scholars. While those resources are helpful, I have come to realize
that I was skipping the most important step i.e. seeking God’s light through
prayerful reflection. Piper confronted this habit and challenged me to change.
He urges pastors like me to take time to truly meditate on the Word. He
explains that the promise of divine understanding is not given to everyone, but
specifically to those who take time to think. He writes, “Think over what I say,
for God will give you understanding in everything.” He also points out that we
do not often think deeply until we are faced with a challenge. This reminded me
that true spiritual insight does not come from rushing to human opinion, but
from sitting patiently with God’s Word, allowing the Spirit to teach and guide.
Reflecting on
Piper’s words has deeply challenged and reshaped my view of ministry, prayer,
preaching, and spiritual growth. I have come to see the dangers of
professionalism, the need for consistent dependence on God’s strength, and the
importance of truly treasuring the gospel. Above all, I am reminded that
faithful ministry flows not from performance, but from a heart that seeks God’s
glory above all else.
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