Brothers, We are not Professionals(Ch. 19-36) by John Piper
Brothers, We are not Professionals(Ch. 19-36)
This reflection paper covers Chapters 19 to 36 of Brothers, We Are Not Professionals by John Piper. These final chapters focus on the weighty realities of pastoral ministry from saving the saints and preaching true repentance, to confronting racism and embracing missions. He addresses the topic of hell, the value of bodily discipline, the danger of legalism, and the need for racial harmony and advocacy for the unborn. The book closes with a passionate call to faithful worship, godly marriages, and praying for seminaries to remain rooted in Christ. Each chapter challenged and shaped my heart more deeply for pastoral ministry.
In a world filled with ungodliness
and reckless living, preaching repentance is always a challenge. Having tasted
pastoral ministry, I can say this with conviction. Yes, I have faithfully
preached Christ crucified in every sermon, but I now realize that I have often
failed to present God and His holiness as beautiful and deeply satisfying.
Without that, true repentance is hard to produce. I also recognize that I
personally need to grow in this area i.e. learning to see the beauty of God's
holiness and grieving over how I fall short of His glory. In Chapter 21, Piper
explains that true repentance does not come merely from a fear of punishment,
but from a love for God and His holiness. Many weep over sin, not because they
hate the sin, but because they hate the consequences. That kind of sorrow does
not lead to lasting obedience. Real repentance, Piper says, flows from a heart
that mourns its lack of joy in God. He urges preachers to present God’s
holiness in such an attractive way that, by God’s grace, people are drawn to
Him and broken over their failure to treasure Him. This has challenged me to
not only preach the cross, but also to lift up the beauty of God’s character in
a way that stirs true, joyful repentance.
In Chapter 22, “Brothers, Help Them
Act the Miracle,” Piper shares that he once took an eight-month leave from
pastoral ministry to do serious soul-searching with the help of his wife and a
counselor. He urges pastors to go deep in identifying their own besetting sins
and to engage deeply with the cross, the Spirit, and God’s Word. He writes,
“You have your own cluster of besetting sins... Learn for yourself what it is
to ‘act the miracle.’” He explains that when temptation strikes, he does not
just wait passively for change but he actively leans on God’s power to fight.
This challenged me personally. Inspired by Piper’s serious soul searching, I will
also consider my current internship a serious soul searching, a kind of leave
from direct pastoral ministry. Though our situations are different, I want to
use this time for soul-searching, with the guidance of the GCC pastors and, if
needed, my wife. Before I step out again to preach and plant a healthy church,
I want to make sure I am spiritually healthy and walking closely with Christ.
In Chapter 27, “Brothers, Bodily
Training Is of Some Value,” Piper explains that while not all obesity is
self-inflicted, much of it is and it can dull our ability to see and enjoy the
glory of God. He reminds us that Christ endured the cross by postponing
pleasure (Heb. 12:2). I was personally convicted by this. During my pastoral
ministry, the church cared for my family generously by providing rice,
vegetables, meat, and even clothes. As a result, I hardly spent on groceries
and I spent more time ministry works, completely ignoring my physical activity.
Eventually, I was diagnosed with prediabetes due to weight gain and inactive
lifestyle. Thankfully, I caught it early. I began exercising, practicing
intermittent fasting, and making healthy changes. I have now returned to normal
health. Piper’s words affirmed my journey and encouraged me to continue caring
for my body, not just for health’s sake, but so I can better enjoy and serve
Christ. As he writes, “I have one life to live for Jesus” (2 Cor. 5:15), and I
don’t want to waste it.
In Chapter 31, Piper points out
that the scarcity of Paul-type missionaries, those who take the gospel to
unreached places, is often hidden by the larger number of Timothy-type
missionaries. A Timothy-type missionary stays long-term in one location,
helping an established church grow and mature, like Timothy did in Ephesus. A
Paul-type missionary, by contrast, is a pioneer who plants churches where
Christ is not yet known and then moves on (Romans 15:20). This was one of the
key insights I gained from the book. As I reflected on my own passion and
vision for church planting, I realized I lean more toward being a Timothy-type
missionary. I desire to start from scratch and stay committed, working
long-term to build a strong, healthy church that raises up new leaders and
church planters. My hope is to continue this work until I retire, leaving
behind a legacy of multiplying churches in different locations.
In pages 237–238, Piper powerfully
exhorts pastors to embrace ethnic diversity and boldly preach against racism.
He points to Revelation 5:9–10, where Jesus was slain to purchase people from
every tribe, language, and nation for God. This truth deeply moved me and
strengthened my conviction. Piper reminds us that racial and ethnic diversity
in the church is not merely a social concern, it is central to the purpose of
Christ’s death. He says that It is a blood-of-Jesus issue, and even more, a
glory-of-God issue, because such diversity reflects the beauty and honor of
God's redemptive work. Piper goes on to say that if such harmony cost Jesus His
life, we should not expect it to come without sacrifice. As an aspiring pastor
of a healthy church, I am firmly committed to pursuing a multiethnic
congregation. I believe, as Piper does, that this kind of church displays the
beauty of the gospel of Christ. The church I previously pastored was made up of
one ethnic group. While I am not against that, I have seen how such an
environment can unintentionally foster tribalism or a limited sense of
community. Moving forward, I want to cultivate a church that reflects the
diverse and united body of Christ.
I strongly recommend this book to
all the pastors in my church association. Many of them, like myself, need a
clearer understanding of what it truly means to be a pastor to a local church.
This book challenges me to grow personally in character, to serve faithfully in
ministry, and to handle God’s Word more effectively in preaching. It is a
much-needed resource for anyone serious about faithful pastoral leadership.
These final chapters deeply shaped
my understanding of pastoral ministry. I was reaffirmed in preaching the gospel
clearly and warning of sins for saving the saints. Piper challenged me to
present God’s holiness as beautiful and deeply satisfying, to engage in honest
soul-searching, and to care for my physical health to enjoy the glory of God. By
reading this book, I also gained clarity about my long-term commitment as a
Timothy-type church planter and was moved by his exhortation on preaching
against racism and pursuing ethnic diversity in the church as central to the
gospel. This book has strengthened my resolve to serve faithfully for God’s
glory.
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