Pastor's Corner

for Sunday August 29th
More Than Conquerors!
John Piper answers the question, “Does God want me to be happy?” in such a profound way I want to share it with you in this “Pastor’s Corner”. I can’t give all of his answer, but here’s the gist of it: “Chronic illness, difficult marriages, losing a child—doesn't God want me to be happy? God definitely wants you to be happy long-term and infinitely, and deeply now in and through those circumstances...[In Romans 8:35-36] you've got persecution and murder of Christians. And then [Paul] says, "No. In"—In—"all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." What I think "more than conquerors" means for your happiness is that a conqueror has his enemies lying subdued at his feet. You've got distress, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, persecution, and there they are, conquered at my feet. More than conquerors means they're not just at my feet. They are serving me. They're not just in chains in prison. They are serving me. My persecution, my famine, my nakedness, my loss—as painful and as tearful as they are—are my servants. God works them all together for my good...So yes, God wants you happy. But he doesn't do it with circumstance. He does it with himself. He does it with the gospel. And he does it in and through circumstances. This is a call for faith—huge faith—that God is good, God is for us, and God is using all these things for our deep happiness now and our perfect, unsullied happiness forever in the age to come.” I hope that encourages you as it did me.
Pastor Don.