Desiring God - Part 16
I am continuing to read Desiring God by John Piper. Today my post concludes Piper’s chapter about missions.
Piper continues his chapter by offering quotes from several famous missionaries. I like how he backs up the chapter with real life examples. Piper discusses the sacrifices that we make for the Lord and how God will give back to us more than we ever gave up. Piper is clear that we are not manipulating God into giving us more as some people have inappropriately taught. Piper is saying that God fills the emptiness. We find our joy in God and not things.
I like how Piper sums up missions. He says, “Missions is the automatic outflow and overflow of love for Christ. We delight to enlarge our joy in Him by extending it to others.”
Piper very much emphasizes in this chapter that the results are up to God. Our part is to share the good news. God performs the regeneration. So, we have nothing to fear or worry about.
Piper ends the chapter with the famous quote from Jim Elliot who was martyred in Ecuador by the very people he was trying to reach.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”