John Piper: Preaching as Worship
I found this address by John Piper this morning. It resonates with me and challenges me. "Let me point to three biblical reasons for believing that preaching is meant to be and to kindle God-exalting worship. First, I believe it because the Word of God says that everything is to be done in a worshipful, God-centered way: "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31); "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col 3:17). If everything is to be radically oriented on magnifying the glory of God and exalting the name of Jesus, how much more preaching. Whatever preaching deals with-and it is to deal with everything-it must be done with a view to begetting and sustaining worship-the valuing and cherishing and displaying of the glory of God. Second, I believe that preaching is meant to exalt the centrality of God because the Word says that God himself exalts his own centrality in all that ...