oh, my.

Rather than Tweet (yes, I finally succumbed and got a Twitter) the first few pages of my latest read in their entirety, I thought I'd simply copy them here. I feel Piper's words have a strong correlation to my last post on missions and evangelism. The truth they bear makes it necessary for me to share them with you.

(Side note: Though I have yet to complete the second page of the book, I would highly recommend it.)

(Side, side note: The italicized portions below are parts that I found particularly poignant. However, they are not in the original text.)

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.

"Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It's the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God. 'The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!' (Psalm 97:1). 'Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!' (Psalm 67:3-4).

"But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can't commend what you don't cherish. Missionaries will never call out, 'Let the nations be glad!' who cannot say from the heart, 'I rejoice in the LORD...I will be glad and exult in you, I will sing praise to your name, O Most High' (Psalm 104:34; 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship.

"If the pursuit of God's glory is not ordered above the pursuit of man's good in the affections of the heart and the priorities of the church, man will not be well served, and God will not be duly honored. I am not pleading for diminishing of missions but for a magnifying of God. When the flame of worship burns with the heat of God's true worth, the light of missions will shine to the darkest peoples on earth. And I long for that day to come!

"Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak. Churches that are not centered on the exaltation of the majesty and beauty of God will scarcely kindle a fervent desire to 'declare his glory among the nations' (Psalm 96:3). Even outsiders feel the disparity between the boldness of our claim upon the nations and the blandness of our engagement with God."

- Let the Nations Be Glad! by John Piper

What a way to start a book, right?! The weight of it hit me like a brick. A really big brick. But a really good brick. That last line's a real kicker.

May zeal for your house consume me.

Psalm 69:9

And may your name and your renown be the sole desire of my heart, O Lord!

Isaiah 26:8