A Timely Message
 

Despite what differences I may have with Piper on doctrine, in my view he was on the mark in this brief clip. Does anyone have any views about this?




http://youtube.com/watch?v=ukcV-xtU3hc

I am actually seeing this message as much more complex then it first appears to be. While I can agree with most of the individual points in the video, overall there are certain economic facts. America, because of it rampant consumerism has an economy that is quite literally feeding the world.

A year or so ago we went out to eat after church where a missionary had just visited from Africa. Of course the village this missionary works in features people so impoverished that they make OUR "poor" look like kings. He was in the bathroom and was looking at advertisements for vacation cruises, luxury cars, expensive suits, toys like Ski-doos, snowmobiles, and 4 wheelers. The first thing that went through his mind (he told us later) was the usual guilt for having so much while most of the world had little to nothing. But then he was almost literally floored with the realization that our economic system which provides all these niceties in life is what generates the wealth that we DO give to the poor and missions around the world. When some mega-millionaire buys a yacht, he is moving huge amounts of money through the economy which is giving untold numbers of people the opportunity to give -and to invest themselves.

Will God give us a yacht if we pray for one? In some cases, He just might! To do so will A) bless the individual (or curse, as is the case with most boats) and B) help to generate more wealth in the long run then had the person simply gave the cost of the yacht to charity or missions.

RW makes a good point about the importance that our society has placed upon people being free to pursue their own self interest (pursuit of happiness). Because of this "materialism" we have been able to give to many others while enjoying a relatively high standard of living ourselves.

In the video, Piper makes a good point however about the "Prosperity Preachers." I don't see our free markets and consumerism as being a result of Prosperity preaching. Rather the opposite; our success as a society has spawned this perversion of the Gospel.

Piper's point is a life transforming message- for anyone who has been really down. When you've hit bottom (not sin, but health, finances career, etc) can you see God as All Sufficient? Can you praise him in misery? I mean absolute torture - the worst pain or most dire circumstance, what are the words that come out of your mouth through your clenched teeth?