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John Piper | – Together for Good? My Burden for Our Racial Brokenness – John Piper

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John Piper
By Desiring God
47 Comments

*Message starts at 14:45.* John Piper addressed this American moment for twenty minutes live. He feels a burden for the racial situation we are in, especially as he watches African Americans loosen their ties with the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement.

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Desiring God God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. Learn more at desiringGod.org. Desiring God

Comment (47)

  1. Piper said, “Perhaps some have found it surprising that the [Reformed] vision of God is remarkably relevant to thousands of people of color.”

    Why? This makes no sense at all. Why would it be surprising that God would call people of every tribe and tongue and nation? Piper is inferring by this comment that white evangelicals are systemically biased.

    This whole premise/framework seems oddly vague, and seems just another attempt to be culturally relevant while loosely based on facts or data.

    It would seem far more surprising to me if the gospel preached in power was irrelevant to any culture, in any time or any place.

  2. Many of us can talk about how heart breaking racial division is, but unless we make strides to be the change we say we want to see in the world, it's for nothing. For example, the DG blog has been circulating articles for many years, but a majority of the the of its contributions are, to this day , made by Caucasians and/or males.
    We will never resolve deep seeded issues relating to it the way world relates to it.

  3. I am saying these things because racial oppression is a painful reality that many people are met with day to day. In order to see change, we must wholeheartedly and prayerfully be changed.

  4. This has been very helpful. I thank you Pastor Piper for stepping into this bee-hive, where the slightest misunderstanding can get you stung from both sides.

    It is true that blacks who intermingle with white evengelicals feel abandoned. One of my greatest concerns is that I'm seeing more and more evangelicals identify as White and American, over and above being Christian. The result of this is that, when the top two identities are threatened, they forsake the Third in defense of the first.

    This is a reality that all Christians have to battle with, (black or white), so it's not really anything new. I think what's new is that, a lot of Evangelical leaders are teaching, (at least implicitly), that this form of idolatry is okay.

  6. I love you pastor John, but i dont see this as helpfull. I mean there is a spirit of division that intensified in our county during the Obama years. A cultural fad of dividing our nation on racial lines, and it has been sadly effective. I share your desire to see us united, but directing our speech to those of one race or another is a devisive methodology this world loves to employ. We should not join in. I pray we unite in Christ as humans.

  8. Pastor John, I appreciate your transparency and boldness. I believe seeking counsel from your staff was very wise considering the potential for others hearing separate but equal. May God water the seed of this message. It truly is sad the state we are in, and hopefully we will learn, grow, and become closer as members of one body.

  9. Identity is the issue. Do we define ourselves by the color of our skin, the political views of the party we identify with, or do we seek first the kingdom of God. Do we see our brothers and sisters as those to whom we share a heavenly father or to those whom we share the color of skin.

    I would challenge all of us with the calling of Hebrews 11:14-16. If we do not first identify with the Identity that purchased our redemption than we are all stuck in slavery to sin.

    If our highest allegiance it the King eternal than we must strive for unity in the bond of peace. This unity is accomplished by surrendering our identity to Him, by putting away bitterness, anger, and wrath, and forgiving our parents, our pastors, our neighbors and everyone. You cannot love God and hate your brother. We must forgive, receive God's love, love our neighbors, and then work to overcome evil with good!

    God is love. When we abide in love, we abide in God! Put off the old man which wars in its lusts and put on the new man which is being made into the perfect image of Jesus Christ! Shalom my brothers and sisters of all eternity!

  12. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Matthew 7:3

    Bother's and Sisters, don't be quick to choose sides, John's not addressing a political party he's addressing the family of Christ, regardless of you political or theological identity we all share a love and spiritual realationship in Christ. And that should trump any culture any barriers of this world.

    So regardless if your left or right, major or minority, reflect on yourselves and how you can strive to better love your neighbor like John is trying to in this message.

    In a world divided, we must be a church and a light united.

  15. I will say what I'll with all the humility and respect I have for you, Pastor John:
    I'm sorry, but some of the things said in this video are just not accurate. I'll get to that in a minute but just to talk a bit about the causes of that:
    1-there's a massive disinformation campaing run out by the media,
    2-there's a abyss between your generation and our current young generation.
    3-Lastly, there's a massive lack of sense of proportions which in a way is caused by problem number 1

    First of: you're asking the wrong question at 25:26. The question is not "who are we?". The question is "who am I?". God did not create a collective of people. God created individuals. The only "collective groups" in which we are inserted about which we could think in those terms of "we" is the Church, the Family and some others. Those are the only real "collectivitys" in which people are actually united. There's no such thing as a collective ethnicity, at least not in our days.
    And following in the speech you mention "mainly led by whites" and "shaped by whites". No. It is shaped by people. Thinking in those terms is the very cause of the problem. Classifying people by their "race" or ethnicity is exactly what recist people do. We shouldn't do that and we shouldn't think in those terms.

    Second: A good part of your 6 points were about some public events that happened in the last years. And in the way you talk about them, it seems that your definition of what happened is not being shaped by reality, it is being shaped by the media. We should not be conformed to this world. When something like thoses events happen we should try to understand the nature of the event by looking at reality, not by assimilating what the world (through media) is trying to sell to you. You're description of Charlotesville is just absurd. That was not what happened. You didn't even mention Antifa, those fascists who are anti-Trump and anti-religion.

    Third: at 27:30 you started talking about Donald Trump. And one of the first things you mentiond was his "divisive rethorical style". Oh boy. I'm sorry Pastor John, but you can't go through 8 years of Obama without saying nothing in that regard, and then in the first years of Donal Trump say something like that. You just can't.
    Now, I've been following Desiring God for almost 4 years now and while I do remeber listening to some talk about politics, I'm sure I have never heard any clear and objective sentence saying about Obama that he had a divise rethoric. This is that lack of sense of proportions I was speaking of. And your logic doesn't explain why some many latinos voted for him. He won Florida for goodness sake. If you search some interviews done with imigrants, a lot of them were talking in favor of Donald Trump, after all they did not wanted to vote for the same policies that made them leave their country in the first place, would they?

    And then comes one of the most disturbing moments of the video for me, which is at 28:00 when you said "a huge percent of white evangelicals voted for him, even though the character issues were screaming to be taken more seriously"
    I'm sorry but… This is being blind to the reality (specific the political reality) of our world.
    Of course many christian voted for Donald Trump! Of course! It was either him or Hillary Clinton. You talked about "character issues". I mean, really? Should we start looking here on youtube Hillary's interviews? Let's make a compilation of all the things she said about abortion and let's try to seat through it without getting outraged at it. This, again, shows such a lack of sense of proportions which is actually frightening. I mean, of couse Donald Trump has acted imaturally. Of course he has said vulgar things. But you can't just look at those things and separate that from contest, and from the very reality surrounding us.

    Anyway, you also mentioned some things about the confederate memorials, but I won't get into that here.

    My purpose with this comment is not to offend you, Pastor John, or anyone else who reads it. And if I was being disrespectful to you, Pastor John, please forgive me.
    And before anyone tries to call me a "white supremacist", I'm form Brazil. In your land I would be one of the minorities. (And also because of that, please excuse my writing. Your language is very easy to listen and speak, but it is very har to write, at least when you don't pratice it too often.)

    And if this server any good: "what is the way to overcome racism?" "Stop talking about it". Stop talking about different races, stop categorizing people by the color of their skin. Just see everyone as human beings created in the image of God.

  18. Americans think sharing the gospel to different cultures is easy.
    Piper is addressing this as such to prove that our fathers work to share his gospel will not be that easy as it seems. We have to work together with the Power of his spirit continually until his return.

  20. So many (not all) comments of opposition are coming from whites. So sad that those minorities you claim are your brothers and sisters in Christ are being silenced or being scoffed at for expressing the fact that racism truly is alive and well. And you guys….opposing racism is not a liberal concept. For those of you claiming this is a liberal matter is frightening and I’m afraid you don’t know God. There’s no way you can say you love the very God who made it clear that we ought to speak up for the oppressed. Don’t let your political stance get in the way of using common sense and having compassion toward minorities

  25. As an Asian American pastor with Reformed leanings, I want to say that I am super thankful that Piper has both the boldness and humility to record this. He is putting into words what thousands of Reformed evangelicals of color have been trying to say. There is much need for racial reconciliation, and I pray that God would continue to give us all boldness and humility to engage in these conversations.

  26. I'm so glad this was addressed. Recently been questioning my identity and having to remind myself of my identity in Christ. Being born in Nigeria and growing up in the U.K. And becoming a christian in the U.K. I felt I've had to make a lot of changes plus I've felt I don't quite fit in culturally anywhere except within the true christian community although sometime noticing the ethnic and cultural differences. However, I'm glad to be part of the body of Christ that lives for the glory of God. And to be part of a church that embraces racial differences, strives to live for God, showing His grace and living for His glory.

  29. Appreciated Mr. Piper's heart and outspokeness. It goes a long way toward helping keep Hope alive that there are "real" christians among so called white eveangelicals who can acknowlege the reality of racisim dividing our nation & who are willing to be part of the solution to ending it. Side Note: please stop calling us "minorities." The term itself is belittling and reflects how whites in this country have defined and relegated all persons of color to a lesser or minor status relative to themseleves as the white majority here in the US.

  30. A bold and courageous move Pastor Piper. As a black man in a predominantly white church I am finding it difficult to trust my white brothers and sisters in Christ whom I love dearly. They speak love and show love, yet they support leaders who espose to racist ideologies and have egregious historical blemishes of discrimination. How can I trust that leader or any man and sit quietly? Would you? It's very disheartening. Please tell me how I can trust white brothers and sisters who are ok with this? God's people, help me out!!

  31. I love this so much! I hope he goes further and calls out the many Evangelical leaders who are all in for Trump with this message. Not in public, but he should personally contact the likes of Jerry Falwell Jr , Franklin Graham, and Pat Robertson and call out their hypocrisy.

  32. Piper, your sermon at Passion 2017 got me hooked on you. But I think you're way out of your depth here with your virtue signaling. I got nothing out of this. All your videos have been remarkable, save for this one.

  36. Bro. Piper!! I love you and love your preaching. We are instructed to make judgments not superficial ones; John 7:24. I agree with u, Pres. Trump is childish, crude, etc. BUT degrading a President who is pushing a pro-life agenda, the sanctity of marriage, choosing Brother Pence for VP! Pleeeezzz get off your petty soapbox that is playing into the hands George Soros. Was it really necessary to turn people away from Trump (with all his childishness)? Would you rather have as president a “smooth talking liar”, who stood by a husband and degraded his accusers, AND took $100 million into their foundation as a bribe for American uranium, etc. corruption at it’s highest level?

  37. AND just as outrageous, you brought up the Ferguson false narrative. It was proven M. Brown did NOT have his hands saying “don’t shoot”. FACT: It was a media false narrative that caused the entire Ferguson event. FACT: George Soros is funding much of what we saw in Antifa and BLM, he has done the same in Europe ($18 Billion Open Society Fnd), He is a pure socialist and NOT from a Christian point of view. Becareful not to play into Soros hand.

  38. AND last of all Bro. Piper, THERE is NO pure Racism in the world. If we all had the same color of skin but different lengths of noses, the long noses would hate the short noses. It is a heart problem, heart hate will find an outlet if we were all the same skin tone. I encourage you to listen to our good Brother Macarthur about this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm3U39lnPO0 “John MacArthur on Charlottesville”

  41. You sound Anti-White Race. Are you a Talmudic Freemasonic Crypto-Jewish man following the Jewish hidden agenda of White Race genocide and Their Coudenhove-Kalergi plan agenda ? It sounds it to us. Keep following those Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. We have to hand it to you though, good acting and deceiving skills.

  45. Pastor John, why do you include Trump ? Seriously, not a word from you regarding Obama. Like Obama was not worse, what a disappointment in your words. So much mercy and grace you have shown towards Mark Driscoll, but zero for our president.

  47. So sad to see Pastor Piper fall pray to narrow (cultural and political) narratives of critical race theory in service to the material focus of some within the church and not rather hold tight to the spiritual reality that is “Christ in you – the hope of glory”. The reality of Christ and His people in Colossians 3:1-17.

    The churches doggedly prideful willingness to obfuscate what it means to be a Christian never fails to lead her captive to captivity. As long as the church violates the principles laid out in Col. 2, embracing one movement after the other in service of carnal appetites and not God, it will remain ensnared by one vain philosophy after another.

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