Goal of preaching: The Glory of God

The following is adapted from John Piper's

Supremacy of God in Preaching

The Problem of preaching: The righteousness of God that judges sin and the pride of man that refuses to give God glory.

None of us like to be preached at,  

None of us like to be silenced, 

None of us wants to be exposed. 

Yet preaching is designed to do exactly that

As one preacher has stated, the goal is:

To Quicken the conscience by the holiness of God

To feed the mind with the truth of God

To purge the imagination by the beauty of God

To open the heart to the love of God

To devote the will to the purpose of God

                                    James Stewart, Scottish preacher

This is all contrary to the natural man. Only one whose conscience is purged by God can rightly respond...Romans 10:14-16 

Here we learn how the gospel is made effectual. It is the heralding of good news from a messenger sent by God. He chooses sinful men to speak to sinful men and women...

The overall plan and scope of the good news is found in  Isaiah 52:7 

Cotton Mather breaks it down for us:

God reigns. He will not suffer His Glory to be scorned indefinitely.

He will vindicate His name in great and terrible wrath. But for now a full and free amnesty is offered to all the rebel subjects who will turn from their rebellion, call on Him for mercy, bow before His throne and swear allegiance and fealty to Him forever.

The Amnesty is signed in the blood of His Son.

What drives God to this? Isa 48:9-11

“For my own sake I do it…for my Glory will I not give to another.”

According to Revelation 5:9: God’s deepest purpose for the world is to fill the earth with reverberations of His Glory in the lives of a new humanity ransomed from every tribe and nation.

Yet there is no glory of submission in servile fear by an act of raw authority. He wants glad submission rather than begrudging submission.

Many people make professions out of a fear of judgment and hell rather than appreciation of His Glory and worth. A true work of the Spirit is what brings to the sinner the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 4:6

One great lesson that ought to be learned from gospel preaching is that God’s deepest commitment to be glorified and our deepest commitment to be satisfied are not incompatible. They find simultaneous consummation in the display of God’s Glory and my delight in it.

The natural man is not satisfied with the Glory of God...it is the savor of death unto death, but to we who are continually renewed unto salvation, it is the savor of life unto life.

In this we see that:

The one who satisfies gets the glory, 
the one who gives the pleasure is the treasure.

When the Kingdom is a treasure, submission is a pleasure. The Grand design of preaching is restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men.

What can bring this about?....