I had been looking forward to David’s sermon Sunday since he told me several weeks ago what he was planning on preaching. I’ve listened to several sermons on the same theme and found myself provoked, but was particularly wanting to hear how David processed his thoughts, having lived through several “risks” that are uncommon for most of us Americans.
I wasn’t disappointed.
The sentence that particularly captured me came near the end of his sermon: “Taking risks is not irresponsible; it’s necessary to accomplish ministry.”
That’s a counter-cultural statement in America. It is a culture-consistent statement in God’s economy.
In case you are wondering, the sermon I gave David was “Will We Risk? Venturing in Ministry,” part of a conference in which John Piper participated in England a couple of years ago. Back then you could download the individual sermons, but now you have to purchase the entire set. He also did a similar series about 20 years ago in his church, which he entitled “Risk and the Cause of God,” which you can either listen to or read.
UPDATE: You may now download David’s sermon “Taking Risks in Ministry.”
Words of Grace 