In his book God is the Gospel, John Piper offers the following:
The critical question for our generation–and for every generation–is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends that you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?
I’m living for the reality of a generation rising that will forsake all else for the sake of knowing Him. I’m exceedingly zealous toward that end. All over the earth people are arising who are saying, “Nothing is right, nothing is worthy, nothing is entertaining enough for me without the person of Christ.”
Is the church to be relegated to the buildings in which we gather and the ceremonies that we perform, or will we once again connect to Jesus and begin to transform the world from the inside out. I believe it’s already happening.
Everybody wants to talk about coming boldly before the throne of grace but nobody ever wants to think about what happens once you get there. To behold God in His glory on His throne means death (to self). That’s why Isaiah said, “I’m ruined!” Lord, raise up a generation that knows about this death but chooses to enter in anyway.
