43 years ago, tonight, October 14th, 43 years ago was 1979, and a man named John

Piper, some of you may have heard of, I don't know, I've been working with him

now for almost 20 years. John Piper says, on that night, he felt irretrievably

called to pastoral ministry. He was on sabbatical after teaching six years at

Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and he was studying Romans chapter 9, and

later on when he was reflecting back on that season in the fall of 1979, he said

this, this is in 2002, about 1979. As I studied Romans 9 day after day, I began

to see a God so majestic and so free and so absolutely sovereign that my

analysis merged into worship. And the Lord said, in effect, I will not simply

be analyzed. I will be adored. I will not simply be pondered. I will be

proclaimed. My sovereignty is not simply to be scrutinized. It is to be

heralded. It is not grist for the mill of controversy. It is gospel for

sinners who know that their only hope is the sovereign triumph of God's grace

over their rebellious will. Forty-three years ago tonight. So in 2019, on the

40th anniversary of John's October 14th sense of call to the pastorate out of

the Academy, Justin Taylor published an article at Desiring God that was

called, this word must be preached. You can look it up at the Desiring God

org site. This word must be preached, which quotes extensively from the 1800

word journal that John wrote that night. So if you wonder what did his call to

the pastorate look like? It looked like him writing out on nine pages, long

hand 1800 word as he wrestled with this and felt a decisive sense of call. The

reason I mention it is because it relates to our second session here tonight.

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