The Message/Burden of the Author
To say that John Pipers' work is passionate is to present it with restraint. Let the Nations Be Glad spews passion! The object of that passion, from the preface to the conclusion, is the supremacy of God. The author challenges the reader to expand his/her understanding of God's mission and invites him/her to become personally involved in the cause all the while he fans the flames of devotion to God. Piper explains that, "Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak" (Piper 2003, 18).
The supremacy of God is the pipeline of the book. The first three chapters build the foundation for this prevalent characteristic focusing on God's supremacy in missions, the purpose, the power, and the price. Piper tells us that worship is the fuel, the purpose of missions. "It's the goal of missions [worship is] because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory" (2003, 17). God desires to glorify Himself. At the same time, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" (Ibid., 31). These two are not at odds, but they rather are complimentary. God's passion for His own glory increases His passion for my satisfaction in that glory (Ibid., 32).
The power of prayer comes from God and He receives the glory while we are supplied the grace we need for the task He gives. The author describes the ministry and missions as a battlefield. "Paul encourages Timothy to see his ministry as war: ?This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare' " (1 Tim. 1:18). The purpose of prayer is to glorify God. He is the victor who supplies ...