Great Christian Biographies with John Piper: John Bunyan 2

Let me try to sum up The sufferings now that I've been recounting an almost simultaneous death of his mother and his sister the remarriage of his father the military draft at age 16 a first child born to a happy marriage.

Blind Depression and darkness for about four or five years in his marriage as he struggles for the assurance of His salvation or his conversion. The death of his first wife leaving him four children one of them blind when he's 30 years old.

12 year imprisonment starting a year after that after he remarried to Elizabeth with much difficulty during those 12 years for them and him and Then after the release constant stress of the uncertainty of the political climate.

One more imprisonment I failed to mention for a winter and a spring in 1675 and then a final sickness and death at age 60 far too early for him. Alone probably away from his family not to mention Ministry marriage parenting controversy criticism sickness and the ordinary things that everybody endures.

So my question is What did he make of this what did it make of him and what might it make of us. And The way I want to handle this is by giving you five Statements that I'll try to unpack of the effect of Bunyan's suffering on him.

Number one. These are the effects that I see in Bunyan's life of his suffering that we should appropriate for ourselves. And I'll try to help us do that. Number one. Bunyan's suffering confirmed him in his calling as a writer especially for the afflicted church.

Now the biggest Distortion that I have made of Bunyan's life so far is that I have not even mentioned his writings. Now everybody knows that he wrote the pilgrims progress. The pilgrims progress is Is the most widely distributed book in the history of the world outside the Bible.

Written by a man with no formal education. It's been translated into 200 languages and is especially popular in the third world and reading the history of the Pilgrims progress was mind-boggling. I'd love to tell you some stories about 13th century, I mean 18th century China and the impact it almost became the first little red book in in China, but different course of events changed all of that.

But what people don't know is that he wrote 57 other books. When you read the list in Christopher Hill's index, there are 58 books. Books on controversy like the Quakers and justification and baptism collections of poems books for children children's literature.

Allegory like the holy war and the life and death of mr. Bad man and And Practical doctrinal expositions most of them are simply practical doctrinal expositions that would profit your own soul based on sermons that he had written.

So he was a writer from beginning to end. He wrote four books before he went into jail so from age 25 to 27 to 32 roughly and he had five books that he wrote the year he died. And everything else was in between and he was always writing in prison and always writing at home.

He was a writer through and through with no theological degrees. No formal education. He known he knew no Greek and Hebrew at all. And yet his sufferings his sufferings Permeated and Gave the aroma to all of his writings.

Whitfield George, Whitfield Said this of the pilgrims progress. It smells of the prison it was written when the author was confined in Bedford Jail and Ministers never write or preach so well as when under the cross.

The spirit of Christ and of glory then Rests upon them and I just ask you brothers. Have you not tasted that? Has there not been an intensity? Has there not been a sweetness? Has there not been a depth?

Has there not been an authenticity? Walking into the pulpit after the winter seasons. Whether your own or another's. I Would generalize here and say that one of the main reasons that the Puritans are still being read today is That the fragrance of heaven and the fragrance of hell are on them because they were written in a century from 1560 to 1660 which was Permeated by persecution and suffering and life was simply hard in the 17th century when it was good.

Whereas in America and in the West today we are chipper churches chipper TV is chipper. Books are chipper. We're a chipper people, which means there's not much to be read today worth reading because the smell hell and Heaven isn't on it.

When you're walking along the precipice like the Puritans walked almost every day of their lives the precipice where there's no 9 -1 -1. You got to get your own water. There's no vaccinations there's no OBGYN and You're always walking along the edge and the precipice of eternity there's a smell about your preaching.

Which is almost missing today entirely. Thank God for books where we can bathe our brains with something other than chipper theology. Bunyan's writings were an extension of his pastoral ministry to his flock.

That's the way he viewed them and He lived under constant harassment and danger and that fit him to minister. Well to others which leads me now to my second observation. Bunyan sufferings deepened his love for his flock and Gave his pastoral labor the fragrance of eternity.

It deepened his love for his flock and gave him The fragrance of eternity. Bunyan and his writings are filled with affection for his people. He loved his little flock. He wrote a book called Christian behavior in 1663.

Compute he's in jail three years. He's been in jail. And here's the way he closed the book writing it for his little flock. Thus have I in a few words written to you before I die. He fully expected. This was not going to turn out well.

So you got to get the straight. You don't don't overdo it and don't under do it. He wasn't tortured in jail. He could do his little handwork and help support his family and he could have visitors but don't don't under do it either.

People were being beheaded in England in those days. Kings had the right to do is they please in those days. There wasn't a lot of recourse so you never knew when the door might swing open. One of you went to England.

Who's it? I forget who this belongs to. But this this says Bedford jail 1670 it's a peephole on the door in A cell that may have been John Bunyan's. This is the actual thing 1670 he had two more years to serve.

So if you want to touch this, I'll leave it up here. And I think whoever it was who lent this to us just one of you for doing it but this looks authentic to me and You can look through it there's there's no magnification so you can see both ways on this one.

We get to do the other way, I'll put this here and you can look at it, but if you steal it God will judge you now what made me think of that? Lost my place here. He's writing this to his people. Oh I said Don't overstate the suffering and don't understate it because they could come visit him and it could be that they put their finger right on that and looked in but he wrote to them I Before I die a word to provoke you to faith and holiness because I desire that you may have The life that is laid up for all them that believe in the Lord Jesus and love one another when I am deceased.

Though then I shall rest from my labors and be in paradise as through grace. I am comfortably assured. Yet it is not There but here I must do you good. And so he writes these books for his people. Halfway through his imprisonment He writes.

I did often say before the Lord that if to be hanged up presently Before their eyes would be means to awake them and confirm them in the truth. I would gladly Consent to it Bunyan Gloried in the privilege of being a pastor.

He loved the ministry. It flowed from his sufferings. He was jealous. He was jealous for his people to prosper now. Loving your people is very much a product of Suffering. I think in America, we don't suffer much we We are fun-loving folk but you know You can be as fun-loving and as happy-go-lucky and chipper as you want.

But as soon as somebody tells you you've got cancer or as soon as you find out your child is blind. You turn away from the chipper pastors To somebody who is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

I know there's a tremendous pressure on you in many seminars to grow churches by helping people feel chipper and good and I Think perhaps your church may grow more slowly if you're a serious person. And I don't want you to be a somber and glum person but Your people have got to know.

You know What it feels like if they're gonna come tell you what it feels like. There's got to be something they're detecting in you that you've suffered. Otherwise they're gonna go to somebody else because if the pain is too great to be dealt with lightly.

And when as soon as you share with somebody a marital problem or a kid problem or a health problem You can tell within seconds if they are connecting at any deep level here and If they're not the quickest thing you want to do is just say excuse me, excuse me, I need somebody who understands and so Your suffering is so important to them.

You won't love your people as you ought Unless you suffer with Jesus. He said my heart has been so wrapped up in the glory of this excellent work that I counted myself more Blessed and honored of God by this than if I had made me Emperor of the Christian world or the Lord of all the glory of the earth Without it.

He loved being a pastor to his people in his suffering endeared him to them. Third observation. Bunyan suffering opened his understanding to the truth that the Christian life is hard and that Following Jesus means having the face the wind in your face 1682.

Six years before he dies. He writes a book called the greatness of the soul based on mark 836 what does it profit a man to gain the world and Forfeit his soul. For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.

Now Puritans were good at taking a sentence like that and writing a book about it. They wrote books about sentences like that and They're not throwing away words. So he writes a book about that verse.

And in it this is what he wants to get across our quote. He's quoting Jesus now. Follow me is not like following some other masters. The wind sits always on my face and the foaming rage of the sea of this world and the proud and lofty waves thereof do continually beat upon the sides of the bark or Boat that myself my cause and my followers are in He therefore that will not run hazards.

And that is afraid to venture a drowning let him not set foot into this vessel. That's his conception of following Jesus. Two years later he wrote a book on John 15 to. Every branch that bears fruit. My father prunes.

And this was his point. It is the will of God. That they that go to heaven should go thither hardly or with difficulty. The righteous shall scarcely be saved that is They shall but yet with great Difficulty that it may be the sweeter.

So his whole mindset seems out of step with 20th century American evangelicalism to me. The essence of Christianity is is hard. The essence of Christianity is you got a fight like crazy cut off hands gouge out eyes deny yourself In order to Live upon God only.

Because we have I mean if it was hard in the 17th century to learn to live upon God only. Think how hard it is to get into the kingdom of heaven today. It is hard for a rich man to get into the kingdom and everybody in this room is filthy rich.

No exceptions, I don't care if you didn't pay your rent last month. There are no exemptions. We are rich. It is hard in America to go to heaven. How many coats are in your closet shoes. How many running pairs of shoes.

Gloves for every occasion. Every manner of possible electronic device to heat your food. Fast slow rough edges soft edges. Plumbing is in your house. Sewage carried away flawlessly. Pure drinking water.

Refrigeration 9 -1 -1 at your back and call. I tell you it is hard to go to heaven in America. Because who knows what you are leaning on. Until it is taken away. That's why 2nd Corinthians 1 9 says I was crushed to the point of death so that I might trust the one who raises the dead.

In other words, everything was taken but Resurrection and that's coming brothers. So I just plead with God now get you ready. He wrote and carried to the printer in his last year the excellency of a broken heart.

Is that a beautiful title. The excellency of a broken heart and you know where it comes from. It's based on Psalm 51 and in it. This is his thesis. Conversion is not the smooth easygoing process some men think it is.

It is wounding work, of course this breaking of hearts, but without wounding there's no saving. Where there is grafting there is a cutting the sea on must be let in with a wound. To stick it on the outside or to tie it on with string.

Would be of no use. Heart must be set to heart back to back or there will be no sap. From the root to the branch and this I say Must be done with a wound. If you wonder why there aren't more fruitless people.

I Mean why there are so many fruitless Saints seeming Saints. It may be because there was never a wound and The the vine isn't in the branch it's tied on and Pasted on with a quick booklet or Prayer or I'll walking and so there's no SAP Flowing and they're trying to do what you're supposed to be doing.

Read the Bible pray. Supposed to feel something in this worship service. There's no life and it's scary the churches are full of that kind of people all over America and Some pulpits have preachers like that.

Bunyan was passionate for these things and he was patient with these things. Listen this beautiful pastor patient word. And listen to his language, I wish I had time to talk about Bunyan. Bunyan's Language.

He and Spurgeon are almost without peer in their use of language and we need to learn from the misregard. But I had to leave some things out, but you get a flavor of it here in this beautiful word 1678 a book called come and welcome to Jesus Christ.

It was just a he was a ruler a ruler of men. Coleridge was right the Calvinism of John Bunyan is the sweetest most beautiful most tasty religion in the world. He that comes to Christ cannot it is true always get on as fast as he would.

Poor coming soul. Thou art like the man that would ride full gallop whose horse will hardly trot. Now the desire of his mind is not to be judged of. By the slow pace of the dull jade he rides on. He's talking about his body here the dull jade.

He rides on but by the hitching and the kicking and the spurring as he sits on his back. Thy flesh is like this dull jade. It will not gallop after Christ it will be backward though thy soul and heaven lie at stake.

We need to talk like that. Let your speech be seasoned with salt that you may know how to answer every man work at your language. Get provocative language into your great old truth so that people either scratch their heads or scream or Twinge or something, but don't go to sleep on you and call you boring.

The worst damnation of a preacher. Maybe not the worst but pretty close. He was a very balanced person. One way to illustrate the balance in this issue is He wrote a book in How do you put the date down doesn't matter.

He wrote a book in one year called saved by grace. Ephesians 2 5 was the text and the very same year. He followed it with a book called the straight gate. Based on Luke 13 24. Strive to enter at the straight gate for many I tell you will seek to enter in and shall not be able.

Can you point to anybody in your church that is seeking to enter the kingdom? And not able just wonder if our gospel is a biblical gospel. When there are a few people like that around we are so scared and having people like that.

We want to paste assurance on them so fast because you can't have people struggling with assurance. You can't have people struggling for their soul and saying I want to be saved. But I don't know grace in my life.

I have no spiritual affections. We say to people You don't need to have any of those affections and we Get people like that fix so fast that so much of the Puritan experience. It seems gone. There's no wrestling like like these men wrestled with.

The way is hard. Jesus said that leads to life and those who find it are few. Bunyan taught that to his people number four. This is my fourth result or function of suffering in his life. Bunyan suffering strengthened his Assurance that God is sovereign over all afflictions of his people and will bring them safely home.

Now there have always been people who try to solve the problem of suffering by denying the sovereignty of God. That is the all-ruling providence of God over Satan and over nature and over human hearts and deeds.

But you know, it is remarkable as I read church history and Biography and look around the world today. It is remarkable to me How many of the people who cherish the full sovereignty of God? Over will and nature and Demons and bodies the fullest expression of the sovereign control of God are the people who have suffered most and thus from an academic perspective would have the hardest time rendering an account of theoretically how you can believe in such a thing and They have found the most comfort in it and Bunyan was among that number.

He wrote a book called seasonable counsels advice to sufferers. It was based on one verse and the verse was first Peter 419 which goes Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator and To watch him unpack every word in that is a thrilling thing.

Let me give you a taste. He said It is not. He took the phrase especially According to the will of God suffer according to the will of God. He said it is not what enemies will Nor what they are resolved upon but what God will and what God appoints that will be done.

No enemy can bring suffering upon a man when the will of God is otherwise. So no man can save himself out of their hands when God will deliver him up for his glory. We shall or shall not suffer even as it pleases him.

God has appointed. I'm still reading Spurgeon. I'm just putting the collage of text together here. God has appointed Who will suffer. Revelation 611. A full number of the martyrs who are appointed must come in.

God has appointed When they shall suffer acts 18 9 to 10. Paul nobody's gonna hurt you yet. John 7 30 it was not his hour. Therefore he passes through the midst. The time will come. God will deliver his son over till then nobody can touch him.

God determines where This or that Saint and good man shall suffer. Luke 13 33. It cannot be but that a prophet shall perish outside Jerusalem and on the Mount of Transfiguration. They discussed what kind of sufferings he would experience in Jerusalem.

God has appointed what kind of sufferings this or that Saint shall undergo. X9 16. Go tell Paul how great things he must suffer for my name. And John 21 19 He says to Peter. I will show you or I have showed you by what death you would glorify God.

God has determined that Peter would be crucified upside down. Our sufferings as to the nature of them are all writ down in God's book. He says and though the writing may seem unknown characters to us yet.

God understands them very well. It is appointed. Who of them should die of hunger? Who is to die by the sword? Who should go into captivity and who should be eaten up by beasts and that's almost a direct quote from Jeremiah 15?

2 3. Now What was his aim in talking like that to these Saints? Who might well suffer in that horrible way? Let me insert a parenthesis here just to show you how I deal with this. I wrestle with this emotionally almost daily.

Because I read the newspaper. I opened the newspaper up last week. Right after the earthquake first. I heard the news hundred two hundred five hundred seven hundred Thousand people. God move your people move your people now, let's go show your compassion.

Move. I know you did it. Why you did it? I don't know except at least you want this that your church would move in power and compassion there move. Let's go and then I open the newspaper. Now I I confess to having a little touch of claustrophobia because when I was about 14 I Went into the woods across the street from my house and with my friends dug cave straight down On a bank like this and then when we got down.

So it was over our heads. We started in like this. Just dig it like this and I can remember going down in the hole lying on my stomach crawling into the hole and Scraping like this and then reaching my way back pulling the dirt out and put in a bucket and send it up.

Is that stupid. I have nightmares about that to this day. I'm usually awake when I have them and I opened the newspaper. You saw the picture perhaps. Here's a collapsed building and and the workers all over it and they're pulling and here's one little face.

Like this and he's just crushed underneath and his eyes are just Looking at the man. And I just trembled when I saw that picture. I just trembled if I were in that position and that were on me and there were these big beams going.

And at any minute you just might be severed or back on your face. You know what I think God's doing that that's why there's a problem of suffering in the world. It's not statistics. It's not statistics.

It's it's a little girl in, Texas falling into a 12-inch Pipe you remember that one the whole nation watched for days and they bored a hole this way. They bored a hole this way. You're her dad and you stop and her leg is trapped up like this and she's what to.

And for a while, she's crying and crying and crying and crying and crying.

Mommy and daddy and your heart is being absolutely ripped and shreds. Oh God.

God if you can't believe in the sovereignty of God. At a moment like that Just give it up and quit the ministry. And I admit I mean I can say this right now. But I admit if my little Talitha Experiences that this afternoon I Will scream Oh God. Oh God. Oh God come.

Deliver why not? And I will wrestle.

And I pray God will help me believe. Because this is what the Bible Teaches. I just read this morning in my own personal devotions in Genesis 4 a lot of us are reading through the Bible this way. I mean Exodus 4 411 Who is it that makes the man blind or seeing or deaf or dumb?

Is it not I the Lord. I mean you just have to quit the Bible or believe in the sovereignty of God. You can't have it both ways. I don't care what theologians at Bethel or anywhere else are saying you can't have it both ways.

You have to believe in the sovereignty of God.