Sing! 2024: John Piper emphasizes power of Scripture to stir genuine emotion in worship
Pastor and theologian John Piper weighed in on the relationship between Scripture, worship and emotion during a sermon delivered at the Sing! 2024 conference, emphasizing that biblical truths are meant to not only guide worship but invigorate it.
Speaking before a packed audience at Keith and Kristyn Getty's annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee, Piper, founder of DesiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, likened the songs of Scripture to the sharp point of a sword, with the totality of the Bible forming the blade and hilt.
Scripture, he said, especially its songs, is designed to penetrate barriers and lead believers into deeper, more vibrant worship.
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"The Bible exists to create, sustain, guide, shape and invigorate right emotions toward God," the 78-year-old pastor said. He emphasized that while correct thinking about God is essential, it is not the ultimate goal.
"Right emotions toward God are the goal of right thinking about God," he said. "Right feelings toward God are the goal of right doctrines about God. Right affections for God are the goal of true statements about God, which implies that the inspired, infallible Word of God exists for the sake of creating and guiding and invigorating right emotions toward God."
Piper stressed that the intellect is meant to serve the heart, contending that doctrine exists to support genuine emotional responses to God, such as joy, awe and love.
Using examples from Psalms and the New Testament, he demonstrated how biblical truths should lead to heartfelt worship. In Psalm 16:8-10, for example, the truth that God is always present serves the joy and gladness of the heart.
"The truth serves the gladness," the Future Grace author noted, emphasizing that this pattern is woven throughout the Bible. The Psalmist doesn't rejoice for joy's sake — joy emerges from the deep understanding of God's presence and promises.
"The doctrine serves the delight," he added, explaining that doctrine, no matter how profound or theologically sound, must ignite the heart's affection for God. He warned that without this emotional response, the worshiper risks becoming like a machine, processing facts but missing the deeper spiritual connection.
Piper asserted that "Godward feelings" — joy, love, awe — are ultimate in a way that Godward thinking is not. "Both are indispensable," he explained, "but one is more ultimate as the goal of the other and one of them is less ultimate, as the servant of the other. Thinking is the servant, feeling is the goal. Doctrine is the servant. Delight is the goal. That's the pattern everywhere in the Bible."
To illustrate his point, Piper noted that while technology can simulate human intelligence — learning, problem-solving and decision-making — emotions are conspicuously absent from its capabilities. This absence, he said, underscores the unique and irreplaceable nature of human emotions, which are not merely pragmatic tools but ends in themselves.
"When emotions come into being authentically, they're not a means to an end," Piper explained. "Authentic emotion is spontaneous. It's real, and it is an end in itself, just as worship is."
While people may accept AI performing intellectual tasks, they recoil at the idea of "artificial emotion," as they can seem manipulative and insincere. This distinction, he said, highlights God's design that emotions be genuine responses to truth, particularly in the context of worship.
Piper also warned against turning worship into a means to an end, such as raising funds or evangelizing. True worship, he emphasized, is an authentic response to the greatness and beauty of God, not about checking theological boxes or simply reciting biblical facts.
"You can write down facts about a mountain, but that doesn't capture awe and wonder," Piper said.
Piper concluded by encouraging attendees to let biblical truth serve as the foundation for authentic emotions in worship. "Where the Word of God is sung and known, filled with biblical truth, joy and delight will follow," he said, calling on believers to let their minds serve their hearts in their pursuit of glorifying God.
The Sing! 2024 conference is held this week, Sept. 3-5, in Nashville. The theme of this year's conference is "The Songs of the Bible" and features speakers and artists, including The Gettys, Alistair Begg, Andrew Peterson, Mark Dever, Michael W. Smith, and more.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
