Who Is the Best "Popular" Preacher Today?

[SpiritAndTruth]

Sproul is an excellent teacher, but I don't like his sermons so much.

Agreed. His gifts really are as a TEACHER, not necessarily as a PREACHER. Preaching INCLUDES teaching, but goes beyond that, of course. I certainly don't think RC is a "BAD" preacher, but he is nowhere near as good a preacher as he is a teacher, In my humble opinion. It is clear how God has gifted him in that way.

His podcast teaching series on rich, theological issues is an absolute staple in my walk. It is heavy duty stuff, and not for someone who has a tendency to wool gather. But I enjoy it immensely, as it challenges me greatly to take my walk to the next level.

 

[Knoxienne]

I forgot to mention two other big faves of mine - Lester Roloff and Ovid Need!

I like to listen to Brother Roloff every now and then to keep reformed hoity toitiness from rearing its ugly head.

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

Spurgeon.

 

[JohnGill]

Spurgeon.

Thanks for the reminder.

Forgot John Gill and Jonathan Edwards.

 

[SpiritAndTruth]

Interesting analysis. I agree for the most part, although I'm not sure that Ravi is Reformed. I'd be happy to be shown I'm wrong. I think all these gentlemen are great and I have benefited greatly from their ministries.

Hmmmm.... Now that you mention it, I'm not 100% sure he is, either-- good catch on that. I have a tendency to AUTOMATICALLY lump people whose doctrine is tightly bound in biblical accuracy as "reformed", when that is NOT always necessarily the case...

His website is a bit vague, in that it makes no denominational or confessional commitment.

 

[discipulo]

I voted Keller for the impact he is making on non Christians, hoping God is using his book and preaching.

It is available on youtube a lecture he gave about The Reason for God at Google.

I imagine they don’t often invite Pastors for lectures on Faith there.

On deep thorough exposition of Scripture, the late Martyn Lloyd Jones.

 

[Kevin]

Alistair Begg.

As an aside, I have to admit that I don't really get Piper. It seems to me like there's some sort of disconnect between what he is saying and how he is saying it along with the gestures he uses.

I spent about 12 hours driving this weekend & I listened to a lot of sermons. I decided that this was my chance to "catch up" on all of the Piper sermons on my ipod.

I love to read books by Piper but I find him hard to listen to. He has a distinctive *preacher style* of speaking that I find distracting. His varying of his vocal speed is distracting enough to me that I rarely finish listening to his sermons. I love to read them, I just find them hard to listen too.

 

[SpiritAndTruth]

Alistair Begg.

As an aside, I have to admit that I don't really get Piper. It seems to me like there's some sort of disconnect between what he is saying and how he is saying it along with the gestures he uses.

I spent about 12 hours driving this weekend & I listened to a lot of sermons. I decided that this was my chance to "catch up" on all of the Piper sermons on my ipod.

I love to read books by Piper but I find him hard to listen to. He has a distinctive *preacher style* of speaking that I find distracting. His varying of his vocal speed is distracting enough to me that I rarely finish listening to his sermons. I love to read them, I just find them hard to listen too.

I hear ya. I love Piper, and his passion, but sometimes when he speaks, it's like he's GIVING BIRTH to the ideas-- with all the pain, joy, anguish, and labor involved in it-- and it can be exhausting to listen to (I can't imagine how exhausted HE is after a sermon ).

Sometimes, he is the best thing in the world to listen to, but I usually OD on him after an hour or so...

 

[Knoxienne]

"I hear ya. I love Piper, and his passion, but sometimes when he speaks, it's like he's GIVING BIRTH to the ideas-- with all the pain, joy, anguish, and labor involved in it-- and it can be exhausting to listen to."

I find this to be true nowadays about a lot of modern preachers. It's very unsettling.

 

[turmeric]

Arzudia can be like that as well.

 

[grizzlor]

I voted other for Paul Washer.

 

[Chris Connally]

God used John MacArthur's book "The Gospel According to Jesus" to begin me on my journey away from the fluff American brand of Christianity. My life was forever changed by my journey through that book. However, since he was not on the list I put my vote in for John Piper. His evident love for Christ is inspiring and every time I hear or watch him I walk away feeling a greater desire for Jesus and His way.

 

[PresbyDane]

There is a mistake I can see Sproul is loosing to Piper, who got bribed

 

[Marno]

I voted for Sproul. Let me also honorably mention Mark Dever.

 

[baron]

Alistair Begg my favorite love that Scotish accent plus his sermons.

John Macarthur, but at times he leaves me wondering if I'm saved.

Steve Brown though no longer a Pastor, now a Teacher always leaves me knowing that God loves me and is not angry with me.

 

[KMK]

Interesting analysis. I agree for the most part, although I'm not sure that Ravi is Reformed. I'd be happy to be shown I'm wrong. I think all these gentlemen are great and I have benefited greatly from their ministries.

Hmmmm.... Now that you mention it, I'm not 100% sure he is, either-- good catch on that. I have a tendency to AUTOMATICALLY lump people whose doctrine is tightly bound in biblical accuracy as "reformed", when that is NOT always necessarily the case...

His website is a bit vague, in that it makes no denominational or confessional commitment.

I think he is Christian and Missionary Alliance. C&MA is not reformed.

 

[ThomasCartwright]

Piper has some major theological problems so I could not endorse him.

Could you elaborate?

Piper believes that the Jesuit, Fracis Xavier was a great Christian missionary and that Mother Theresa is a great type of sanctification. He states this on his website. He also embraces the Toronto Blessing, ecumenism, Rap Music in his worship services, liberals such as Daniel Fuller, and the foul langauge of Mark Driscoll. He certainly does not stand in the historic Reformed tradition that I know off. I can just see Martyn Lloyd Jones turning in his grave at the thought. Dr Peter Masters does an excellent refutation of Piper's unbiblical "Christian hedonism" - an oxymoron if ever there was one.

 

[TomVols]

Alistair Begg is hands down, far and away the best of any mentioned. Piper is good. I enjoy Eric Alexander, Derek Prime, and Dick Lucas. Mohler makes an honorable mention as does Dever.

 

[Knoxienne]

Piper has some major theological problems so I could not endorse him.

Could you elaborate?

Piper believes that the Jesuit, Fracis Xavier was a great Christian missionary and that Mother Theresa is a great type of sanctification. He states this on his website. He also embraces the Toronto Blessing, ecumenism, Rap Music in his worship services, liberals such as Daniel Fuller, and the foul langauge of Mark Driscoll. He certainly does not stand in the historic Reformed tradition that I know off. I can just see Martyn Lloyd Jones turning in his grave at the thought. Dr Peter Masters does an excellent refutation of Piper's unbiblical "Christian hedonism" - an oxymoron if ever there was one.

True. Piper also encourages the Church to celebrate the birthday of communist, liberal theologian, whoremonger, plagarist Michael King (MLK). He also promotes pacifism and teaches that it's wrong to shoot an intruder who breaks into one's home.

 

[Marrow Man]

Could you elaborate?

Piper believes that the Jesuit, Fracis Xavier was a great Christian missionary and that Mother Theresa is a great type of sanctification. He states this on his website. He also embraces the Toronto Blessing, ecumenism, Rap Music in his worship services, liberals such as Daniel Fuller, and the foul langauge of Mark Driscoll. He certainly does not stand in the historic Reformed tradition that I know off. I can just see Martyn Lloyd Jones turning in his grave at the thought. Dr Peter Masters does an excellent refutation of Piper's unbiblical "Christian hedonism" - an oxymoron if ever there was one.

True. Piper also encourages the Church to celebrate the birthday of communist, modernist, whoremonger, plagarist Michael King (MLK). He also promotes pacifism and teaches that it's wrong to shoot an intruder who breaks into your home.

I must confess that I was not aware of any of this. Can you provide a link to, say, Peter Masters or anything else that might be enlightening?

 

[Broadus]

Quite a few wonderful preachers have been listed. We are tremendously blessed with the technology making so many accessible to us (and, too, the same technology widens the reach of the Osteens, sadly).

John MacArthur gets the nod from me. I cannot think of a man whom God has used more to revitalize the practice of expository preaching. And, as mentioned above, his 1988 The Gospel According to Jesus articulated a lot of the gut reactions I was having as a 33-year-old minister with the problems of easy believism, decisionistic "salvation."

Bill

 

[ThomasCartwright]

Piper believes that the Jesuit, Fracis Xavier was a great Christian missionary and that Mother Theresa is a great type of sanctification. He states this on his website. He also embraces the Toronto Blessing, ecumenism, Rap Music in his worship services, liberals such as Daniel Fuller, and the foul langauge of Mark Driscoll. He certainly does not stand in the historic Reformed tradition that I know off. I can just see Martyn Lloyd Jones turning in his grave at the thought. Dr Peter Masters does an excellent refutation of Piper's unbiblical "Christian hedonism" - an oxymoron if ever there was one.

True. Piper also encourages the Church to celebrate the birthday of communist, modernist, whoremonger, plagarist Michael King (MLK). He also promotes pacifism and teaches that it's wrong to shoot an intruder who breaks into your home.

I must confess that I was not aware of any of this. Can you provide a link to, say, Peter Masters or anything else that might be enlightening?

Piper on Mother Theresa:

How the Spirit Sanctifies :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Piper on Daniel Fuller

Praise God for Fundamentalists :: Desiring God

Piper on Francis Xavier:

As strange as this may sound to self-reliant, self-esteeming secular people, it is in fact the way many missionaries have conceived of their labor. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), who founded the Jesuit missionary movement and served in India and Japan, was always in pursuit of a deeper life with God. He died at 46 awaiting passage to the great forbidden China. Keep in mind the doctor-patient analogy as you read one of his last letters concerning his desire to enter China. We need not minimize the serious theological problems with sixteenth century Roman Catholic teaching in order to see the truth expressed about missionary motivation in this quotation.

Chapter 9 Missions

Piper on Martin Luther King

When MLK First Met God :: Desiring God

Dr Peter Masters responds to Piper in "Christian Hedonism—Is it Right?" Sword and Trowel (2002): 10–16.

http://www.metropolitantabernacle.o...s/HEDONISM.html.

 

[historyb]

I voted other for Dr. Albert Mohler, most likely because I listen to Dr. Mohler most

I been listening to Dr. Charles Stanley lately and he is great where the rubber meets the road. I know the super Calvinist on here will shudder that one could listen to Dr. Stanley, but it is what it is.

 

[DMcFadden]

True. Piper also encourages the Church to celebrate the birthday of communist, modernist, whoremonger, plagarist Michael King (MLK). He also promotes pacifism and teaches that it's wrong to shoot an intruder who breaks into your home.

I must confess that I was not aware of any of this. Can you provide a link to, say, Peter Masters or anything else that might be enlightening?

Piper on Mother Theresa:

How the Spirit Sanctifies :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Piper on Daniel Fuller

Praise God for Fundamentalists :: Desiring God

Piper on Francis Xavier:

As strange as this may sound to self-reliant, self-esteeming secular people, it is in fact the way many missionaries have conceived of their labor. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), who founded the Jesuit missionary movement and served in India and Japan, was always in pursuit of a deeper life with God. He died at 46 awaiting passage to the great forbidden China. Keep in mind the doctor-patient analogy as you read one of his last letters concerning his desire to enter China. We need not minimize the serious theological problems with sixteenth century Roman Catholic teaching in order to see the truth expressed about missionary motivation in this quotation.

Chapter 9 Missions

Piper on Martin Luther King

When MLK First Met God :: Desiring God

Dr Peter Masters responds to Piper in "Christian Hedonism—Is it Right?" Sword and Trowel (2002): 10–16.

http://www.metropolitantabernacle.o...s/HEDONISM.html.

PUTTING ON MY MODERATOR HAT: I realize that we have differences of opinion over some personalities. I even STRONGLY disagree with Dan Fuller. However, as one who sees him virtually every day at my retirement community, I believe that your characterization borders on a 9th Commandment violation. The man is NOT a "liberal" and would be horrified to hear that term used of him. He believes (wrongly I think, but quite sincerely) that he holds to the infallibility of the Bible. His soteriology is ANYthing BUT liberal. Such sweeping language is defamatory, untrue, and unbecoming in a Christian forum. Please tone down the rhetoric unless you have more direct and first hand knowledge of this person than I do. BTW, I was NOT one of his students in seminary, but my wife was. She was in his Sermon on the Mount course three weeks after the birth of our firstborn 32 years ago.

 

[ManleyBeasley]

True. Piper also encourages the Church to celebrate the birthday of communist, modernist, whoremonger, plagarist Michael King (MLK). He also promotes pacifism and teaches that it's wrong to shoot an intruder who breaks into your home.

I must confess that I was not aware of any of this. Can you provide a link to, say, Peter Masters or anything else that might be enlightening?

Piper on Mother Theresa:

How the Spirit Sanctifies :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Piper on Daniel Fuller

Praise God for Fundamentalists :: Desiring God

Piper on Francis Xavier:

As strange as this may sound to self-reliant, self-esteeming secular people, it is in fact the way many missionaries have conceived of their labor. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), who founded the Jesuit missionary movement and served in India and Japan, was always in pursuit of a deeper life with God. He died at 46 awaiting passage to the great forbidden China. Keep in mind the doctor-patient analogy as you read one of his last letters concerning his desire to enter China. We need not minimize the serious theological problems with sixteenth century Roman Catholic teaching in order to see the truth expressed about missionary motivation in this quotation.

Chapter 9 Missions

Piper on Martin Luther King

When MLK First Met God :: Desiring God

Dr Peter Masters responds to Piper in "Christian Hedonism—Is it Right?" Sword and Trowel (2002): 10–16.

http://www.metropolitantabernacle.o...s/HEDONISM.html.

Besides being borderline slanderous this kind of language is harsh and cruel. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves for so easily insulting a pastor and man of God. I don't agree with everything Piper believes but I also probably don't agree with everything anyone here believes either and would never say things so harshly. As for Dr. Masters, I'll stand with Sproul, MacArthur, and J.I. Packer over him any day of the week. Here are their critiques of Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by Dr. John Piper.

"...a modern manual of true spirituality" -R.C. Sproul

"[a]...soul-stirring celebration of the pleasures of knowing God...a must read for every Christian, and a feast for the spiritually hungry." -John MacArthur

"The healthy biblical realism of this study in Christian motivation comes as a breath of fresh air. Jonathan Edwards, whose ghost walks through most of Piper's pages, would be delighted with his disciple."-J.I. Packer

 

[tabrooks]

Thank you

 

[Theognome]

I must confess that I was not aware of any of this. Can you provide a link to, say, Peter Masters or anything else that might be enlightening?

Piper on Mother Theresa:

How the Spirit Sanctifies :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Piper on Daniel Fuller

Praise God for Fundamentalists :: Desiring God

Piper on Francis Xavier:

As strange as this may sound to self-reliant, self-esteeming secular people, it is in fact the way many missionaries have conceived of their labor. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), who founded the Jesuit missionary movement and served in India and Japan, was always in pursuit of a deeper life with God. He died at 46 awaiting passage to the great forbidden China. Keep in mind the doctor-patient analogy as you read one of his last letters concerning his desire to enter China. We need not minimize the serious theological problems with sixteenth century Roman Catholic teaching in order to see the truth expressed about missionary motivation in this quotation.

Chapter 9 Missions

Piper on Martin Luther King

When MLK First Met God :: Desiring God

Dr Peter Masters responds to Piper in "Christian Hedonism—Is it Right?" Sword and Trowel (2002): 10–16.

http://www.metropolitantabernacle.o...s/HEDONISM.html.

PUTTING ON MY MODERATOR HAT: I realize that we have differences of opinion over some personalities. I even STRONGLY disagree with Dan Fuller. However, as one who sees him virtually every day at my retirement community, I believe that your characterization borders on a 9th Commandment violation. The man is NOT a "liberal" and would be horrified to hear that term used of him. He believes (wrongly I think, but quite sincerely) that he holds to the infallibility of the Bible. His soteriology is ANYthing BUT liberal. Such sweeping language is defamatory, untrue, and unbecoming in a Christian forum. Please tone down the rhetoric unless you have more direct and first hand knowledge of this person than I do. BTW, I was NOT one of his students in seminary, but my wife was. She was in his Sermon on the Mount course three weeks after the birth of our firstborn 32 years ago.

What I saw were simple statements and links that supported them- as opposed to ad hominem and slander. I hope that we are not falling sway under 'Piper worship'. Let's remember what Paul taught us about going the whole 'of Paul/of Apollos' arguement route.

Theognome

 

[Marrow Man]

Brothers (and sisters), it was never my desire to fall into either "worship" of preachers nor condemnation of them (well, except for Osteen ). Actually, I just wanted to see who the folks on the PB benefited from in pulpit ministry. While I do appreciate the call to discernment, please let's not turn this into a burning at the stake.

I'm out of thank you's (I didn't get that with the mod license!), but thank you P.S. for the links, thank you Dennis for donning the mod hat, and especially thank you Manley for your wise comments.

 

[Dieter Schneider]

A dangerous question! Should one really attempt to answer it?

 

[ManleyBeasley]

Piper on Mother Theresa:

How the Spirit Sanctifies :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Piper on Daniel Fuller

Praise God for Fundamentalists :: Desiring God

Piper on Francis Xavier:



Chapter 9 Missions

Piper on Martin Luther King

When MLK First Met God :: Desiring God

Dr Peter Masters responds to Piper in "Christian Hedonism—Is it Right?" Sword and Trowel (2002): 10–16.

http://www.metropolitantabernacle.o...s/HEDONISM.html.

PUTTING ON MY MODERATOR HAT: I realize that we have differences of opinion over some personalities. I even STRONGLY disagree with Dan Fuller. However, as one who sees him virtually every day at my retirement community, I believe that your characterization borders on a 9th Commandment violation. The man is NOT a "liberal" and would be horrified to hear that term used of him. He believes (wrongly I think, but quite sincerely) that he holds to the infallibility of the Bible. His soteriology is ANYthing BUT liberal. Such sweeping language is defamatory, untrue, and unbecoming in a Christian forum. Please tone down the rhetoric unless you have more direct and first hand knowledge of this person than I do. BTW, I was NOT one of his students in seminary, but my wife was. She was in his Sermon on the Mount course three weeks after the birth of our firstborn 32 years ago.

What I saw were simple statements and links that supported them- as opposed to ad hominem and slander. I hope that we are not falling sway under 'Piper worship'. Let's remember what Paul taught us about going the whole 'of Paul/of Apollos' arguement route.

Theognome

I was actually responding to a quote that led to that info being posted. The quote was not fully supported by what was posted.