27 Servants of Sovereign Joy
What can we learn from the lives of past saints? In 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy, John Piper presents 27 biographies of faithful, flawed, and fruitful saints from church history.
Passionate Joy in God
Book 1 begins with Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. Though they are giants in the faith, Piper is able to point to their humanity in their shared, passionate joy in God. In Book 2, Piper shows us Bunyan, Cowper, and Brainerd. I was most moved to read of Cowper’s depression, and the need to repeat the mercies and deeds of Jesus to those who are discouraged. Redeeming love is a worthy theme for all of our lives.
Next, Piper looks at Newton, Simeon, and Wilberforce. Specifically in the life of Wilberforce, Piper’s preoccupation with joy is on full display, and I found a sentence that will stick with me: “If a man can rob you of your joy, he can rob you of your usefulness.” To be an enduring, compelling Christian is to be one marked with joy. From Book 4, three lessons from the life of J. Gresham Machen were especially meaningful to me: (1) Machen’s life and thought issues a call for all of us to be honest, open, clear, straightforward, and guileless in our use of language, (2) Machen’s life teaches ut eh importance of founding and maintaining institutions in the preservation and spreading of the true gospel, and (3) Machen’s experience calls us to have patience with young strugglers who are having doubts about Christianity.
Endlessly Inspiring
William Tyndale caught my attention in Book 5, as his singular passion was “to see the Bible translated form the Greek and Hebrew into ordinary English available for every person in England to read.” While translation is important, I often praise the work without mentioning the goal: so all will be able to read. My favorite part is Book 6: Seeing Beauty and Saying Beautifully, and features George Herbert, George Whitefield, and C. S. Lewis. Their lives, preaching powers, and way with words is endlessly inspiring.
This book is the updated version of 21 Servants of Sovereign Joy, and includes new chapters on Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Jonathan Edwards, Bill Piper, J. C. Ryle, Andrew Fuller, and Robert Murray McCheyne. I found a new preaching role model in J. C. Ryle, who published his sermons and was an avid reader. In terms of his preaching style, he modeled urgency, forcefulness, and penetrating power. The final chapter is on Piper’s father Bill, a beautiful biography of his own flesh and blood. He was stunned by the Gospel, satisfied with Christ, and revealed to be Christian hedonist at the end.
Relevant, Encouraging, and Motivating
This book brings these men alive in a way that only John Piper can. He writes with excitement, and tells their stories with wonder. He gets to the centers of their hearts, and discovers what makes them beat. Relevant, encouraging, and motivating — these are lives for remembering and rejoicing.
I received a media copy of 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.