John Piper, speaking at a  New Attitude Conference in 2007, sponsored by Sovereign Grace Ministries (C. J. Mahaney), asked a series of questions in a presentation titled “Discern What Pleases God – Himself” He provided answers to the first five questions, but left the answers to the last two questions to the hearer.

1. Q: Who is the most God-centered person in the universe? 

    A: God.

2. Q: Who is uppermost in God’s affections?

    A: Not you, but God.

3. Q: Is God an idolater?

    A: No, He has no other Gods before Him.

4. Q: What is God’s chief jealously?

    A: God’s chief jealousy is to be known, admired, trusted, enjoyed, and obeyed above all others.

5. Q: What is the chief end of God?

    A: The chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy himself forever.

6. Q: Do you feel most loved by God because He makes much of you, or because He frees you to make much of Him forever?

7. Q: Are you God-centered because god is supremely valuable to you, or are you God-centered because you believe you are supremely valuable to Him?

The point of the first five questions is that God is first and foremost about his own glory and the honor of his Name, not us. The final questions are personal in nature and demand thoughtful self-reflection. Your answers might reveal that you are either truly God-centered, on His terms, or that you are self-deluded into thinking you are, when in fact you’re living out a man-centered Christianity.

Please don’t ignore the questions.

John Piper’s sermon, as well as the other New Attitude 2007 conference sermons can be listened to or downloaded here. Scroll down the page and you will see the entire set of sermons. They are all excellent.