An Encouragement to Those Who Minister the Word

John Piper, in his book The Supremacy of God in Preaching, shares his own testimony regarding being called to preach while a student at Wheaton College. This call came about as the result of hearing Dr. Harold Ockenga speak. Years later Piper was asked to speak at the Harold John Ockenga Lectures on Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

He says this about his opportunity, but in doing so shares a word which has continued to encourage me, and I hope will bring encouragement to those of you who will minister God's Word this coming weekend:

That was a precious privilege for me. And I prayed that it would be an acceptable tribute to Dr. Ockenga, who never knew me - and therefore a testimony to the fact that the true usefulness of our preaching will not be known to us until all the fruit on all the branches on all the trees that have sprung up from all the seeds we've ever sown has fully ripened in the sunshine of eternity.