Great observation of a very sad reality.

So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
Genesis 19:14

This was achingly hard to listen to - almost to the point of tears.

I don't know what speech preceded Piper's sermon nor whose conference is this, but this is wrong in so many levels I can't even begin to enunciate.

Is this a conference on Biblical counseling? What did people learn before this? When listening to sinners crushed in their guilt and convicted by the Holy Spirit who confess their sins in anguish and humility, we're supposed do laugh and laugh away at them?

That's sick. May God grant us pardon.

I'm pretty sure there's nothing much to be gained by slamming those who attended the conference and were laughing. I don't want to fool myself into thinking I would have been immune to what was happening there.

If there's fruitful conversation to be had here, it's about how intoxicating humor can be, and why so many Christians seem to value it so highly in their pulpits.

It sounds like someone put a laugh track to the sermon until he starts reacting to their laugher. Really strange.

Having been a participant in a crowd like that, I think there is something to be gained by slamming those who were there.

At this summer's Resolved conference, a similar thing happened. Piper was trying to talk about God's sovereignty over the worst of times, and when he mentioned "swine flu" laughter broke out. I confess I was one of those who laughed. However, unlike at this event, when Piper said, "Why is that full? I'm not trying to be funny. You shouldn't laugh at that," the audience received it as a rebuke, and instantly a cloud of seriousness came over the room as everyone came under conviction about how lightly we had treated such a serious topic.

Maybe the reason we were able to make the change is because we hadn't been "prepped" as you said with the speakers beforehand. However, there is a tendency in the human heart to want to push away serious things by treating them lightly -- and I think it's a sinful tendency. Like Jesus said, "Everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed," I think the tendency to push away serious things by making light of them is an attempt to remain in the darkness, lest we have to expose ourselves. The laugh of this audience is saying, "Your sin isn't so serious," because they don't want to have to take their sin so seriously either.

That's not to say this audience is any more sinful than me. As I said, I was in their seat this summer.

As a long-time listener to Dr. Piper, I'm aware that he doesn't intentionally use humor in his sermons. As one who attended the AACC World Conference in Nashville last month with my wife--who is the counselor in the family--I was very surprised (and delighted) that Piper was even on the schedule, as most of the plenary speakers aren't quite as "heavy" as he tends to be.

Piper was actually the second speaker on the opening night of the conference, with Dr. Tim Clinton (the pres. of AACC) being the other speaker. I was not surprised by the serious nature of Piper's message nor the reaction of the crowd. I took the reaction as a combination of a lot of weariness from long hours of travel by planes and automobiles as well as an unfamiliarity with Piper's preaching method, but I don't know that the conference's attendees--who are Christians, although from wide-ranging theological beliefs--had been conditioned to expect laughter since it was the opening session of the conference (although the point of your post is well-taken). 99% of the teaching at the AACC's plenary and breakout sessions is deeply serious (and helpful, biblical) teaching on issues such as recovering from sexual abuse or counseling children of broken homes, and I'm glad Dr. Piper was able to add some theological foundation to this already warm-hearted group of counselors.

I think it goes beyond what was said here, often times pastors use self-deprecating jokes to appear humble and to do exactly what Piper did here, but with intentional humor.

It is however unfortunate that his first couple of comments we're somewhat funny in their irony and after that I can see how it would be hard as someone who has been laughing all weekend to stop by that point.

Also some comments about his confession being sad. Does it have to be? It's unfortunate but really because of the grace of God John Piper is forgiven and a confession of sin like this can be looked at as joyful in that he's experiencing Gods forgiving grace.

Greg,
I think your observations are very accurate. I have been pastoring a church for three years where the previous pastor had a much more charismatic personality and was very funny even from the pulpit. Many of the people had gotten use to that. I however, am more serious and would probably be along the same personality of John Piper. So the people had learned that church is funny. One comment in particular represents this thinking. One of the elders told me they were talking with a couple in our congregation about me as the new pastor. The couple simply said, "They liked Pastor Matt but Pastor Terry was just so funny." Now I don't mind using appropriate humor in church but they had gotten very use to and had now come to expect it. So I understand where you are coming from. Thanks for your insights.

I was also there and was initially laughing but quickly realized he wasn't trying to be funny. Indeed, why would he be funny with regard to his sin? However, I think it is quite right that the crowd was prepped to be "entertained."

In any case, Piper was, as always, amazing.

The opposite can happen as well. I remember once at Capitol Hill Baptist Church service that there was a guest preacher with a dry British sense of humor. He would make several absurd statements without pausing, and no one in the audience laughed. I wonder if the speaker thought we were a completely humorless bunch.

Greg,

Thanks for posting that. Although it was very difficult to listen to, it illustrated our instinctive reluctance to deal with issues of the heart, even when we are in a preaching venue that has been designed by God for that very reason.

Mr. Gilbert's points are well-taken.

But from a person who greatly admires John Piper: maybe the confession of sin to a large congregation of strangers is not the best way to begin a sermon.

I think that's a possibility worth considering.

Maybe it's human nature to find a "warm-up" helpful before confronting serious matters, such as an introduction to a sermon or small talk before talking about a painful topic.

In fact, my take-away is that to serve others through preaching means trying to confront them with serious matters in the best possible way and with the best possible timing.

I think Nathan's confrontation of David is a good example of how to bring people in before confronting them with an issue.

Another good example would be when I first heard John Piper preach, and he told the story of the husband and wife who wasted their lives collecting shells. That drew me in before confronting me.

Now may be a good time for us all to find and read Edward's sermon "The Spirit of Charity the Opposite of a Censorious Spirit."

I have often wondered why so few laughed when I did make a rare shot at being humorous. But seriously folks ...

Reminds me of the audience's reaction to David Letterman's recent 10 minute explanation of his situation. Granted, Letterman is always joking, but it served to remind me how we as a culture are so used to info-tainment we can no longer separate the serious from the silly.

Would this have come down differently at a NANC or similar biblical counseling conference? Different emphases? Different views (likely)about depravity...?

All the above, except 3 or 4, are dancing around the real issue. They are holding to their doctrine of- dancing around the issue; coming up with excuses like long plane rides and being set up. Does it sound familiar to put labels on something when all it really is, is a matter of the heart? Sam H made a good point to ask if this would have turned out differently at another conference. I am very familiar with Piper and so I might be biased. But this made me think of Neil Postman's, Amusing Ourselves to Death- a very timeless, influential book.

As a culture (including within the church) we are so unaccustomed to someone being so humble and transparent, so when we come face to face with the real deal we don't know what to make of it, how to respond. So we cover our discomfort with laughter. ('Cause after all, he/she can't be serious, right?!)