A Most Encouraging Promise, Part 2

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses the timing of the promise's fulfillment, challenging common interpretations that place it either in a period of ease after suffering or solely in the age to come…

Martin compares the difficulty of meticulously expounding the text to cracking Brazil nuts, promising 'wonderful meat inside' for those who persevere through the intellectual effort.

And as I was thinking of this part of the sermon, where you've got to think and I've got to work through with you, I said it's like eating Brazil nuts. I love Brazil nuts. And it's worth all the difficulty cracking the outer shell to get to the meat. Now we're cracking Brazil nut shells here, all right?

19:16 - 19:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins expounding the four verbs, starting with 'perfect.' He explains it means to repair what is damaged or supply what is lacking, using analogies of a physician setting…

Martin uses the analogy of a mosaic, where individual pieces (the four verbs) each contribute a distinct color and meaning to form a complete, beautiful picture of God's work, rather than just being synonyms.

But I do have one that I have prepared, and that is, I don't believe that's true, that there is significance in each of these words. They are like a mosaic. You know what a mosaic is? Take bits of glass or tile of different colors, and you set them in mortar, and when you back off, if you get at a mosaic like this, you're just going to see broken glass, or broken pieces of tile.

32:37 - 33:01 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And God will set their bones and God will furnish them with the necessary courage and grace and wisdom and power to fulfill His will.

Martin tells the story of a soldier whose arm is shattered, helmet torn off, and ammunition depleted in battle. He is then 'perfected' by a medic and a field outfitter, receiving a set bone, sutures, a new helmet, rifle, and ammunition, illustrating God's work of repairing and supplying what is lacking in believers for spiritual warfare.

And God will set their bones and God will furnish them with the necessary courage and grace and wisdom and power to fulfill His will. Let me illustrate. Back in the days when there was something other than computerized warfare, with men sitting at their consoles and sending missiles hundreds of miles away, when there were trenches and foxholes and bayonets that drew blood and bullets that split arms and shattered thighs and ripped through people's chests. And in such a war, a soldier in battle in the midst of hand-to-hand combat, some of the things you've seen in the old newsreel clips, the ho...

39:59 - 41:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Next, Martin expounds 'establish,' meaning to fix firmly or make steadfast. He connects it to Jesus' steadfast resolve and Paul's desire to see believers fixed firmly in their…

Continuing the soldier analogy, Martin explains that after being perfected, the soldier needs to be 'established' with new resolve and courage to face battle again, illustrating God's work of fixing believers firmly in their commitment.

His bone has been set. He has been sutured. He has got his new helmet and rifle and his rations and his ammunition. But he lacks something before he goes back to the battle.

47:30 - 47:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: My grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore I glory in my infirmities that the what? That the power of Christ may literally intent itself about me.

Further extending the soldier analogy, Martin describes the soldier, though courageous, still weak from recuperation. He needs an 'exotic multi mega vitamin' (an IV) to be 'strengthened' and feel like Samson, illustrating God's infusion of actual strength for spiritual conflict.

It is not found anywhere in the New Testament not found as I indicated earlier in the Greek translation of the Old Testament scriptures but from several secular usages within that basic time frame of the New Testament we understand that the word does indeed mean to strengthen to make strong to impart strength. Now think again of the context. What do these believers need? They need not only that God in grace and mercy should come set their bones and furnish them and outfit them with all that is needed for their pilgrimage that he would not only establish them with fixed resolution but that they...

49:12 - 50:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Finally, Martin expounds 'settle,' which he argues was part of the original text, meaning to foundationalize or plant on an immovable foundation. He illustrates this as God making…

Concluding the soldier analogy, Martin asks how long the soldier's renewed strength will last. He explains that God will 'settle' him, planting him on an immovable foundation so that he cannot be toppled, illustrating God's work of grounding believers firmly in Christ.

God himself will foundationalize you. Now here's a man his bones been set his wounds been sutured his helmet's back on his head he's got his rifle he's got his ammunition he's got his he's got his food he's got all of these things. He has fresh courage to face the battle. He's had his pint of super duper mega vitamins that made him feel like Samson.

54:23 - 54:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Prayerfully believe and grasp the promises of God, endorsing and depositing them through faith, as essential for maturation.

Martin compares God's promises to a check made out to believers. Just as one endorses and deposits a check to receive its value, believers must prayerfully believe and 'cash' God's promises, demonstrating faith in His character and fiscal integrity.

making that commute in the midst of all of the bustle and the rest learn the discipline of a thought here and a thought there that like the magnet of the soul is drawn to the iron of who God is and what he's revealed of himself the second great principle is this our prayerful receiving I'm sorry our prayerful believing grasp of the promises of God is essential to our maturation in the Christian life you see if someone makes out a check to you and you believe that the person is upright fiscally responsible doesn't make out checks that have nothing to back it in the bank you have confidence in t...

62:15 - 63:45 Read in full sermon