Unto the Church

The point: When reading your Bible, ask yourself if 'church' refers to the great body of the redeemed of all ages or a local assembly.

He contrasts the indestructible nature of the universal church with the vulnerability of a physical building or a local assembly, emphasizing that the universal church is a spiritual temple built of living stones.

So what is the only indestructible church? Why, it's that great company of the called out ones of God from all ages who are gathered together into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. The beautiful picture in Ephesians and also in Peter, where it speaks of God constructing a temple. And Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone and the foundation is Christ and the apostles and prophets.

4:37 - 5:04 Read in full sermon

The point: When reading your Bible, ask yourself if 'church' refers to the great body of the redeemed of all ages or a local assembly.

He uses the absurdity of gathering all the redeemed from all ages to solve a personal problem to highlight that Matthew 18 refers to a local, accessible church.

Or you'd never solve a problem. If to solve a problem where you couldn't get reconciled, you had to gather together all the redeemed from all the ages and tell it to the whole crowd of them. Well, we wouldn't get our problems resolved. I'm afraid many of them won't be resolved until that day, not because they couldn't be, but simply because we won't mind the Lord and do what he says here.

7:22 - 7:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin briefly mentions other uses, such as 'church' as a synonym for 'believers' or for a group of Christians gathered in a house. He then concludes that Paul's address 'unto the…

He imagines a scenario where several families live in his home for a few weeks, and someone writes 'the church that is in thy house,' illustrating how 'church' could refer to any group of Christians gathered together.

It could also be and this is a strong possibility that whenever Paul thought of a group of Christians being together in any one place, he recognized them as the called out ones of God. If you were to come and live at our home for a few weeks, several of your families, then someone would write a letter and say the church that is in thy house, the called out ones who are dwelling in that particular home. All right. Then with this background behind us, the usage of the word secular.

10:22 - 10:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Worship God rightly as Trinity in unity and unity in Trinity, as He is revealed in Scripture.

He uses the ridiculousness of saying 'in God the Father and in the angel Michael' to underscore the blasphemy of denying the deity of Christ and the triunity of God.

So the Thessalonians sat there that morning and they got this letter and they were reminded that they are in God, the father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. And if the two are not one in the triunity of the Godhead, this is blasphemy. Imagine saying, well, under the church, under the Trinity Church in Caldwell, which is in God, the father and in the angel, my archangel Michael, stupid, ridiculous. So when the Jehovah's Witnesses try to tell us that our Lord is nothing but the highest created being, he's sort of a chief angel.

25:25 - 26:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine why you are in church; only those who have heard the voice of God calling them out of darkness truly belong.

He uses the metaphor of a 'town crier' to represent God's effectual call in conversion, emphasizing that the church is born not by human decision but by divine calling through the Holy Spirit.

No, no. The very word church forbids such an interpretation. The town crier came to Thessalonica. Oh, you mean Paul? No.

27:19 - 27:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Test all spiritual experiences by their alignment with the scriptural revelation of Jesus Christ and God the Father.

He recounts a college student asking about a vision of a 'purple scarlet rogue person with no face and a staff,' using it to illustrate that the acid test of any spiritual experience is its alignment with the revealed truth about Jesus Christ and God the Father.

Last night when I was ministering at a college group down in Allentown, Pennsylvania, after preaching the rest for four or five hours at a place up in New York State. Yesterday was a busy day. I had someone come to me after the meeting said, you know, I want some help from you. Said a couple of friends of mine have had an experience.

28:53 - 29:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Live with holy confidence, not like a pauper, recognizing the infinite resources available through your union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

He uses the metaphor of a pauper with 'holes in your pockets' and 'shabby shoes' to rebuke believers who live without confidence, despite being in union with the infinitely resourced God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ.

My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Oh, dear child of God, if you're in that true church, if you're in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, what do you live in the way you live in? Oh, what are you going around with holes in your pockets for? What are you going around with shabby shoes and baggy britches for?

34:16 - 34:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Face problems and needs with the spirit of David, trusting in the limitless resources of God, rather than shivering in fear.

He draws an analogy to David facing Goliath, urging believers to confront challenges ('Goliaths') with holy confidence, rather than fear, because they are 'in God the Father' and 'in the Lord Jesus Christ'.

Are you convinced that we're in God the Father, in the Lord Jesus Christ? Then let's have the spirit of a David who can look at all the Goliaths. We've got a whole regiment of them as we look in the days ahead. Land, building, all of this stuff.

35:04 - 35:16 Read in full sermon