Prove All Things

In this part of the sermon: This section defines the words 'prove' as to test, examine, or scrutinize for genuineness, and 'all things' as referring specifically to apparent manifestations of the Spirit and…

A man buys oxen and wants to 'prove' them by putting a yoke on them to see if they can work as they appear, illustrating the meaning of 'test' or 'examine'.

To scrutinize. To see whether a thing is genuine or not. It's the word used in Luke 14 where this fellow had bought some oxen. And he said, I've bought me five yoke of oxen.

6:10 - 6:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section defines the words 'prove' as to test, examine, or scrutinize for genuineness, and 'all things' as referring specifically to apparent manifestations of the Spirit and…

A man tests a hunk of gold by throwing it into fire to burn off any alloy, leaving only pure gold, illustrating the concept of testing for genuineness.

Gold which is tried by fire. Here's a man. Someone comes to him and says, Here's a hunk of gold. It's worth such and such.

6:53 - 7:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section defines the words 'prove' as to test, examine, or scrutinize for genuineness, and 'all things' as referring specifically to apparent manifestations of the Spirit and…

Martin humorously suggests that if 'all things' were taken out of context, one would spend all their life testing air, milk, and every mundane item, highlighting the need for contextual interpretation.

All things. Anything that's a thing and all that's a thing, put it to the test. So for morning to night, all you'd be doing was testing everything. You'd send the air to the lab to be analyzed to see how many hydrocarbons are in it and figure out how much pollution you're sucking in.

8:20 - 8:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The whole emphasis in our day is what is true to you and what is meaningful to you is true. This is not the thinking of the Bible.

If every metal were gold, or every measurement an inch, or every color white, there would be no way to prove anything. This illustrates that the command 'prove all things' implies the existence of objective, fixed standards and distinctions.

If every metal was gold, the poor man would be hard put to prove what was real gold. If every measurement was an inch or a foot, you'd be hard put to prove anything was a foot long or a yard long. If every color was white, or red, or any other color you might, then you could never distinguish between colors. You say, what in the world are you driving at, pastor?

13:07 - 13:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not carelessly accept spiritual claims; prove all things to discern whether they are true guides or false indications of safety.

A sea captain, lost at night, sees a light and must discern if it's a lighthouse or a house on a rocky coast, as his and his passengers' lives depend on it. This illustrates the life-and-death importance of discerning truth from error in spiritual matters.

There's a direct relationship between what you believe as truth and receive as the manifestation of the Spirit. And how you'll live now and where you'll live in eternity. Imagine a sea captain at night. He's lost his way.

18:38 - 18:53 Read in full sermon

The point: All Christians should aspire to be theologians, deeply studied in the knowledge of God and His truth, to know the objective standard for testing all things.

To master cooking, one must know the difference between a teaspoon and a cup. This illustrates that to 'prove all things' in spiritual matters, one must know the objective standards of truth, i.e., be a theologian.

You've got to know the difference between an inch and a foot. I wouldn't want to eat at your table if you don't know the difference between a teaspoon and a cup full. When it calls for half a teaspoon of salt and you put a half a cup full I'm going to fast that meal. No, no.

27:55 - 28:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of anything that leads to passivity, such as letting your mind go blank or setting aside thought and doctrine when seeking spiritual influence.

A missionary in China encounters a movement with unusual manifestations, feels a 'warm glowing sense,' but discerns a false spirit when the leader tells people to 'forget all your theology' and he experiences numbness that leaves when he pleads the blood of Jesus. This illustrates the danger of passivity and the necessity of actively testing spirits against Christ and Scripture.

Put them to the test. That's an active thing. It's an active thing. I remember a very almost frightening chilling story of a missionary.

34:29 - 34:37 Read in full sermon