Ultimatum of God

Driving home: An ultimatum is a solemn pronouncement delivered in a mood of finality and inflexibility.

Martin defines an ultimatum using the analogy of negotiations between nations, where rejection leads to a breach of diplomatic relations or war, to convey the solemnity and finality of God's pronouncement.

What is an ultimatum? Well, defined by the dictionary, an ultimatum is a solemn pronouncement delivered in a mood of finality and inflexibility. In the negotiations between nations, it is usually a final offer or proposal, rejection of which brings, a breach of diplomatic relations, and often war. An ultimatum always has the overtones of solemnity, authority, finality, inflexibility.

9:28 - 10:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Are you and I in the place where God can speak to us?

Martin states that a people rarely rise higher than its leadership, using this principle to explain why God first addressed Joshua and the elders, as their conviction was crucial for the nation's response.

For it is a principle, it is a principle that is prevalent throughout the scriptures and proven in the history of the church, that rarely will a people rise any higher than its leadership. Sometimes the leadership may stand head and shoulders above the rank and file of those whom they lead, but rarely, rarely, rarely, rarely, will a people advance beyond their leadership. And therefore, if Israel is to be, the people who will deal seriously with this present dilemma at any cost, the conviction must grip the leadership

11:53 - 12:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Oh what a sobering word to us, who are leaders. I speak this word to my own heart as I preach it in your hearing. I speak it to my fellow pastor. I speak it to my fellow elders. I speak it to our deacons. I speak it to e…

Martin shares a personal reflection on the burden of leadership, stating that only those ignorant of its responsibilities lust for it, and he would have run from the pastorate many times if not for God's sustaining hand.

I speak it to every father. I speak it to every teacher who has children in your care. Leadership is a terribly frightening position. The only person who has a lust for leadership is the person who knows nothing of the responsibilities of leadership.

15:49 - 16:10 Read in full sermon

The point: And my friend do you name the name of Christ? Are you part of the visible body of Christ? Then the kingship of Christ is exercised as those in places of leadership speak unto you not their own notions but the word of God…

Martin quotes an old Methodist preacher saying 'mind the Lord, mind the Lord' to emphasize the simple, direct obedience required when God speaks through His appointed leaders, even for difficult tasks.

To know that you are standing with fellow Israelites and amongst them is one who is devoted to death one upon whom your own hands will cast stones and to whom and his substance you may have to have the torch setting fire that is ugly nasty business. But when God speaks to his Joshua and his Joshua speaks to his people there is not for the Joshua's and the people to do. But as the old Methodist preacher said mind the Lord, mind the Lord. And dear ones I don't know what things God may speak to us in these days

18:43 - 19:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He elaborates on the effect—Israel's inability to stand and turning their backs—and the cause—their accursed state due to covenant breaking. Martin references Deuteronomy 28 to…

Martin compares Israel turning its back in battle to a soldier showing cowardice, highlighting that it reveals either overwhelming odds or personal fear, both of which are a travesty for God's people.

They turn their back before their enemies. They cannot stand that is they have no ability to conquer but added to this they will not even go down in noble defeat. No one ever faulted a soldier for standing his ground in his cause and dying in conflict with the enemy. But when a man turns his back and runs he shows the spirit of cowardice in the day of conflict and everyone looks upon him as a man less than worthy of the name of soldier.

22:43 - 23:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: no past blessings could compensate for a present absence of God

Martin recounts the historical event where Israel thought possessing the Ark of the Covenant guaranteed God's presence and victory, only to be defeated by the Philistines, illustrating that symbols without reality are useless.

but you won't have me with it remember what happened one time when Israel thought you know we got the ark boy we got God and so when the ark came back into camp boy they had a hallelujah meeting brother they really went downtown that day shouting it up and whooping it up even the Philistines the heathen heard it and said what's happened the ark is back and they trembled they said well their God must be back if the ark's back their God's back they went out fearful to battle and they found them pushovers they ran right up why Israel thought if we have the symbol of his presence we have his prese...

33:44 - 34:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Samson had one advantage that churches don't it only took him a few minutes he wist that the Lord had left him for when he shook himself as before he found himself powerless before the Philistines

Martin compares a church shorn of God's strength to Samson, who 'wist not that the Lord had left him,' but unlike Samson, a church might not realize its powerlessness while still appearing successful to the world.

because the accursed thing is tolerated amongst us we'll have nothing but our memories and we'll run before one AI after another and that can be done while you build a big church and have a success image in the eyes of the world it has nothing to do with what men can judge as success it has solely to do what God judges what an ultimatum many a church has been like a Samson

40:56 - 41:41 Read in full sermon

The point: May I say it is this that by God's grace is going to make your elders adamant and inflexible in the administration of whatever discipline is necessary in this assembly as long as God has us amongst you to care for you an…

Martin uses the growth of Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses as an example to argue that outward signs of success like attendance records or building programs prove nothing about God's presence or blessing if sin is tolerated.

and all around them they see what they think are the evidences of its power look at our attendance records look at this and look at that my friend as long as the Mormons are growing by leaps and bounds and the Jehovah's Witnesses are growing by leaps and bounds and building buildings and congregations those things prove absolutely nothing because with all your building and all your promoting and all your evangelizing and all your salesmanship evangelism one thing I coerce God to do

42:25 - 43:09 Read in full sermon

The point: May I say it is this that by God's grace is going to make your elders adamant and inflexible in the administration of whatever discipline is necessary in this assembly as long as God has us amongst you to care for you an…

Martin asks children what comfort it would be to know their parents are in the house but they can never see, talk to, or feel the warmth of their love, illustrating that a mere general promise of God's presence is insufficient without experimental communion.

what comfort would it give you to know that your daddy and your mummy were in the house but you could never look at them nor talk with them nor feel the warmth of their arms around you and feel the comfort of daddy's strong shoulder and mummy's soft breast as you lay your head upon them you had every assurance that they were in the house somewhere but you could never see them never commune with them never feel the warmth of their love how would you kids feel you'd say well they may as well be dead if I can't commune with them

43:51 - 44:35 Read in full sermon

The point: May I say it is this that by God's grace is going to make your elders adamant and inflexible in the administration of whatever discipline is necessary in this assembly as long as God has us amongst you to care for you an…

Martin references Absalom's return from exile but not seeing the king's face for two years, using it to illustrate the true Christian's craving for the manifest presence and fellowship with God, not just being 'in the palace'.

today in my courts is better than a thousand ah because in the courts of God he saw the face of God Absalom was brought back from exile but it says he saw not the face of the king for two whole years he dwelt in the king's palace but never saw the face of the king until finally it got to him he said I've got to see the king's face you read about it in 2nd Samuel chapter 14 and no true Christian can go along with merely knowing he's in the king's palace without seeing the face of the king

45:14 - 45:54 Read in full sermon

The point: And oh that that conviction would descend upon us this morning as a congregation that there be no free loaders amongst us but all of you committed Lord God if you leave us we are done Lord show us whatever would grieve y…

Martin uses the analogy of a parent telling a child, 'No more allowance unless you make your bed,' to explain how an ultimatum, while stern, implicitly contains a promise of continued blessing if the condition is met.

well you look again it's amazing how the eye of faith can find the ray of hope when it's looking for it do you see it look at it he says I will not be among you and the next word is except he destroy the devoted thing from among you look at verse 13 thou canst not stand before thine enemies until he take away the devoted thing you kiddies listen to me again suppose your mother or dad says to you look we will not give you any more

48:07 - 48:49 Read in full sermon

The point: And oh that that conviction would descend upon us this morning as a congregation that there be no free loaders amongst us but all of you committed Lord God if you leave us we are done Lord show us whatever would grieve y…

Martin uses another analogy of a parent saying, 'No more TV until you pick up your dirty socks,' to further illustrate how an ultimatum implies a promise of continued privilege upon obedience.

allowance unless you make your bed faithfully every single morning now that's an ultimatum it says allowance will cease if you don't make your bed but you know what else it says it's a promise if you do make your bed you're going to continue to get your allowance the ultimatum contains a promise the same way if they said no more watching your favorite television program until you pick your dirty socks off from the floor and put them in the hamper what they're saying is if you pick your dirty socks up you can continue to watch your favorite television program

48:49 - 49:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Almighty God commands you to repent but that's not a law command that's a gospel command the very fact that he commands you to repent shows that he delights in repentance but repentance is meaningless unless there's a Go…

Martin recounts Jonah's reluctant preaching to Nineveh, where his ultimatum of judgment became a gracious call to repentance, illustrating that God's ultimatums often contain a hidden promise of mercy.

are gracious calls to repentance whoever had a more stern ultimatum to deliver than Jonah the prophet he didn't even have three points to his sermon one sentence forty days and you've had it imagine going around the city and that's all you've got for a sermon forty days and you've had it none of it shall be overthrown forty days none of it overthrown what happened they received the ultimatum went down upon their faces cried to God for mercy and later on it comes out that Jonah had a sneaking suspicion that that's exactly what was going to happen and that's why he didn't want to go to Nineveh t...

50:18 - 50:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Almighty God commands you to repent but that's not a law command that's a gospel command the very fact that he commands you to repent shows that he delights in repentance but repentance is meaningless unless there's a Go…

Martin highlights Jonah's 'sneaking suspicion' that God would be merciful, which is why he didn't want to go to Nineveh, showing that Jonah knew God's character from personal experience (being in the whale's belly).

he says I knew a merciful God like you and if you blessed it in soberdom they'd cry for mercy and Lord in the eyes of the heathen it might look like you're a fickle God because I came preaching judgment and you end up showing mercy you see the prophet was more fastidious about God's reputation than God was he says I knew thee that thou wert a merciful God he sure did or he wouldn't have been alive he'd have still been in the whale's belly by now just a bunch of bleached bones I knew thee that thou wert a merciful God he sure did because he knew God's dealings with him

50:59 - 51:43 Read in full sermon

The point: And oh Christian am I speaking to someone whose conscience has been very active in these past days and as God has been dealing with your Babylonish garment and with your wedge of gold and your shekels of silver the impli…

Martin uses the metaphor of an iceberg to describe sin, where only a small 'surface' is visible, but a 'great mass' lies beneath, known only to conscience and God, emphasizing the need for deep, thorough repentance.

the wicked shall be turned into hell he that believeth not shall be damned oh friend that ultimatum now is suffused with grace seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and to our God for he will have mercy and will abundantly pardon and oh Christian am I speaking to someone whose conscience has been very active in these past days and as God has been dealing with your Babylonish garment and with your wedge of gold and your shekels of silver the implications of com...

54:37 - 55:22 Read in full sermon