Mandate for Retribution

The point: Examine your heart for 'Babylonian garments' (hidden sins) and be broken before God, rather than remaining unmoved by preaching.

Martin uses the analogy of sin not appearing in an 'ugly form' but rather deceiving and hardening a sensitive heart into something callous, making one capable of facing God's honor and family's well-being without remorse.

with the words of that man the retribution burning in his ears knowing the in which to face the sin and come clean before God in man why I say does he let the light of that day dawn and the whole process of discovery follow through according to God's direction and never own up to his sin let me suggest there are at least three things that led to this circumstance first of all because of the hard of sin in general because of the hard in general there's a text that literally made my heart to tremble several weeks ago in my own devotional exercises it's that text in Hebrews 3 and verse 12 exhort ...

18:16 - 19:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine your heart for 'Babylonian garments' (hidden sins) and be broken before God, rather than remaining unmoved by preaching.

He provides examples of a young man becoming a 'callous professional murderer' and a young woman becoming a 'brazen forehead of a harlot' to illustrate how the hardening power of sin transforms individuals over time.

in the midst of his people the life and well-being of your own wife and children and deal with those issues we'd run from any such appearance of sin but sin hardens by its powerful force of deception lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin what a foul and viciously evil thing is sin that will bring a man to the place where neither the sweet overtures of mercy nor the foul and viciously evil thing nor the foul and viciously evil thing nor the foul and viciously evil thing nor the foul and viciously evil thing nor the foul and viciously evil thing nor the foul and viciously evil ...

19:44 - 21:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Heed the warnings of judgment and the overtures of mercy in Christ, lest you become a victim of sin's hardening power.

Martin recounts a chapel service where a man of God stated his greatest fear was not Russia, China, or liberalism, but 'a cold, insensitive heart,' which deeply impacted Martin and serves as a warning against spiritual apathy.

I shall never forget sitting in a chapel service one time many, many years ago,

24:39 - 24:43 Read in full sermon

The point: If you pride yourself on a hard heart, cry to God to 'plow up' your heart so it can feel and move under the preached word.

He imagines Achan's internal struggle, recalling how he 'threw my suit and clipped my heels' when falsely reporting the destruction of accursed things, highlighting the pride that prevented him from confessing later.

And all my possessions. And I'll be exposed before all Israel as the guilty one and I'll include my family in my shame. But he says, if I acknowledge my sin now, if I come to Joshua, how can I ever save face? I stood with the other soldiers when we came back from Jericho and when Joshua asked us, have you destroyed the accursed things?

30:15 - 30:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third reason is 'self-flattery and vain conceit,' where Achan (and listeners) might minimize their sin, project guilt onto others, or believe God is too busy or too much like…

Martin uses the example of a smoker in his fifties who believes the general rules about cancer and reduced lifespan won't apply to him, illustrating the 'vain deceit' that leads people to think they are exceptions to God's warnings.

It's like the man, every time I see a man in his fifties smoking, I want to crawl into his mind and read and read out, have a printout as a computer will give of his vain deceit. You know the way the average man reasons? I've talked with younger men along this line. I don't make talking about smoking part of my witnessing.

42:22 - 42:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not flatter yourself that your sin will not find you out; God says it will.

He illustrates how sin 'finds you out' even if not publicly exposed, by noting that people don't seek spiritual counsel from those whose walk with God lacks reality, or how children don't see their parents' religion as real.

The sin of some of you has found you out. Nobody ever feels drawn to you for spiritual counsel and support and encouragement. Why?

43:59 - 44:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not flatter yourself that your sin will not find you out; God says it will.

Martin shares an anecdote about an officer in the congregation who, seeing a quiet brother, thanked God for him as a 'pillar of strength,' demonstrating genuine spiritual influence that comes from a real walk with God, contrasting it with mere talk.

Because they don't sense any reality in your walk with God. You say the right words, you're there at the right place at the right time, but nobody ever says, thank you, God, for bringing Mr. So-and-so into my life. Or as one dear brother said here, one of our officers back a few months ago, beholding a man just walk by him in this congregation.

44:10 - 44:30 Read in full sermon