Practical Guidelines for the Corporate Amen

The point: Take two or three family worship times to instruct your families concerning the place of the Amen in the corporate worship of God, using the provided notes.

A sister's feeling of losing a good friend after the completion of the Book of Ruth study illustrates the deep engagement and emotional connection people can have with biblical narratives and sermon series.

And one of the sisters spoke to me and said that she felt last Sunday in that last study as though she had lost a good friend. And I think many of us feel the same way. And in the coming days, particularly beginning on August 11th, Pastor Carlson will begin leading us. In a study using as the basis of that study, Dr. Donald Carson's book, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, subtitled, A Study in the Prayers of the Apostle Paul. I don't know why the main title is what it is, because it really is a very helpful exposition of the prayers of the Apostle Paul, as recorded in the New Testament epistles...

0:48 - 1:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Take two or three family worship times to instruct your families concerning the place of the Amen in the corporate worship of God, using the provided notes.

Martin's personal story of being so moved by Donald Carson's book that he tracked him down to express gratitude illustrates the profound impact of good theological exposition and the value of the book being recommended.

That I tracked down Dr. Carson's number where he teaches out at Trinity Divinity School in Illinois to just speak to him and express to him my deep gratitude and my sense of indebtedness for his labors. The book was of such help to me. And this book will be made available at a real bargain price.

1:36 - 1:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin reviews the linguistic and theological significance of 'Amen' as a word of affirmation meaning 'so be it' or 'let it be', emphasizing that it is a divinely introduced…

The contemporary phrase 'right on' is used as an analogy to explain the meaning of 'Amen' in modern parlance, making its significance more accessible.

citing specific text of scripture and doing some linguistic background, he caused us to see that the word Amen basically is a word of affirmation. It means, so be it, let it be. In contemporary parlance, it would be like, right on. As I sat at my desk, saying, Lord, what's a contemporary equivalent of the Amen?

5:06 - 5:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider whether your cultural and temperamental reserve in worship is a 'cop-out' and if God is worthy of less enthusiasm than secular activities.

The analogy of people's uninhibited enthusiasm at a ball game or theater is used to challenge the cultural and temperamental reserve often shown in the house of God, arguing for greater expressiveness in worship.

At the end of our public prayers and at the end of our songs and hymns and spiritual songs. And may I say again, without writing a hobby, you'll not hear about this again from me, hopefully for a long time. I cannot understand how people, no matter what their temperamental and cultural background may be, when they are at a ball game, when they are at a theater, when they are in some other situation where what they have seen and heard is such that they want to make known their approval that they don't have cultural and temperamental hang-ups. The most reserved people become the most enthusiasti...

21:21 - 22:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider whether your cultural and temperamental reserve in worship is a 'cop-out' and if God is worthy of less enthusiasm than secular activities.

Martin shares his personal background of Swedish and Scottish heritage, known for reserve, to illustrate how God's saving grace transformed his temperament to be enthusiastic in worship, challenging others to do the same.

I don't understand it. My background is Swedish and Scottish. All right? The Swedes are known for being blockheads.

22:12 - 22:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Allow for and do not freeze out individuals who utter a spontaneous personal 'Amen' in corporate prayer when a petition, confession, or praise has overwhelming personal relevance.

Elihu's words in Job 32:19-20 about his breast being like wine ready to burst are quoted to illustrate the overwhelming internal pressure that necessitates a spontaneous individual 'Amen' when a truth or petition has profound personal relevance.

This man, Elihu, begins to speak. Behold, my breast is as wine which has no vent. Like new wineskins, it is ready to burst. I will speak that I may be refreshed.

32:33 - 32:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Allow for and do not freeze out individuals who utter a spontaneous personal 'Amen' in corporate prayer when a petition, confession, or praise has overwhelming personal relevance.

The metaphor of an 'internal spiritual aneurysm' is used to vividly describe the intense internal pressure one might feel if they did not give vent to an 'Amen' in response to a deeply relevant spiritual truth.

I will open my lips and answer. He didn't want to have an internal spiritual aneurysm. You know what an aneurysm is when a blood vessel bursts. And he says, that's the way I was.

32:51 - 33:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin answers a question about the appropriate volume of the 'Amen', suggesting that it should be audible when affirming a leader's request, but more subdued when it's a personal…

The analogy of different bird temperaments at a bird feeder (cautious cardinal, bold sparrows, selfish pecker) is used to illustrate the God-given diversity of personality and temperament among believers, arguing against a rigid, uniform expectation for 'Amen' expression.

I've marveled at the way, the different temperament of all the birds. The cardinal, he comes out to get his seed and he's always cautious in his own cardinal way. He looks up this way, looks up this way, with the little sparrows, they go right to the bird feeder. And there's one little guy in there.

49:28 - 49:44 Read in full sermon