Anatomy of a Man of God: His Head & Eyes

In this part of the sermon: The 'head' of a man of God refers to his cognitive, knowing faculty, as commonly understood in phrases like 'good head on his shoulders' or 'woolly-headed thinker.' This section…

Martin uses common phrases like 'good head on his shoulders' or 'woolly-headed thinker' to illustrate that 'head' in the sermon refers to the cognitive, thinking faculty, not physical anatomy.

become men whose anatomy greatly parallels the description that will be set before you this evening. And so we will start with the head and conclude with the feet and touch upon other parts of the anatomy in the process of going from head to foot. First of all, in considering the anatomy of a man of God, let us consider the head of a man of God. And when speaking of the head, I am referring to that part of our humanity which houses our brains, that mysterious, knowing, cognitive faculty. We use it that way in common parlance all the time. We say of a certain individual, you know, that guy has ...

6:23 - 7:20 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Secondly, a man of God's head is filled with a right understanding of God's Word, which consists of propositional truth requiring mental exertion and spiritual illumination. This…

Paul's theology is contrasted with 'wispy, ephemeral puff of smoke' or 'vapor' to emphasize that it was solid, propositional truth, not nebulous notions.

As Paul is concerned with the perpetuity of apostolic doctrine, which is just another way of describing the Word of God, notice what he says to Timothy in chapter 2 and verse 2. The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful who shall be able to teach others also. The things which you have heard from me. You see, Paul's theology was not like a wispy, ephemeral puff of smoke or the vapor that comes from the exhaust pipe on a cold morning. It was made up of the stuff of propositional truth. It was made up of the stuff of assertions about God. It was mad...

17:16 - 18:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Thirdly, a man of God's head is furnished with the tools for a lifetime of fresh and sound ministry, enabling him to continually dig into God's Word without shame. This includes…

The annual Martin family Thanksgiving gathering at a farm museum, filled with old farm implements, is used as an analogy for the 'head of a man of God' being lined with the tools for a lifetime of fresh and sound ministry.

When the Martin family, that's not these other Martins, I mean the real Martins from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. When the Martin clan gathers every Thanksgiving day,

25:47 - 26:01 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And some of us who've had the joy of preaching for three and a half decades marvel. We come back to a passage we've read hundreds of times, preached on perhaps a dozen times, and lo and behold, as we dig, we find fresh t…

The minister is described as a 'workman' with tools and a 'cook' in his study, preparing meals (sermons) for people with growing spiritual appetites, from 'milk to strong meat,' to illustrate the need for diligence and fresh ministry.

Paul tells Timothy, using a very strong verse, spudanzo, diligence, throw into presenting yourself, now look at the imagery, unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, handling aright, or holding straight course in the Word of Truth. Now, if Timothy is not to be ashamed before God, that he has mishandled the Word, if he's not to be ashamed that after a year of ministry, he's run thin at the edges, and all he can do is repeat old sermons with different headings, and different illustrations. If he's not to be ashamed, that as the people of God grow, and their spiritual appetites increase,...

28:22 - 29:51 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And some of us who've had the joy of preaching for three and a half decades marvel. We come back to a passage we've read hundreds of times, preached on perhaps a dozen times, and lo and behold, as we dig, we find fresh t…

The practice of subscribing to sermon outlines for $7 a month is presented as a negative example of a minister who is 'ashamed' because he relies on others' labors instead of digging into the Word himself.

That's what a man of God is. Away with this! The man with the gift of subscribe sermon outline for $7 a month and grind of someone else's labors. Such a man ought to be shamed right out of the ministry.

31:30 - 31:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for the men in the academy that God will furnish their heads with the helmet of salvation, a right understanding of God's Word, and adequate tools for ministry.

Martin shares his personal experience of feeling 'guilty getting paid' for the joy of God's truth breaking open, contrasted with times of struggle when the Word doesn't seem to yield, illustrating the delight and discipline of ministry.

I'm not up here filling time. I want you to understand why it is the men are subjected to this four-year, what some would call, torture chamber of having to learn these two strange languages and having to study historical theology and the many other disciplines that are far from sending tingles up your spine while you're learning them. But I tell you, the tingles come later when using your tools God's truth breaks open. And there are times when I sit at the study and I say, Lord, I feel guilty getting paid for doing this.

34:52 - 35:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Moving from the head, the sermon now focuses on the spiritual characteristics of a man of God's eyes. These eyes are not merely physical but represent a spiritual perception…

The fixed gaze of a determined man on a mission or a demented man is used to illustrate the spiritual fixation of a man of God's eyes, but with the crucial distinction that his fixation is on ultimate reality, not imbalance.

Number one, you will find that they are fixed on the unseen world of spiritual reality. Have you ever noticed that the mark of a determined man set out on a mission from which he will not be deterred and often, and I don't say this for laughs, of demented men is that their eyes are fixed. When you meet a person who when he walks by you, his eyes are not showing that anything is registering around him. You look at him speak, his eyes are fixed.

37:48 - 38:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Children, even those from well-ordered homes and polite, should be pleaded with to run to Jesus, get cleansed from their sins, and believe in Him for a new heart.

The modern obsession with health and fitness clubs and body worship is used as an analogy to the ancient Athenians' near deification of the human body, highlighting a society's loss of grasp on the worth of a soul.

that great center of philosophy of rhetoric of learning filled with impressive temples people would come as we would say on their holidays or vacations to see marvelous Athens the triumphs of the human spirit its near deification of the human body as we see a repeat in our own day with health and fitness clubs being one of the most sure investments in our day with our body worship in direct proportion to our loss of grasp upon the worth of a soul. Now when Paul comes to that impressive city he doesn't come with his minolta slung over one shoulder and his sure shot cannon on the other running a...

59:03 - 60:32 Read in full sermon