Anatomy of a Man of God: His Knees #2

The point: Have a clear vision of the goal to which you are pressing, and know what you are praying for when you pray that God will mold and fashion men into men of God.

Maurice Roberts' essay title is used to introduce the theme of godliness and the need for 'men of God' in the present age.

In the Sunday school hour, our brother Pete Leon announced the fact that it was time to renew subscriptions for the Banner of Truth magazine. And in a recent edition of that magazine, Maurice Roberts, the present editor of the magazine, published an essay with the very arresting title, Where Have All the Saints Gone? And the main thrust of that searching essay is captured in the opening words of the concluding paragraph in which Mr. Roberts writes as follows, Where have the saints gone?

2:14 - 2:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin demonstrates from Luke's Gospel that Jesus Christ, the perfect man of God, was eminently a man of prayer, praying at his baptism, before daily ministry, before choosing his…

The incident of the woman touching Jesus' garment and virtue going out of him illustrates that Jesus' ministry was not magical or mechanical but involved a real expenditure of his human soul, leading to his need for prayer.

of the kingdom of God to the other cities also for therefore was I sent looking at the parallel passage in Mark 1 35 we know what he was doing when he was found in a desert place away from the multitudes early in the morning for Mark tells us in Mark 1 in verse 35 that he was and in the morning a great while before day he rose up and went out and departed into a desert place and there prayed if ever it would be legitimate for a man to sleep in a little in the morning it would have been that morning for the context indicates that he was up into what we would call the late hours of the night und...

22:44 - 24:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin demonstrates from Luke's Gospel that Jesus Christ, the perfect man of God, was eminently a man of prayer, praying at his baptism, before daily ministry, before choosing his…

Martin suggests that the transfiguration, following Jesus' revelation of his suffering, might have been the Father's answer to Jesus' pastorally sensitive prayer for his disciples, giving them a glimpse of his glory to prevent stumbling.

The fashion of his countenance was altered, and then we have this glorious account of the transfiguration in which the Father, as it were, determined that for this brief, in which the Father, as it were, determined that for this brief, in which the Father, as it were, determined that for this brief, in which the Father, as it were, determined that for this brief, moment, something of the inherent glory of Christ as God should be, and to the fabric of his garment, until the brightness and the glory of his face and his raiment drove the disciples upon their faces with fear. That revelation, that...

28:49 - 30:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: who is sufficient for these things any man who has anything that approaches a one-tenth accurate perspective of what the work of the ministry is I don't care what his IQ is I don't care what his formal education is I don…

The contrasting temperaments of Peter (volatile) and Timothy (timid) are used to illustrate that ministers have unique needs rooted in their personality and physical condition, requiring specific prayers for grace.

I don't care what his natives gifts are if he were Edwards and Whitfield and Spurgeon and Augustine and the courage of Athanasius and Luther all rolled into one assessment of the ministry and even a superman like that would cry out I am not sufficient for these things and therefore the man of God has a lot of added business at the throne of grace that the ordinary Christian man doesn't have let me point out a few areas number one he has a broad spectrum of need rooted in his own peculiar temperament and physical condition he has a broad spectrum of need rooted in his own peculiar temperament a...

49:59 - 51:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: who is sufficient for these things any man who has anything that approaches a one-tenth accurate perspective of what the work of the ministry is I don't care what his IQ is I don't care what his formal education is I don…

Paul's physical affliction, for which he sought the Lord thrice, is used as an example of a man of God praying intensely due to peculiar physical necessities that impede ministry.

work to do at the throne of grace if he's going to be a shepherd like the great shepherd he has work to do that Timothy doesn't do Peter's got to pray for the restraint of his volatile temperament of his loquacious tongue of his forward spirit he's got to pray for the grace of holy restraint some of us when God scrambled us together in the womb he made us Timothys we could have no courage to face anyone in a confrontational way we would have no courage to bear hardship we are fearful and timid and insecure what do we need we need dimensions of grace that the Peters know nothing about we must p...

51:24 - 52:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: who is sufficient for these things any man who has anything that approaches a one-tenth accurate perspective of what the work of the ministry is I don't care what his IQ is I don't care what his formal education is I don…

The false claim of Joe Smith's spectacles for reading ancient writing is contrasted with the minister's need for spiritual 'spectacles' (illumination) from God to understand the Word.

like Joe Smith's imaginary spectacles that supposedly helped him to read this ancient writing all a big hoax well he has spectacles that when he puts them out of the word he needs to cry undress my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law he needs consummate skill in handling the word 2 Timothy 2 15 he's to be a workman who has no just cause of being ashamed as he cuts a straight course in the word of truth he has no cause to be ashamed now in the presence of God and greater yet no cause of shame in the last day that he would be found as one who manipulated and twisted the word of...

54:22 - 55:51 Read in full sermon

Driving home: who is sufficient for these things any man who has anything that approaches a one-tenth accurate perspective of what the work of the ministry is I don't care what his IQ is I don't care what his formal education is I don…

The metaphor of a chariot of preaching without 'power' (unction of the Spirit) illustrates that without God's anointing, even a well-prepared sermon (the cart with truth) goes nowhere.

know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him he must ask and wrestle and plead for the anointing of the spirit what it is what it isn't and I know when it isn't present and the people of God know when it isn't present and whatever unction in preaching is it is no extra it's not like power in the chariot of preaching often all that's left is the cart with all the truth in the outline but it goes nowhere without the anointing of the spirit he needs the grace of meekness and patience 2 Timothy 2 24-26 the servant of...

55:51 - 57:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second category of prayer is for the special things needed for the health and vigor of ministerial tasks. This includes praying for grace related to one's temperament and…

Martin shares a personal experience of a 'bleeding soul' coming for counsel and his own struggle to find wisdom, illustrating the intense need for prayer in private ministry.

clear that a true man of god will follow up with his people in private the very things he has preached publicly paul could say i preach publicly and from house to house paul could say i was with you first thessalonians 211 as a far one of you exhorting and encouraging and testify i tell you it's not easy for some of us to go to a brother to a sister and point out a besetting sin that is glaring that borders on being scandalous it's not easy to tell a man, do you know you treat your wife like dirt? And I'm going to give you the proofs. Sit and listen to me. That's not easy. And when someone com...

58:41 - 59:38 Read in full sermon