Appendix to Report on Trip to Australia/Philippines

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains why he is delivering this appendix to his Australia/Philippines trip report on a Wednesday evening, noting that some matters were more intimate for the church…

Martin compares the midweek service to a more intimate family climate, suitable for sharing sensitive matters that might be misconstrued in a larger, less familiar Sunday night gathering.

But there were some matters that had more particular application to us as a church family, that I felt it would be wiser to say in the more intimate context, either of a prayer meeting, even though we know there are visitors with us and not all of you are members of the assembly generally, there is a more intimate family climate to our midweek service. And I did not want to violate the biblical injunction, let not your good be evil spoken of, that some of the things that were upon my heart to say could very easily be misconstrued by people, those who were the members of the House, who were peo...

1:26 - 2:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And it is the part of spiritual maturity for us simply to acknowledge that God has sovereignly deposited this awesome stewardship and then in the light of it to seek to fulfill it in faithfulness to God, ever remembering…

Martin illustrates the spiritual consequences of leaders falling into sin or the church experiencing division, imagining demons in hell dancing with glee, to emphasize the seriousness of their stewardship.

Come forth, come unique, to pet the replicate. coin in the皆. but wholly dread lest we should ever from that place of stewardship of influence become more than a little stumbling block. There are literally thousands of God's people, at least I've met them in Australia and in the Philippines, whose hearts would be broken if anyone in leadership in this place were to fall into gross and grievous and scandalous sin.

9:58 - 10:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Thank God for the stewardship of influence, pray to feel its weight, and by God's grace, never betray it or become an occasion of stumbling.

Martin shares his personal prayer to God, asking to be taken home (die) rather than live long enough to become a stumbling block or cause the 'chambers of hell to echo with glee,' highlighting his earnest desire for faithfulness.

If this church were ever to pass through a period of severe division, schism, heterodoxy, false doctrine, and I believe there are thousands of imps and demons in hell that would dance for glee. And dear people of God, I plead with you, as I have had to have fresh dealings with God, to cry to him that rather than that you as an individual ever be such an occasion of stumbling, that God would remove you and take you home to be with him. I have prayed dozens of times over the past years,

10:27 - 11:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Thank God for the stewardship of influence, pray to feel its weight, and by God's grace, never betray it or become an occasion of stumbling.

Martin references the parable of the talents, specifically the 'wicked and unprofitable servant' who hid his talent, to warn against neglecting the stewardship of influence God has given.

We have not sought it as a church. But we cannot, by wishing it away, take it away. You remember what God called the man who took his talent and out of so-called fear of the master's harshness hid it in a handkerchief and buried it? He was called a wick.

11:42 - 12:00 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expresses deep gratitude and pride in Steve and Carol Huffmeyer, highlighting Steve's spiritual development, humility, and maturity in ministry and marriage. He encourages…

Martin describes his unique mentoring relationship with Steve Huffmeyer, where Steve would ask him to 'put on his Pops hat' for frank, fatherly counsel, illustrating the depth of their spiritual father-son bond.

And he gave me a special invitation to become his spiritual father. And we used to have a cute little saying between us. He would come to me and say, Pastor, can you put on your Pops hat? I'd say, all right.

14:21 - 14:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God the Holy Spirit will not come with power upon institutions that He has not authorized. It is strange fire offered upon God's altars. And there is a direct relationship between the purity of worship and the sense of G…

Martin uses the analogy of a skydiver needing a backup chute to illustrate that in biblical worship, there is no 'backup chute'; if God does not come with power, the worship is dead and miserable.

We cry to God that He would come upon the forms that He has instituted. And unless He comes, we have nothing. You see, in biblical worship, there's no backup chute. A responsible skydiver never jumps out of the plane with just one chute.

23:01 - 23:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Stand intransigent against experimenting with worship elements not warranted by Scripture, because God's honor is at stake.

Martin quotes Martin Luther's famous 'Here I stand' statement to convey the elders' unwavering determination to maintain the purity of worship, even if he lacks Luther's jowls to shake.

None whatsoever. God giving us strength. If you've seen the film on Martin Luther and you remember the closing scene when he stands and says, Here I stand, so help me God, I can do no other. And his jowls shake.

24:47 - 25:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Stand intransigent against experimenting with worship elements not warranted by Scripture, because God's honor is at stake.

Martin quotes Saint Augustine's 'Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee' to underscore that only God can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart, reinforcing the need for pure worship.

And who but God can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart? O God, Thou art my God, earnestly will I seek Thee. Thou hast made us for Thyself, Saint Augustine said. And our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.

25:29 - 25:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Plead with God for renewed expansion of vision, heart, and determination to be poured out and lose our lives for Christ's sake and the gospel, seeking to send more missionaries.

Martin uses the example of Bob Shiller's aggressive campaign to spread his 'horrible, heretical gospel' across Australia to challenge the church to be even more zealous in expanding biblical ministries.

No, dear people, it's not enough. One of the things that stirred me when I was in Australia, and I didn't say this in the report, do you know that Bob Shiller with his gospel of stroke yourself and feel good and you'll be saved, that that gospel, he is determined to spread all over Australia. And he's already started a campaign with a little slogan to raise the first half million dollars in order to erect the first buildings that will give him his toehold. And then he moves from there to his next campaign to raise, I think, what, something like two million.

27:12 - 27:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And then thirdly and finally, a renewed determination to resist with every biblical method and means, anything and everything that would grieve away the Holy Spirit from our midst. Ephesians 4.30, Believe not the Holy Sp…

Martin compares resisting anything that would grieve the Holy Spirit to fighting a madman intent on murdering his family, illustrating the holy zeal and lack of 'tact' required in spiritual warfare.

like we would go after a murderer who was intent upon killing our children. If some madman came in, came to my home with murder in his eyes and upon his lips the declared purpose he's going to kill my wife and my children, I would not deal with him tactfully. I would not be overly fastidious about how I neutralized his expressed intention. And something of that sense of holy zeal has come home to my own heart with freshness at a time in my life when I'd like to coast a little bit.

31:14 - 31:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Share the determination to stand with the church leadership, with gracious but firm resolution, against anything that grieves the Holy Spirit, recognizing it as an enemy.

Martin laments how highly esteemed leaders he once looked up to are 'falling one by one' to ecumenical and charismatic movements, illustrating the weariness of fighting and the danger of spiritual compromise.

as pillars of biblical integrity in life and doctrine, they're falling one by one all around capitulating to the ecumenical movement. One highly esteemed man capitulating to the charismatic movement, coming out in print and saying, though what's going on has no basis in the Word of God, we just have to believe that God the Holy Spirit is doing this new thing because of the peculiar problems of the twentieth century. A man who for years has been known as a careful theologian who would only go as far as the Bible went, but was prepared to go as far as it went. And one wonders

33:00 - 33:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Share the determination to stand with the church leadership, with gracious but firm resolution, against anything that grieves the Holy Spirit, recognizing it as an enemy.

Martin alludes to a warrior whose hand became 'fused to his sword' due to weariness, to describe the toll of constant spiritual battle, yet affirms God has renewed his determination.

if they just didn't get weary of fighting, fighting, fighting, having to take a stand here or a stand there. It gets weary. You remember there came the time when it spoke of that warrior. He got so weary it was as though his hand had become fused to his sword.

33:44 - 34:00 Read in full sermon