True Obedience to Christ

The point: Pray for the Southeastern Conference and for God's mighty ownership of its ministry.

Pastor Blaze reported two teenagers seeking salvation until 3 AM and audible weeping under the word at the Southeastern Conference, illustrating the power of God's Spirit in preaching and the longing for revival.

Now as we ask God's blessing on the ministry of the word here, may I urge you over the next days until we meet God willing on Wednesday and can corporately pray for the probably 700 or so brethren who will be gathering in Dayton, Tennessee for the Southeastern Conference to pray that God will mightily own that ministry. I heard from Pastor Blaze that on Thursday and Friday, God was pleased to draw near in the preaching of the word, particularly as Pastor Huffstetler and Pastor Blaze ministered that word. And Pastor Blaze indicated that two teenagers came to him on Friday saying that they were ...

0:16 - 1:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for days of the Lord's power and for people to be overcome by God's truth.

Martin shares his personal prayer that before he dies, he would have to stop preaching because people are so overcome by God's power, illustrating his deep desire for revival and the Spirit's work.

And let us pray that God would grant such days, if that's what you want. That Southeastern Conference, that God would grant such days here. I've prayed that before I go to a better place, the time will come when I would have to stop preaching because people are so overcome by the power of God's truth. That's not happened in 32 years, but I continue to pray that it will.

1:27 - 1:53 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds Matthew 7:24-27, highlighting the contrast between those who hear Christ's words and do them (wise builders) and those who hear but do not do them (foolish…

Jesus' analogy of building a house on rock versus sand illustrates the difference between those who hear and do His words (wise) and those who hear but do not do them (foolish), showing the stability of obedience versus the instability of mere profession.

And then the contrast is illustrated. The contrast identified, then the contrast illustrated. How is it illustrated? He said in the case of the person who hears and who does, he is like a man who's going to build a...

16:13 - 16:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds Matthew 7:24-27, highlighting the contrast between those who hear Christ's words and do them (wise builders) and those who hear but do not do them (foolish…

Before the storm, both the house on rock and the house on sand look equally stable, illustrating that a mere profession of faith can appear genuine until tested by trials or the day of judgment.

Testing comes. Internally the same form coming to the same air where both houses are erected. Up until then, both houses looked equally stable. Equally trustworthy.

17:03 - 17:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Test your obedience not by easy commands, but by those that cut across your temperament, background, and training.

Martin recounts his mother's letter on his 60th birthday, marveling at how God's grace transformed his naturally sensitive, reticent, and fearful temperament into boldness for truth, illustrating that true obedience often cuts across natural inclinations.

that cut across everything you are temperament background training and influence and ask yourself in those areas am I obeying you ready to do that it will be very revealing for some of you I don't often inject pressure a personal testimony very seldom but on my 60th birthday I received a very moving letter from my own mother and as she was reviewing her gratitude to God for his mercy in my life and she was highlighting the fact that by the grace of God when God saved me as an 18 year old that he made me bold for his truth and my life history has been a history of having many and dear and preci...

38:04 - 39:32 Read in full sermon

The point: If you cannot point to specific instances where you have obeyed Christ against your natural inclinations, question whether you have the salvation Christ procured.

Martin shares childhood stories of crying after being told he was too small for football and being intimidated by another boy while trying to shine shoes, further illustrating his natural timidity and how God's grace enabled him to stand for truth despite opposition.

of all the opposition it's brought you you see some of you think that by nature and temperament I'm pugnacious I don't mind enemies you don't know me I'm the kid that when got his first football helmet and shoulder pads and they were just cardboard with a little paint sprayed over them we were too poor to have anything else but to me they were first class and I ran down so excited to the park where the guys played football and ten minutes later my mother says I came back crying like a baby and she said what's the matter son I wanted to play and the guys told me I'd have to wait till I got bigg...

39:32 - 40:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not 'slough off' the word of God as just another ranting, but recognize it as God's judgment.

Martin quotes Murray McShane: 'The man who loves you the most is the one who tells you the most truth about you,' illustrating that John's blunt language in his epistle is an act of love.

salvation unto all men it's going to judge you in the last day God not to slough it off it's just another one of Pastor Martin's ranting and ravings that you tolerated for another Sunday final passage first John chapter 2 what are we trying to do trying to establish are you for real and if you're for real you're really one of Christ's sheep says you're going to hear his voice and you're going to follow him that's not only the teaching of John it's the teaching of his own conclusion of the sermon in the mount it's the teaching of the Holy Ghost in Hebrews 5 now we come to the apostle of love ma...

42:24 - 43:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Get rid of your 'toys' and 'marginal worldliness'; turn off the television, give up normal recreations, and spend spare hours alone with God.

Martin quotes Rabbi Duncan's saying that 'nobody's perfect' is the hypocrite's couch but the true believer's bed of thorns, illustrating the different ways people use this phrase and the danger of self-deception.

leads me into and everything in my temperament everything in my background everything in my training makes me averse but oh Lord Jesus I love you and you call me to that path give me grace to walk it it is an obedience prompted by love for Christ performed in the strength of Christ but an obedience that perpetually needs the advocacy of Christ if any man sinned we have an advocate with the Father what's the context of that he goes right on that's 1st John 2 and verse 1 these things I write unto you that you may not sin but if any man sinned we have an advocate with the Father who are the we we...

59:35 - 61:05 Read in full sermon