Means of Our Spiritual Health: The Scriptures

In this part of the sermon: Martin uses an extended analogy of physical health, arguing that while God is the ultimate source of health, neglecting nutrition, rest, exercise, and avoidance of harmful…

Martin uses the analogy of physical health (ultimate source: God) to illustrate the folly of neglecting appointed means (nutrition, rest, exercise, hygiene). He describes a person who trusts God for health but ignores all practical health principles, demonstrating inexcusable ignorance, presumption, or blame-shifting.

we do not honor god if we neglect to understand and identify and employ the means which he has appointed for our spiritual health and it's so crucial that we grasp this that i'm going to take the time to try to establish it by means of an analogy and illustration that i think the youngest child among us should be able to grasp now my question as i see you to do that is this what is the ultimate source of good physical health for any one of us if you sit here this morning with soundness of mind and sufficient soundness of body as to make your way here to have mommy or daddy take you by the hand...

10:08 - 11:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The analogy is applied to spiritual health, asserting that just as neglecting physical means has dire consequences, so too does neglecting God's sovereignly appointed means for…

Martin uses a ridiculous example of God appointing moonbeams and chirping crickets for physical health to show that if God appointed them, they would work, but since He hasn't, they are useless. This highlights that only God's appointed means are effective for spiritual health.

he will suffer for it, so will the child of God, so will the child of God who is indifferent to God's appointed means. To state it rather ridiculously, if God had appointed moonbeams and chirping crickets and crystals and chanting of mantras for physical health, then I would be the first to get out a chart, the farmer's almanac, find out when the full moons come up in the coming year, and seek to persuade my fellow elders to have all of Trinity Church engaged in a corporate exercise of moon watching down by a lake somewhere where we could really get the moonbeams directly on our eyeballs and r...

23:55 - 24:54 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The analogy is applied to spiritual health, asserting that just as neglecting physical means has dire consequences, so too does neglecting God's sovereignly appointed means for…

Similar to the moonbeams example, Martin dismisses crystals and chanting mantras as means for physical health, emphasizing that they are ineffective because God has not appointed them for that purpose, reinforcing the need for divinely appointed means in the spiritual realm.

Similarly... ...and sitting in the lowest position and chanting mantras... ...will not...

25:54 - 26:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first private means is introduced as the 'disciplined assimilation of the Bible,' not mere reading. Psalm 1 is expounded to show that the blessed man delights in and meditates…

The metaphor of a tree planted by streams of water from Psalm 1 is used to illustrate the spiritual flourishing and sustained health that comes from disciplined assimilation of the Bible, even in dry seasons.

the history of God's in the science of time his mighty works in the scope history he loves the Bible all of the time that's the picture the light is in the law of the Lord and on his law does he meditate day and then the fruit of that is described in the following passages he shall be like a tree whatsoever he does shall prosper do you see why I've said that the disciplined assimilation of the Bible is a private means appointed by maintenance of spiritual health would you be like a tree planted by streams of water that even though the rains may not come its root system is continually receiving...

46:36 - 48:06 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Christ's temptation in Matthew 4 is presented as a powerful example of disciplined Bible assimilation. Jesus, the source of all strength, stood against the tempter by quoting the…

Martin uses the analogy of an 'internal mental and psychological mouse' to describe how Christ, in His humanity, accessed the assimilated Word of God in His mind, rather than relying on divine omniscience, to foil the tempter.

That's right. He did not as an internal mental and psychological mouse and point the finger to the. He was able to draw up mental faculties, his Bible that had been assimilated by the very same means with which you must assimilate it.

53:33 - 54:23 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Christ's temptation in Matthew 4 is presented as a powerful example of disciplined Bible assimilation. Jesus, the source of all strength, stood against the tempter by quoting the…

Martin imagines young Jesus sitting on Mary's knee, learning and memorizing the Ten Commandments, with Mary correcting Him. This illustrates the human process of disciplined assimilation that Christ underwent, making His example relatable and powerful.

He had to learn by reading it, memorize, meditating. Oh, and I wonder how many times Mary was his listener. Mommy, I think I've got all ten commandments. Now, will you listen to me?

55:16 - 55:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Deal with unresolved sin in your heart that hinders your hunger for the Bible.

The metaphor of a 'sink full of unresolved sin' is used to explain why some believers have no hunger for their Bible, suggesting that the presence of unconfessed sin creates a distaste for God's Word because it exposes their need for repentance.

That's why some of you have no hunger for your Bible. You've got such a sink full of unresolved sin in your heart. You know, you get close to your Bible. You're going to have to start taking the shovel.

66:14 - 66:25 Read in full sermon