A Simple Gospel Promise (Ro. 10:13)

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by connecting with the younger audience, highlighting the shared privilege of being raised in Christian homes. He then shares his personal testimony of conversion as…

Martin opens by acknowledging the age gap with young people, then highlights a shared privilege: being raised in a Christian home, which serves as a relatable entry point to his personal testimony.

Now, as I look out and see again so many of the children and the young people with their faces already turned up toward this pulpit, I'm sure there are many of you kids, if I can call you kids, and many of you young men and women that look up here at a 64-year-old man and say, well, you know, I don't think I have very much in common with that old man in the pulpit. And you know what? In a lot of ways, you're right. You don't have a receding hairline yet, yet, and you don't have gray hairs, and you don't have scars from surgery, and you don't have the aches and pains that come with the passing ...

0:00 - 1:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by connecting with the younger audience, highlighting the shared privilege of being raised in Christian homes. He then shares his personal testimony of conversion as…

He shares his own conversion experience as a senior in high school in 1952, emphasizing that despite a gospel-rich upbringing, God's mercy was necessary for his salvation, setting the stage for the sermon's theme of God's grace.

All of that light and all of that privilege had no power in themselves to make me everything that mom and dad prayed I would become. But God in mercy heard their prayers. God answered those prayers when I was a senior in high school in what for some of you, in terms of world history, is very, very close to the dark ages, way back in 1952. Many of you weren't even a twinkle in your daddy's eye.

3:05 - 3:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He recounts his early Christian experience, mentored by older men who encouraged street preaching. This experience taught him the necessity of simple, direct gospel proclamation…

Martin recounts how older, godly men mentored him and other young believers, encouraging them to preach on street corners, which illustrates the importance of intergenerational discipleship and practical ministry training.

But the God who was pleased to save me was very kind to me very early in my Christian life. And you know what he did? He surrounded me and a few other young bucks who had a real love and zeal to serve and please the Lord Jesus with several white haired old men, men in their mid 70s, who knew God and loved God and had been praying for years that God would do a work in the lives of young people. Up there in Stamford, Connecticut, where I was reared and they took us under their wing and they gave us much, very helpful counsel and one of the most helpful bits of counsel they gave us, they said, yo...

3:40 - 4:23 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He recounts his early Christian experience, mentored by older men who encouraged street preaching. This experience taught him the necessity of simple, direct gospel proclamation…

He vividly describes his early street preaching experiences in Stamford, Connecticut, including singing hymns with an accordion and the challenges of engaging a transient audience, which highlights the need for simple, direct gospel communication.

You need to get out on the street corner and preach and so in the winter of 1951, early 52, January of 1952 in February, a few of us gathered out in front of the Liggett's drugstore in Stamford, Connecticut. On a Thursday night, the night when all of my former buddies that played football with me in high school would hang out. That was the night the stores were open and we would get on that street corner and while someone played the accordion and I had a flashback when I heard the hymn that our sister played. What can wash away my sin?

4:23 - 5:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Be deeply interested in this gospel promise, understanding that it has something to say to you.

Martin uses the analogy of a promise only for NFL linemen (6'6", 275 lbs) or the very wealthy ($250k/year, $50k bank balance) to illustrate that people are only interested in promises they believe apply to them, thereby underscoring the universal 'extent' of the gospel promise.

But I know I can't get you interested in a promise that you aren't convinced has something to say to you. For example, suppose I should say tonight that I'm going to make a wonderful, amazing, astounding, almost unbelievable promise. But the promise is only for those in this building who are at least six feet, six inches, tall. And who weigh a minimum of 275 pounds.

10:22 - 11:00 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin transitions to the 'substance' of the promise, breaking it down into an 'activity described' ('call upon the name of the Lord') and a 'result pledged' ('shall be saved')…

He uses the metaphor of drinking water to explain faith: merely knowing about water's properties doesn't quench thirst; one must actually drink it. This illustrates that faith is an active appropriation of Christ, not just intellectual assent.

Faith is likened in some places to drinking. Jesus said, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, as the scripture says, he that believes on me. What do I do when I drink? There's water in this cup.

28:18 - 28:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin transitions to the 'substance' of the promise, breaking it down into an 'activity described' ('call upon the name of the Lord') and a 'result pledged' ('shall be saved')…

Similar to drinking, he uses eating bread as a metaphor for faith, emphasizing that one must take Christ, the bread of life, and make Him one's own, not just describe His properties.

hand, I may know little of the properties of water. I may not have an ounce of a poetic strain in me to write a poem about water. But if I'm a thirsty man and I put the water to my lips and I make the water my own. I've drunk of the refreshing provision that God has made. What's it mean to believe you drink of Jesus? In the thirst of your soul, you see in Christ the water of life and you say, oh God, I open the mouth of my soul and I drink of Him. In John 6, He said, it's like eating. He says, whoever eats my flesh.

29:24 - 30:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin transitions to the 'substance' of the promise, breaking it down into an 'activity described' ('call upon the name of the Lord') and a 'result pledged' ('shall be saved')…

He alludes to the bronze serpent in Numbers, where bitten Israelites looked and lived, to illustrate faith as simply looking to Christ in awareness of one's mortal spiritual condition.

and drinks my blood has eternal life what does he mean well if you read the passage in its entirety he's using another picture of faith faith with the mouth of the soul does not merely look at Christ and say he is bread and describe the properties of bread and how bread is taken into the body and assimilated and becomes part of your fingernails and your hair and your skin and your liver and your pantries no you open your mouth and eat and the bread which is out there external to you provided by another you take and make your own and it becomes a part of you faith is likened to those people who...

30:14 - 31:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Then Jesus stood still. Stood still. What froze our blessed Lord in his tracks? The desperate cry of a blind beggar froze the Son of God in his tracks.

The story of blind Bartimaeus is presented as a powerful example of 'calling upon the name of the Lord,' demonstrating a desperate, persistent cry for mercy from one who acknowledges his utter helplessness and Christ's power.

is like looking but then God does a second thing he gives us wonderful illustrations of faith in real live human beings and I want you as we consider this activity described what's it mean to call upon the name of the Lord what does that mean I want us to look at two of those examples not the pictures eating drinking looking but two examples and the first one and here if you have your Bibles with me to Mark chapter 10 Mark chapter 10 what does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord here is one of the wonderful pictures Mark 10 in verse 46 and they come to Jericho and as he went out from Jer...

31:43 - 32:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not approach Jesus with a litany of your virtues or sins, but with the posture of a blind beggar, simply crying for mercy, acknowledging your inability to save yourself.

He contrasts Bartimaeus's plea with the Pharisee who 'prayed thus with himself,' bragging about his virtues. This illustrates what 'calling upon the name of the Lord' is NOT: it's not self-righteous boasting but humble acknowledgment of sin and need.

There was a man who tried that. Jesus described him. He came strutting into the temple. And he prayed thus with himself, O God, I find you.

41:19 - 41:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second illustration is the penitent thief on the cross. Martin highlights the thief's confession of sin, fear of God, and recognition of Jesus' kingship, demonstrating that a…

The account of the penitent thief crucified alongside Jesus serves as another profound example of 'calling upon the name of the Lord,' showing that even in his final hours, a simple, believing plea for remembrance was sufficient for salvation.

Now let's look at just Luke chapter 23.

44:23 - 44:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not trouble yourself about saying the 'right words' in the 'right way' when calling upon the Lord; own what you are—a guilty criminal deserving of hell—and cry out to Him simply.

Martin shares his observation from prison visits that few incarcerated people own their guilt, contrasting this with the penitent thief who admitted, 'we indeed justly,' to highlight the importance of acknowledging one's culpability in sin.

The God who upheld me while I broke his laws and defied the laws even in society until I've been brought here. Do you not fear God? Suddenly all that matters is his accountability to the God before whom he's going to stand in just a few hours. Secondly, he owns his own culpability in his sin. When I used to visit prisons on a more regular basis, when I was in South Carolina in South Carolina, I used to visit prisons on a more regular basis. When I was in South Carolina in South Carolina, I used to visit prisons on a more regular basis. When I was in school, it was amazing how few incarcerated ...

49:32 - 50:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But as I reflected on that parable, I said, I want to rename it and at least give it a twin billing and call it the parable of the prodigal son. And the prodigal father, the father was a prodigal.

He renames the parable of the prodigal son to include 'the prodigal father,' emphasizing that the father's love was 'prodigal' (lavish, overly indulgent) in his reception of his son, illustrating God's boundless grace and mercy towards returning sinners.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. As I was reflecting on these things this afternoon and praying that God would give to my own heart a fresh sight of the lavishness of His grace, my mind went to the very parable that Pastor Lush referred to in his prayer. And when we read that parable in Luke 15 about that son that hopped on his Honda and took off. He said, I've had it with pop and mom and all of their rules and regulations and all of this straitjacket life.

60:48 - 61:27 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But as I reflected on that parable, I said, I want to rename it and at least give it a twin billing and call it the parable of the prodigal son. And the prodigal father, the father was a prodigal.

He references Satan's lie to Eve in the garden, suggesting that the devil similarly lies to people today, convincing them that fulfillment lies outside of God's will, explaining why they cling to sin despite God's 'prodigal' love.

How could you go on thinking he's a mean spirited, narrow hearted, tight fisted? It's the devil who lies about him in your ears as he lied about him in the ears of Eve there in the garden. Eve. There's something to be had of personal fulfillment outside of that house.

63:10 - 63:28 Read in full sermon