Biblical Perspectives on Choosing Public Ministry Topics

Driving home: Whereas all true preaching will contain teaching, the great end of preaching is to move the affections and the will into the way of God's precepts.

Martin distinguishes teaching (imparting substantive biblical information) from preaching (moving affections and will into God's precepts), clarifying the primary purpose of the adult class.

And given unto me in heaven and upon earth, going, therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you, or all things whatsoever I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always. And we find in the Scripture, that our Lord Jesus went about teaching and preaching. We find that distinction made in the book of Acts and in the pastoral epistles. And while one could get himself enmeshed in all kinds of difficulties in trying to give precise technical distinctions between...

1:31 - 2:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And this is one of the watershed texts which has influenced our conscience to adopt a practice in which, as an ordinary rule, the entire eldership is involved in the decision-making process concerning the subject matter …

Compares an elder's responsibility for the church to a father's concern for his family's healthy diet, emphasizing the eldership's collective concern for the spiritual nourishment of God's people.

After Paul has given the requirement for every elder that he rule well his own household, he is responsible in conjunction with his fellow elders to take care of the church of God even as a father rules and takes care of his family. Well again, as in the earthly family, it is a great concern that what is brought to the table three times a day produce a healthy family, so likewise the eldership is a great concern. Responsible with what is put on the table of the spiritual nourishment of the people of God in taking care of the house of God, the entire eldership ought to be involved. And then we ...

16:18 - 17:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not second-guess elders' decisions on ministry direction from an 'insulated cocoon' of limited church contact, but trust their informed, prayerful discernment.

Describes the typical Thursday night elders' meeting, including greeting, prayer, and each elder giving a synopsis of their pastoral oversight, counseling, and concerns, to illustrate how they stay in touch with the flock's needs.

as an eldership in the church of God. And so it is in the selection of the subject matter of the public ministries of the word of God. And to make sure that when we come to those decisions we are not making decisions in the dark. I should let you in on what happens in an ordinary Thursday night elders meeting held in my study on 25 Meadowbrook Lane in Cedar Grove after the brethren come and greet one another and usually have a little innocent conversation and banter in our living room while we wait for the late comers.

17:46 - 18:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not second-guess elders' decisions on ministry direction from an 'insulated cocoon' of limited church contact, but trust their informed, prayerful discernment.

Illustrates how elders do NOT choose sermon topics: not by putting subjects in a jar, shaking them up, and randomly picking one, but through prayerful, informed discernment.

We don't put a bunch of subjects in a vacuum. We don't put a bunch of subjects on a piece of paper put them in a jar shake them up and say alright because Pastor Lamar and Pastor Martin you labor in the word and in doctrine reach in pull one out whichever it is. No, it comes out of that growing pool of pastoral sensitivity that in turn is fed by the streams of constant pastoral involvement and frank open pastoral reporting week after week after week month after month after month year after year after year. Now frankly it's in those times when we have seen a growing pattern of an issue that nee...

19:48 - 21:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He said well the issue is not whether it's stereotyping is it true and he says it's true for which cause reproved them sharply in other words titus recognized the peculiar sins to which cretans are vulnerable by virtue o…

Uses Paul's sharp reproof of the Cretans (liars, evil beasts, gluttons) to highlight that biblical truth, even if not 'politically correct,' must be addressed when it accurately describes a people's peculiar sins.

one of themselves a prophet of their own said cretans are always liars evil beasts idle gluttons this testimony is true for which cause reproved them sharply that they may be sound in the faith so here there were peculiar sins that were part of what we might call the cultural milieu of the cretans and paul quoting from a cretan says what this cretan says about cretans is true now in our day it doesn't matter whether it's true if it's not politically correct or if it's not in the right place it's not politically correct it's not politically correct or politically polite you don't say it i mean ...

25:55 - 27:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Relish all of God's Word, even if not directly relevant to your immediate problems, viewing it as equipping for service to others and contributing to the church's unity of perspective.

Paul's extensive coverage of diverse topics in 1 Corinthians (divisions, immorality, litigation, marriage, Christian liberty) serves as an example of addressing crucial concerns for various segments of the church, even if not directly relevant to every individual.

equally in each one of those issues would it be scratching every member where he itched well then isn't it really laying a burden on others who don't have a problem with an incestuous relative or don't have a problem with what to do with their unmarried virgins i mean really paul to take up a whole section i'm not even married let alone married and old enough to have an unmarried virgin daughter why do i have to suffer through listening to all of this detail you see the point i'm making and you've hit it right on the nail on the head george and this is the way i've expressed it their commitmen...

30:12 - 31:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be irritated when preachers repeat themselves or emphasize core truths, as this is biblically warranted and necessary for spiritual safety and life-and-death matters.

Compares God's truth to the human body, where some truths are like a pinky finger (important but not life-threatening if lost) and others are like the heart or brain (central and essential for life), emphasizing the need to continually underscore core doctrines.

of the gospel of the life of sanctification of the second coming of the lord jesus christ read the concerns that surround this context and you see that they are what we would call the central truths the nerve centers of the gospel for god's truth is like the human body every appendage and every organ has its place however my life is not threatened if you cut off my right pinky my ability to fully function will be threatened but if you shoot a bullet into the center of my heart i've had it or if you put a bullet to my brain i've had it and there are truths in scripture that are the brain and th...

40:24 - 41:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be irritated when preachers repeat themselves or emphasize core truths, as this is biblically warranted and necessary for spiritual safety and life-and-death matters.

Quotes Martin Luther's statement that the imputation of Christ's righteousness by faith alone is 'the article of the standing or falling church,' underscoring the life-and-death importance of central truths.

verse 1 finally my brethren rejoice in the lord to write the same things to you to me indeed is not irksome but for you it is safe he says now this is not the first time you've heard this and it's not irksome for me to repeat it and what does he do he then warns about those who would go to the nerve centers of the gospel the judaizers had not yet exerted a powerful influence on the philippian church as they had on the churches in the area of galatia but they were like those predators paul describes in acts 20 i know that after my departure grievous wolves will enter in among you not sparing th...

41:52 - 43:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be irritated when preachers repeat themselves or emphasize core truths, as this is biblically warranted and necessary for spiritual safety and life-and-death matters.

Refers to his own sermon series 'Are You For Real?' which pressed the issue of real vs. empty religion, illustrating the elders' commitment to repeatedly warn against empty profession, even if it irritates some.

received by faith alone and he says to emphasize this again and again to you is not irksome to me and it's necessary for you so when people say well you know preachers repeat themselves and they keep emphasizing third that's biblically warranted these are matters of life and death your particular views on when the lord may return in relationship to the return of the jews to palestine isn't going to make a difference whether you go to heaven or hell forever but what you believe about how a sinner finds acceptance before god in the court of heaven that's a matter of life and death therefore the ...

43:20 - 44:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not assume elders are 'running out of material' if they revisit elementary instruction; recognize that your spiritual condition may demand 'milk' if you haven't applied past teaching.

Mentions that despite much instruction on family life, some married couples still 'fight like cats and dogs,' illustrating that the church's present spiritual state may demand a return to elementary 'milk' even for long-time members.

11 to 14 here the writer says i have many things that i'd like to tell you about melchizedek as a type of christ of whom we have many things to say but they are hard of interpretation why seeing you are become dull of hearing for when by reason of the time you ought to be teachers you have need again that someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of god and to become such as have need of milk and not of solid food for everyone that partakes of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness for he is a babe solid food is for full grown men even those who by...

47:43 - 49:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not exhibit crass selfishness by dismissing teaching not directly relevant to your specific category (e.g., singles, babes), but rejoice that others are being fed and seek to be equipped to minister to them.

Recalls a sermon preached on the Challenger disaster, illustrating how current events can be used as a springboard for evangelistic and pastoral ministry when the nation's mind is occupied with a tragedy.

nonetheless seek prayerfully in the use of every means to have a ministry that reflects an awareness of the presence and general spiritual state of the church and then this has already been addressed our commitment to address present crucial concerns of large segments of the church first corinthians is the great example but then our commitment to be sensitive to unusual evangelistic or pastoral opportunities we try to be sensitive to unusual evangelistic or pastoral opportunities and you see this reflected in our lord jesus in luke 13 there were two current events some people had been killed w...

52:07 - 53:35 Read in full sermon