Generic Duties; Conscience; Body-Life

The point: Be a pattern of good works in all things, exemplifying the ethical norms you admonish others to follow.

Martin describes pastors' wives who are neglected because their husbands spend all their time ministering to other women in the church, illustrating how ministerial duties can be used to suspend generic duties to one's spouse.

But so subtle are the actings of our indwelling sin. So clever are we at rationalization that we take one generic Christian duty after another and we either suspend it, we negate it, or we greatly dilute our performance of it and then we cover that butchery, disobedience under the pious guise. Well, it was the demands of the ministry that caused the negation, the suspension, or the dilution of the performance of that duty. For example, I have met many women, pastors' wives, who are in one sense some of the most neglected creatures on the face of the earth. The husband has all, all kinds of hou...

9:03 - 10:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Be a pattern of good works in all things, exemplifying the ethical norms you admonish others to follow.

He describes children who resent the ministry because it 'robbed them of having a dad,' illustrating how ministerial duties can lead to the neglect of parental duties.

That ministering to all those needy sheep with their frustrations and their problems warrants the suspension of ministering to the needs of his own wives, his own wife's emotional problems and concerns. Children who resent the ministry because the ministry is that ugly, foul thing that robbed them of having a dad. Other kids talk about how it wrestles on the floor with them, how dad goes out and plays ball with them, and how dad makes time to take them fishing and hunting. And when they hear it, they say, not my dad.

10:26 - 11:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Be a pattern of good works in all things, exemplifying the ethical norms you admonish others to follow.

Martin recounts how he was challenged for cutting back on commitments to be home with his young children and how he used Ephesians 6:4 to defend his prioritization of fatherly duties over perceived ministerial stewardship.

Fathers nurture them. It doesn't say, quote, that is, if you're not a pastor. I can remember in the earlier years of my ministry when my children were younger and I cut back greatly on any commitments that would take me away from home for any length of time. I can remember men taking me to task for it, not my own elders, but other men who felt they had some responsibility to tell me what to do.

11:11 - 11:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because my duties are determined by the word of God. And God never gave any as a warrant to produce disobedience to his duties as a Christian.

The story of King Saul's unwillingness to completely destroy the Amalekites is used to illustrate that partial obedience is labeled by God as blatant rebellion, not just incomplete sacrifice.

To obey is better than to sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as idolatry. You know what God labels Saul's unwillingness to completely destroy all of the stuff of the ark? Of the stuff of the Amalekites?

13:01 - 13:30 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because my duties are determined by the word of God. And God never gave any as a warrant to produce disobedience to his duties as a Christian.

Martin shares the story of an evangelical college president who resigned his influential position to care for his wife, who was suffering from mental health decline, as a powerful example of prioritizing generic Christian duties (marriage vows) over ministerial usefulness.

Rebellion, not partial obedience, is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness as idolatry. I came across something a few weeks ago that moved me in this area and I asked God to write it upon my heart. There is a man whose theological position in many ways we would not be sympathetic to. He's a solidly evangelical man but in terms of the wider concerns that we would have and yet I believe he has acted with Christian nobility.

14:03 - 14:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Exercise yourself to always have a conscience void of offense towards God and man, immediately confessing sin and making right any wrongs.

Martin describes a hypothetical scenario where a pastor exaggerates or lies from the pulpit to make himself look better, illustrating the initial defilement of conscience and the subsequent struggle to make it right.

Maybe upon reflection of the last Lord's day's ministry in a particular biographical illustration, upon reflection we know that there was exaggeration of such a nature as to make what we said a lie. And upon reflection and we're honest with ourselves, we say, I lied from the pulpit to put myself in a better light. I pushed the truth beyond the bounds of any legitimate elasticity with reference to the things I was communicating. I launched and smite you.

21:37 - 22:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You see, the truth is always productive of holiness. And if we would preach in the felt part of the truth, we must preach in the context of holding a good conscience.

He describes how a defiled conscience leads to an indisposition to prayer, causing a pastor to prioritize phone calls and letters over devotional time, further hardening his heart.

and your own life because it wasn't reigning in your own conscience oh my brethren how much backsliding begins in the ministry when we start trading off a good conscience before god fullness in the service of god and it may begin with something as little as the thing i've mentioned and once the conscience is defiled that next tuesday after you've gone through the form of confessing the sin to god but you've either suspended the commitment to the프 confess it to your people or you're still wrestling with it no one Tuesday morning instead of going directly to the place we ordinarily pray you sudd...

30:46 - 32:11 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You see, the truth is always productive of holiness. And if we would preach in the felt part of the truth, we must preach in the context of holding a good conscience.

Following the indisposition to prayer, Martin illustrates how a pastor becomes vulnerable to lust of the eye, showing how one defilement of conscience makes subsequent sins easier.

And you don't watch. Now you're vulnerable in one of your areas of weakness in the past that hadn't troubled you. Lust to the eye. And on your way to make that call at the hospital, ostensibly in the name of Christ, your eyes lingered where they shouldn't.

32:48 - 33:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin quotes John Owen on how apostasy often begins with a great sin that bloodies the conscience or a course of neglect in private duties, arising from a weariness of contending…

Martin quotes John Owen on how apostasy often begins with a 'great and notorious sin that bloodied their conscience' or 'a course of neglect in private duties,' reinforcing the seriousness of a defiled conscience.

I'm sorry, beware of trading off a good conscience before God for apparent giftedness and usefulness by God. Listen to the sagacious Owen, who, as few others, seem to be able to dive into the depths of the human heart and not only discover what's there, but to articulate the sorry sight. Owen said, I am persuaded that there are very few that apostatize from a profession of any continuance, such as our days abound with, but their entrance into the folly of backsliding, was either some great and notorious sin that bloodied their conscience, tainted their affections, and intercepted all delight o...

34:15 - 35:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Make it plain that you believe in mutual nurture by asking brethren questions and being ready to be taught by them, even by those with limited formal education.

He suggests that a pastor can learn from a man with 'grease under his nails' about maintaining a godly mindset in an ungodly world, or from a harassed mother about serenity and peace, illustrating the need for nurture from all members of the body.

needs what the body can contribute to me do i make it plain that i believe that do i ask my brethren the kind of questions that make it plain that i'm ready to be taught by them maybe that man with the grease under his nails and with limited formal and has something to teach me about how do you maintain a godly mindset in an ungodly way this is a very important point he may know a lot more about that than you do do you ever ask team the teach you may be that dear woman harassed with mommy mommy mommy all day long for kids all under the usual and yet there is the serenity peace and glory upon a...

42:21 - 43:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Have real accountability to your fellow elders, or to men who know God and walk with God if you don't have fellow elders.

Martin recounts Paul's attempt to join the church in Jerusalem (Acts 9) and the initial skepticism of the disciples, highlighting that even an apostle submitted to church membership and accountability.

acts 9 first thing he did he went to jerusalem he didn't go out in the street corner go to the temple and start preaching he tried to become a church member they said uh-uh we've heard about you you're a heartless character you drag women away from their kids leave their crying kids on the porch and you commit them to prison no sir you just want to get on the inside so you can get all our names and and bar barnabas came along said look he's for real then it says he was with them going in and going out preaching the word of god accountability even as an apostle do you have real accountability t...

45:13 - 46:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Have real accountability to your fellow elders, or to men who know God and walk with God if you don't have fellow elders.

He shares a story of a new church member who was shocked when another sister asked about her devotional life, illustrating the lack of vital communication and accountability in many evangelical churches.

acts 9 first thing he did he went to jerusalem he didn't go out in the street corner go to the temple and start preaching he tried to become a church member they said uh-uh we've heard about you you're a heartless character you drag women away from their kids leave their crying kids on the porch and you commit them to prison no sir you just want to get on the inside so you can get all our names and and bar barnabas came along said look he's for real then it says he was with them going in and going out preaching the word of god accountability even as an apostle do you have real accountability t...

45:13 - 46:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Use your access to the affections and esteem of your people as a means of your own spiritual advancement, allowing them to encourage and teach you.

Martin shares a recent experience where a young man from his congregation expressed profound encouragement and commitment to the legacy of faith, illustrating the blessing of being accessible to the flock.

night one of the most hallowed moments I've had in a pastoral setting in at least a few weeks if not months was right at that door last night one of the young men went out and took my hand and said pastor I'm no officer I don't have any aspirations to church but I want to say that sitting under the Word tonight the Holy Spirit was unusually present upon my own mind and heart and I was brought to see as I've never seen before the commitment that those of you who've gone before us have had and what the truths are that you've given yourselves to that have molded and shaped this place that's been ...

47:59 - 48:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He emphasizes that pastors, outside the pulpit, are 'nobody special' but members of the body who need what others can contribute. He encourages pastors to ask questions, be open…

He uses Jesus' ease with children as an example of how a pastor should be approachable and not austere, suggesting that children can also minister grace to servants of God.

Jesus moved freely among children and children never feel at ease with austere men. When it came time to need one for an illustration, all he had to do was snap his fingers. And say, Sonny, I need you for an illustration. Will you come for a minute?

50:10 - 50:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Have some close friends in the flock, following Jesus' example of having special friends among His disciples.

Martin points to Jesus having three special friends (Peter, James, John) and one 'special, special friend' (John) among the twelve, arguing that it is biblical for pastors to have close friends within the flock.

And dear people, in spite of the false theology under which I labored for years. And I thank God for one of my fellow elders being used to purge it out of me. Have some close friends in the flock. The incarnate God was unashamed to make it known that among the twelve he had three special friends.

50:54 - 51:10 Read in full sermon