Christian Liberty #21

Driving home: The completion of a good book brings both a sense of satisfaction mingled with a sense of sadness.

The mixed feelings of satisfaction and sadness upon finishing a good book are used to describe the preacher's and congregation's feelings at the end of a fruitful sermon series.

Now, those of you who love to read, and I'm very thankful. We do have many among you who are readers. Men and women, boys and girls who love to read. So for those of you who love to read, And who are appreciative of a good book, You will understand and immediately relate to what I'm about to say.

7:28 - 7:49 Read in full sermon

Driving home: My commitment To my own spiritual safety And perseverance in holiness Will demand Not suggest But demand Specific restraints Upon the exercise Of my liberties

The children's edition of Pilgrim's Progress, titled 'Dangerous Journey,' illustrates that the Christian life is fraught with real and constant spiritual dangers.

I love that edition of Pilgrim's Progress, that pictorial edition for children that is, is entitled, Dangerous Journey. If you're a Christian, you have embarked upon a dangerous journey. There is danger from a devious and a determined devil. He is devious, Ephesians 6.11, Paul speaks of the wiles of the devil.

22:54 - 23:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first major concern is a believer's commitment to their own spiritual safety and perseverance in holiness, which demands specific restraints on liberties. Martin explains this…

Phillips' paraphrase, 'Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold,' vividly illustrates the seductive and pressuring nature of the world system.

J.B. Phillips paraphrased, well known, Don't let the world squeeze. Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold.

23:56 - 24:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Stop the nonsense and say I'm so free I can get rid of it. That's how free I am. I have no moral duty to have access to it.

Internet access is given as a specific example of a liberty that, for some, can lead to a 'vortex of bondage' to sensuality, wickedness, or time-wasting, demanding restraint for spiritual safety.

Follow? What may be. Internet access down into a vortex of bondage into sensuality and all forms of wickedness men and women by the millions. And there are some of you sitting here who know that it is a source of temptation for you that hitherto you have not been able to overcome with any degree of consistency.

26:53 - 27:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Judge yourself honestly regarding internet access and whether it leads to a clean conscience.

The liberty to watch movies is used as an example where, for some, certain images can become a lifelong stumbling block, necessitating restraint for personal spiritual safety.

Liberty to watch my movies. Go to the movie theater. Go to Blockbuster. Rent a film or two.

30:31 - 30:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Be honest about what you are watching under the guise of your liberty, and if it leaves you vulnerable to sin, make it off limits for your safety and perseverance.

Alcoholic beverages are presented as a liberty that, especially for young adults or those with a family history of alcoholism, may need to be relinquished for spiritual safety and perseverance.

Perseverance may mean making something pretty close to a vow that it's off limits for you. Alcoholic beverages. I'm going to say something to you young people. Even the world acknowledges that alcohol is a potent and dangerous thing.

31:29 - 31:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Ask yourself if your commitment to spiritual safety and perseverance is such that you willingly forego liberties, or if your passion is to indulge everything not clearly forbidden, even if it puts you in danger of sinnin…

Martin recounts his practice of having his wife censor Time magazine before he read it, illustrating his commitment to spiritual safety and avoiding unnecessary exposure to sin, despite being called 'sick' by another preacher.

Rejoice with me that I'm that free. Years ago, many years ago, decades ago, I used to have a subscription to Time magazine long before it was acceptable to have bared flesh in the so-called proper news magazine. But I never looked at my Time magazine until my wife went through and censored it. And a preacher heard about that and word got back to me.

34:06 - 34:48 Read in full sermon

Driving home: My commitment to my own spiritual health and growth in grace will demand specific restraints upon the exercise of some of my liberties.

A parent telling a child to 'grow' is used to illustrate that spiritual growth, unlike physical growth, is an imperative for which believers have the means and responsibility.

And you turn to that child and say now stop this nonsense. Grow. Give them an imperative as a parent. Grow or else.

40:15 - 40:23 Read in full sermon

The point: If your daily newspaper consistently prevents you from having meaningful time with God, get rid of it. Meeting with God in the secret place is the non-negotiable priority.

The daily newspaper is presented as a liberty that, for some, may need to be relinquished if it consistently interferes with their priority of meaningful time with God in the secret place.

at our doorstep in the area of Christian liberty anyone comes to me and says pastor you elders ought to get on so and so you know they got a paper coming to their doorstep every day we'd say sorry we got nothing to say to them that's their liberty but it may not be in the best interest of your spiritual health you may find that that newspaper because you've got the world in which you live it's difficult to let it sit there until you've had meaningful time with God and you've tried in the past but you don't have anything to just let it lie there rolled up in the plastic wrapper until evening wh...

43:53 - 45:22 Read in full sermon

The point: If newspaper ads are a stumbling block to you, get rid of the paper. It's better to be a little ignorant of current events than to compromise your spiritual health.

Newspaper ads with immodestly attired women are given as an example of how a lawful liberty (reading the paper) can become a stumbling block, necessitating its relinquishment for spiritual health.

in the New York Times the two papers I get on a Monday you never know when you're going to be smacked with stuff twenty years ago you could only get in pornographic magazines and you're smacked with simply attired women there that's a stumbling block to you you cannot as quickly as it registers what it is turn it over but you find yourself ogling and looking the second time get rid of the paper you're a little bit ignorant of current events still going to get to heaven healthy and the Lord won't say shame on you you got here you weren't quite on the cutting edge of all the current events the L...

45:22 - 46:46 Read in full sermon

The point: If TV dampens your appetite for prayer, seeking God, good reading, or meaningful time with your children, get rid of it.

Television is presented as a rival to prayer, seeking God, good reading, and meaningful interaction with children, suggesting that for some, it must be removed to foster spiritual health and growth.

to thread images through your eyes than to sit down and bend your mind to a good book that's going to challenge you and stir you or time that you know you ought to spend with that son or that daughter in entering into their life pressures of work and keeping up the house and keeping the yard half decent and all the rest got to grab blocks of time by the forelock if you're going to have meaningful interaction with your children and the TV constantly stands as your rival my friend get rid of it if the only way you can discipline is get rid get rid of it for some of you it's that thing you know w...

46:46 - 48:15 Read in full sermon

The point: If TV dampens your appetite for prayer, seeking God, good reading, or meaningful time with your children, get rid of it.

The cell phone is used as an example of a liberty that, if used as an 'unrestrained, undisciplined blabber box,' can impede disciplined communion with God and governed use of the tongue, requiring restraint.

to thread images through your eyes than to sit down and bend your mind to a good book that's going to challenge you and stir you or time that you know you ought to spend with that son or that daughter in entering into their life pressures of work and keeping up the house and keeping the yard half decent and all the rest got to grab blocks of time by the forelock if you're going to have meaningful interaction with your children and the TV constantly stands as your rival my friend get rid of it if the only way you can discipline is get rid get rid of it for some of you it's that thing you know w...

46:46 - 48:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to relinquish liberties, even those that create distance from family, if it means the gospel might have entrance and progress by the power of God.

Martin quotes David Garland's commentary, which conjectures that Paul submitted to Jewish flogging (39 lashes) five times to maintain his status as a Jew and keep open the option of preaching the gospel in synagogues, illustrating extreme relinquishment of liberty.

dishonoring shallow things like gospel clowning and gospel miming and all that other nonsense that comes under the rubric for many of this work become all things all men and I might say some no no Paul is talking about great sacrifice that he might get his unadulterated offensive message of the cross to Jew and to Gentile alike and he's prepared to give up liberties on the left hand and on the right to what end that he might gain them that he might see them saved we recently studied in the adult class an example of this where Paul was willing to submit himself to a Jewish vow and all of the ex...

57:30 - 59:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Young men and women, consider if you are prepared to relinquish your liberties and 'kiss it all goodbye' to be an instrument in God's hands to bring the gospel to unreached peoples.

The stories of missionaries going to 'stone age headhunters' and laying down their lives to bring the gospel and the Word of God to unreached peoples are used to inspire a passion for gospel progress.

for some of us God knows what it is meant that the gospel might have both entrance and progress by the power of God the gospel makes its most dramatic advances when Paul's spirit prevails and that's why I want to speak to you young men and women what are you going to do with your life are you going to be nice polite middle class respectable reformed baptist Christians or does there bird within you a passion oh God if it would please you through the ordinary means that you've established of the oversight of the church and the council of godly men and women Lord if it please you I'm prepared to ...

63:23 - 64:52 Read in full sermon