Christian Ministry: What Are The Tasks? Part 3

In this part of the sermon: Martin passionately refutes the idea of the church as a 'religious club,' emphasizing that the church is God's possession, acquired by Christ's blood, and not subject to man-made…

Martin uses the analogy of children forming a club with their own rules and membership standards to illustrate the unbiblical and self-serving way many people view and run churches, contrasting it with the church as God's purchased possession.

Now you see, this was intended to have a profound effect upon those elders. Here, Paul is about to leave, and he's turning over the reins of spiritual guidance and responsibility to them, and he says to them, and he's turning over the reins of spiritual guidance and responsibility to them, and he says to them, and he says to them, and he says to them, and he says to them, and he says to them, and he says to them, I want you to understand the identity of God's people. They are not a religious club at Ephesus. And men, if there's anything that's been burnt in my gut in the past six months, it's ...

11:59 - 12:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Prioritize feeding the flock by solid biblical preaching and teaching, ensuring they are led into the 'green pastures' of God's Word week by week.

He describes false teachers as 'PhDs in tickling ears,' emphasizing their skill in pleasing people rather than feeding them truth, highlighting the danger of seeking entertainment over instruction.

Therefore, I charge you, Timothy, I charge you in the sight of God and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word. Be urgent in season, when it's convenient, when you feel like it. Out of season, when it's inconvenient, and when you have no real desire. In season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching, for the time will come when they will not endure the sound or healthy doctrine, but having itching ears, now notice, will heap to themselves teeth, teachers after their own lusts and will t...

24:45 - 26:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: They're not God's shepherds. White, black, green, yellow don't make no difference. He says I will give them shepherds who will feed them with knowledge and understanding.

He gives the example of people leaving a sermon saying, 'I got me to tingles 14 and a half times,' but not knowing what was said, to illustrate the problem of seeking emotional experience over biblical knowledge and understanding.

When he's done preaching they don't go out and say. Wasn't that a great time man? I got me to tingles 14 and a half times while he was preaching. Yeah but what did he say?

30:16 - 30:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines three essential characteristics of sermons that effectively feed God's people: they must contain solid chunks of God's Word, be constructed clearly and…

The analogy of an airplane dragging an advertising sign is used to illustrate sermons that merely parade teaching without close, warm, practical application, which people quickly forget.

That word instruction is the word used for training children for child training in righteousness. What's that mean? It means that the scriptures are given not only to teach, but to teach us the proper doctrine of God and of sin and of grace and of faith and of repentance and of heaven and of hell and the Christian family, the role of a father, the role of a mother, the role of a husband, the role of a wife, the role of employer, the role of employee, honesty, the use of the tongue, how to speak so as to be truthful. Yes, the Bible is given to set forth all that teaching. But you see, we're not...

36:38 - 37:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines three essential characteristics of sermons that effectively feed God's people: they must contain solid chunks of God's Word, be constructed clearly and…

He uses the example of a weary housewife, a struggling young man, and a grieving widow asking 'So what?' after a sermon to emphasize the need for practical application that directly addresses the diverse needs of the congregation.

And so if our people are to be fed upon the word of God, our sermons must not only be composed of solid chunks of the word of God, they must not only be constructed in a way that is clear and convincing, they must be characterized by close, warm, practical application. I tell the men in our academy about application, this simple little principle. When I'm done opening up the passage, I think of the housewife who sits there, who all week long she's heard in her ear, mommy this, mommy that, mommy that, mommy the other thing, and just when she feels she can't stand it anymore, then her husband co...

37:52 - 38:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I don't care how anointed and earnest he may be in his public pulpit ministry no shepherd can do the work of a shepherd simply by public preaching

The analogy of a father dealing with his children's individual needs (e.g., a son entering puberty, a timid daughter) is used to illustrate the necessity of personalized pastoral input beyond general family gatherings.

the man of god you get into their homes and you find that they are insensitive to their wives they treat their wives like a house slave they are insensitive to their children and once you've seen them close for a few hours in a car in their home or in some personal relationship you can no longer listen to them preach but not paul and his companions he said look you are witnesses in god also how holily and righteously and unblameably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe now listen when they got up close to him and saw he was for real then he could open his mouth and do what he says he d...

46:20 - 47:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Be aggressive in establishing warm, open-faced relationships with your people, knowing them by name and moving towards them with a heart to connect.

He describes the 'distance of most ministers from their people' as a 'cursed thing,' suggesting it stems from a fear of being truly known, contrasting it with Paul's open heart to the Corinthians.

Well, if the sheep are to know the shepherds, the shepherds must be aggressive in seeking to establish warm, open faced relationships with their people. Do you see that? How can the people get to know you if you aren't moving toward them with the heart to get to know them? I think the most cursed thing in all the world is the distance of most ministers from their people.

57:26 - 58:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He outlines the first practical demand: pastors must be aggressive in establishing warm, open-faced relationships with their people, knowing them by name and being vulnerable…

Martin recounts visitors being 'blown away' by the contrast between his authoritative, 'pulpit thumping' preaching and the intimate, affectionate interactions he had with children and young people afterward, demonstrating cultivated open-faced love.

You're establishing warm, open face, transparent relationships with your people, the shepherd loving and caring for the sheep. The sheep knowing and feeling comfortable with the shepherd. I've had visitors tell us on more than one occasion who've never heard authoritative and at times just downright loud pulpit thumping preaching. That's the way God made me.

60:03 - 60:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Be graciously aggressive in probing to see if there are needs, understanding that some people mask their struggles and require gentle inquiry.

He shares a personal story of warning his virgin daughters about the intensity of male hormones and physical temptation during engagement, illustrating assertive, wise, and loving pastoral input for engaged couples.

I said, you girls are virgins. You don't have a clue how horny we men. Are that this is you don't have a clue how easily a man is turned on. You can be sitting there feeling nice and warm with just holding hands.

63:53 - 64:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Have a plan to meet regularly with every one of your sheep, at least once a year, for a general spiritual checkup in their homes.

The analogy of feeling around a sheep to find a hidden lump (internal disease) is used to illustrate the need for gracious, aggressive probing to discover needs that people may mask.

Why? Not because you're nosy, but because you're a shepherd and you know some diseases don't show in the lamb's wool or in the sheep's coat, for the diseases don't show to the naked eye. You got to feel around the sheep and find a lump and say, hey, it's got an internal disease that needs attention. Be graciously aggressive in seeking to know how it is with them.

66:40 - 67:13 Read in full sermon