Applications: Church Life

The point: Pray for Pastor Martin personally, that he may grow in grace and likeness to Christ, and in diligence in the work of the ministry.

Martin refers to recorded sermons as 'little mechanical preachers' to express thanks for how God has used them to help people, increasing his confidence in God's word.

There are several things that I have reflected upon, and I do want to say them on this occasion. First of all, to express my thanks again publicly to your elders for extending to me the privilege of coming and ministering in your midst in this particular conference. Second of all, to express my thanks again publicly to your elders for extending to me the privilege of coming and ministering in your midst in this particular conference. I'm thankful for the many, many expressions that different ones of you have given of how you have been helped by various individual and series of sermons that you...

0:00 - 1:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for Pastor Martin personally, that he may grow in grace and likeness to Christ, and in diligence in the work of the ministry.

Martin shares that he periodically asks trusted elders if they see him improving in his preaching, illustrating his desire not to 'coast' or 'inwardly retire' after 40 years of ministry.

It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that whereunto I have sent it and prosper in the thing whereunto I have sent it. And that confidence has been deepened, and also it has caused me to be stirred up afresh, to be faithful and diligent in the language of 2 Timothy 2.15, the text, I sought to press on the consciences of the preachers the other day to continue to do my utmost to show myself approved unto God, a workman who needs not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth. And then the second thing I want to say after expressing those words of thanks is to entreat y...

1:26 - 2:51 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I leave to others to justify their Lord if they pour their time and money and energy into other institutions to do, quote, Christian work. I am not their judge. But please don't fault me for having my conscience bound to…

Martin uses the analogy of investing in the stock market to convey his desire for his time and energy to be invested in an institution (the church) that is guaranteed to 'do well' because Christ is building it.

I am not their judge. But please don't fault me for having my conscience bound to the word of my Lord. And with a conscience bound to the word of my Lord, I must say that the church is the only institution which Christ is committed to build in the conquest of His saving grace. And frankly, I want to know the institution where I put my marbles is going to do well in the stock market.

17:37 - 18:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I leave to others to justify their Lord if they pour their time and money and energy into other institutions to do, quote, Christian work. I am not their judge. But please don't fault me for having my conscience bound to…

Martin recounts turning down an invitation to preach at a 'big hotshot conference' in New Zealand, which included a free vacation, because it 'had nothing to do with Christ's church,' illustrating his singular commitment to the church.

You get my point? I don't want any speculative investment of my time and energies, of my prayers and my endeavors. That's why I'm here. People would say, Pastor Martin, there ain't a bunch of little group of people stuck in the middle of some little place that most people don't even know exist on the map.

18:08 - 18:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I leave to others to justify their Lord if they pour their time and money and energy into other institutions to do, quote, Christian work. I am not their judge. But please don't fault me for having my conscience bound to…

Martin quotes a hymn ('For her my tears shall fall. To her my toils and cares be given till toils and cares shall end.') to express his deep, personal devotion and commitment to the church.

But I said, No, thank you. Because it had nothing to do with Christ's church. For her my tears shall fall. To her my toils and cares be given till toils and cares shall end.

18:46 - 19:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents the second line of evidence for the church's central place: it was the only permanent institution established by the apostles. He traces this through the book of…

The story of Ananias and Sapphira is used as an example of God's first disciplinary action in the church, illustrating God's holiness and seriousness about truthfulness within His church.

What a grievous thing and how unapostolic. For the apostles established as their only permanent institution churches wherever the gospel brought its conquest of grace. This grows chapter 4 gives us a further account of it until we come in chapter 5 verse 11 after God exercises the first disciplinary action in the church. You have two hypocrites Ananias and Sapphira thought they'd outsmart God.

23:54 - 24:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents the second line of evidence for the church's central place: it was the only permanent institution established by the apostles. He traces this through the book of…

Martin uses the vivid metaphor 'Church membership scared the liver out of them' to describe the fear that came upon people after Ananias and Sapphira's death, highlighting the seriousness of joining the early church.

But of the rest dared no man join himself to them. Church membership scared the liver out of them. Said join that bunch and you don't walk straight you're liable to be wound up in a sheet and taken out and buried. That's right.

25:14 - 25:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents the second line of evidence for the church's central place: it was the only permanent institution established by the apostles. He traces this through the book of…

Martin contrasts the early church's seriousness with the modern idea of a 'friendly snuggly little church on the hill' to emphasize the loss of holy fear and reverence for God's house.

The whole idea we're the friendly snuggly little church on the hill. Come up and join us. And we'll have a holy snuggle. Not there.

25:30 - 25:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents the second line of evidence for the church's central place: it was the only permanent institution established by the apostles. He traces this through the book of…

Paul's attempt to join the church in Jerusalem (Acts 9) is used as a powerful example to rebuke 'hot shot individualists' who despise church membership, arguing that even the Apostle Paul submitted to it.

And you know it's an amazing thing. After he gives his testimony in Damascus and preaches a little bit he comes to Jerusalem. You know the first thing Paul did when he came to Jerusalem? He applied for church membership.

27:44 - 27:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: How men are under obligation to behave in God's house. It's God's house He makes the house rules.

Martin uses the analogy of house rules in his own home to explain that God, as the owner of His house (the church), makes the rules for how people 'ought to behave themselves.'

It's God's house He makes the house rules. You come to my house, you may be able in your house to walk in, stick your muddy feet, up on the couch. You don't do it in my house. I say, it's so nice to have you, get your muddy feet off the couch.

53:00 - 53:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: How men are under obligation to behave in God's house. It's God's house He makes the house rules.

Martin compares many evangelical churches to 'religious clubs' run by consensus, contrasting this with the biblical understanding of the church as God's house with His rules.

It's not your religious club. Nine-tenths of evangelicalism, evangelical churches are just religious clubs run by the consensus of the club members. Remember when we were kids and we'd start a club? Boy, what a sense of power it gave you.

53:37 - 53:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: How men are under obligation to behave in God's house. It's God's house He makes the house rules.

He recounts the experience of kids starting a club with their own rules (e.g., 'No girls,' 'No guys from the other block') to illustrate the human tendency to create self-governed groups, which he applies to how many view the church.

Four or five of you would get together in the block and say, we're going to start a club. Yeah, we'll be the club. You'll be the president? Yeah.

53:52 - 53:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Secondly, the church is presented as the unique structure for upholding the truth of God, described as the 'pillar and ground of the truth' in 1 Timothy 3:15. Martin stresses that…

Martin contrasts the church at Ephesus, the 'church of the living God,' with the 'great temple of the Diana, God of the Ephesians,' an ornate temple of a dead god, to highlight the church's unique connection to the living God.

No, no. Paul says to Timothy, Timothy, though I've labored at Ephesus for over three years, and though you've labored there, and it's a sound, stable church, Timothy, I want the church to grow in its understanding of how its behavior ought to be conducted, because it's God's house. It is the church of the living God. It's not like the great temple of the Diana, God of the Ephesians.

54:40 - 55:07 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the church which is the unique structure to be both its pillar and its foundation. And God has nowhere revealed, he has any other structure to be the pillar and ground of the truth.

Martin shares testimonies of people converted in his church who observed the serious, real, and intense worship and prayer life of the congregation, illustrating how the church's lifestyle 'validated' the gospel preaching.

It is the church in its organized life filled with the spirit as the new humanity that is the crucible in which gospel preaching is validated. How I bless God when I preach the gospel in our own assembly. I know already the life of our people has validated that gospel. And many times when people have been converted and later come for an interview, for membership, and they give their testimony, they say, when I came into the church and I saw everything from little kids to grown adults, heads bowed, Bibles opened, I realized these people are here for business.

57:19 - 58:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shares his personal testimony of growing up churchless and later coming to understand and embrace the biblical doctrine of the church, confessing his past ignorance and…

Martin shares his personal background in the Salvation Army (which lacked biblical church structures) and his subsequent 'churchless' years, illustrating how he came to understand the biblical doctrine of the church through personal study, not prior teaching.

have convinced you my friend that the church has a glorious function in the saving purposes of God and unless some of you think I'm just parroting the party line let me make a confession in public I grew up in a religious context where they didn't even seek to organize themselves according to the Bible as a church my background is Salvation Army I never heard of an elder or a deacon we had captains sergeant majors had no baptism no Lord's Supper then I got converted went to an ordinary evangelical church for a few months and then they kicked me out because I was talking to the deacons and elde...

65:35 - 67:04 Read in full sermon