Necessity, Time, Place

The point: If you find a disrupted schedule contributes to godliness, share your secret.

The example of students, campers, and vacationers illustrates how disrupted summer schedules lead to a loss of basic disciplines of godliness.

Some of you who are sort of vagabonds as students. You're home, you're at a place of work. Some of you at camp, others of us running hither and yon in vacations, visiting relatives. And most of us, most of us lose ground in what we might call the basic disciplines of godliness when our normal schedule of life is disrupted.

0:19 - 0:38 Read in full sermon

The point: If you find a disrupted schedule contributes to godliness, share your secret.

Martin humorously offers to make a millionaire out of anyone who finds a disrupted schedule contributes to godliness, highlighting the common struggle.

Now, if there's anyone here who finds that a disrupted schedule contributes to godliness, please see me afterward and give me your secret. And I think if we could embody it in a book, and it could be demonstrated to be valid, we'll make you a millionaire in the midst of a declining economy. Most of us, most of us...

0:39 - 0:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Through a forum-style discussion, Martin establishes that humans function best in structured environments because they are made in the image of God, who is a God of order. He…

The analogy of a 'forum' (a meeting place for discussion) is used to encourage congregational participation in answering theological questions, contrasting it with a lecture.

All right, let me throw the question out. This is a forum, and a forum, I looked it up in the dictionary, is a meeting place for the discussion of specific issues. Generally, you think of it of political issues, if you think of the forums of ancient Greece and of Rome, but we're thinking in terms, of course, of biblical issues. Why is it that the average human being functions more efficiently in a structured schedule than in a disrupted, non-structured schedule of life?

1:32 - 1:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Confess if your secret prayer and Bible reading have suffered during disrupted schedules.

A.W. Tozer's quote about not fighting modernists because it's like shooting a dead horse is used humorously to avoid further shaming those who confessed spiritual struggles.

Now, that being so, let me ask a question that's going to be very revealing. How many of you have had a relatively disrupted schedule over the past two or three months of the summer? Alright, if that's so, then I'm right in assuming that many of us have suffered in the area of secret prayer and reading of the word of God. Now, I won't ask you to raise your hand at that, so you've already backed yourself in the corner. There's no sense hitting a man when he's down. Like Tozer one time said, he said he doesn't spend his time fighting the modernist on the assumption that it's not fair. He has to ...

9:19 - 9:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Discern which of God's dealings with biblical figures are peculiar to their position and which apply to all children of grace.

The example of God's specific commands to King David (e.g., killing kings) is used to distinguish between commands unique to David's office and those applicable to all children of grace.

All right. Second Timothy. All right. Good. There is a correct warrant for applying God's dealings with David here. Are these God's peculiar dealings with David because of his special position as King of Israel or simply his dealings with him as a child of grace? All right. You see, certain things God said to David, you better not take to yourself.

13:18 - 13:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon transitions to the first main question: Is a disciplined arrangement for secret Bible reading and prayer necessary, and if so, why? Martin and the congregation explore…

Psalm 73 is used as an example of a Psalmist whose perspective changed from despair to praise after entering the sanctuary of God, illustrating the necessity of devotions for spiritual perspective.

Your answer would be, such a time is necessary to keep our spiritual perspectives right. That we get out of whack and our problems fill the horizon. Can you think of a Psalm that speaks to that issue directly? Somebody looked out this way and everything was all botched up. He says, until I went into the sanctuary of God. Psalm 73. This is precisely the situation. In the same way with many of the Psalms. They begin on the base note.

17:53 - 18:20 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon transitions to the first main question: Is a disciplined arrangement for secret Bible reading and prayer necessary, and if so, why? Martin and the congregation explore…

The structure of many Psalms, starting with a 'base note' of groveling and ending with a 'hallelujah chorus,' illustrates how a vision of God changes perspective without changing circumstances.

The Psalmist is groveling in the dust. And they end up with a hallelujah chorus. And in between it was the vision of God and his covenant faithfulness that made all the difference. Circumstances weren't changed at all.

18:20 - 18:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You have as much time as everyone else does. 24 hours to every day. And if God lays this responsibility upon you, there are no conflicts in the will of God.

The daily routines of shaving and eating meals at specific times are used to illustrate that people already structure time for physical needs, implying they can do the same for spiritual needs.

That's a pretty practical question, isn't it? And every one of us has to resolve that for ourselves because we're talking now about something that is structured. All the men here, increasingly few, not all, now I used to be able to say, oh I'll have to change the illustrations but a number of us still scrape our whiskers every morning. And most of us, most of us do so at a particular time of the day and we allot so much time for it.

30:19 - 30:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of legalism that dictates a specific time (e.g., early morning) for devotions, as individual alertness varies.

The humorous example of someone only able to 'groan' at 6 AM illustrates that not everyone is alert enough for prayer at that time, cautioning against legalism about specific prayer times.

Everybody's different. Now, beware of the person who says if you haven't talked to God before you talk to any man, you're not spiritual. You can't prove that from the Bible. Now, that's where legalism comes in.

32:41 - 32:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider legitimate duties of life when determining your devotional time, ensuring it doesn't conflict with other God-given responsibilities.

The gross illustration of a mother ignoring her crying baby for prayer time highlights that legitimate duties must be considered when scheduling devotions, preventing wrongly conditioned consciences.

What about the woman who says to be spiritual and to pray at 7 o'clock every morning? So the baby's crying. He's got his diaper changed. He's hollering his head off at 7.

33:58 - 34:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Determine the duration of your devotional time based on your own spiritual state, appetite, and measure of growth, avoiding legalistic comparisons to others.

Martin's personal story of trying to emulate George Muller, Henry Martin, and David Brainerd by praying for hours, only to burn out, illustrates the principle that one's spiritual state determines the appropriate duration of prayer.

Our own state of mind has been broken in our walk of time. There might be some, in fact there are some, myself included, that at this point in my life cannot pray for a protracted period like an hour or so. My mind will be wandering after a shorter period and so my own spiritual state will determine. Yes, one of the most wonderful things that ever happened to me when I was a young Christian, I realized my name was not George Muller.

36:14 - 36:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Determine the duration of your devotional time based on your own spiritual state, appetite, and measure of growth, avoiding legalistic comparisons to others.

Martin's personal anecdote of trying to pray and study from 2 AM in college, almost leading to a nervous breakdown, further illustrates the danger of legalistically imposing others' spiritual disciplines on oneself.

I read that these men of God got up at four in the mornings. You know what I did when I was a freshman in college? I'd go to sleep at ten or eleven, wake myself up at two o'clock and study and pray for two hours. And then go back to sleep for an hour or two, and then try to go to classes. I almost brought myself into a nervous breakdown, but I thought if I'm going to be spiritual, this is what I've got to do. Failing to realize this principle Mr. Brown has enunciated, our own spiritual state, our own present spiritual appetite, our measure of growth, all of these factors will enter in, as far ...

37:03 - 37:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Ask God with 'judgment day honesty' to reveal a legitimate and realistic block of time for devotions within your schedule.

The analogy of a person dieting and their stomach shrinking, then needing to stretch it again, illustrates how a genuine five-minute devotion can gradually increase one's spiritual appetite and capacity.

But now suppose a man really gives himself to five minutes out of genuine hunger for God. What's going to happen to him in a very short time? His appetite's going to increase, like a person who's been dieting and the stomach has shrunk, and they need to start stretching the stomach again, you see, and each time you force feed yourself a little bit, then you have that much more capacity normally. And if the person is doing it, again, not as a part of a legalistic do. See, that's the thing we want to avoid.

38:03 - 38:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Practice self-denial daily by walking over the 'belly of your lusts' to make progress in grace, choosing spiritual disciplines over easier activities.

John Owen's quote about walking over the belly of one's lusts is used to emphasize the necessity of self-denial in making progress in grace, particularly in choosing spiritual disciplines over easier activities.

And let me conclude here before we move on to the third area. What do we actually do now that we've established the time, etc.? Remember this. Self-denial is the continual experience of the true Christian. If any man will come after me, Jesus said he must say no to himself, take up his cross daily. John Owen said something in volume 6 of his writings that I've never forgotten. He said, he who does not daily walk over the belly of his lusts makes no progress in grace.

41:46 - 42:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Practice self-denial daily by walking over the 'belly of your lusts' to make progress in grace, choosing spiritual disciplines over easier activities.

The analogy of reading Paul versus reading the newspaper highlights that engaging with Scripture requires more effort and meditation than casual reading, necessitating self-denial.

If you do not daily walk over the belly of your lusts, you will not make progress in grace. That lust to just read the newspaper is so much easier than reading Paul. Paul is not easy to read. Peter even said so.

42:21 - 42:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Buffet your body and make it your slave to ensure you engage in devotional practices, even when it's difficult.

Mr. Brown shares 1 Corinthians 9:27, where Paul speaks of buffeting his body, to illustrate the self-denial involved in forcing oneself out of bed for devotions, making the body a slave to sanctification.

Sharing a verse that has often helped me in this area and brought me to my own mind, the importance of this very thing you're talking about, the first Corinthians chapter 9, verse 27 where Paul speaks about I buffet my body and make it my slave that it may bring into bondage lest I have to treat the others on my shelf that we come rejected. And that to me, when I was there in the morning, let's say, that's what I'm doing, and my arm goes off, when I reach over and turn it off and go back to sleep, I've not buffeted my body, I've not walked over the lowly in my life, but it's when I have to for...

43:56 - 44:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain secret discipline of meditation upon the word of God at any cost, even if it means a lower grade in academic Bible study.

The example of a preacher preparing sermons is used to illustrate that academic study of Scripture should not replace personal, devotional reading for one's own soul.

as a preacher, I'm involved in preparing sermons to preach to the people of God. Now, should I just make that the basis of my meditation? Or, should I also be reading the scriptures systematically for the feeding of my own soul elsewhere? Or should I simply read the word and pray and hope that when I stand on my feet Sunday morning, the Lord will give me what I should give to His people? Well, it's not either or, it's both, you see? So that when one is in Bible school, and this is one of the great dangers and one of the great evils of Bible school. Now, they're good things, but they're evils, ...

45:16 - 45:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain secret discipline of meditation upon the word of God at any cost, even if it means a lower grade in academic Bible study.

Martin's observation of spiritual coldness and backsliding in Bible schools illustrates the danger of studying Scripture academically without personal, intimate engagement.

So that I would say to every Bible school student present, if it means the difference between an A and a B in the course, it need not, but if it does, maintain the secret discipline of meditation upon the word of God at any cost. I speak as one who went through four years of Bible school, who was in an administrative position in a Bible school, and I've seen more spiritual coldness and backsliding of heart in a Bible school than any other place on the face of the earth in a concentrated dose. For that simple reason, you learn to handle, and you'll hear people joking about the scripture, making...

46:26 - 47:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for your elders and teaching elders that God will help them never to forget the importance of reading the scriptures devotionally for their own walk with God.

The confession of many preachers at conferences, having given up devotional reading for personal walk, illustrates the danger of treating the Bible solely as a manual for public ministry.

Does that answer the question? And the fellows and girls that I knew in my years of experience in Bible school, and the ones that I've observed in the years here, where we've had a number of the students from Northeastern, who've kept a freshness and a sobriety about the things of God, are those who've learned amidst all of the textbook dealings with the scripture, what it was to maintain secret, private devotional exercises with God. So it's absolutely essential, doubly essential, if you're in a Bible school situation. And the Bible school situation is just a little picture of the great dange...

47:46 - 48:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider using a hymn book or psalter as a tool to warm your heart and voice in praise and devotion, being considerate of others' rest.

Martin humorously clarifies that a 'psalter' is a collection of Psalms, not a salt shaker, to ensure clarity for those unfamiliar with the term.

That's a p-s-a-l-t-e-n. A psalter is a collection of the Psalms. I said that because some of you might not know and I didn't want you to think you'd come to your devotions with a salt shaker. You'd say, well, the preacher said that's what we're supposed to do.

52:17 - 52:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider using a hymn book or psalter as a tool to warm your heart and voice in praise and devotion, being considerate of others' rest.

The example of Pastor Blaise reading a sermon to get his mind going before prayer illustrates the latitude and liberty in devotional practices, as what works for one person may not work for another.

Some people, they find that unless they immediately go to prayer, they'll get too distracted. And they must pray for a while before they can turn to the scriptures to get their mind. Other people, I know Pastor Blaise finds it helpful to read a sermon before he does anything else, to get his mind going before he prays. I think you're still in the habit of doing that, aren't you? Reading a sermon.

53:21 - 53:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider using a hymn book or psalter as a tool to warm your heart and voice in praise and devotion, being considerate of others' rest.

Martin shares his occasional practice of reading Spurgeon or Flavel when feeling dull to engage his spirit, further illustrating the flexibility in devotional methods.

Well, is that the right way to have the voice right for him? And that's not right for me. If I read the sermon, I'll end up probably getting so many ideas about the sermon and the rest that I couldn't bring myself to pray it. But occasionally I do.

53:41 - 53:53 Read in full sermon