Petition for Gospel Preachers

Driving home: That finite creatures should obtain things from an infinite God by asking is indeed a mystery.

Martin uses his upcoming missionary trip to Pakistan, the Middle East, and England as the immediate, practical context for the sermon's application of prayer for gospel preachers.

and then set out where I would propose to go with you and study today, and I hope then you will see the relevance of all of this to the very present concern of the forthcoming trip to Pakistan, to the Middle East, and then to England. In our previous study, we had addressed ourselves to the principles that ought always to guide our thinking with reference to this third dimension of prayer. We've considered prayer as an activity in which we come with our hands full, adoration, praise, and worship. We've considered prayer, secondly, as it relates to our hands being defiled.

0:50 - 1:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That finite creatures should obtain things from an infinite God by asking is indeed a mystery.

He uses the metaphors of 'hands full' (adoration), 'hands defiled' (confession), and 'hands empty' (seeking gifts) to categorize different dimensions of prayer, with the sermon focusing on the third.

And this, of course, takes within its orbit such things as confession, humiliation, repentance, and these other kinds of prayer that have to do peculiarly with our sinfulness. And then the third aspect of prayer is our hands empty, seeking gifts from God for ourselves and for others. And as we came to this area, I suggested that we must be aware of the vastness of this aspect of prayer. When treating the other areas of prayer, the biblical material, the memorials are fewer, the examples are fewer.

1:30 - 2:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for the various ministries before Pastor Martin in Pakistan, the Middle East, and England, as it is God's will to pray for the coming of His kingdom.

Martin likens Paul's rapid-fire exhortations at the end of 1 Thessalonians to someone running out of parchment or time, wanting to squeeze in final thoughts, including the plea for prayer.

Now we have this simple little entreaty in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 25. You remember, those of you that have given a careful study to this letter, that toward the end of the letter it's as though the apostle was running out of parchment on which to write or running out of time or something, and his heart was full with a number of exhortations, and he just scratches them off. There's some relationship in a broad sense, but for the most part, they reflect the spirit of the man who's in a hurry or running out of paper, running out of time or something, and he wants to squeeze in some exhortati...

16:31 - 17:13 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because the Bible says that when we pray God's will not have been done if we didn't pray.

Martin's son tells him he can be heard when he gets too loud, a lighthearted moment that serves as a self-correction and connects with the congregation.

That's why we've taken time to make up a day by day schedule of all the activities and to compose a letter. It gives you a little bit of background so you understand what's going on and why. That I might have the sense as I go that there is a fellowship of concern in these ministries. My son told me they hear me back there when I get too loud.

25:06 - 25:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray that God would grant opportunities for the proclamation of Christ and that Pastor Martin would be able to make plain the mystery of Christ.

He uses the metaphor of Jesus holding the keys of David, opening and shutting doors, to illustrate Christ's sovereign control over opportunities for gospel proclamation.

It's a beautiful picture. Where apparently now I'm not sure but I wouldn't be surprised if it has a reference to what we read in Revelation 3 and verse 7 where Jesus Christ is pictured of David, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens. In the administration of this mediatorial kingdom, the Lord Jesus is the head over all things to the church, is able to swing open a door that will mean the penetration of the gospel. Here's the hinges and here's the lock.

30:42 - 31:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray that God would grant opportunities for the proclamation of Christ and that Pastor Martin would be able to make plain the mystery of Christ.

Martin shares his personal experience with the uncertainty of obtaining a visa for Pakistan, highlighting the real-world need for prayer for 'open doors' for ministry.

make clear to you. The first thing I want to say to you is that I am a novice in this matter of visas and everything else since all of my travel has been to England or to Europe where there's no problem if you have an American passport to go. Well, to make a long story short, I learned that no such visa was needed. The minister of the interior was contacted and our contacts were instructed that it was alright for me to come and

33:25 - 34:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He turns to Colossians 4:2-4, asking the congregation to pray for God to open doors for the word and for him to make the mystery of Christ manifest (plainly understood), relating…

He describes the challenge of speaking through an interpreter, where pauses and fragmented thoughts require 'great wisdom' to make the message plain, illustrating the need for prayer for clarity.

One needs great wisdom to make the message plain. Evening sessions, I'll be speaking through an interpreter, and if you're in the middle of a phrase, you're here. And then, you've got to wait until he gets to it, and then you're over here. And having done it on two or three occasions, I know something of a tremendous greatness.

37:40 - 38:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray that God would grant Pastor Martin the spiritual quality of boldness to pour forth the whole counsel of God's truth unfettered.

Martin contrasts true biblical boldness with a 'carnal quality that is brashness,' likening it to someone with their 'chin out daring you to take a shot at it,' to clarify what boldness is not.

There are many of them. This matter of unfettered unequivocal assertion of boldness oft times by an immature particularly a young man is mistaken for a carnal quality that is brashness. You ever hear some people preach the gospel in such a way that you just felt they had their chin out daring you to take a shot at it? Well people are carnal enough that if you go around with your chin out with the personality but with such an absorption

44:58 - 45:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Plead frequently before God that the word may run in these coming days and that it may be glorified, so that the servant is hidden and God in Jesus Christ is praised.

He uses the image of a victorious runner taking a 'victor's lap' and being 'glorified' to illustrate what it means for the 'word of the Lord to run and be glorified,' where the messenger is hidden and Christ is honored.

Now he says, having delivered the message, pray that the message will run. And he says that that message will be glorified. I wonder, I'm not asserting, I wonder if he doesn't have an athletic image. What happens to the man who wins the race? I was able to catch

50:44 - 51:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray that Pastor Martin may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men who would seek to shut doors or hinder the accomplishment of God's purpose.

Martin gives an example of 'unreasonable and evil men' as 'crotchety diatrophies' at pastors' conferences who seek preeminence and inject a spirit of heaviness, illustrating the need for prayer for deliverance from such hindrances.

the contexts, even in the conferences, it's a terrible thing. I've been at pastors' conferences where you get some crotchety diatrophies who loves to have the preeminence. An evil man who wears a turned collar, or if no turned collar, has a red in front of his name. And he can just inject a spirit that puts a damper in a spirit of heaviness on the whole conference. One of these

52:57 - 53:24 Read in full sermon