Scriptural Truth

The point: Resist the temptation to look ahead in the notes during sessions, focusing attention on the present engagement.

Martin expresses pain at having to omit collaborating quotes from old masters due to time constraints, highlighting the value of historical theological works in his library.

there was also a consensus among our elders that I ought to attempt, that I ought to attempt to do what obviously only fools would attempt to do, and that is to reduce to eight 50 or 45 minute sessions the substance of about 18 hours of lectures on the subject of effective pastoral preaching. Now, the fundamental difference in the class lectures will be seen in two areas. If some of you have listened to the tapes of the class lectures, there will be a difference, first of all, with respect to content. As I have sought to go over the material of my class lectures with the question, how can I re...

2:25 - 3:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Resist the temptation to look ahead in the notes during sessions, focusing attention on the present engagement.

Martin shares his personal experience and conviction that preachers, more than anyone, need to be preached to at conferences, not just taught didactically, often listening to sermons in his car.

And the richest part of my library next to the section that holds the reprints of the Puritans and some of the old Puritan works that have not been reprinted is the section on preaching in pastoral theology and about three-quarters of those books have come to my shelf because of these brethren who have been constrained in Christian grace to keep their eyes open for such books. And it's wonderful to have that collaborating voice of the past, but brethren, I'm simply going to have to forego using much of that material, occasionally injecting one of those quotes. That's the difference as to conte...

3:47 - 5:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin underscores the crucial distinction between sermon preparation (exegesis, organization, perception) and delivery (declaring the Word in the sanctuary). He uses analogies of…

The preparation of a sermon is likened to conception and gestation, while delivery is likened to the birthing room where a real-life baby comes to birth, or is stillborn.

And I want to spend just a moment in justifying that distinction. Any serious and accurate reflection on these matters will force us to recognize that there is a fundamental difference between the disciplines of exegesis, organization and perception of the thrust of a given sermon, and the dynamics of actually declaring the Word of God in the context of the special presence of God in the midst of the gathered people of God. On the one hand, there is primarily the mental, the spiritual, and the mechanical activities of the closet and of the desk. But on the other hand, there is the mental, spir...

6:47 - 8:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin underscores the crucial distinction between sermon preparation (exegesis, organization, perception) and delivery (declaring the Word in the sanctuary). He uses analogies of…

The distinction between sermon preparation and delivery is illustrated by the different activities of the closet/desk versus the sanctuary/pulpit.

And I want to spend just a moment in justifying that distinction. Any serious and accurate reflection on these matters will force us to recognize that there is a fundamental difference between the disciplines of exegesis, organization and perception of the thrust of a given sermon, and the dynamics of actually declaring the Word of God in the context of the special presence of God in the midst of the gathered people of God. On the one hand, there is primarily the mental, the spiritual, and the mechanical activities of the closet and of the desk. But on the other hand, there is the mental, spir...

6:47 - 8:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Be committed to the first axiom (proclamation, explanation, and application of scriptural truths) if you desire to be used as instruments of saving grace.

The concept of 'first fruits' in James 1:18 is explained as an indication of dedication to God, paralleling believers being set apart for Him.

Of His own will, He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. And in that text, there is a clear underscoring of the element of divine sovereignty in the matter of begetting spiritual life. Of His own will, He brought us forth. But He brings us forth by the instrumentality of the word of truth, just as certainly as He brings us forth that we should be sanctified and set apart unto Him and to His service, even as the first fruits were brought in, from the fields, and offered unto God as an indication of the dedication of all that belonged ...

12:35 - 13:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Be committed to the first axiom (proclamation, explanation, and application of scriptural truths) if you desire to be used as instruments of saving grace.

The 'seed' in 1 Peter 1:23 is likened to 'divine sperm,' emphasizing the Word of God as the instrument for begetting spiritual life.

Of His own will, He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. And in that text, there is a clear underscoring of the element of divine sovereignty in the matter of begetting spiritual life. Of His own will, He brought us forth. But He brings us forth by the instrumentality of the word of truth, just as certainly as He brings us forth that we should be sanctified and set apart unto Him and to His service, even as the first fruits were brought in, from the fields, and offered unto God as an indication of the dedication of all that belonged ...

12:35 - 13:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Be committed to the first axiom (proclamation, explanation, and application of scriptural truths) if you desire to be used as instruments of saving grace.

Martin quotes Gardner Spring's 'The Glory of Christ as a Preacher' to buttress the point that knowledge of God's truth is the germ and principle of all holiness and the only means for spiritual life and transformation.

Paul says to him in 1 Timothy 4 and verse 6, If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in of the faith and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now. And so we can say in the light of these and many other texts could be marshaled to underscore the point that with respect to the life of Jesus Christ, with respect to the function of scriptural truth in the saving purposes of God, that truth is central both in the begetting of divine life and in the nurturing of divine life. Now in one of the works of Gardner Spring th...

17:49 - 19:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Have a biblically framed consciousness of your identity as a herald, ambassador, steward, and ruler.

The Greek word 'kairouso' (preaching/heralding) is highlighted in Matthew 3:1, Matthew 4:17, and 2 Timothy 4:2 to demonstrate the herald's task of delivering the sovereign's message.

It was nothing more or less than to deliver the message of his sovereign within the precincts of the town or village where he was appointed to herald that message. And therefore, one of the dominant words for preaching in the New Testament is kairouso. When the kairoux was doing what he was supposed to do, what he did was kairouso. He was heralding the message of his sovereign.

23:16 - 23:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second basis for the axiom is the identity of the preacher as a herald, ambassador, steward, and ruler in God's house. Martin elaborates on each role, emphasizing that all…

The parable of the king sending an ambassador to seek conditions of peace (Luke 14:32) illustrates the ambassador's function to represent the mind and will of the sovereign.

Ambassadors, its noun form is found in Luke 14, 32. You remember the familiar parable? Jesus said, which king of you does not, in first going out to war, count the cost, or else he sends an ambassador to seek conditions of peace. Now, what is the function of the ambassador?

25:13 - 25:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not change your commission to preach the Word, even if the religious climate declines and people prefer 'ear-tickling' over authoritative proclamation.

Martin states his commitment to preaching the authoritative Word, even if people prefer 'ear-tickling' or sharing notions, vowing to preach to the first two rows if necessary until God raises up those who long for His Word.

Reprove with all suffering and teaching. Your commission does not change because the religious climate declines and becomes indifferent, as I have said on many occasions in this very place. If the time ever comes, if the time ever comes, when the people who sit in these pews want something other than services of worship in which authoritative, anointed proclamation is central to that worship, and they want their ears tickled, and they want to sit around and share their notions by the grace of God to the first two rows, if that's all, until God holds enough sinners who will come and long again ...

36:33 - 37:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Be committed to responsible exegesis, utilizing available helps to ensure sermons are thoroughly and accurately exegetical.

Martin quotes Albert Barnes on the need for the Bible to be explained under the influence of a love for truth and disciplined understanding, not vivid imagination.

Albert Barnes has stated something that has been a great help to me over the years. The Bible says, the Bible should be explained not under the influence of a vivid imagination, but under the influence of a heart and a mind imbued with a love of truth and by an understanding discipline to investigate the meaning of words and phrases and capable of rendering a reason for the interpretation which is proposed. And this is why we must be committed, if not to a working knowledge of the original languages, if that has been denied us in the providence of God, there is no excuse for anyone who has acc...

43:26 - 44:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to give up precious initial impressions or traditional uses of texts if they do not stand the scrutiny of careful exegesis.

Martin shares the experience of scrapping sermon outlines when initial powerful impressions of a text do not stand up to careful exegetical scrutiny, emphasizing the need to prioritize accurate interpretation.

that I have listed in five ways that will sometimes be a death knell to the initial impression of a text or a passage. Many a sermon, many a sermon outline has been scrapped when the powerful first impression was subjected to the scrutiny of careful exegesis. How many times have we had the experience in our own devotions, a truth gripped us and we said surely God would have me preach on that sometime until you took out your Greek text or you took out your exegetical aid, and you saw that all that you got blessed with was not pure gold. Now you don't deny that God blessed you and it was with tr...

44:52 - 46:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Put distance between yourselves and clever/forced accommodation of texts; do not force a text to legitimize what you desire to say.

Martin uses Isaac's words, 'Thy voice is the voice of Jacob, but thy hands are the hands of Esau,' as an example of a text he is tempted to allegorize fancifully to preach on theological-methodological discrepancy, but resists due to exegetical integrity.

314, I found it used in appealing with sinners, what will you do? When the day of judgment comes in you're cast into hell and the question is asked who among us can dwell with their obrigado ? On the text has nothing to do with dwelling in hell, in that text, and we must not allow the dogmatic use or flavor of a text to be the trigger for us to use it. We must bring it through the sieve of careful exegetical disciplines. And certainly in the fourth place, the fanciful allegorizing or spiritualizing of a text or passage is inconsistent with thorough exegetical treatment. For example, there's a ...

47:44 - 49:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Put distance between yourselves and clever/forced accommodation of texts; do not force a text to legitimize what you desire to say.

Martin refers to a quote from Dabney (pages 96-98 of his notes) that warns against taking liberties in expounding the Word, emphasizing that any meaning other than God's intended one is a 'fearful sin'.

It's to preach the subject discrepancy between a man's theology and his methodology. That's right. You have the voice of the heir of the covenant. Your voice is the voice of Jacob. You speak like Jacob, whom Jehovah loved. But your hand, the instrument of action, is that of wild, hairy man Esau. And if I were to allegorize, I believe I could preach a rather decent sermon on that text. But I've not done it, even though I tried to sneak it in this way. And for you men who have dabbed me on preaching, I commend you one of the choice quotes that I simply don't have time to read on page 96 to the t...

49:00 - 50:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second corollary states that sermons should be predominantly biblical in their overall substance, explaining and enforcing the Bible with the Bible itself. Martin contrasts…

Martin quotes Murphy's 'Pastoral Theology' to reinforce that the Bible should be the substance of all preaching, with every point proved by 'Thus saith the Lord' and the whole discourse saturated with God's Word.

and the greatest proof for the truth that the Bible is its own veracity and that it is the most powerful and most powerful and well known dictionary we should seek to have our sermons heavily interlaced with biblical texts phrases and allusions illustrations and enforcements since second Timothy 316 is true all scripture is God breathed and scripture has a unique power inherent in it then we should seek to preach sermons that are written in the Bible so we should seek to have them written in the Bible and the Scriptures and the seals of the Bible and the Scriptures and the Scriptures as well n...

53:34 - 54:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second corollary states that sermons should be predominantly biblical in their overall substance, explaining and enforcing the Bible with the Bible itself. Martin contrasts…

Martin recounts an experience with a preacher who merely quoted many verses from memory without opening up any text, resulting in people being 'oohed and awed' but not understanding any text more clearly.

And to adorn the sermon with biblical language. Now I am not saying that our sermons should simply be a rearranged concordance, hung together with a few of our own words. I remember years ago preaching at a conference with a man that I believe gloried in his reputation as having committed, I forgot how many thousand verses to memory, and his preaching was really just a marvelous display of his memory. And he never paused long enough to open up any text.

56:05 - 56:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second corollary states that sermons should be predominantly biblical in their overall substance, explaining and enforcing the Bible with the Bible itself. Martin contrasts…

Martin describes a sermon he heard on Colossians 3:1-5 that was predominantly anecdotal, using stories as the main substance rather than opening up the text itself, which he found greatly disturbing.

So I am not talking of that kind of nonsense, but I am saying that our sermons should be full of Bible language. And even when we are not specifically quoting, even when we are not causing people to turn to a passage, there is that biblical flavor to our sermons. Now this, if true, will be in marked contrast with preaching that is, and I have four things listed and I want to add a fifth, it will be in marked contrast with preaching that is predominantly anecdotal. This is preaching in which stories, true or contrived, are the major vehicle of explaining, illustrating or enforcing biblical trut...

56:58 - 58:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware lest storytelling, if undisciplined, dilute your ministry of its solid biblical substance.

Martin shares how people in his itinerant ministry would tell him he wasn't an evangelist but a Bible teacher because he opened up Scripture instead of telling stories, leading him to demonstrate that true evangelism is proclamation of the evangel from the Word.

I first encountered this matter when I was in an itinerant ministry. And people called me when I would come an evangelist. I was coming to preach evangelistically. And I remember time after time after being in a place for two or three days, often a pastor or people would come to me and say, you're not an evangelist, you're a Bible teacher.

59:06 - 59:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate a sanctified imagination for gripping historical preaching, but place a tremendous tight rein upon it to avoid embellishing or adding to Scripture.

Martin uses the common imaginative depiction of Nathan confronting David (2 Samuel 12) to illustrate how embellishing Scripture with details not found in the text can dilute the integrity of God's Word.

I'm saying is this, that a fertile and active imagination that embellishes and adds to the statements of Scripture can lead people away from the naked testimony of the Word of God. And we who have a more naturally fertile and active imagination must place a tremendous tight rein upon it, lest that very noble faculty undermine preaching that is predominantly biblical in its overall substance. When people describe the scene there in 2 Samuel 12, and they speak of Nathan sticking his bony finger under David's nose and thundering in a way that would have given the man a heart attack. The man, I as...

63:14 - 64:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Avoid excessive quoting from human authors, which can erode the authority of your preaching and leave the impression that human authors outweigh the Bible itself.

Literary preaching is described as either the injudicious activity of a well-read mind or a small mind seeking to impress with excessive quotes, which erodes the authority of the preaching.

So you see, we must be sure that in opening up the Scriptures we make a differentiation between what is clearly revealed. If we want to say it could have been that or it may have been, that's one thing. But to mingle an accurate exposition of the text with our own imagination in such a way that our people make no distinction is to dilute the integrity of the Word of God. And then it will be in contrast to what I call literary preaching. And by that I mean preaching which is either the unwise and injudicious activity of a mind well furnished with broad reading, or a small mind seeking to give t...

64:25 - 65:36 Read in full sermon

The point: When speaking biblical truths, lay bare the taproots from the Bible on which your statements rest, rather than speaking merely as Christian philosophers.

Martin shares his experience listening to A.W. Tozer's tapes, noting that while Tozer spoke biblical truth, he often did so as a perceptive biblical philosopher rather than a careful Bible expositor, which Martin believes limited his lasting influence in his denomination.

I've recently been blessed because one of the men in this conference knew of my great esteem and love for the late Dr. A.W. Tozer and sent me some 30 tapes of Tozer's and I've listened through all of them, some of them two and three times.

67:41 - 67:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure sermons are theologically harmonious, systematically present, and vigorously influence all exposition, avoiding self-destructive or imbalanced preaching.

Imbalanced preaching is compared to an imbalanced tire: stationary, it's no problem, but at speed, it shakes the whole front end, illustrating how theological imbalance in preaching leads to defective religious practice.

And that brings us to that second thing that will be in contrast. It will be contrasted to imbalanced preaching. A tyranny. Out of balance while stationary is no problem.

72:55 - 73:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: a half-truth paraded as a whole truth is a whole untruth.

Martin quotes J.I. Packer's statement, 'a half-truth paraded as a whole truth is a whole untruth,' to emphasize the danger of imbalanced preaching.

J.I. Packer says in his classic little work, Evangelism in the Sovereignty of God, a half-truth paraded as a whole truth is a whole untruth. For example, if I ask someone, is Jesus truly man?

73:56 - 74:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: a half-truth paraded as a whole truth is a whole untruth.

The example of preaching Jesus as truly man or truly God, but not both, is used to illustrate how a half-truth presented as the whole truth becomes heresy.

J.I. Packer says in his classic little work, Evangelism in the Sovereignty of God, a half-truth paraded as a whole truth is a whole untruth. For example, if I ask someone, is Jesus truly man?

73:56 - 74:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Preach sermons that are intensely practical in their overall thrust, leading to holy endeavor and action, not just information or emotional stirring.

Martin notes that the Puritan practice of 'use one, use two, use three' was not an invention but a reflection of Scripture's inherently practical nature.

It is not something invented by the Puritans to think of use one. Use two. Use three. Use four.

75:29 - 75:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Live in close communion with Christ daily, going to the fountain open for sin and uncleanness, so that your pulpit ministry will savor of Christ and motivate believers by His love.

Sentimental preaching is described as touching heartstrings with stories of mother and babies, or moving men by statistics of human need, without reference to Christ's cradle, cross, and open tomb, or His compassion for multitudes.

We must not. leave it hang out there as empty, vacuous, moralistic preaching, but have it suffused with the peculiar dynamics of Christ and Him crucified. It will be in contrast to bland didactic preaching, that is, preaching in which the great truths about the whole spectrum of revealed reality are taught with no reference to Christ. God is revealed to us in this age preeminently in His Son, and we are to seek to teach the great truths of the Word of God in the light of the great statement of Hebrews 1, 1 and following, and then surely it will be in contrast to mere sentimental preaching, tou...

86:34 - 87:57 Read in full sermon