His Place the the History of Redemption

Driving home: And so my one purpose tonight, and if under God this can be accomplished, I shall feel my labors have not been in vain, is to set Elisha in his peculiar place in the history of redemption so that when you leave tonight a…

The apostle Paul's doxology in Romans 11:33-36 is presented as the conclusion of a 'history lesson,' illustrating how tracing God's work in redemptive history should evoke profound praise and adoration.

as that redemption unfolds in human history. You see, it was precisely this exercise that gave birth to that tremendous expression of praise and adoration in Romans 11, 33 to 36, when the apostle was viewing the work of God in history, dealing with the Jewish nation, fulfilling his purposes for a time through that nation. And then when his purposes were accomplished, setting aside that nation in terms of its peculiar place in redemptive history, and then drawing in the Gentiles and making them the main recipients of his redemptive designs, it was after such a survey of redemptive history that ...

11:24 - 12:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't be nervous about the state of the church; Jesus has taken that task upon Himself, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Martin quotes Alexander White, who reassures anxious believers that God is always preparing hidden servants to carry on His work, even when prominent leaders are taken, countering fears about the church's collapse.

was repining and meditating death under a juniper tree God was preparing the young plowman of Abel-Meholah to wear Elijah's mantle and carry forward Elijah's work. And when we are making our predictions about the collapse of the world and the collapse of the church when this man and that man is taken home to be with the Lord all the time God has his hidden servants quite well known to him and quite ready to take up this man and that man's great office when they shall lay it down. Then he goes on to say that there may be in this remote part of Scotland or England someone upon whom God's hand is...

45:19 - 46:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't be nervous about the state of the church; Jesus has taken that task upon Himself, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Martin contrasts modern fears about 'Illuminati' and 'international bankers' conspiracies with the very real, visible evil of Jezebel and Baal worship in Elijah's day, arguing that God's faithfulness prevails over all such threats.

he did not yet destroy his people for he remembered and had respect to his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There are even in orthodox and evangelical circles those who frighten the people of God by lectures on the Illuminati and the international bankers conspiracy and on the international communist conspiracy which is controlled by the bankers and they frighten people with hairy stories about this conspiracy and that conspiracy and this movement and that movement and what do they do? They fill the people of God with a carnal paranoia. You talk about conspiracies when old painted Jezeb...

46:46 - 48:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't be nervous about the state of the church; Jesus has taken that task upon Himself, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

The gruesome deaths of Ahab and Jezebel, with dogs licking their blood and eating their flesh, are recounted as a vivid illustration of God's faithfulness in executing judgment upon the wicked.

And when it's my time to do it Ahab, Jezebel, step aside. And it isn't long before the dogs are licking the blood that spills from the carriage of that wicked man. And then you remember that wicked woman is thrown down from a tower and the dogs also eat her until there's left nothing but a few bones. Oh dear child of God don't be nervous about the state of the church.

48:00 - 48:28 Read in full sermon