Evangelism God's Way, Part 4

In this part of the sermon: Martin reviews the series' analogy of a tree rooted in Scripture, identifying the first taproot as a biblical understanding of humanity. He then introduces the second taproot…

The series uses the analogy of a tree deeply rooted in rich soil, with taproots representing foundational biblical perspectives for evangelism.

In setting these perspectives before you, I've chosen to use the analogy of a tree. A tree deeply and firmly rooted in rich, moist, nourishing soil. And as I began to open up the series, I began by identifying that soil as nothing but a seed. And as I began to open up the series, I began by identifying that soil as nothing but a seed.

1:38 - 2:02 Read in full sermon

The point: In areas where darkness is most intense in your providential setting, your light must be all the brighter, demonstrating difference by God's grace.

This example illustrates the quick and unconscionable antipathy people show one another in a loveless society.

We live in the society where people quickly and without any... Any twinge of conscience give the physical signals of their antipathy one to another. And I'll not get more particular than that. Just cut someone off inadvertently and you know exactly what I mean.

13:38 - 13:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first specific application of the second taproot is manifesting genuine love for all men. Martin contrasts the loveless, self-centered nature of society (Titus 3:3, Romans 1…

The descriptions of hateful interpersonal relationships in Romans 1 and 3 are compared to common behaviors in an office setting, highlighting the pervasiveness of sin.

Describing what goes on in the cafeteria or the lunchroom at your office.

15:18 - 15:23 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first specific application of the second taproot is manifesting genuine love for all men. Martin contrasts the loveless, self-centered nature of society (Titus 3:3, Romans 1…

The metaphor from Romans 3:13, 'Their throat is an open sepulcher,' vividly conveys the stench and corruption of loveless speech.

Notice how concrete he gets in verse 13. Their throat is an open sepulcher. What happens when you go to an open sepulcher? You smell the stench of rotting flesh.

15:58 - 16:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin emphasizes that this love must extend even to enemies, citing Jesus' commands in Luke 6:27-33. He warns that without love, even eloquent speech becomes 'sounding brass or a…

The imagery of whacking a brass bar or banging a spoon on a garbage can lid illustrates how eloquent speech without love is not 'music' to the ears of the unsaved.

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, I speak revelatory data, and I speak it in supernatural ways, but have not love, I become sounding brass. I become like a piece of brass or a hunk of copper that someone is whacking on with a stick. Or like a clanging cymbal, like that neighbor's kid that thinks he's leading a parade band down 8th Avenue on Thanksgiving Day, and he's got the top of a metal garbage can. And he's got a spoon, and he's a-whacking away in a pow, pow, pow, pow. That ain't music, folks.

25:14 - 25:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Be filled with the Spirit continually to produce the fruit of love, and consciously work in every situation, asking 'what would love do?' and then doing it.

This example illustrates 'love suffers long,' showing how a believer's patience in the face of provocation can lead an unbeliever to inquire about their faith.

Whacking on your brass bar and banging with a spoon on the tin top of a garbage can, that's not music. You want the gospel to be music. Let it come out of a life suffused with the love of God. Let it come from a life that exudes that love. And what will that love look like? It's very interesting when Paul goes on to say, I'm not going to love you. I'm not going to love you. I'm not going to love you. And I'll describe it. Verses 4 to 7. Love suffers long. What's that mean? It means somebody's doing something that makes you suffer, and you put up with it for a long time. That office partner tha...

25:53 - 26:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Be filled with the Spirit continually to produce the fruit of love, and consciously work in every situation, asking 'what would love do?' and then doing it.

This simple act of kindness, like opening a door for someone with full arms or helping an elderly person, illustrates how love looks for little things to do for others.

for little things that you can do. To indicate you're outside the orbit of your self-absorption. You see that someone else has got his or her arms filled with a stack of papers and other things and making his or her way to a door in the office complex, and you're going to open the door for them. Kindness. Kindness. See an old woman in the doctor's office struggling to get, you're up out of your seat, you help her with her coat. Kindness. Love is kind. Kind. Kind. Kind.

27:53 - 28:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin argues that Jesus was a joyful man, citing John 15:11 and 17:13, and quotes Octavius Winslow to refute the idea of a joyless Christ. He asserts that believers, having…

A lengthy quote from Winslow's 'The Sympathy of Christ' refutes the idea that Christ was never seen to smile, arguing that He was a man of joy as well as sorrow, and that His joy would have been evident in His countenance.

Let me read this quote. I hope I read it in such a way that it doesn't sound red. It's a frequently quoted remark of one of the church fathers that Christ was often seen to weep but never once to smile. We doubt both the correctness and the wisdom of the statement.

40:23 - 40:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Nehemiah's experience (Nehemiah 2:1-2) is used to illustrate how prevailing joy registers on one's countenance, making sadness an exception. David's prayer for restored joy (Psalm…

Nehemiah's sadness, noticed by King Artaxerxes, serves as an illustration that his usual countenance was joyful, making the sadness an exception and highlighting the importance of prevailing joy.

And then my mind went back to the book of Nehemiah. Remember Nehemiah's experience? Here's a case where a man's sad face was a vital link in the deliverance of God's people. You remember?

44:35 - 44:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God to be filled with the Holy Spirit for new measures of His joy.

Martin shares his personal testimony of experiencing supernatural joy through deep and crushing trials, attributing it to the Holy Spirit rather than his own effort, to encourage believers.

Isn't that the way you'd reason? It's all right for people to reason that way. It's the truth. And so I'm saying, dear people, in spite of the problems, and I'm not speaking to you like someone who's been wrapped up by God in a cocoon without deep and crushing trials, but I believe you can testify you've seen a supernatural joy in this old man through it all.

48:13 - 48:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Live a life of conscientious conformity to the specific ethical norms of the Word of God in all relationships and circumstances.

A quote from Martin Luther's commentary on Galatians emphasizes God's pleasure in happiness and commands to rejoice, linking inward faith with outward joyful expression.

But I got tickled pink reading his comments in his commentary on Galatians on the fruit of the Spirit. Listen to Martin Luther. This is the voice of the bridegroom and the bride. It means joyful thoughts about Christ, wholesome exhortations, happy songs, praise and thanksgiving, with which godly people exhort, arouse, and refresh one another.

51:22 - 51:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Live a life of conscientious conformity to the specific ethical norms of the Word of God in all relationships and circumstances.

The anecdote of a Puritan explaining his 'precise life' by saying, 'Because, Sir, I serve a precise God,' illustrates the commitment to conscientious conformity to God's specific ethical norms.

What the old writers called, as I mentioned earlier, a life of universal obedience. Someone questioned a Puritan at one time and said, Sir, why do you live such a precise life? Why do you live such a precise life? Everywhere you turn, you're thinking, what does God want me to do?

53:48 - 54:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because, Sir, I serve a precise God.

A paraphrased quote from Martin Luther about loyalty being tested where the 'battle rages' is used to emphasize that believers must manifest conformity to ethical norms precisely where society attacks them most viciously.

God has not given us just some broad stroke generics of ethical norms. And what I am saying is that if we would have a compelling witness to the unconverted with whom we have opportunity for some sustained interaction, this second taproot, a life that has internalized and is manifesting the transforming power of the Gospel, will be a life of conscientious conformity to these ethical norms of the Word of God. It will not only be a life of love to all men, a life of prevailing joy and cheerfulness, but a life marked by conscientious conformity to the ethical norms of the Word of God. And I want ...

55:03 - 56:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Husbands, relate to your wives in a way that blows the mind of the unconverted, exuding mutual concern, love, sensitivity, and tenderness.

Martin recounts a conversation with a cynical stewardess who was surprised by his 25-year faithful marriage, illustrating how a godly marriage can 'blow the mind of the unconverted' and open doors for gospel witness.

It must be precisely at those points where Cretans are notorious for their sins. And so with us, and I want to very quickly, and that's all I can do, touch on five areas where by God's grace, dear fellow church members, brothers and sisters in Christ, we must manifest conscientious conformity to the ethical norms of the word of God. Number one, in the matter of the ethical norms for marriage and the family, I don't need to stand up here and tell you of the tremendous breakdown of marriage, the tremendous breakdown of family life. And if ever we're going to have compelling, conscious, dripping ...

58:24 - 59:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Husbands, relate to your wives in a way that blows the mind of the unconverted, exuding mutual concern, love, sensitivity, and tenderness.

Martin shares how interactions with the medical community, observing his relationship with his wife, provided opportunities to explain that their mutual concern and love were 'because of the grace of God.'

Many, many times, as people have observed my wife and me, particularly in the last six years, with all the interaction with the medical community, and saw the relationship, they'd make inquiry and they'd comment upon it. And it gave opportunities to say, this is because of the grace of God. This is what the gospel has done to give us this kind of relationship that exudes mutual concern and love and sensitivity and tenderness. I can remember when my son was a little boy, I used to take him with me when I'd go on hospital visits.

59:57 - 60:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not slough off in your commitment to meticulous concern for domestic godliness, including the training and discipline of children.

Martin tells of his young son sitting quietly with a book in a hospital waiting room, which gave opportunity to speak of the grace of God in training children, illustrating the light of domestic godliness.

And I'd go to the desk and tell the gal there, this is before you had to be as afraid of things as you do today. I'd say, my son's going to sit there in the waiting room with a book. Just keep an eye on him. I said, he'll be fine.

60:37 - 60:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not let the world take the keen edge off your commitment to sexual purity; recoil in horror from sin and maintain emotional aversion to it.

Martin recounts being called 'sick' by another pastor for having his wife censor Time Magazine, illustrating the erosion of moral purity even among Christians and the need for meticulous guarding against sin.

You'd laugh and say no way. Then there's the erosion. You'll be called a prude by a lot of Christian people. One man called me sick when he found out years ago when we got Time Magazine and I said at a conference, a pastor's conference, I had my wife censor my Time Magazine.

63:55 - 64:20 Read in full sermon