Goals of This Study

Pastor Martin opens with a dramatic narrative retelling of Luther being summoned before emperor, lords, bishops, and prelates, pointed to a pile of twenty books, and asked if he will retract.

It is the month of April in the year 1521 A.D. A young monk of the Augustinian order of monks has been summoned to appear before a very august body of men. In that group of men there will be an emperor, there will be what we would call lords.

0:00 - 0:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: For Luther, the Augustinian monk, the Bible was not a book which merely found residence in his intellect.

Martin recalls the scene in the old Martin Luther film where the camera zoomed in on Luther declaring 'Here I stand' and 'the jowls of the man acting the part of Luther shake' — leaving an indelible impression on him.

I can do no other. So help me, God. Amen. If any of you have seen the film Martin Luther that was made popular some 15 years or so ago, you will never forget, at least I hope you never forget, when they zoomed in on the Augustinian monk Luther, when he says the words, Here I stand, so help me God, and the jowls of the man acting the part of Luther shake, and something happens to the soul of a child of God that leaves an indelible impression.

3:06 - 3:44 Read in full sermon

Categories of hearers (old-timers, newcomers, onlookers) are like dividing the human body into head, torso, and limbs — not exhaustive or elegant, but useful for handling.

issue. You may say legitimately the human body is comprised of a head, of a torso, and its limbs. Now you may break down any of those divisions. The head has ears, has eyes, has nose, has mouth.

13:46 - 14:03 Read in full sermon

The church's life is pictured as a human life — conception nine years ago, birth, and now the 'adolescent stage' — the natural point for a confirmation.

Yes. And there are among us those old timers, some not so old in chronological age, some who are. but they've been with this thing may I use the analogy from its conception to its birth into now what we might call the adolescent stage of the Trinity Church now that's what I have in mind when I say old timers and then there's a second category is the newcomers those whom the Lord has been pleased to save and add to this assembly in the past few years many of whom come from a totally non-Christian background in which everything has hit you all at once.

16:27 - 17:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Master the table of contents of any serious theological book before reading — and read the fine-print chapter synopses in authors like Owen and Sibbes.

The series will be like a book's table of contents — Martin urges readers of Owen and Sibbes to master the chapter synopses in the fine print because 'that's giving you the distilled essence.'

feed my lambs Paul says I could not give you meat but I had to give you milk And the best way one of the best ways to learn any subject is first of all to back off from the details of that subject and catch the main pivots upon which the whole subject turns Do you read the table of contents in a book before you read it? Don't skip over the table of contents. Master it. That will tell you where the author is going and where he hopes to be when he's done with you.

28:40 - 29:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Master the table of contents of any serious theological book before reading — and read the fine-print chapter synopses in authors like Owen and Sibbes.

The series is like opening the Rand McNally Atlas to the overview map of the whole United States rather than zooming into a single state or city — seeing the shape of the whole thing in relationship.

And you'll have the sense, not of creature pride, I trust, but a sense of satisfaction that you've done what the Scripture says. You have given a reason of the hope that is in you. You've given an intelligent, well-thought-out structure of your faith and of your life in the Church of Christ. to use another illustration there are times when I take down my Rand McNally Atlas and all I do is I look at the first map at the beginning which is a map of all of the United States I want to see certain things in relationship I see the whole United States in front of me then some preacher writes me and s...

31:12 - 31:58 Read in full sermon

We will see Route 80 as a whole from the George Washington Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge, not trace it through Pennsylvania and Ohio in detail.

All right? So you see that Route 80 starts at the George Washington Bridge and ends up at the Golden Gate Bridge, I think, doesn't it? You guys that went to California. So we're not going to look at Route 80 as it goes through Pennsylvania, as it goes through Ohio.

32:34 - 32:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Be immunized against error by deep and constant exposure to the truth — pursue experimental (epignosis), not bare, knowledge of God.

Paul's warning to the Ephesian elders is pictured vividly — the moment a sheep breaks just a little away from the safety of the pack, the wolf takes it.

Wherefore, watch ye. You get the picture? As Paul contemplates leaving that assembly, knowing that he'll not be able to bear any direct influence, he pictures that assembly as a flock of sheep. And as he contemplates them as the flock of sheep, he said, I'll not be long gone when wolves will begin to seek to come and take that sheep that's broken just a little bit away from the safety of the pack of the whole flock of sheep.

45:38 - 46:09 Read in full sermon