Kingship of Christ in Romans 14:9

Even in one's 60s or 70s, no one grows weary of a blue sky and the lush green of early summer trees — how much more should the believer never tire of gazing on the glory of Christ.

I should like to begin our study of the Word of God this morning with asking a question of each of you, and I believe it is a legitimate question, for to my knowledge none of you present here this morning has been deprived of the faculty of sight, and so I speak to men and women and boys and girls who have eyes that function. You may have to have the help of glasses, as some of us do, and for each one of you who can see My question is this. Did you find it either difficult or wearisome to drink in the beauty of this summer morning? Did you find it either difficult or wearisome to find delight ...

0:04 - 1:00 Read in full sermon

Pastor Martin notes that the same tension Paul addressed in Rome is alive in his own congregation — some would love the elders to outlaw practices they find troubling; others would force their liberty on the scrupulous.

And human nature is no different. It's one of the things we continually wrestle with in this assembly. There are some of you, if you had your way, there are certain practices indulged in by certain of your brothers and sisters that you would completely strip those practices from their life forever and you'd love it if the elders would make a ruling saying such and such and such and such is a no-no. Oh, you would love it if that were true. There are others of you You look at some in the assembly and you say, it just galls me that they don't understand that God hasn't put those things as out of ...

14:16 - 15:13 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Paul does not have one exhortation to make Christ Lord. He says He is Lord.

Telling a man 'I want you to join the army' is one thing; telling him 'you're in the army — now shape up to the code book' is another. Paul never exhorts believers to make Christ Lord; he tells them He already is.

Not once is he found exhorting people who believe to submit. No, his exhortations are based upon the reality of the submission and are calculated to give directions concerning the implications of that submission. See the difference? You come to one guy and say, hey man, I'd like to get you to join the army. That's one thing. It's another thing to say, hey look man, you're in the army. Shape up and act according to the rules and regulations of the code book.

36:10 - 36:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not let anyone call you a legalist for taking Christ's word seriously in every area — real legalism is seeking acceptance through works, not loving submission to the King.

A brother in another church told Pastor Martin that every time he sought to take God's word seriously he was labeled a legalist — Pastor Martin denies legalism is obedience and redefines it as seeking acceptance through works.

And when pressed by the Scriptures, as some dear believer broke his heart to me just recently, said every time I speak to my fellow Christians in my church, it was nowhere in this immediate area, he said, I get told, you're a legalist, you're a legalist, you're a legalist. This person is as far from the legalist as night from day. He's just someone to whom Christ's Word is ruled.

38:09 - 38:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Contemplate Christ's kingship not in light of the preacher but in light of the agonies of the Son of God — it was a saving sight of His cross that will bring your heart to His throne.

The devil breathes into every sinner's innermost ear that Christ's yoke is hard and unreasonable — but the One who selflessly bore the cross cannot lay a cruel yoke upon those He bids come.

might be pardoned, you could not but fall at his feet and say, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? What a lie the devil's breathed into your innermost ear, saying his yoke is not easy, it's hard, his burden is unreasonable. My friends, can the one who so selflessly gave himself to death upon the cross

48:51 - 49:17 Read in full sermon