How Can a Church Grieve the Holy Spirit? (2)

Ephesians 4:30 Holy Spirit

In the second part of his sermon "How Can a Church Grieve the Holy Spirit?", Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds on Isaiah 63:7-10 and Ephesians 4:30, focusing on how a church grieves the Holy Spirit by failing to give the Scriptures their rightful supremacy. He argues that the Holy Spirit, as the divine author and Spirit of Truth, is deeply offended when His written Word is ignored, rejected, or replaced by human traditions and eloquence. Martin applies this by exhorting the church to never ignore or arrogantly reject biblical doctrine, to permit nothing unsanctioned by Scripture in corporate worship, and to maintain a scripturally saturated ministry.

3 illustrations in this sermon

Introduction: The Grieving of the Holy Spirit in the Church

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Garden and Aviary Analogy

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin begins by reading Isaiah 63:7-10 and Ephesians 4:30, then uses an extended analogy of a once-fragrant garden and aviary rendered lifeless by a toxic spray to…

An extended analogy of a beautiful, fragrant garden and aviary, later rendered odorless and silent by an invisible, life-killing spray, is used to illustrate how a church can maintain the outward appearance of life but lose its spiritual vitality when the Holy Spirit is grieved and withdraws.

and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on us, and we are almost stunned by the exquisiteness of the mingled odors of those rare flowers.

3:18 - 3:58 Read in full sermon

Application 1: Do Not Ignore or Arrogantly Reject Scripture's Doctrine

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Coffee Mug and Atlantic Ocean

The point: Do not in any way subject the Holy Spirit's mind in Scripture to human pride.

The analogy of a coffee mug holding a portion of the Atlantic Ocean but not its entirety is used to illustrate the folly of human pride attempting to contain or fully comprehend God's infinite mind and truth.

people, may we never, never in human pride willfully ignore anything in the Scriptures that should be part of that which we call the doctrine we embrace and humbly confess to be God's truth. You see, you may go down to the Jersey Shore with your mother and a mug that you drink your coffee in and you may dip it into the surge and bring it out and say my mug is full of the Atlantic Ocean. That would be true. But oh what a fool you'd be to say my mug contains the whole of the Atlantic Ocean.

48:00 - 48:43 Read in full sermon

Application 2: Permit Nothing Unsanctioned by Scripture in Worship

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Israel's Weariness of Manna

The point: Resist the pressure to be regulated by human traditions or consensus of men.

The historical example of ancient Israel growing weary of God's manna in the wilderness is used to illustrate how churches can grow tired of God's 'plain-jane institutions' (Bible reading, prayer, hymns) and seek human substitutes, thereby grieving the Spirit.

You know what God's manna is? His own institutions by which He has ordained to feed our souls. That's what manna was to the wilderness generation, was it not? It was God's own uniquely fully balanced diet sent down every morning six days a week in double portion on the sixth day so they could have enough for their Sabbath.

52:02 - 52:29 Read in full sermon

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