The Fear of God is Foundational

The point: Cultivate a family climate marked by spiritual reality and transparency, as opposed to hypocrisy, as a prerequisite for effective child training.

The overall spiritual and emotional climate of a family is likened to either a healthy atmosphere, promoting good health, or one filled with noxious gases like radon and asbestos, causing invisible but real harm. This illustrates the profound impact of the home's environment on children's spiritual and emotional well-being.

precisely where we are in our study. And then to carry on in this new unit of our study. We began our study by focusing our attention on the issue of what I call the overall spiritual and emotional climate of our families. We had occasion to underscore the fact that what we might call the overall emotional and spiritual climate of the home can be likened either to a healthy atmosphere in which those who breathe what is in that atmosphere continue in a state of good health, or there are

1:27 - 2:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate and maintain an emotional climate of warmth, closeness, acceptance, and goodwill in the home, both between spouses and between parents and children.

Martin uses the popular detective character Dick Tracy to assure listeners that his previous personal illustration was generalized to prevent anyone from trying to identify the specific family involved, maintaining anonymity.

I've spoken in the most general terms so that none of you can sit there and play Dick Tracy and try to figure out who I'm talking about. Well, having then dealt with this matter of the emotional climate of the home and the spiritual climate that must be maintained by the grace of God, we then began to focus on the two great means that God has put at our disposal for the nurture of our children. And according to Ephesians 6, 4, those two means are chastening and admonition. And after doing a mini-word study on chastening or training or discipline, we saw that in that particular context where it...

5:28 - 6:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Sweetly, lovingly, politely, but resolutely refuse instruction from any 'guru' that contradicts what God says about admonition in the Bible.

The Bible is described as its 'own self-interpreting body of revelation,' emphasizing that its meaning should be derived from within itself, not from external 'gurus' or experts, regardless of their credentials.

which Trench refers to the laws and ordinances of the Christian household, the transgression of which will induce correction, whereas instruction or admonition is training by word, by the word of encouragement when this is sufficient, but by that word of remonstrance or reproof or blame where these may be required. So if God has given us this means, we better know what it is, So if God has given us this means, we better know what it is, and know what it is from our Bibles, not from the experts. The Bible is its own self-interpreting body of revelation, and don't allow any guru, regardless of h...

10:27 - 11:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin leads a rapid survey through Proverbs, demonstrating how the fear of God is either explicitly stated or implicitly assumed as the conditioning element in all admonitions…

Martin uses the imagery of the Indy 500 race and buckling mental seatbelts to describe the rapid, cumulative survey through the book of Proverbs. This conveys the intensity and speed of the upcoming scriptural exposition, aiming for listeners to feel the pervasive effect of the fear of God.

Now, what I want us to do, since I did my homework assignment twice, is to take the book of Proverbs, open up our Bibles in our laps, and we're going to buckle our mental seat bolts. And with the Indy 500, I think it comes off on Memorial Day proper, and it's in the minds of some. I don't know any among us who are racing fanatics. I'm certainly not one of them.

23:00 - 23:27 Read in full sermon

Driving home: A law is a principle of action created by someone and imposed upon someone or something. The laws of nature are God's own footsteps through His world. And they are predictable because God is predictable.

The 'so-called laws of nature' are described as 'God's own footsteps through His world,' emphasizing that they are not autonomous but are principles of action created and imposed by God, reflecting His predictable character.

He didn't teach His son that the laws of nature are such and such. No. As someone said the so-called laws of nature. Who made them?

30:54 - 31:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin leads a rapid survey through Proverbs, demonstrating how the fear of God is either explicitly stated or implicitly assumed as the conditioning element in all admonitions…

When discussing Proverbs 5:21 and avoiding the immoral woman, Martin uses the vivid example of a 'peach show on 42nd Street' to illustrate a place of temptation, emphasizing that God's eyes see even in such places.

the word of God. The ways of a man, and in the context, the ways of a man are what you do in your sex life. That's the context. The ways of a man when he goes by the door of the house of the immoral woman, verse 8, the ways of a man are before the eyes of Jehovah. Son, if you're tempted to go by the peach show on

34:24 - 34:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow others to push your daughters 'on the way to hell by careless remarks' about their cuteness; gently intervene to prevent the fostering of 'haughty eyes' and pride.

Martin uses the example of a 'cute little daughter' being praised by others to illustrate how careless remarks can inadvertently cooperate with the devil in fostering 'haughty eyes' and pride, which God hates according to Proverbs 6:16.

Yea, seven that are an abomination unto him. Haughty eyes. You've got a little daughter. Everybody tells him, oh, you're so cute. Don't let people push your daughters on the way to hell by careless remarks in their presence of how cute they are. Take the people aside and say, look, I'm glad you're so cute.

36:20 - 36:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Teach children not to lie because 'God hates lies,' grounding moral instruction in God's character rather than social consequences.

When discussing lying, Martin contrasts a humanistic approach ('if you're a liar, nobody will trust you') with a God-centered one ('when you lie, you do that which God hates'), highlighting the difference in motivation for moral behavior.

You see how he's doing this? You see how he's doing this? You see how he's doing this? you bring the fear of god you just don't say if you're a liar nobody will trust you if you're a liar nobody no when you lie you do that which god hates the fear of god is brought into this specific conditioning of the conscience of the son with respect to moral and ethical issues chapter 7 verse 27 got to step down in the accelerator if we're going to get through here's a whole chapter given over to solomon's observation of the naive young man who is taken in by an older experienced

37:12 - 37:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Teach children not to lie because 'God hates lies,' grounding moral instruction in God's character rather than social consequences.

Martin recounts Solomon's observation in Proverbs 7 of a naive young man seduced by an older, experienced, married nymphomaniac. This detailed narrative illustrates the dangers of immorality and how Solomon roots the warning in the fear of God by stating her house is the 'portal to hell.'

married woman this is not a professional harlot in that sense she's not asking for money she says the man's gone away on a business trip and won't be back till the new moon she's an older experienced nymphomaniac a married woman not content with her one husband and she takes the naive young man fascinated with sex and in his naivety he goes into her snare and what's the end of it look how solomon ends her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death if all the other things my

37:50 - 38:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Teach economic and fiscal honesty by emphasizing that 'honesty brings the smile of God' and 'lack of honesty brings the frown of God,' rather than merely stating 'honesty is the best policy.'

Martin illustrates Proverbs 11:1 with the story of a candy shop owner who shaves a few grams off his one-pound weight. This vivid example shows how God's eye sees and abominates even small acts of dishonesty, emphasizing that no area of life is hidden from God's character and judgment.

to Jehovah, but a just weight is his delight. Here the man is operating a little candy shop and he's...

43:05 - 43:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Teach humility by emphasizing that 'everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to Jehovah,' recognizing that God sees inward pride even in outwardly humble people.

Martin uses the common phrase 'proud as the devil' and the image of strutting 'like a peacock' to describe outward pride, but then contrasts it with inwardly proud people who 'labor at living the lie that they're humble,' emphasizing that God sees the heart.

not glorify him by being his obedient subject rather than glorify him by being an eternal monument of his righteous anger and his righteous wrath against the sinner but you won't escape God God has made everything for its own end even the wicked for the day of evil and when you're tempted to be puffed up and proud what's the greatest antidote to pride everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to Jehovah what are you proud about proud of face proud of race proud of grace proud of ability what are you proud about what are you arrogating to yourself that belongs only to God what praise wh...

50:13 - 50:56 Read in full sermon