Scripture/Catechetical Memorization; Bodily Stewardship

The point: As spiritual husbandmen, put the seed of the word of God into the soil of the minds of our children.

Martin uses the biblical imagery of 'sperma' (seed) from 1 Peter 1:23 to describe planting the word of God in children's minds, initially considering 'impregnating their minds with the sperm of spiritual life' but opting for 'seed of divine life' to avoid offense, illustrating the life-giving power of Scripture.

1 Peter 1.23, having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God. And because of that biblical language, which is sperma, I was going to use, we ought to impregnate their minds with the sperm of spiritual life, and that would be biblical. But thinking some of you might be offended, even at biblical imagery, I chose to say you're planting in their minds the seed of divine life.

7:05 - 7:36 Read in full sermon

The point: As spiritual husbandmen, put the seed of the word of God into the soil of the minds of our children.

He compares planting the seed of God's word in children's minds to planting a seed in the earth, emphasizing that just as humans cannot make a physical seed germinate, they cannot make the spiritual seed come to life; only God can, highlighting human responsibility to sow and God's sovereignty in giving life.

We are making the seed come to life. I didn't say that. We can't do that. Any more than we have the power to make life come out of a seed that's placed in the earth.

8:24 - 8:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not make excuses for not engaging in Scripture memorization; the materials are available, and the lack is in conviction and discipline.

Martin contrasts leaving children a meager physical inheritance (threadbare clothes, false teeth) with leaving them a legacy of God's word stored in their hearts, arguing that the latter is an 'inestimable treasure' far surpassing any material wealth, underscoring the eternal value of Scripture memorization.

God may so order your life that the only inheritance you may leave to your children is your threadbare clothes in the closet and your false teeth in the chopper hopper. But if you leave them a legacy of having established a framework of storing up the word of God in their hearts, you have done more than the person who leaves them a marvelous estate that causes them to be set for life. The law of thy mouth is better than thousands of gold and of silver. Do not deprive your children then of the manifold benefits of scripture memorization. You say, Pastor, I don't know how to go about it. See Tom...

14:50 - 15:42 Read in full sermon

The point: For those converted out of pagan backgrounds, get a copy of the Baptist version of the Shorter Catechism and start memorizing it as part of your own devotions to gain a comprehensive overview of systematic theology.

He uses the analogy of caricaturing a person's face (like Nixon's nose or Bob Hope's nose) versus seeing a face in its proper proportion and beauty. This illustrates that without systematic theology, one has a grotesque or distorted concept of God's truth, whereas catechisms provide a 'beautiful face of God's truth' in due proportion.

You're planting in the minds of your children statements of the central issues of biblical revelation that are precise. Secondly, you are planting in their minds a comprehensive overview of the central issues of theology. You are planting in their minds a comprehensive overview of the central issues of theology. True systematic theology rooted in the Bible is simply an attempt to extract the beautiful face of God's truth and to identify the two eyes and the nose and the ears and the hair and the neck and the mouth and to see the face of truth in all of its native beauty. Without systematic the...

22:33 - 23:32 Read in full sermon

The point: For those converted out of pagan backgrounds, get a copy of the Baptist version of the Shorter Catechism and start memorizing it as part of your own devotions to gain a comprehensive overview of systematic theology.

Martin describes the historical development of doctrinal understanding as a pendulum swinging back and forth, gradually coming to rest on the precise articulation of truth. This illustrates how catechisms embody the richness of what the people of God have come to understand on major truths like the person of Christ or justification, immunizing minds against error.

By catechetical instruction you are immunizing their minds against erroneous and heretical notions. You are immunizing their minds against erroneous and heretical notions. Most catechisms have been framed with the awareness that a precise understanding of any major truth of the Bible has not been arrived at in a straight line. The Spirit of God working in the people of God has led them to come to that truth often like this.

25:29 - 26:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That is anti-God and anti-Bible and anti-Christ and anti-truth. And so is every other form of so-called holistic medicine that promises perfect health. And the health, wealth and prosperity gospel falls in the same categ…

He cites certain schools of chiropractic thought that believe perfect health is locked in the spinal column and can be fully released, promising perfect health. This serves as an example of an 'anti-biblical and anti-God' humanistic idea of health, contrasting it with a biblical view that acknowledges the fallen world.

I didn't say that. Honestly. Tape will prove it. But I can prove, if I wanted to take the time, that certain schools of chiropractic thought believe that perfect health is locked up in your spinal column.

33:43 - 34:00 Read in full sermon

The point: When children embrace Christ, teach them that their body is not their own but was bought with a price, and they are to glorify God in it.

Martin critiques common artistic depictions of Jesus as 'pale, anemic Christs,' arguing that they should be abolished from imagination. This illustrates his point that Jesus grew into a 'strong, impressive, commanding figure,' emphasizing the importance of physical stature and strength as part of his development for ministry.

He kept attaining more and more of it. We refer to helikia, to bodily stature, not to age, for it need not be said that he grew older. That's self-evident. Most of the pictures of Jesus are too weak.

38:02 - 38:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Instruct your children in the principles of good nutrition, warning of the sins of gluttony and self-starvation, and the consequences of gross deprivation of concern for these matters.

He quotes Adele Davis's cliché, 'you are what you eat,' acknowledging its theological inaccuracy but practical helpfulness. This illustrates the direct connection between diet and bodily health, reinforcing the need for good eating habits and nutrition instruction for children.

So God says, write down to the lowest, most crassly, carnal, not in the sense of evil, but fleshly exercises of eating and drinking, or whatsoever you do, all the way out to the most noble, elevated exercises of mind and heart, do all to the glory of God. Well, how then can God be glorified in the eating and the drinking of our children if we leave them ignorant of established patterns of good eating, instructing them in the principles of good nutrition, warning of the sins of gluttony and self-starvation, and we need both warnings in our day, warning them of the consequences of gross deprivat...

42:21 - 43:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Establish good eating habits for your children, including stated meal times and avoiding constant snacking, to prevent them from finding refuge in food as adults.

Martin describes adults who find refuge in food, calling it 'the pacifier they never throw away.' This metaphor illustrates the negative consequences of not establishing good eating patterns in childhood, leading to unhealthy emotional reliance on food.

in good eating habits, stated meal times, no snacky-snacky-snacky all day. Or when they become adults, they become people who find their refuge in food, and their food becomes the pacifier they never throw away. Your child is not hungry all day, but if you let him, he may snacky-snacky-snacky all day, you must establish the eating patterns of that child. And then as they get older, you must instruct them in the principles of good nutrition.

43:50 - 44:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Work with your children in establishing good patterns of physical exercise by example and then by precept and structure, focusing on strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular conditioning.

He uses the examples of Arnold Schwarzenegger (for strength) and a 'wheezing pack mule' (for lack of stamina) to illustrate the benefits of physical exercise. This highlights that developing strength and cardiovascular conditioning allows a man to have a commanding bearing and endure demanding work, thereby glorifying God.

Strength, flexibility, cardiovascular conditioning. Now, am I saying we want to see every man become an Arnold Schwarzenegger? No, I'm not saying that at all. But what I am saying is that if a man is to be able to have a commanding bearing and demeanor, if he can add to the girth of his arms and his chest by some regular strength and some regular exercise and add to his ability to put out in demanding work for hours at a time without being like an old wheezing pack mule ready to go to the glue factory, then does it not glorify God?

48:18 - 49:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Impart to your children a biblical view of rest, teaching them that naps and sufficient sleep are necessary for renewed strength for responsibilities, not as an indulgence of sloth.

The story of Elijah being discouraged and God addressing his exhaustion by putting him to sleep and feeding him is used. This illustrates that God often attends to physical needs like rest before dealing with spiritual needs, underscoring the importance of rest for overall well-being.

When he was discouraged, God saw that the state of his heart and psyche was due in great part to his exhaustion. So he put him to sleep, woke him up, fed him, let him go back to sleep. And only when he was rested did he then start dealing with his spiritual need. Well, in the two minutes that remain, medical assistance.

51:14 - 51:33 Read in full sermon