The Purpose of the Church (Ehp. 3:14-21)

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Ephesians 3:21 as the primary text, explaining its significance as the church's cornerstone verse. He details the context of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-20…

Martin recounts choosing Ephesians 3:21 to be etched on the church's cornerstone in 1985, intending it to communicate the church's central purpose to visitors and future generations.

Well we're going to look together, first of all, at what I've indicated I will call the primary text. Now it happens to be the very text etched in stone on the commemorative stone, or, if you want to loosely use the term, cornerstone of this building. I hope, at least once a year, you pause to the left of the entrance to the lower foyer and see that stone and read the text on it. The elders and deacons gave me liberty to choose a text.

11:45 - 12:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Ephesians 3:21 as the primary text, explaining its significance as the church's cornerstone verse. He details the context of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-20…

Martin describes Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 as a 'Matterhorn,' a towering spiritual peak that he is only 'crawling around, clawing at the base of it,' to convey its immense and dizzying spiritual heights.

Let us pray that we may experience it in His grace. And as I indicated a few weeks ago, in making this text, in reference to this prayer, it is one that I still feel is a matterhorn. And that I'm just crawling around, clawing at the base of it, trying somehow to begin to come to the dizzying heights of this prayer. He says that he's bowing his knees to the Father.

14:51 - 15:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God who is determined to reveal His glory has chosen that in the fall of man and in the redemption of a people out of fallen humanity He would display facets of His character that would not be so fully displayed in any o…

Martin quotes Samuel Davies' hymn 'Great God of Wonders' and contrasts the original, which emphasizes the unrivaled glory of God's grace, with an altered version in their hymn book, to highlight the unique glory of redemptive grace.

at least I've pointed the finger in the direction of what the verse is saying and if it's saying anything it's saying that the grand the supreme the unrivaled the overarching purpose of the church is to be to glorify the God of the scriptures to glorify Him in the light of all that God has revealed in the person and work of His Son the Lord Jesus as I was trying to think of a hymn that expressed this I thought of Samuel Davy's hymn that's in our hymn book Great God of Wonders all Thy ways

31:43 - 32:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents 1 Peter 4:10-11 as a secondary text, arguing that the exercise of spiritual gifts (speaking and serving) within the church is ultimately 'in order that in all…

Martin uses the analogy of a 'blanket factory' in the heart to describe how fervent love covers the 'foibles, shortcomings, the petty sins' of brethren, illustrating the practical outcome of 1 Peter 4:8.

opening their homes and their tables one to another using their gifts as good stewards that they might minister one to another Peter what end do you have in view of all of this well someone would say well it's obvious you want to have a happy church well you will have a happy church any group of God's people that takes this seriously and internalizes it by the Holy Ghost is going to be a happy place people are falling over one another to forgive one another they'll go and say you know I'm sorry I think I offended you and they'll say what are you talking about offend me that thing that wouldn't...

39:00 - 39:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents 1 Peter 4:10-11 as a secondary text, arguing that the exercise of spiritual gifts (speaking and serving) within the church is ultimately 'in order that in all…

Martin uses the metaphor of being 'one huge big swollen red toe' to describe people who are easily offended by everything, contrasting them with those whose love covers sins.

opening their homes and their tables one to another using their gifts as good stewards that they might minister one to another Peter what end do you have in view of all of this well someone would say well it's obvious you want to have a happy church well you will have a happy church any group of God's people that takes this seriously and internalizes it by the Holy Ghost is going to be a happy place people are falling over one another to forgive one another they'll go and say you know I'm sorry I think I offended you and they'll say what are you talking about offend me that thing that wouldn't...

39:00 - 39:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Never allow any other purpose to rival or replace the supreme and all-embracing purpose of glorifying God for this church.

Martin compares a church that allows other purposes to rival God's glory to 'a ship on an uncharted sea, with its rudder bands cut and no compass on board,' illustrating the danger of losing its divine direction.

And you, the rising generation. In the name of Christ, I charge you. Never, never to allow any other purpose to rival or to replace this supreme and all-embracing purpose for this church. When a church allows any other purpose to rival or replace this one, that church becomes like a ship on an uncharted sea, with its rudder bands cut and no compass on board.

54:06 - 54:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of allowing 'needs' to become the primary purpose of the church, as the church exists primarily for God, not man.

Martin alludes to Christ's warning to churches in Revelation, 'I'll remove your lampstand,' to emphasize the severe consequence of abandoning the supreme purpose of glorifying God.

It'll go wherever it is blown. Any purpose comes in no matter how noble, no matter how useful or successful. Such is too dearly bought at the price of the erosion of the glory of God. And I warn you of the four ends that are causing Christ to say to more than one church, in our day, I'll remove your lampstand.

54:44 - 55:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of allowing 'needs' to become the primary purpose of the church, as the church exists primarily for God, not man.

Martin gives an example of someone seeking 'psychological identity' and having a 'bruised ego' as their 'hurt,' contrasting it with the true hurt of 'sin and alienation,' to illustrate how a 'needs-based' church can misdiagnose and misaddress people's real problems.

And the needs we exist to meet are the needs people think they have. A slogan of much church growth in our day is find the hurt and heal it. And someone comes and says I'm hurting because I don't have psychological identity. Tell me something that will stroke my self-esteem.

56:25 - 56:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of ever letting 'numbers' be your purpose for the church.

Martin describes the common experience of being asked 'how many people in your congregation?' when identified as a pastor, using it to illustrate the societal pressure to prioritize 'numbers' over God's glory.

What's the first question they ask? And how many people in your congregation? Now I try to be sweet and respond but more than once I've been tempted to ask what difference does it make? If you ask Jesus in John 6 at the first of the chapter how many people in your congregation?

57:30 - 57:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of ever letting 'numbers' be your purpose for the church.

Martin uses the example of Jesus's changing number of followers in John 6 (thousands to twelve) to demonstrate that 'numbers' are not the ultimate measure of a church's success or purpose.

He'd say thousands. A little while later how many people in your congregation Jesus? He says twelve and I'm not sure about them. Will you also go away?

57:46 - 57:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of the promotion of big personalities and 'names' in the church; it is Christ's church.

Martin uses the example of people referring to 'Pastor Martin's church' to illustrate the danger of promoting 'names' and personalities over Christ's ownership of the church.

I get so sick and tired of the promotion of big personalities. Not unto us. Not unto us but unto thy name be glory. Don't ever talk about Pastor Martin's church.

58:07 - 58:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of seeking 'novelty' to attract attention; God's power and the beauty of Christ should be the drawing card.

Martin compares churches that seek 'novelties' to 'a spread of 4th of July fireworks' designed to attract attention, contrasting this with God's power and the beauty of Christ as the true drawing card.

Church exists in some people's ideas to create novelties that will somehow be like a spread of 4th of July fireworks to attract attention. If God doesn't make the beauty of Christ in our midst and the power of God our drawing card. Then we need to be on our faces crying out that he'll come by the power of the Holy Ghost. We must never allow any other purpose to rival or replace this supreme purpose.

58:46 - 59:13 Read in full sermon

The point: As a husband, have a passion to take Christ-like, godly, sensitive, loving leadership and nurture your wife as Christ does the church, glorifying Him in your marriage.

Martin uses the caricatures of 'Mr. Macho Man or Mr. Wimp Out' to describe natural tendencies in men, contrasting them with the Christ-like, godly, sensitive, loving leadership that glorifies God in marriage.

That glorifies God. You see that's not what I am by nature. I'm either Mr. Macho Man or Mr. Wimp Out.

60:13 - 60:24 Read in full sermon