Evangelizing Sinners Verbally, Part 2

The point: Manifest before the world the truth and power of the gospel by a consistent and radically different pattern of life.

The church is represented as a circle, with arrows pointing upward for worship, inward for mutual edification, and outward for evangelism, to help remember the various activities of the church.

The message tonight is in reality both a continuation and a completion of what I began to set before you. And I do want to take just a few minutes to bring you up to speed as to where we are in a series of messages that I generally preach Sunday mornings for five, six Lord's Day mornings on the theme of living together in the Father's house. In this series, I'm seeking to open up and apply some of the central issues, some passages as you it had all been done in the literary book But next time that I want to take thisug toc on a trying point that'sirtom einem to start with a little bit of a ver...

3:33 - 4:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: In words! In words! In words! Not in mime, not in drama, not in music, but in words, vocables, concepts embodied in these symbols that we call the gospel.

Pastor Bun's signing for the hearing impaired is used as an example of verbal communication, emphasizing that it conveys concepts and ideas, not just mime.

What do I mean by verbal communication? I mean by means of words, spoken words primarily but written words. In the case of our brother Pastor Bun, signed words, in which the one signing uses his fingers and his arms in order to substitute them for ink on a page or vibrations in the text. But the words never read in the text.

11:13 - 11:36 Read in full sermon

Driving home: In words! In words! In words! Not in mime, not in drama, not in music, but in words, vocables, concepts embodied in these symbols that we call the gospel.

Watching a blind person read Braille is used to illustrate how 'felt words' convey concepts and ideas, reinforcing the definition of verbal communication.

So by verbal communication, I mean concepts and ideas. The concepts and ideas contained in the gospel communicated by means of words. Spoken words primarily, written words, signed words, or in the case of the blind, felt words. It's a fascinating thing to watch a blind person rub his fingers over a braille text and the little bumps of the braille.

12:05 - 12:34 Read in full sermon

Driving home: In words! In words! In words! Not in mime, not in drama, not in music, but in words, vocables, concepts embodied in these symbols that we call the gospel.

The anecdote of someone painting 'Jesus saves' on rocks on Route 80 is used to illustrate an illegal act that is not a biblically sanctioned means of conveying the gospel.

In other words, when you see someone who in the middle of the night snuck out of his car and painted Jesus saves on a pile of rocks on Route 80, thinking he was doing God a service, that illegal act is not a biblically sanctioned means of conveying the gospel. It's maybe a sanctified wingnut, but certainly it does the gospel no service. Or when people write John 3.16, J.N. period 3.16, and wait till the camera turns in the end zone, and then hold it up, that's not a biblically sanctioned means of verbally communicating the gospel. Or if I were to bust into a Roman Catholic mass next Sunday mor...

14:13 - 15:07 Read in full sermon

Driving home: In words! In words! In words! Not in mime, not in drama, not in music, but in words, vocables, concepts embodied in these symbols that we call the gospel.

Holding up a 'John 3:16' sign at a sports event for cameras is given as an example of a non-biblically sanctioned means of verbally communicating the gospel.

In other words, when you see someone who in the middle of the night snuck out of his car and painted Jesus saves on a pile of rocks on Route 80, thinking he was doing God a service, that illegal act is not a biblically sanctioned means of conveying the gospel. It's maybe a sanctified wingnut, but certainly it does the gospel no service. Or when people write John 3.16, J.N. period 3.16, and wait till the camera turns in the end zone, and then hold it up, that's not a biblically sanctioned means of verbally communicating the gospel. Or if I were to bust into a Roman Catholic mass next Sunday mor...

14:13 - 15:07 Read in full sermon

Driving home: In words! In words! In words! Not in mime, not in drama, not in music, but in words, vocables, concepts embodied in these symbols that we call the gospel.

The hypothetical scenario of busting into a Roman Catholic mass to denounce it is used as an example of a non-biblically sanctioned means of communication.

In other words, when you see someone who in the middle of the night snuck out of his car and painted Jesus saves on a pile of rocks on Route 80, thinking he was doing God a service, that illegal act is not a biblically sanctioned means of conveying the gospel. It's maybe a sanctified wingnut, but certainly it does the gospel no service. Or when people write John 3.16, J.N. period 3.16, and wait till the camera turns in the end zone, and then hold it up, that's not a biblically sanctioned means of verbally communicating the gospel. Or if I were to bust into a Roman Catholic mass next Sunday mor...

14:13 - 15:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Expounding Romans 10:12-17, Martin demonstrates the logical sequence: salvation comes by calling, calling by believing, believing by hearing, and hearing by a preacher. He asserts…

He challenges the audience to imagine a dance troupe conveying the 'tightly knit logical sequence' of Romans 10:14-17, highlighting the inadequacy of non-verbal methods for precise biblical truth.

Whoever calls upon Him, whoever is sitting here, whatever your background is, in the sense of your sin and your need, if you call upon the Lord revealed in the gospel, you have God's word of promise, you shall be saved. But now that raises some very practical concerns. And beginning in verse 14, the apostle raises questions that are tied together in a very tightly knit logical sequence. Follow him, and then see if you can get a dance troupe to come up on the platform and convey the close, precise, biblical logic of this passage.

17:13 - 17:50 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Faith comes of hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

He states that God will not rewrite His word to accommodate a generation that dislikes thinking, linear thought, or logical connections, emphasizing the immutability of God's method.

The word impinging through the eyes when our brother Bon translates what I am saying into hands and arms into arms, that communicate the words of the gospel. Or that word being read at the centrality of hearing by means of the word of Christ. And God is not going to come and rewrite his word as you'll see in a quote I'm going to give you later on in the message, to accommodate himself to a generation that doesn't like to think. It wants to have images brought into its eyeballs.

22:06 - 22:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expresses concern over modern evangelical trends that advocate for multimedia, entertainment-based communication, and non-verbal methods like dancing the gospel, viewing…

An extended quotation from a religious periodical, 'Doing Church in a Plugged-in Culture,' is used to illustrate and critique modern evangelical arguments for multimedia and entertainment-based communication.

You know why? Among many things. Because I do read what's going on in broad evangelical circles and what is happening in the professing church of Christ in our day. And there is a magazine called Current Thoughts and Trends where the editors do nothing but read no fewer, I think it's 75 periodicals and review books produced in the religious scene, most of them by so-called evangelicals.

41:12 - 41:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And if this generation is so haughty in its arrogance and so obsessed with pleasure that it won't listen to preaching, it will sink into hell in its arrogance and in its pride.

The fact that pornography is the fastest-growing internet business is used to expose the flawed reasoning that 'entertainment-based communication' is good simply because it holds attention longer.

What does it say to us if it can be demonstrated that entertainment-based communication has the power to hold the listener's attention longer? You know the fastest-growing business on the internet is the pornographic element? You see the reasoning? Pornography attracts more attention!

44:46 - 45:13 Read in full sermon

The point: May God the Holy Ghost put some holy fire in some of you men and women to say never in this place [to entertainment-based evangelism].

An anecdote about a mega-church with a dancing troupe 'dancing the gospel' is used to illustrate and critique the inadequacy of non-verbal methods for conveying complex theological truths like imputation.

I'm not overreacting. I've read some other articles in which they describe one of the most impressive mega-churches that was written up in Christianity today, very favorably, in this past month.

46:08 - 46:20 Read in full sermon

The point: May God the Holy Ghost put some holy fire in some of you men and women to say never in this place [to entertainment-based evangelism].

He challenges famous dancer Baryshnikov to convey the truth of imputation through dance, emphasizing the unique capacity of words for doctrinal precision.

I defy Baryshnikov and anyone else to convey that in the dance.

47:07 - 47:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He clarifies that deeds of mercy are necessary but not preaching, and that while Christians can capture art forms for Christ, these are not biblically mandated means of…

His personal revulsion at male dancers and their 'feminizing' effect is shared to illustrate his view on certain art forms and their unsuitability for Christ's service.

Women immodestly dressed and men more immodestly dressed and men using feminine gestures. I puke when I see male dancers. I don't literally, but inwardly. It is a feminizing and it's no surprise that many of them are not.

49:53 - 50:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He clarifies that deeds of mercy are necessary but not preaching, and that while Christians can capture art forms for Christ, these are not biblically mandated means of…

David's dancing before the Lord is cited to distinguish between appropriate expressions of joy (not in ritual worship) and the use of dance in the house of God.

Shameless homosexuals. You don't believe it, go to the Juilliard school. But there may be some way the dance can be captured for Christ. I believe in David's dancing. I've done it in my ownatter. David wasn't in the Tabernacle leading the worship with his dance. He was moving with the arc of God, going to its rightful place and his joy overflowed and it came through his feet and he danced before the Lord. There's a place for holy dancing It's not in the house of God, in the ritual worship of God's people.

50:11 - 50:49 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He clarifies that deeds of mercy are necessary but not preaching, and that while Christians can capture art forms for Christ, these are not biblically mandated means of…

The popularity of Handel's Messiah among pagans in Carnegie Hall, contrasted with their likely rejection of a preached sermon, is used to illustrate that musical forms lack the 'biting edge' of the preached word.

They may be a means of legitimate entertainment. This is why true believers can go to presentations of the Messiah. I think about 21 of you were involved in the Messiah production this year. And you were thrilled with the biblical text.

51:20 - 51:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He clarifies that deeds of mercy are necessary but not preaching, and that while Christians can capture art forms for Christ, these are not biblically mandated means of…

His enjoyment of Mendelssohn's Elijah is mentioned to clarify that he is not condemning sacred music, but distinguishing its function from that of preaching.

I did not condemn it. I medified when I listened to it. On my day off two weeks ago, I listened to the whole of Mendelssohn's Elijah. I love it.

52:26 - 52:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He clarifies that deeds of mercy are necessary but not preaching, and that while Christians can capture art forms for Christ, these are not biblically mandated means of…

The story of the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah and needing Philip to 'preach unto him Jesus' is used to show that even biblical text needs exposition to be fully understood and applied.

It's the word unexpounded. It's the word unapplied. The man in the chariot is reading the very words we sing in the Messiah. He was wounded for our transgressions.

53:00 - 53:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Wisely select some tracks to keep close at hand that while you're caring for your kids and the parcel postman comes to deliver a package and you wish him a blessed holiday, you say, and by the way, may I ask you to pray …

His practice of giving booklets to fellow travelers on planes is shared as an example of personal, verbal evangelism in everyday situations.

And for some of you, that will mean wisely selecting some tracks to keep close at hand that while you're caring for your kids and the parcel postman comes to deliver a package and you wish him a blessed holiday, you say, and by the way, may I ask you to pray that man, by the way, sir, here's a little Christmas message. Would you take that from me and read it at your leisure? For some of us who travel on planes and try to engage in conversation and get turned off, I've never had anyone refuse when it was time to leave to say, I'm sorry we weren't able to talk more at depth, but here's a little ...

59:19 - 60:01 Read in full sermon

The point: In your place, in your station, according to your gifts, prayerfully anticipating your normal interaction with people and using those anticipated interactions as fuel to pray, Lord, help me in that situation to manifest …

The lepers who discovered bounty and said, 'This is a day of good tidings... let us go and tell,' is used as an analogy for the urgency and joy of sharing the gospel.

What is a biblical Christian? In your place. In your station. there is that sense, God has made me a part of this worldwide enterprise. Don't wait to do something grandiose. In your place, in your station, according to your gifts, prayerfully anticipating your normal interaction with people and using those anticipated interactions as fuel to pray, Lord, help me in that situation to manifest by my life the truth and the power of the gospel. And Lord, give me wisdom to know how I may proclaim that message by means of the track, the booklet, the question, the entreaty, the various means. I just a...

60:01 - 60:57 Read in full sermon