The Enunciation of God's Changeless Standard #1

Driving home: I never prostitute this pulpit by using it to express my own political concerns.

Martin uses the U.S. Constitution and President Bush's oath of office to illustrate the necessity of a foundational document that defines how a corporate body (nation or church) regulates its life and functions.

The following sermon was delivered on Sunday evening, January 21st, 2001, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now, as I've already indicated in the earlier part of the service, I'm sure that most of us gathered here to worship God tonight are aware that yesterday was Inauguration Day. And many of us watched as the medium of television brought into our homes the image of President-elect George W. Bush taking his oath of office, thus constituting him the 43rd President of the United States.

0:02 - 0:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that the sermon series expounds the church's constitution, focusing on its supreme purpose: to glorify the God of the Scriptures. He then introduces the next…

This analogy illustrates the difference between mere interest or talk and true commitment. A skydiver may admire his parachute, but true commitment is only evident when he jumps out of the plane, entrusting his life to it.

I'm trying to think of an illustration. I thought of a man who likes to skydive. And he may write poetry about his favorite parachute. And he may wax eloquent about the wonderful experience of floating down to earth in a parachute.

12:32 - 12:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents the first timeless function of the law: to convince us of our need for salvation in Christ. He argues that salvation is fundamentally from sin, and until people…

Martin uses Robert Schuller's teaching (the 'plastic grin man' in the 'crystal cathedral') as a negative example of a movement that avoids the concept of sin, contrasting it with the biblical emphasis on Christ coming to save sinners.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Whenever Pastor Smith quotes it, he quotes it in terms of the emphasis of the original. Sinners to save. Now, he hasn't gotten mixed up and didn't memorize his Bible right. He somewhere heard a sermon on that text where the emphasis was on sinners to save. That's why he came. He came to save sinners. He came into the world. When you think Jesus, you've got to think sin. Now there's a movement abroad to say think Jesus and think anything but sin. The plastic grin man who carries on in his crystal cathedral has the nerve to say Jesus nowhere ever...

32:42 - 33:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Labor at seeking to help sinners see their true condition by proclaiming the perfect law of God.

Martin uses the image of sinners on judgment day crying for rocks to fall on them, unable to call 'time out' for trivial pursuits, to emphasize the seriousness and inescapable reality of God's judgment.

And what will happen to sinners in the judgment day? They don't have time to say, Time out, I want to have a beer. Time out, I want to play my video games. Time out, I want to read today's newspapers.

46:09 - 46:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second function of the law is to instruct us concerning the true nature of Christ's salvation. Martin argues that divorcing the law from the cross makes Calvary an enigma or a…

Martin uses the example of football players kneeling on the field, potentially violating the fourth commandment, to illustrate how contemporary expressions of faith can be sincere but misguided, failing to uphold God's law.

Christ is their comforter. Who gives them a sense of I'm not going into the Super Bowl alone. Well meaning. Behamus.

56:18 - 56:28 Read in full sermon