Five Features in the Face of Truth

The point: Develop discernment to ascertain what is the faith and what is deviation from the faith by mastering the features of the real thing.

An analogy of mastering the features of a real $20 bill to detect counterfeits, applied to mastering the features of true faith to detect false teaching.

is to master the features of the real thing. One who masters all of the distinguishing features of a properly printed by the U.S. Treasury $20 bill is far more likely to discern the counterfeit than the one who spends all of his time examining counterfeits.

5:38 - 5:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Any truth claim which sets forth a God and a salvation which your little mass of gray matter can fully and comprehensively grasp ought to be rejected outright.

A metaphor comparing the human mind's inability to contain God to a teacup's inability to contain the Atlantic Ocean, illustrating the 'mind-boggling' nature of truth.

rationalism. And a God that you can contain is a God you can never worship. God has made a revelation of truths that are not true. God has made a revelation of truths that are not irrational but supra-rational. Your little mass of gray matter can no more contain God

10:21 - 10:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin defines pride as refusing to own our identity as creatures and sinners. He argues that true faith withers pride by making us acknowledge that all we are and have is given…

The recognition that all we have is received will 'deflate the balloon of your pride,' illustrating how acknowledging dependence on God withers pride.

glory if you have not received it? You see, he's saying that at the root of this being puffed up is the assumption something was spun out of the stuff of myself. And he says no, that's contrary to fact. And the recognition that all that you have and are is given will deflate the balloon of your pride. It will cut off at the knees the strutting in pride

17:42 - 18:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Whenever a truth claim is set before us, we have every reason to ask of that truth claim, does it press me to take my place as creature and as sinner, utterly dependent upon God for all that I am and have?

An example of how a 'user-friendly message' avoids telling people they are weak, ungodly, sinners, and enemies of God, contrasting with the pride-withering truth of the faith.

commended his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, without strength, ungodly, sinners, verse 10. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son. Now I know that in this day of thinking that we must have a user-friendly message. You're not going to win popularity contests telling people that God says natively as a sinner fallen in Adam, you are without strength, you are ungodly, you are a sinner, and you are an enemy of God.

20:09 - 20:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Whenever a truth claim is set before us, we have every reason to ask of that truth claim, does it press me to take my place as creature and as sinner, utterly dependent upon God for all that I am and have?

Jesus' parable from Luke 18 is recounted to expose the delusion of self-righteousness and illustrate the humility required for acceptance before God.

before the living God. There is no delusion greater than the delusion that there is something you can do to fix yourself up and make yourself presentable to God. Jesus thoroughly exposed it in many ways, perhaps none more clearly than in Luke chapter 18. For notice why He spoke this parable. Verse 9, Luke 18, 9 – he spoke this parable unto

21:29 - 21:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Any truth claim presented to you must be scrutinized for this indispensable feature: Is it pride withering? Does it move you more and more to own your identity and place as dependent creature and as sinful, hell-deservin…

Quoting the hymn 'Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling' to illustrate the heart's posture when pride is withered and one glories only in the Lord.

So you glory only in the Lord. The words of boasting in Christ don't get stuck in your throat. You can sing from the depths of your being, nothing in my hands I bring simply to thy cross. You can sing from the depths of your being, nothing in my hands I bring simply to thy cross.

26:09 - 26:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Any truth claim presented to you must be scrutinized for this indispensable feature: Is it pride withering? Does it move you more and more to own your identity and place as dependent creature and as sinful, hell-deservin…

The story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 is used as an extended example of God abasing the proud, forcing him to acknowledge his creaturely dependence.

All others he describes as the proud whom he resists. And if we had time, I'd love to go into Daniel 4. Reading it and rereading it in preparation for this Lord's day struck me again. The last verse of Daniel 4, that whole incident of what God did to Nebuchadnezzar.

28:37 - 28:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Young people going off into higher schools of learning, you've got to remember this: SAT scores, don't reach around and pat yourself on the back or pat yourself on the head. Who makes you to differ? What have you that yo…

An example addressing young people, asking them to consider their SAT scores and the absence of genetic abnormalities like Down syndrome, to underscore that all abilities are given by God and leave no room for pride.

Now, you young people going off into higher schools of learning, you've got to remember this. SAT scores, don't reach around and pat yourself on the back or pat yourself on the head. Who makes you to differ? Why were you not born with that little abnormality in the chromosomes that you'd be a Down syndrome child?

30:58 - 31:25 Read in full sermon

The point: You're going to confront this in some of you where you're going to college. Don't let anybody buffalo you with high-sounding terminology and case studies and all the rest. Whatever aberration is in us that causes us to t…

A contemporary example of unashamed Sodomites praising Jesus for 'liberating' them to practice lesbianism and homosexuality with a good conscience, illustrating the wretched redefinition of sin.

Blunt the edges. Give some room. Or as we see in our day, wretchedly redefine sin by something other than the law of God. Do you know that while we've met here this morning, there are places in our country and Canada where hundreds of unashamed Sodomites, male and female, Sodomites, Sodomites,

49:59 - 50:24 Read in full sermon

The point: You're going to confront this in some of you where you're going to college. Don't let anybody buffalo you with high-sounding terminology and case studies and all the rest. Whatever aberration is in us that causes us to t…

An analogy comparing a hypothetical 'homosexual gene' to a 'temper gene' to debunk genetic determinism as an excuse for sin, arguing that predispositions do not negate accountability.

You're going to be given all kinds of psychological studies and profiles and already they debunked the news releases that were ready to say they found a, quote, homosexual gene. It doesn't trouble me what people find about what sin has done in working its way into the fabric of the gene pool. Take the man who is genetically predisposed to have a hot temper. Brought up in a home where he was taught no restraints.

51:24 - 51:51 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin argues that true faith always exalts Christ, making Him central to all truth and salvation, and attaches believers to Him in faith, love, and a passion to know and please…

An example of preachers who preach for decades without Christ being central, contrasting with the Christ-exalting nature of true faith.

How men can preach for decades and give people a little moral talk about being good and nice or being social activists or something else. And you wouldn't know in hearing them preach for a decade that Christ was central to the faith once for all delivered to the saints. What a wonderful criticism it would be when a man goes to a better world to say, well, you know, his message really at the end of the day was quite simple. Not simplistic, but simple.

58:52 - 59:25 Read in full sermon