Four Ways that Prayer is Nurtured, Part 2

Driving home: And insofar as the church maintains this conviction, not a matter of a truth to which we point and say, I believe it, but a truth that is there drawing its very substance and life from the internal persuasion of the Holy…

The analogy of a tree bearing luscious fruit due to a healthy root system is used to explain that a pervasive atmosphere of prayer in a church stems from well-nourished biblical convictions (taproots) in the hearts of its members.

Then last Lord's Day, we began to wrestle with this question. If a church is going to continue to give itself to prayer, what convictions must be well-rooted and constantly nourished in the hearts of the members of that church? I use the analogy of a tree. When you see a tree bearing large, well-shaped, luscious fruit, you know that that tree, among other things, has a healthy root system.

11:04 - 11:36 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God is here announcing that he is not going to allow all of the sons and daughters of Adam to go on in alignment with the devil, but that in redemptive grace he will have a seed that will ultimately crush him and crush t…

The practical example of killing a snake by crushing its head is used to illustrate the decisive nature of Christ's victory over the serpent, contrasting it with merely cutting off its tail.

And then he speaks of enmity consummated, comes back to the individual. He, that is, the ultimate seed of the woman, he, not they, but he, an individual, shall bruise your head. When you are out to kill a snake, what do you do? You chop its head off.

26:27 - 26:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God is here announcing that he is not going to allow all of the sons and daughters of Adam to go on in alignment with the devil, but that in redemptive grace he will have a seed that will ultimately crush him and crush t…

Martin quotes Luther's statement that Genesis 3:15 'embraces and comprehends within itself everything noble and glorious that is to be found anywhere in the scriptures,' highlighting the passage's profound significance.

And he dies. He will crush the head of the serpent, but in the process, the heel of the seed of the woman shall be bruised. So what is God doing in this initial announcement of his gracious intention to rescue people from the effects of sin? Martin Luther said, this text embraces and comprehends within itself everything noble and glorious that is to be found anywhere in the scriptures.

26:49 - 27:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The church will conquer and will lay hold of those for whom the Savior has shed his blood, and they will be delivered from the grip and the power of darkness and brought into the kingdom of God's dear son.

Martin quotes commentator Hendrickson's interpretation of 'the gates of hell' as a walled city where the devil holds his subjects captive, illustrating the church's mission as an attacking army to rescue those for whom Christ died.

And as I establish my church, I give you this promise. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. What's the imagery? I believe the commentator Hendrickson has captured it beautifully.

43:01 - 43:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: when Christ is set before you week after week day after day some of you around your table in family worship and mom and dad and pastors and Sunday school teachers you speak of the glory of Christ the loveliness of Christ…

The analogy of someone confidently asserting 'two plus two equals seventeen' is used to illustrate the spiritual blindness of unbelievers who, despite intellectual acumen in other areas, cannot see the truth of Christ's salvation due to the devil's blinding influence.

no no it's because you're blind it's because you're blind he knows blinding you the devil that's what Paul says in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds you say my mind's not blinded I get straight A's ah yes your mind is very much enlightened with regard to history to math to geography but when it comes to Jesus and his salvation you don't see anything as it really is you're as blind as the person who thinks he knows a mathematic equation when he sees two and two and writes seventeen and thinks he's right what would you think of someone? put his equation two plus two and put sevent...

59:32 - 61:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine your alignments: are you aligned with the seed of the woman in Christ or the seed of the serpent in Adam?

Martin recalls Professor John Murray's concluding words on Genesis 3:15, 'What are your alignments?', to press the application of choosing sides in the spiritual warfare: with Christ (seed of the woman) or with Satan (seed of the serpent).

there's got to be the wielding of this weapon of all prayer as we shall see God willing tonight may the Lord help us and may the Lord help you if sitting here this morning you see hey I'm a man on the wrong side of this war my friend and here I hear old John Murray in my ear what are your alignments he was Scottish and very precise and he concluded his sermon on Genesis 3 15 with the words what are your alignments where are you aligned see to the woman in Christ see to the serpent in Adam dead which side if you're in Christ it's a trite little saying but you're on the victory side you're on th...

68:20 - 69:49 Read in full sermon