In Sending Church Planters

Driving home: The whole concept of wrenching a man loose from real involvement in and accountability to God's institution in his most formative period of preparation for the ministry is not only unbiblical, but ludicrous when applied …

Analogies of a physician training outside hospitals or a ballplayer training away from the ballpark are used to highlight the ludicrousness of training ministers outside the local church, which is the 'pillar and ground of the truth'.

But then if the head of the church begins to brood over the spirit of a man and the agency of his own accurate self-assessment and the assessment of the mature people of God and the formal encouragement of the existing leadership indicate that he ought to obtain some specialized training under ordinary circumstances, in what context should he obtain that training? Should he be wrenched out of that which is the pillar and ground of the truth in the most crucial period of his acquisition of truth? It's as ludicrous as to suggest that someone who aspires to be a physician should be wrenched loose...

14:06 - 15:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He send forth laborers into His harvest, recognizing Him as the ultimate agent.

The imagery of distressed and scattered sheep without a shepherd is used to connect the need for church planters with the shepherding function, emphasizing the Lord's compassion and the purpose of sending laborers.

And notice the imagery that is used in verse 36 of Matthew 9. When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion, because they were distressed and scattered as sheep, not having a shepherd. This is why I'm bold enough to put the concept of shepherd into church planting. The Lord connects the two here.

26:21 - 26:50 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Missionary strategy did not begin in the context of the money bags. And of sociologists and anthropologists began in the context of some people with their lives embedded in a healthy, vigorous church. Doing what? Ministe…

Martin contrasts the Antioch church's spiritual approach to missionary strategy (ministering to the Lord and fasting) with modern, unbiblical methods involving financial assessments, sociologists, and anthropologists, to show the centrality of the church's spiritual life.

And as they met with local Christian businessmen to assess their financial resources, and as they met with sociologists and anthropologists to plot their strategy of contextualization of their message within the Roman Empire, no, no such nonsense is recorded in the Bible. Missionary strategy did not begin in the context of the money bags. And of sociologists and anthropologists began in the context of some people with their lives embedded in a healthy, vigorous church. Doing what?

31:06 - 31:48 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Missionary strategy did not begin in the context of the money bags. And of sociologists and anthropologists began in the context of some people with their lives embedded in a healthy, vigorous church. Doing what? Ministe…

He poses the question of why Paul, directly called by Christ, needed the 'puny hands' of fellow sinners laid on him, to emphasize that the laying on of hands by the church represents its recognition and commitment, not an impartation of grace.

Oh, wait a minute. If the risen Christ has laid His hand on a man, why in the world does He need the puny hands of His fellow creatures laid on Him? Does that ever bother you? That puzzled me for years.

33:29 - 33:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Refuse the prevailing pattern of a call and commission to missions that willfully or ignorantly sets aside the biblical pattern of church-centered authorization.

He describes his personal experience and the common pattern of feeling a call, attending Bible school, applying to a mission board, raising support, and being commissioned by the board, to illustrate the prevailing system he critiques.

And that is why dear people we are determined. We are determined! That our life ministry shall unquestionably confirm the uniqueness of the church in the saving purpose of God not only in our theology and practice of the Christian life of evangelism and missions but in the matter of recognition specialized training and formal ordination to the work of the ministry. Now by application let me say that since this is the teaching of the Word of God we have refused as a church from our very inception the prevailing pattern of a call and commission to home or foreign missions which willfully or igno...

38:38 - 40:07 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If our church government is God prescribed it is adequate for all emergencies. He appointed his own government in his church for this very purpose and gave them no authority to shift the responsibility the heat and burde…

An extended quotation from Presbyterian theologian James Henley Thornwell is used to demonstrate that the critique of independent mission boards is not a novel position but has historical precedent within Reformed theology, emphasizing the church's ecclesiastical capacity for all its work.

Let God be true and every man a liar. But it's not a novel position. Now I want to read to you from the godly Presbyterian who over a hundred years ago fought this battle within his own denomination over this very issue. Listen to the burning religious passion of James Henley Thornwell.

43:53 - 44:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If our church government is God prescribed it is adequate for all emergencies. He appointed his own government in his church for this very purpose and gave them no authority to shift the responsibility the heat and burde…

Thornwell's analogy of a man delegating the care of his family to a neighbor is used to illustrate the church's inability to delegate its God-given duties, such as training ministers and planting churches.

He goes on to say we believe that if there be any departments of Christian effort to which the church of Christ is bound in her appropriate character to direct her attention and her unwearied labors they are those which relate to the training of her sons for the holy ministry and sending the gospel to those who do not have it and planting churches in the dark and destitute portions of the earth. This is no novel position. This was articulated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1837. And Thornwell in the debate some years later is calling his own denomination back to those bi...

45:21 - 46:44 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If our church government is God prescribed it is adequate for all emergencies. He appointed his own government in his church for this very purpose and gave them no authority to shift the responsibility the heat and burde…

The example of churches delegating evangelism to the 'Graham juggernaut' and joining arms with liberal men is used to illustrate the dangers of relinquishing the church's duties and the resulting compromise.

If our church government is God prescribed it is adequate for all emergencies. He appointed his own government in his church for this very purpose and gave them no authority to shift the responsibility the heat and burden of the day upon creations of their own. If the church can delegate one part of her work she can delegate another. And what happened when the church said let the experts do the evangelizing.

46:44 - 47:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If our church government is God prescribed it is adequate for all emergencies. He appointed his own government in his church for this very purpose and gave them no authority to shift the responsibility the heat and burde…

Another extended quotation from Thornwell is used to warn against the church's reliance on its own understanding and inventions, which lead to apostasy, idols, and vain imaginations, emphasizing the sufficiency of Scripture.

Oh dear people do you see the issues at stake? And in this manifesto we're saying we are determined by the grace of God to give plain testimony to our conviction of the centrality of the church in the saving purpose of God. With all the difficulties it brings in this area of the recognition and specialized training and official commissioning and ordination of the gifts of Christ with all of its burdens and difficulties the answer is not let John do it let Henry do it let the experts do it. Every difficulty faced in the path of biblical obedience is a call to do what those five men were doing m...

48:02 - 49:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Repent and believe the gospel, fleeing to Christ, recognizing that God sends His servants as a roadblock in your path to hell.

The metaphor of a servant of Christ acting as a 'roadblock in your path to hell' is used to impress upon the unconverted the gravity of despising God's greatest gifts and entreaties through His messengers.

When God puts as a roadblock in your path to hell a humble ordinary fellow but redeemed sinner who speaks to you in the name of Christ of your need of Christ and of the glory of Christ and the sufficiency of Christ and the willingness of Christ to receive all and any who come. My friend if you hurtle over that roadblock I tell you God's got a special place in hell for you. You've despised his greatest gifts. You're so determined to go to hell that even when he puts the roadblock of a servant of Christ before you you turn it aside. I beseech you in Christ that be reconciled to God stack arms tu...

57:31 - 58:58 Read in full sermon