Corporate Prayer as a Means of Grace (1)

Driving home: But you see, a promise is no better than the truthfulness, authority, or power of the one who promises.

Martin lists various types of promises (Boy Scout pledge, wedding vows, child's promise, politician's promises) to define a promise as a verbal pledge of commitment.

And that is by underscoring the truthfulness, authority, and power behind the promise. You see, a promise made by anyone in any circumstances is a verbal pledge of commitment to be, to do, or to provide something for another. Some of you kids remember when you took the Boy Scout pledge or promise. There are promises that we took, many of us, in the presence of witnesses when we were married.

14:01 - 14:41 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But you see, a promise is no better than the truthfulness, authority, or power of the one who promises.

Martin tells a hypothetical story of promising $10,000 to each person who comes to his house, illustrating that a promise is only as good as the truthfulness, authority, and power of the one making it, as he lacks the means to fulfill it.

But you see, a promise is no better than the truthfulness, authority, or power of the one who promises. I might glibly promise you that if you will come to 25 Meadowbrook Lane, and you will be able to see the promise of the Lord Jesus, you will be able to see the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will be able to see the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will be able to see the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ.

15:20 - 15:36 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But you see, a promise is no better than the truthfulness, authority, or power of the one who promises.

He gives an example of someone having the power (half an army) but not the proper authority to release a prisoner, distinguishing between power and authority in fulfilling a promise.

Someone may say to a person in prison, I'm going to come and let you out at such and such a time. And may come with half an army to the jailhouse in the little town and have the firepower and the manpower to take the sheriff or the captain. And the lieutenant and all of the guards, a prisoner, and have the power to release that man. But they have no proper authority to do it. On the other hand, there are other

16:48 - 17:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Gaze upon this promise as a precious jewel, looking first to the hand that holds it (Christ's truthfulness, authority, power).

The promise of Matthew 18:19 is likened to a precious jewel, and the focus is directed to the 'hand that holds out the jewel' (Christ's truthfulness, authority, power) rather than the jewel itself, to emphasize the trustworthiness of the promiser.

a precious jewel. Let us first of all look to the hand that holds out the jewel to us. He holds it out not like a magician to commit some kind of sleight of hand and make the jewel appear like a pure diamond only to throw it on the ground and see it be dashed into pieces as cheap glass. He is not holding it out simply when we would see it in its glory and reach out to take it, to withdraw it. Standing behind the promise, the hand that

24:11 - 24:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Glorify God by taking His promises and believing them for what they are.

Abraham's body is compared to 'a corpse lying in a coffin' in terms of reproductive power, to highlight the human impossibility of God's promise being fulfilled, making his faith all the more glorious.

The promise had been repeated several times to the man of God. But now, as far as powers of reproduction, he had as much power to father a child as a corpse lying in a coffin. So the scripture says, He considered his own body, now as good as dead. Doesn't mean he was going around like a dead man in terms of his overall physical health, but in terms of power to reproduce.

27:31 - 28:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The crucial condition for the promise is that 'two of you shall agree on earth,' meaning a 'symphony' or unity of desire and perspective, rooted in Christ's Word and led by the…

The concept of 'agreeing together' (symphony) in corporate prayer is beautifully illustrated by a symphony orchestra, which has a common score (God's Word), a conductor (Holy Spirit), and musicians (believers) committed to producing a unified sound, reflecting unity in desire and perspective.

of agreeing together now listen to me very carefully any preacher that takes a Greek word and says well this is how it's used in the English and then gives you the meaning from the English usage is an irresponsible expositor now the fact that the Greek verb soon for now is the one from which we take our English word symphony we're not warranted then to say well the word then means and then draw out a big theology of what a symphony orchestra is but there is nothing wrong with using an illustration when it fits all right so I am saying that the concept of agreeing together is beautifully illust...

53:37 - 54:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow pride, envy, or petulance to be a barrier to symphony in prayer with your brothers and sisters, as this neutralizes the promise.

Martin uses the metaphor of someone playing 'Old MacDonald' on a fiddle while an orchestra attempts Beethoven's Ninth to illustrate the ugliness of selfishness and individual whims disrupting the 'symphony' of corporate prayer.

of the overarching teaching of the word of God, do you see what you're doing? You're sitting over here with your fiddle, playing some silly tune about old MacDonald while the orchestra's trying to reproduce the magnificence of Beethoven's Ninth. I'd help you to see what this selfishness is. It's ugly, full of running sores and drooping warts and moles, deep, craggy furrows, sallow, yellow skin.

68:01 - 68:46 Read in full sermon