How Can a Church Grieve The Holy Spirit?, 1

In this part of the sermon: Martin establishes Christ's exclusive preeminence from Colossians 1:18 and demonstrates from John 15:26 and 16:12-15 that the Holy Spirit's entire mission is to bear witness to…

The Matterhorn mountain peak, jutting high above all others in a range, illustrates Christ's exclusive, unrivaled, and unchallenged preeminence in the church, regardless of its configuration.

the imagery of a mountain range with many lofty, breathtaking, snow-capped mountain peaks, and yet there is one mountain among them that under any circumstances viewed from any angle from beneath, above, from the side, from the other mountains juts up high above all the others, it does not matter. Whatever a church's configuration may be in terms of size, deposit of gift, influence, obscurity, or notoriety, no matter what the complexion of that church may be, Christ must always be the Matterhorn whose head catches the light

12:39 - 13:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of any doctrinal emphasis or practical teaching that would dilute, undermine, or replace the glory and sufficiency of Christ as the only Savior.

Diluting Welch's grape juice with water, making it still purple but 'yucky,' illustrates how doctrinal emphasis can maintain the 'semblance' of orthodoxy while diluting the vigor of biblical teaching about Christ as Savior.

You don't completely destroy it. You may have some nice Welch's grape juice diluted with water. It will still be purple, but it will taste yucky. It will taste like grape juice, but it won't be the real thing.

23:31 - 23:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin issues three 'bewares' against any teaching that would dilute, undermine, or replace Christ's glory and sufficiency as Savior (Galatians 3:1-3, Colossians 2:6-8), His…

Paul's preaching to the Galatians is described as 'placarding Christ crucified before your eyeballs,' a vivid metaphor for presenting Christ clearly and openly as the only way of salvation.

Jesus Christ was openly set forth, crucified, it's vivid language, he said we placarded Christ crucified before your eyeballs. You see, God doesn't tell us to paint pictures in the place of preaching, but he says paint pictures in your preaching. And he said my preaching was a painting on the canvas of a crucified Christ, and I pointed you to him as the only way of life and salvation. Oh foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes, Jesus Christ was openly set forth, who has bewitched you, who has spasmarized you, that you're turning away from this.

26:33 - 27:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of any doctrinal emphasis or practical teaching that would dilute, undermine, or replace Christ's authority and majesty as Lord in His Church.

A hymn is quoted to illustrate that the Holy Spirit never prompts pride or boasts of His own work but always points the sinner to Jesus and His blood for salvation, dictating 'salvation to the Lamb.'

In this an image, pain will be with you. gives us room to boast except in Jesus crucified is not the Holy Ghost. Whatever prompts the soul to pride or gives us room to boast except in Jesus crucified is not the Holy Ghost. That blessed spirit omits to speak of what himself has done and bids the enlightened sinner seek salvation in the Son. He never moves a man to say thank God I'm made so good but turns his eye

30:25 - 31:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of any doctrinal emphasis or practical teaching that would dilute, undermine, or replace Christ's authority and majesty as Lord in His Church.

The Holy Spirit is described as the 'modest person in the economy of salvation,' who reveals the Son, just as the Son reveals the Father, but no one is sent to reveal the Spirit, emphasizing His self-effacing role in glorifying Christ.

And when He hears a people saying, Blessing and glory and honor and power unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb, and He hears the echo of His own work in the sinner's heart, He rejoices. You see, if I may say it reverently, He's the modest person in the economy of salvation. Jesus says, I've come to reveal the Father and to show you the Father. And the Spirit comes and says, I've come to reveal and show you the Son.

31:31 - 32:04 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The church that can no longer repel has nothing worth attracting to.

The statement 'The church that can no longer repel has nothing worth attracting to' illustrates that a church's holiness, maintained through discipline, is what makes it genuinely attractive to believers, just as God's presence intimidated sinners in Acts 5.

Then with their face to the world, but of the rest dared no man join himself to them. The church that can no longer repel has nothing worth attracting to. When anyone in any stable, they've got nothing. Nothing worth coming into.

45:23 - 45:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not engage in prayer meetings for revival as a substitute for dealing with known sin in the church; address the sin first.

The story of Joshua and the elders praying for revival after Israel's defeat, only to be told by God to deal with sin in the camp (Achan), illustrates that prayer for revival is an insult to God if known sin is not addressed through discipline.

They start a prayer meeting for revival. I call that the height of moral cowardness and it's an insult to God. You go to Joshua chapter 7, Israel's defeated and Joshua and the elders are on their face in a prayer meeting for revival. And God says, stop your praying, get off your feet, there's sin in the camp, go deal with it.

54:07 - 54:30 Read in full sermon