No Area of Passivity

Driving home: There is no canceling, of the conscious use, of any faculty, of our redeemed humanity, in living, the Christian life.

Compares the political platforms of an election year, which make promises, to Trinity Baptist Church's 'Manifesto' on the Christian life, which affirms what they have lived and sought to be according to the New Testament.

This Tuesday will mark the end of the months of the visual and verbal bombardment to which the vast majority of us have been subjected during this presidential election year. And while the two representatives of the major, political parties, and the notable independent candidate, have been setting forth what is called their platform, we have been spending more than Lord's Day mornings in this congregation, seeking to set forth and grasp afresh, the Baptist Church. This present series entitled, A Manifesto, Trinity Baptist Church, we have been indeed setting forth our platform, that is, what we...

5:53 - 7:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He breaks down Philippians 2:12-13, identifying the major exhortation to 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling' and the major motivation: 'for it is God who works…

Illustrates the need for God's working to enable our working: a prisoner may will to escape, but needs someone to work on the bars or lock to make the escape possible, showing God works not only to will but to work.

To get out of a prison. But the problem is I don't have the key. And there are one inch steel bars all around me. I need someone to work my escape.

49:53 - 50:00 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin draws five conclusions: God's working and our working are concurrent; God's working is the incentive for our work (illustrated by supper call); our working is the bona…

Explains how God's working is an incentive for our work: Mom calling kids for supper (imperative) and supper being prepared (indicative) shows the indicative motivates the imperative.

Some would like to express it this way. All the work to his people are preceded by the indicatives of what God is committed to do for his people. Let me try to illustrate it for you kids this way. When you're out playing in the backyard and mom or dad comes to the back porch to call you for supper.

52:33 - 52:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin draws five conclusions: God's working and our working are concurrent; God's working is the incentive for our work (illustrated by supper call); our working is the bona…

Illustrates how our working is the proof of God's working: the proof that God gives life and breath is that we are alive and breathing; similarly, our willing and working are proof that God is at work in us.

He is at work in us to will and to work. Let me again illustrate. In Romans in Acts. Seventeen and breath.

55:52 - 56:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shares a personal illustration from his time as a construction worker, learning that 'whatever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might' means full concentration on…

Martin describes preaching while experiencing personal distractions like loneliness from separation from his wife and yearning for his new grandson, emphasizing the conscious effort to focus on God's charge and give his best to the congregation despite personal feelings.

While working. While preaching. What am I conscious of? I'm conscious of having sought to soak my soul in the charge of God this morning.

61:02 - 61:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Let your working be the focus of your conscious, whole-soul endeavors.

Martin recounts his experience as a young Christian mixing mortar ('mud') as a construction worker, where he learned that 'whatever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might' means concentrating fully on the task, even if not consciously thinking of Christ, and that this focused effort is part of serving the Lord.

You know how I learned the meaning of that text. As a young Christian. In those early days. In the flush of my new found faith.

64:18 - 64:25 Read in full sermon