Trials as a Means of Grace (4)

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon as part of 'The Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church' series, focusing on maintaining a balanced New Testament perspective on the Christian…

An anecdote about students playfully renaming the sermon series 'The Megafesto' highlights the ongoing nature and significance of the 'Manifesto' series for the church.

This morning will be another installment in a series of studies which I have chosen to entitle, A Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church, in the Hotelos meeting, which is the gathering of the academy students for a spoof yearbook to be presented, and is always a time of great delight and fellowship. Innocent humor, this series was called the Megafesto, rather than the Manifesto, but I

3:29 - 4:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Submit afresh to our sovereign God and loving Father who brings these things upon us.

A poem by Margaret Clarkson is quoted to beautifully capture the essence of submitting afresh to a sovereign God and loving Father in sustained affliction, emphasizing faith in His faithfulness.

God and loving Father who brings these things upon us. Margaret Clarkson, whose book Grace Grows Best in Winter is one of the finest treatises on the purposes and ways of God with his children in sustained affliction, herself has written a poem in which she captured the very essence of what I attempted to open up to you under that second heading last week. It is called, In Darkness. In faithfulness hast thou afflicted me. O sovereign love, I will not fear but look in

11:53 - 12:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Expounding Hebrews 12:1-3, Martin explains that believers are to run the race of faith with endurance, looking to Jesus as the author and perfecter of faith. He emphasizes that we…

The extended imagery of running a marathon is used to illustrate the call to persevering faith and endurance in the Christian life, with Christ as the ultimate example.

Hebrews chapter twelve. In the opening words there is the familiar call to persevering faith under the extended imagery of running a marathon. This call to the long race. It is a call to persevering faith under the extended imagery of running a long distance race.

20:27 - 20:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Do more than others in your work and life to make evident your motivation by something far beyond this world.

An example of a servant being punished for wrongdoing versus suffering patiently when doing well illustrates the greater glory and acceptability to God of the latter, mirroring Christ's example.

When you've been a scoundrel and lazy, and you haven't done what the servant was expected to do, and your master gives you a tongue lashing, or has one of his own, wanderlings take you out in the back shed and lay a few stripes on your back, and you take it without cussing him out and kicking and screaming, what's the big deal? You had it coming to you. If when you do evil and are punished for it and take it patiently, no big deal. But if you've served with all your heart, done all that was asked of you, and even gone beyond that to demonstrate as a Christian that I'm committed to do more than...

29:18 - 30:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Be willing to sit silently while people hurl unjust accusations, enduring suffering in the way of righteousness, following Christ's pattern.

The anecdote of Pilate marveling at Jesus' silence during false accusations illustrates Christ's perfect pattern of not reviling back but committing His cause to God.

but to him, a person, who judges righteously. In the midst of all of the talks, all of the false accusations, you remember, even the heathen ruler upon his throne marveled at the silence of Jesus because he knew that all the charges were trumped up. It says he knew that for envy the chief priest had delivered him. So when they're coming up with all of these accusations, he's not this, he's not this, he's doing this, he's doing that, he saw through the whole business and he marveled that in the face of all of those groundless, base accusations, the Son of God was utterly silent.

34:04 - 34:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Be willing to sit silently while people hurl unjust accusations, enduring suffering in the way of righteousness, following Christ's pattern.

The phrase 'and now you know the rest of the story' is used to highlight God's ultimate vindication of Christ through the resurrection and ascension, demonstrating that God judges righteously.

And according to Romans chapter 1, he was declared or constituted Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. And from that place of vindication, forty days later he went back to the right hand of the Majesty on high, whereas the Messianic God was the King. He sovereignly dispensed the Holy Spirit there upon the hundred and twenty in the upper room. And in the words of Paul Harvey, and now you know the rest of the story, here we sit this morning, one little strand of the multi-strand rope of God's continuous vindication of his Son.

36:06 - 36:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Consciously seek to imitate the Lord Jesus in similar circumstances, asking for strength from Him.

The analogy of children placing their feet in footprints on the beach illustrates the conscious activity of purposeful imitation, seeking to follow Christ's steps.

Just as we've done as kids when we would go to the beach as children and someone had walked before us and left their footprints and we sought to place our feet in the prints that they left. Peter says we're to follow of imitation done in dependence upon the Spirit of God. But according to 2 Corinthians 3.18 there is a marvelous, mysterious, unconscious activity of powerful transformation as we contemplate Christ.

41:09 - 41:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Flee to Christ to get out from under the canopy of God's wrath, finding refuge in Him.

The imagery of cities of refuge is used to illustrate faith as the sinner running to Jesus Christ for protection from the avenger of blood (God's wrath).

The man who had been guilty of man's sin and slaughter unwittingly killed someone. And the avenger of blood is at his heels. And he runs and he runs until he's safely through the gate of the city of refuge and he's protected. That imagery is used in the book of Hebrews that we have fled for refuge to Jesus Christ.

52:57 - 53:17 Read in full sermon