The Corporate Means of Grace (1)

The point: Be reminded of your heritage and called to a renewed commitment to the things most surely believed and loved among us.

Explains that a 'manifesto' is a public declaration of principles, aims, motives, or beliefs, clarifying the title of the sermon series.

That the word may come to every heart not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. Hear us as we beseech you for these mercies through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For the sake of those of you who are visiting with us today, I believe that the very lowest level, it is a matter of common courtesy to take a few minutes in order to give you at least a general awareness of where we are in our present Sunday morning expositions of the word of God. We come this morning to what is the 78th message in a series of sermons which I have chosen to entitle A Manifesto of Tri...

4:44 - 6:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Be reminded of your heritage and called to a renewed commitment to the things most surely believed and loved among us.

The occasion for starting the sermon series was the church's 25th year of existence, providing a personal context for the 'Manifesto' series.

was the approach of our 25th year of existence as a duly constituted Church of Jesus Christ. We were so constituted in the fall of 1967, and the fall of this past year marked 25 years, or if you want to feel shocked those of us who have been a part of it, a quarter of a century of life together. Now the purpose of this series was in its inception, has continued through its unfolding, and remains the same to this very hour. And that purpose is twofold.

6:08 - 6:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Be reminded of your heritage and called to a renewed commitment to the things most surely believed and loved among us.

Quotes 2 Peter to illustrate the purpose of reminding the older generation of truths they already know, to stir them up to greater zeal.

I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things though you know them and are established in the truth which is with you. I think it right as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. The truths that he writes, they knew. The truths that they knew, they believed.

7:18 - 7:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply, we drift away from them. Hold them clearly, grasp them tenaciously, and be determined to preserve them intact for future generations.

Uses the analogy of a ship drifting from its moorings to explain how easily believers can drift from fundamental spiritual truths over time.

But there has been from the beginning a second major purpose, and that is to articulate in a focused way, to the new spiritual generation, the major elements of your deposit of truth, and to call you as the rising generation to a commitment to preserve these things by the grace of God, even for generations to come. The scriptures make it very clear in such passages as Hebrews 2 and verse 1, that it is so easy with the passing of time to drift from our moorings of truth. And therefore the writer to the Hebrews speaking to these Christians says in chapter 2 of his epistle, therefore we ought to ...

8:09 - 9:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon's current focus is on maintaining a balanced New Testament perspective on the Christian life, specifically addressing the absence of substitutes for God-appointed means…

Describes aspects of truth as the 'lifeblood, the lungs and the spiritual viscera' of the congregation, emphasizing their vital importance.

Now in the course of setting out, the various parts of the manifesto, we've been doing that in terms of assertions which have focused on aspects of truth which have been indeed the very lifeblood, the lungs and the spiritual viscera of this congregation for its first 25 years of life together. And we are presently focusing our attention on the 95th, the ninth affirmation in that manifesto. And that ninth affirmation is this, that we are determined to maintain a balanced New Testament perspective in our teaching and expectations concerning conversion, the Christian life, and the mission of the ...

10:17 - 11:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin demonstrates the apostolic pattern in Acts: preaching the gospel, conversion, baptism, and then gathering converts into biblically ordered churches with appointed elders…

Describes Peter's initial directive to 'repent and be baptized' as a 'band-aid of a condensed directive' to quiet the crowd until he could finish his sermon.

they were regarded as converted, believing, penitent sinners and were baptized. We saw that pattern in Acts chapter 2. People stabbed in the heart with conviction of sin, crying out, what shall we do? Peter putting a band-aid of a condensed directive to quiet until he can finish his sermon.

25:53 - 26:18 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin demonstrates the apostolic pattern in Acts: preaching the gospel, conversion, baptism, and then gathering converts into biblically ordered churches with appointed elders…

Uses the phrase 'The only way you can get babies here is to put them there' to argue against infant baptism based on the text's requirement of receiving the word.

Only such as received his word so that excluded all of the timid all of the proud all of those who were unwilling to be associated with Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah unwilling to be associated with this bunch of people in whose presence God did some strange things tons of fire rushing mighty wind speaking in dialects that they had never learned in the normal means of acquisition. Those that were prepared to receive the word were baptized. It excluded the timid it excluded the ignorant it excluded the proud it excluded infants. They didn't receive the word and therefore they weren't baptiz...

28:59 - 29:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin demonstrates the apostolic pattern in Acts: preaching the gospel, conversion, baptism, and then gathering converts into biblically ordered churches with appointed elders…

Emphasizes the clarity of how disciples are made (by preaching the gospel) by saying it's 'plain as the nose on anyone's face.'

And when they had preached the gospel in that city and had made many disciples how are disciples made? By the preaching of the gospel. Plain as the nose on anyone's face. They didn't make disciples by coercion.

32:15 - 32:31 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He continues with Revelation 1, where Christ is seen in the midst of the seven lampstands (churches), signifying His active presence and care. Then, 1 Timothy 3:14-15 is…

Describes John's reaction to Christ's vision as if 'someone had taken a 357 magnum and shot him through the temple,' conveying the overwhelming impact of Christ's glory.

He said I fell at his feet like a dead man. It was like someone had taken a 357 magnum and shot him through the temple like a dead man. All of his life he lay prostrate before the presence of the majesty of the exalted Christ. Then some of the most beautiful words in all of scripture verse 17 when I saw him I fell at his feet as one dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying don't be afraid don't be afraid I am the first and the last and the living one and I was dead and behold I am alive forever more and have the keys of death and of Hades. He now knows who this person is. I was dead and ...

37:42 - 38:49 Read in full sermon

The point: View the church as God has constituted it, recognizing the wisdom of Jesus and what He has actually made.

Compares Paul's separation from Timothy to an 'elastic band,' where the further it's pulled apart, the greater the tension to get back together, illustrating Paul's deep affection and concern.

parting of the ways to have Timothy remain in Ephesus while Paul went on into Macedonia or Greece he gives us in chapter 3 a distillation of the whole purpose in broad scope chapter 1 verses 3 and following just give us one of the strands but here are all of the strands brought together verses 14 and 15 these things write I unto you hoping to come unto you shortly like an elastic band kids the further you pull it apart the greater the tension it is to get back together again when Paul was severed from his beloved son and fellow worker Timothy it only made him feel more keenly the tension of th...

42:54 - 44:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But one thing I've come to see, my brethren, they had not failed to cut off a remnant of Romish superstition. Those men understood the Bible doctrine, that it is within the fellowship of the church that God is the creato…

Asks listeners to consider if they view the church as God, the 'heavenly architect,' designed and built it, just as one would view a physical building according to its architectural plans.

You see, if I were to ask you, do you view this building as the architects and as the builders both designed and constructed it? If you do, what you will see is a building in which the roof is supported by laminated arches, in which there are four main arches going to the four corners, joined with a compression ring, a building that is square in its basic configurations. If you view this building for what the architect designed it to be and the builders made it to be, then what you see is what is. Now, I'm asking you, do you view the church, as God has constituted the church, or do you view it...

50:02 - 51:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Commit yourself to the crucible of God's forming, molding, shaping, and keeping you within the fellowship of the church, rather than refusing out of pride or crass independence.

Martin recounts his personal experience of discovering creeds and confessions, comparing it to 'discovering the nose on your face for the first time,' highlighting his initial ignorance and later appreciation.

temple, and ground of the truth, within whose walls he has deposited those means ordained for me, your maturation and development, preservation and perseverance? I can remember when I was first beginning to be aware that somebody studied the Bible before Schofield wrote his notes and began to realize there were creeds and confessions that the church had hammered out centuries ago. What a discovery. It was like discovering the nose on your face for the first time.

51:45 - 52:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Commit yourself to the crucible of God's forming, molding, shaping, and keeping you within the fellowship of the church, rather than refusing out of pride or crass independence.

He shares his initial negative reaction to the Westminster Confession's statement 'outside of which, ordinarily, there is no salvation,' thinking it Romish, and his later understanding of its biblical basis.

Say, hey, buddy, you've been there a long time, just never noticed you. And when I read in the Westminster Confession, in the chapter on the church, these words, after describing the church in a generic statement, outside of which, ordinarily, there is no salvation, I said, oh, those poor people, they didn't leave Rome behind. Rome teaches that outside of the Roman Catholic Church, there is no salvation. What were these presbyters, Presbyterian Protestants doing using Romish language?

52:29 - 53:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Commit yourself to the crucible of God's forming, molding, shaping, and keeping you within the fellowship of the church, rather than refusing out of pride or crass independence.

Reflects on his past arrogance in his study, hoping that in 20 years he might laugh at his current margin notes, illustrating humility and ongoing spiritual growth.

I looked back at some of those early days and the books I read and what I said to the office, and I've been tempted to erase it, but I said, no, I want to leave it there to humble me and remind me that maybe 20 years from now, if the Lord spares me, I'll laugh at some of the notes I write in the margin of some of the books I'm reading today. But none of us has arrived. But one thing I've come to see, my brethren, they had not failed to cut off a remnant of Romish superstition. Those men understood the Bible doctrine, that it is within the fellowship of the church that God is the creator, and i...

53:28 - 54:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared, if called upon, to spill blood for the truth of the church's divine constitution and purpose.

Uses the imagery of 'old buzzards' and 'loosening up at the joints' to describe a potential desire among some to abandon traditional churchmanship.

Are some of you kind of just inwardly thumping your foot saying, I'm going to wait until some of these old buzzards with their high churchmanship die off and we're going to loosen up at the joints around here?

57:29 - 57:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Take your stand on that which is precious to Christ, like Martin Luther, saying, 'Here I stand. So help me God. I can do no other.'

Invokes Martin Luther's famous 'Here I stand' declaration to encourage listeners to take a firm stand on truths precious to Christ, even if it means opposition.

I believe there are some that are ready to stand with Martin Luther and say, though you don't have the jowls of the man who plays his part, in the best of the Martin Luther films, here I stand. So help me God. I can do no other. May you take your stand on that which is precious to Christ.

57:41 - 58:06 Read in full sermon