Preaching as a Means of Grace (1)

The point: Cry to God for fixed minds and responsive hearts to receive the Word.

Satan is likened to birds of the air following a sower, illustrating his presence and activity wherever the gospel is preached, seeking to snatch away the seed.

We sang, Give thou the hearing ear, fix thou the wandering thought. The Apostle said, We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. And wherever the gospel is preached, you can be sure that Satan is nearby in the imagery of the Lord Jesus, like birds of the air who follow the man who sows seed in an open field. The devil is not far from any such gathering as this.

0:25 - 1:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for fixed minds and responsive hearts to receive the Word.

Martin describes his message as an 'inwardly crushing, pressing, burning burden,' akin to how prophets often spoke of their messages, conveying the gravity and urgency of what he is about to preach.

And without in any way making fanatical claims to anything bordering on the unique identity and mission of a prophet, the prophets often spoke of their message as their burden. And I come to you this morning with something that is nothing short of a burden that is inwardly crushing, pressing, burning within my own breast.

1:07 - 1:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for fixed minds and responsive hearts to receive the Word.

Examples like 'dinner waiting at home' or 'the flutter of a fresh crush' are given to illustrate common distractions that prevent people from focusing on the Word during worship.

whether it's the dinner that's waiting at home, whether it's the flutter of a fresh crush,

2:51 - 2:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He connects Peter's sermon in Acts 3:24 to Jeremiah 3:15, highlighting God's promise of shepherds who feed with knowledge and understanding in the new covenant. This is framed…

These metaphors describe what shepherds should NOT feed the flock: 'chaff of men's notions,' 'junk food of anecdotes and jokes,' and 'sugar-coated poison of psychology and philosophy,' contrasting them with true 'knowledge and understanding' from God's Word.

in providing His covenant people with true spiritual shepherds whose activity will be to feed the people of God with knowledge and with understanding. They are not to feed them with the charisma of their own personalities, with the chaff of men's notions about religious things. They are not to feed them with the junk food of anecdotes and jokes. They are not to feed them with the sugar-coated poison of psychology and philosophy, but they are to feed them

13:27 - 14:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the essence of the commission: 'make disciples' (primarily through gospel preaching, citing Acts 14:21), then 'baptizing them,' and finally 'teaching them to…

Martin recounts hearing 'mission experts in evangelical circles' openly discussing substituting baptism for other ways of confessing Christ, which agitates his soul and underscores the non-negotiable nature of Christ's commands.

his authority by the institution of baptism, mandating it, guarding it, preserving it to the end of the age, to be the pride of any man who is wise, than our Lord. And there are people recognized as mission experts in evangelical circles who are openly discussing substituting baptism for some other way of confessing Christ. So if you wonder why my soul is agitated when my blessed Lord is challenged by dust that

27:42 - 28:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He argues that Christ, in His omniscience, foresaw all societal challenges (Cretans, Corinthians, 20th-century America's visual addiction) yet made no accommodation to His command…

The example of Corinth, where sexual immorality was integrated into temple worship, is used to illustrate the extreme moral depravity Christ foresaw, yet still commanded His disciples to teach His standards without accommodation.

into Crete and make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to observe whatever I have commanded you, with no accommodation to the peculiar societal manifestations of sin and weakness. and abnormalities and dysfunctional problems. Did he know what Paul would find at Corinth, where a boy at puberty is not only introduced to the gods at the temple in terms of learning his religious heritage, but has his first sexual experience with a temple prostitute

35:12 - 35:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Delve into the umbilical cords of their dysfunctional past. Nonsense. Teach them to observe whatever.

He describes 20th-century America as a 'visually addicted generation' with 'eyeballs glued on a boob tube,' 'mind being drugged,' and 'receptors being hooked on visual imagery,' to argue that Christ foresaw this but still commanded teaching, not entertainment.

With a bunch of people like many of you brought up with your eyeballs glued on a boob tube. Your mind being drugged. Your receptors being hooked. On visual imagery.

38:10 - 38:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin vividly describes and condemns entertainment-driven church services, recounting personal experiences where he had to publicly rebuke such practices, asserting that Christ's…

Martin shares a personal anecdote of having to publicly state that the Spirit of God had been dishonored by 'foolishness' in a meeting and leading a corporate confession before he could preach, illustrating his commitment to the sanctity of the pulpit.

Help you listen. You say, Pastor, you're caricaturing. I am not. I have been in meetings where that nonsense went on before I was called upon to preach, and I have had to say publicly, I do not mean to be disrespectful or ungrateful, but I believe the Spirit of God has been so dishonored by the foolishness that has gone on in this building in the name of Christ, that I cannot preach with a good conscience until there's corporate confession of the sin, blasphemy, before I preach.

43:50 - 44:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He expresses gratitude and blessing for those long-time members who have steadfastly adhered to the public preaching and teaching of the Word, acknowledging their role in driving…

He uses the analogy of a husband finding it easier to praise his wife to others than to her face, to explain why he is now openly blessing long-time members for their adherence to faithful preaching.

I want to say that what I've said other places, and just like it's often easier for a husband to speak in genuine, warm tones about his wife to others and about his children to others, rather than to their faces, I bless God that over these years there have been a core of you who were drawn back in the summer of 1962 to a little place on a hill in North Caldwell, because you heard the young man had come there who was, with all of his ignorance and all of his inexperience,

46:22 - 47:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He expresses gratitude and blessing for those long-time members who have steadfastly adhered to the public preaching and teaching of the Word, acknowledging their role in driving…

He recounts his early ministry in 1962, where people were drawn to his '50-minute sermons' and would cut vacations short, illustrating the hunger for substantive teaching that he believes God's people should have.

was trying to preach what was in his book. And the services were quickly rid of solos and duets and quartets and sermonettes, and you began to ingest with delight 50-minute sermons. That's what I started, 50-minute sermons. And you'd leave your vacations midway through them to drive back from the Jersey Shore, because at last you felt God had fulfilled his promise to give you a shepherd, who would feed you with knowledge and understanding.

47:05 - 47:42 Read in full sermon

The point: If you claim to love Christ, ask Him to purge out the desire for superficial ministry and to help you obey areas where you are currently resisting His light.

He states that 'the first thing a man gives up when he's apostatizing is a good conscience,' using Paul's words to Timothy to warn against the danger of seeking ministries that do not challenge the conscience.

It doesn't really teach it with a view to pressing you to observe it. It skims over the surface and it never impinges on your conscience. My friend, listen. The first thing a man gives up when he's apostatizing is a good conscience.

51:57 - 52:18 Read in full sermon

The point: If you claim to love Christ, ask Him to purge out the desire for superficial ministry and to help you obey areas where you are currently resisting His light.

He warns that attending entertaining, psychologizing churches where one feels 'I'm okay, you're okay' can lead to 'playing church and Christianity' and 'end up going to hell, deceived,' contrasting it with true discipleship.

Deal with them! The time will come when you'll sit in a place where you'll be entertained and you'll be psychologized and psychoanalyzed and all sprinkled with a little bit of Bible and go out feeling good, I'm okay, you're okay, we're all okay, plunk your money in the plate and end up going to hell, deceived, that because you played church and Christianity you had the real thing. Jesus assumes that real disciples want to be taught His will. They don't have to be persuaded.

53:19 - 53:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray that God will write the truth of Christ's commission on your heart, giving you discernment to notice and speak out against any deviation from faithful preaching and teaching in the church.

He uses the example of God making monkeys that swing in the jungles of Brazil to affirm God's sense of humor, but immediately contrasts this with the sacredness of the sanctuary.

I have no question that God has a sense of humor. I've told people He made monkeys that nobody sees but God. That swinging the trees of the jungles of Brazil, God must have a sense of humor. But I tell you, my friends, His sanctuary is no place for clowns.

56:57 - 57:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray that God will write the truth of Christ's commission on your heart, giving you discernment to notice and speak out against any deviation from faithful preaching and teaching in the church.

He describes his playful interaction with toddlers in the nursery, contrasting it with the seriousness required in the pulpit, arguing that one cannot be 'tickled into conviction of sin' or true faith.

And you know I'm no killjoy. I walked in the nursery this morning and I almost got knocked off the chair. I got here a little early with seven or eight little toddlers. All coming up, running, throwing their arms around me and kissing me and hugging me.

57:15 - 57:34 Read in full sermon

The point: If anyone uses the pulpit for jokes, drive him out; boycott the place and the elders if they tolerate it.

He cites the example of the Metropolitan Tabernacle tolerating things that would have appalled Spurgeon within 15 years of his death, illustrating how quickly a church can deviate from its standards after a faithful pastor is gone.

No, I don't believe there's a man on the eldership right now who would tolerate it. But my friends, within 15 years of the death of Charles Spurgeon, the Metropolitan Tabernacle tolerated things that would have caused Spurgeon to turn over in his grave 50 times. And I ain't no Spurgeon. The Apostle Paul, while yet alive, spoke to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 and said, I know that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in, not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will perverse men rise up

58:47 - 59:31 Read in full sermon

The point: If anyone uses the pulpit for jokes, drive him out; boycott the place and the elders if they tolerate it.

Paul's warning in Acts 20 about grievous wolves and perverse men rising up is used to show that even apostolic ministry cannot automatically immunize the next generation from error, underscoring the need for vigilance.

No, I don't believe there's a man on the eldership right now who would tolerate it. But my friends, within 15 years of the death of Charles Spurgeon, the Metropolitan Tabernacle tolerated things that would have caused Spurgeon to turn over in his grave 50 times. And I ain't no Spurgeon. The Apostle Paul, while yet alive, spoke to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 and said, I know that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in, not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will perverse men rise up

58:47 - 59:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be swayed by charismatic preachers who use jokes and charm; recognize that a true friend to your soul will faithfully warn you of sin and hell.

He shares his standard opening line when preaching to kids at Christian schools, where he explicitly states he won't tell jokes because he doesn't care if they think he's a nice guy, but is concerned for their souls, illustrating his direct approach.

In other words, they're more concerned what you think about them than whether you go to heaven or hell when you die. When I go to Christian schools to preach, I always say, I have the same line, opening introductions always the same, now I know you kids expect me because I'm a preacher and you're a bunch of kids that I'm going to tell you jokes to prove I'm a nice guy. Well, I'm going to tell you something. I'm not going to tell you any jokes because I don't care whether you think I'm a nice guy or not.

61:30 - 61:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be swayed by charismatic preachers who use jokes and charm; recognize that a true friend to your soul will faithfully warn you of sin and hell.

Charismatic preachers who try to 'win you all over' like Johnny Carson are likened to talk show hosts, arguing they are 'no friend to your soul' but are using people to promote themselves.

That's irrelevant. I'm here as a servant of God with the word of God and you're on your way to the judgment of God and most of you are lost and I want to preach. So with the blessing of God, you might get saved. The guy who saunters into the pulpit with all the charisma, Johnny Carson and every other late night talk show host who can stand up so exposed as they have to in that opening monologue and win you all over.

61:57 - 62:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be swayed by charismatic preachers who use jokes and charm; recognize that a true friend to your soul will faithfully warn you of sin and hell.

He uses the phrase 'phony as a $3 bank' to describe how young people would perceive him if he tried to act like a teenager, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and appropriate conduct for a pastor.

He's phony. And you'd know I was a phony. Right? When you know I was a phony, you'd know I was as phony as a $3 bank.

63:21 - 63:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine yourself: if you do not love the law of Christ and desire to do His will in every area, you are deceiving yourself about being a Christian.

He uses the analogy 'You're no more a Christian than this microphone is the Washington Monument' to vividly convey the stark reality of self-deception for those who claim Christ but do not obey Him.

Now bug off, Christ, and I'll do my thing. My friend, if that's your attitude, you're as lost as the devil. And you better give up all notions that you're a Christian. You're no more a Christian than this microphone is the Washington Monument.

68:50 - 69:04 Read in full sermon