Christian Fellowship (6) What is Love? (3)

Driving home: And it's tragic to think how many congregations this day, though spared the indignity of air permeated with skunk oil, have an atmosphere permeated with that which is far more foul and offensive to the nostrils of God. A…

An analogy of a skunk discharging its scent into the church's air circulation system is used to illustrate how the 'foul, pungent odors of lovelessness' permeate a congregation, making it impossible to worship God without distraction and rendering it offensive to God.

Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. As we sit in this auditorium this morning, whether we are aware of it or not, all of us are the benefactors of an air exchange system that was incorporated into the construction of this building, some seven years ago. On the outside wall behind us, there is a louvered vent through which fresh air is drawn into this building and is circulated through these air discharge vents to the left and right of me here on the platform and above you in the large soffit on the rear wall of the auditorium. Now, I want you to see thi...

1:28 - 2:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Through an extended illustration of a woman coveting a coat and then seeing a sister wear it, Martin vividly demonstrates the progression from innocent desire to covetousness, and…

A detailed story of a woman who sees, desires, covets, and then envies a winter coat when she sees another sister wearing it. This illustration meticulously demonstrates the progression from innocent liking to sinful covetousness and finally to the full-blown sin of envy, marked by ill will towards the person who possesses the desired item.

Upon his person, with ill will to his person, Joseph's brothers, Saul with David. And as I tried to wrestle with how to illustrate this to deliver unusually sensitive consciences from false guilt, and at the same time fine arrows that would get through some of the reinforced concrete under which some of you have hidden yourself from the arrows of God. I thought of this illustration. A woman's out.

29:57 - 30:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shares a story of an envious wrestler who, unable to surpass his rival Theogenes in life, wrestled with his statue after death, eventually killing himself by pulling it…

A historical anecdote about a wrestler so envious of Theogenes that he would wrestle with his statue after Theogenes' death, eventually pulling it down on himself and dying. This illustrates the self-destructive and murderous nature of envy.

You've been patient in helping me to get rid of the burden upon my heart for you children. And I leave you with just a little story that'll take me just one minute to tell you. It's supposed to be true. I couldn't validate it.

75:40 - 75:52 Read in full sermon