Our Authority for Engaging in Missionary Activity

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the sermon's main question: What authorization does Trinity Baptist Church have to undertake and oversee missionary endeavors? He notes the surprise and…

Martin describes people's shocked or irritated reactions when he explains that Trinity Baptist Church acts as its own mission board, highlighting the prevailing assumption that mission boards are separate entities.

missionary endeavors as far away as the Philippines, Pakistan, and we have had missionary endeavors as far away as the Philippines, Pakistan, and we have had missionary endeavors as far away as the Sweden and East London, as well as nearer missionary endeavors in which we as a local church have been the sending agency, the overseeing agency, the collection agency, and everything pertaining to the work of missions. In other words, the church has been the mission board. Now, many in our day are shocked to hear that the church has been the mission board. Now, many in our day are shocked to hear t...

7:08 - 8:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Read through the book of Acts to confirm that 'added to the Lord' and 'added to the church' are used synonymously, and that there is no biblical warrant to regard anyone officially in the Lord unless they are in the chur…

The phrase 'came to the ears of the church at Jerusalem' is highlighted as a 'beautiful imagery' of a unified church receiving news, emphasizing the corporate nature of the church's awareness and response.

And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church. Isn't that a beautiful imagery? Here's one church with one set of ears. It's a beautiful picture.

25:41 - 25:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Read through the book of Acts to confirm that 'added to the Lord' and 'added to the church' are used synonymously, and that there is no biblical warrant to regard anyone officially in the Lord unless they are in the chur…

The nickname 'Christianos' given to disciples in Antioch is explained as 'Little Christs,' illustrating the church's clear testimony and preoccupation with Christ.

There is growth to the church. An eminent servant of Christ comes to join Barnabas in a primary teaching, strengthening, establishing ministry, and yet the Lord continues to, to increase the church, gives it such a crystal clear testimony in everything. They were so preoccupied with Christ that they were given a nickname, Little Christs. Little Christs there at Antioch.

28:56 - 29:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If the church is the only authorized agent to do the work of missions and if Christ has promised to build his church and be with her to the end of the age, then our authority and warrant for doing the work of missions as…

Martin quotes James Henley Thornwell comparing humanly created mission offices to Nebuchadnezzar's image of gold, silver, brass, iron, and clay, to argue against discordant, unbiblical structures in the church's work.

And Thornwell argued before the whole General Assembly, carried on debates with Hodge up here in the north. And Thornwell had the heart of the issue. And when one reads all of the articles, and there are a number of pages, I forgot the total of the pages, somewhere around, I think, 100 to 150 pages, you see how Thornwell got hold of the real issue and he wouldn't let it go. And every time smoke was thrown up, he'd blow it away and there he'd be hanging on to the central issue again and again and again. And let me give you just a little taste of it. I had hoped to read about six or seven differ...

50:21 - 51:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If the church is the only authorized agent to do the work of missions and if Christ has promised to build his church and be with her to the end of the age, then our authority and warrant for doing the work of missions as…

Martin quotes Thornwell's sarcastic analogy of Christ constructing a 'clumsily put together' machine (the church) that 'cannot work until man has given it the finishing stroke,' to powerfully refute the idea that the church needs human inventions to fulfill its mission.

philippines encouraging steve and encouraging that church is perfectly legitimate but to give a name and a title and an office and a function totally removed from the concept of an elder and a pastor or a deacon thornwell says what warrant do we have for doing this and then he comes back to the argument again and again and again until he states in what i regard to be the most eloquent statement of the whole issue he says this among all the quotes i have one that's marked heart of the issue and i want to make sure that that's the one i read in your presence because it is so critical i keep writ...

52:10 - 53:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If our form of church government is such as God prescribed, it is adequate for all emergencies. If our church courts are based upon the platform of the Bible, God requires from them the discharge of their peculiar duties…

Martin quotes Thornwell's argument that the system of mission boards involves 'an abandonment of the great principle that it is the duty of the church as such, in her ecclesiastical capacity, to conduct every department of the work which the Savior has committed to her,' emphasizing the historical commitment of Presbyterianism to this principle.

like Nebuchadnezzar's image of gold, silver, brass, iron, and clay. The temporary business of a secretary or scribe in any public meeting we understand. The temporary agency of a pastor for a specific purpose we acknowledge to be scriptural. But the appointing of men to a permanent and standing vocation, in which it is impossible to be faithful in any of the standing offices of the church, we do not understand, for we have not so learned Presbyterianism." To which I would add, we have not so learned the Bible. And then on page 158, and moving over to 159, Thornwell continues his argument. Unde...

60:01 - 61:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If our form of church government is such as God prescribed, it is adequate for all emergencies. If our church courts are based upon the platform of the Bible, God requires from them the discharge of their peculiar duties…

Martin quotes Thornwell's analogy of a man delegating family care to a neighbor to illustrate that the church cannot 'throw off' its God-given duties onto other institutions, asserting the church's unique responsibility.

We believe, said the assembly of 1837 in her circular letter to all sister churches, that if there be any departments of Christian effort to which the church of Christ is bound in her appropriate character to direct her attention and her unwearied labors, they are those which relate to the training of her sons for the holy ministry, and sending the gospel to those who have it not, and planting churches in the dark and destitute portions of the earth. And at this point the quotation of the pronouncement of the General Assembly of 1837 ends. Now further quoting from page 159, here the obligation...

61:48 - 63:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If our form of church government is such as God prescribed, it is adequate for all emergencies. If our church courts are based upon the platform of the Bible, God requires from them the discharge of their peculiar duties…

Martin quotes Thornwell's argument that the 'total silence of the word of God in regard to such contrivances as boards seals their condemnation,' reinforcing the principle of Sola Scriptura in church practice.

He appointed them for this very purpose and gave them no authority to shift the responsibility, the heat and the burden of the day upon creatures of their own. If the church can delegate one part of her work, she can delegate another. And then over on page 163 at the bottom of the page and reading to the top of 164, Christianity in its living principles and its outward forms is purely a matter of divine revelation. The great error of the church in all ages, the fruitful source of her apostasy and crime, has been a presumptuous reliance upon her own understanding. Her own inventions have seduce...

63:54 - 65:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: So strong are my convictions of the adequacy of the church as organized in the Scriptures to meet all exigencies, that if it can be clearly shown that she, that is the church, is incompetent to discharge any office assum…

Martin repeats Thornwell's sarcastic analogy of Christ's 'clumsily put together' machine, underscoring the absurdity of suggesting the church is incomplete without human additions for missions.

In other words, is the church simply a servant of Christ, bound to do what she is commanded, and as she is commanded, acting in all respects according to orders? Or is she a confidential agent, instructed only as to the ends to be accomplished, and left to invent the means for herself? And then one final quote on page 208, Thornwell writes, Christ has constructed a machine for a particular purpose. The machine, however, is so clumsily put together that it will not and cannot work until man has given it the finishing stroke. Obviously at this point Thornwell is using some irony and sarcasm. Wha...

68:14 - 69:13 Read in full sermon