Most Terrible Words

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon's theme: the most terrible words human ears can hear, contrasting them with earthly tragedies. He identifies these words as Christ's judgment…

Martin uses the hypothetical scenario of a husband/father or wife hearing news of their family's sudden death or home burning down to illustrate what people might consider 'terrible words,' setting up a contrast with the truly most terrible words.

For you husbands and fathers, it would be a terrible thing to be called away from the bench of the place of employment tomorrow and to hear someone with a very faltering, trembling, hesitant voice on the other end of the line break the news that by some unusual calamity your wife and children had been snatched away in a moment of time. If your ears had to receive those words, they'd be terrible words. Conversely, if some of you wives heard a trembling, hesitant voice from the place of your husband's employment announcing some terrible tragedy, terrible words, some of you fellows and girls, and...

0:23 - 1:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon's theme: the most terrible words human ears can hear, contrasting them with earthly tragedies. He identifies these words as Christ's judgment…

Job's experience of losing all possessions and family in a short time is cited as an example of terrible words, but then immediately dismissed as 'kid stuff' compared to Christ's judgment, heightening the sermon's central theme.

Terrible. You see, Job experienced something like that all in a matter of a few hours. His ears heard the accurate announcement that all of his possessions had been swept away. All of his family had been swept away.

1:27 - 1:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But what makes these words terrible and makes me tremble inwardly to even consider them with you this morning is that the one who speaks them has the right to speak them and has the power to execute them.

Martin uses the common experience of being told 'go to hell' to illustrate that such words don't trouble him because the speaker lacks both the right and power to execute the sentence, contrasting it with Christ's authority.

To effectively judge anyone, there must be both the right of judgment and the power to execute judgment. I've had people to tell me to go to hell. Maybe you have. It doesn't trouble me for two reasons.

4:46 - 5:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But what makes these words terrible and makes me tremble inwardly to even consider them with you this morning is that the one who speaks them has the right to speak them and has the power to execute them.

He paints a vivid picture of Christ on the cross, bruised and battered, while people mock his claim to be Judge of the world, only for God to vindicate his authority by raising him from the dead.

verse 22, we read, The Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son. Verses 28 and 29, The hour is coming when all that are in the grave shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth, they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. Can you imagine what must have gone through the minds of some people when he was on the cross? People who remembered him saying in their hearing, The hour is coming when all that are in the grave shall hear the voice of the Son of God.

7:15 - 7:52 Read in full sermon

The point: When the temptations of your flesh begin to rage like a fire within your breasts, remember, this is the issue. To make a body of your playground, a playground of your body now, is to make a body of your body. To make a f…

Martin uses the stark metaphor of making one's body a 'playground' now leading to it becoming a 'faggot' (bundle of sticks for burning) in the pit of eternal burning then, to warn young people about the consequences of disregarding God's law.

of your flesh begin to rage like a fire within your breasts, remember, this is the issue. This is the issue. To make a body of your playground, a playground of your body now, is to make a body of your body. To make a faggot of your body in the pit of eternal burning then. Never forget it.

19:40 - 19:57 Read in full sermon

Driving home: For all that you are, the scripture says, in your flesh dwelleth no good thing, and they that are in the flesh, though it be moral, religious, cultured flesh, cannot please God.

He tells a story of inviting someone to dinner, where the table looks clean, but the coffee cup is full of dried grounds and decaying food, illustrating the Pharisees' external cleanliness masking internal uncleanness.

How would you feel if I invited you to our home for dinner, and you came and sat in the living room? And looking into the dining room, you saw all of the porcelain there, all of the china sparkling, looked so nice, and then the food was put on the table, and you began to smell the meat and the rest. And then you were seated at your table, and the blessing was asked, and then as you lifted up your head, and Mrs. Martin said, now what would you like to drink?

24:34 - 24:57 Read in full sermon

The point: If your righteousness, if your idea of the Christian life is, I don't do this, I don't do that, I don't go here, I don't do this, you're a stranger to the great issues of love to God, of mercy, of justice, of hunger for …

Martin explains Jesus' analogy of straining out gnats from wine but swallowing camels, to illustrate the Pharisees' focus on trivial religious details while ignoring the great principles of God's law.

In the second place, they were more concerned about details. Then principles. Oh, a Pharisee would tithe mint and anise and cumin, his spices. Jesus said he would strain out a gnat and swallow a camel when they had their wine in those days.

25:43 - 25:57 Read in full sermon

The point: If your righteousness, if your idea of the Christian life is, I don't do this, I don't do that, I don't go here, I don't do this, you're a stranger to the great issues of love to God, of mercy, of justice, of hunger for …

He gives the example of evangelicals who avoid cigarettes or theaters but allow 'far worse' content through television, defiling their minds and children's, highlighting the inconsistency and phoniness of external moralism.

Anyone who values his life ought not to have one there, but they wouldn't be caught dead with that, wouldn't be caught dead going to the theater down on Bloomfield Avenue, but oh, the inconsistency, the inconsistency. They'll be found with a flood of stuff far worse than what might be seen in a well-selected movie pouring through their television. Day. Day in and day out, defiling their own minds and the minds of their children, and they never seem to ask the question, is this acceptable to God?

27:32 - 28:02 Read in full sermon

The point: If your righteousness, if your idea of the Christian life is, I don't do this, I don't do that, I don't go here, I don't do this, you're a stranger to the great issues of love to God, of mercy, of justice, of hunger for …

He contrasts parents who wouldn't defile their lungs with cigarettes but defile people's ears with gossip and unkindness, further illustrating the hypocrisy of external righteousness.

Sniff it out. Sure, mom and dad would never defile their mouth or their lungs with a cigarette, but they'll defile people's ears with gossip and unkindness.

28:13 - 28:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Does this fit the category of some of you? Self-righteous, moralist, resting on a wrong foundation. You've done something. You are something. I submit to you that until you've been beat off from every foundation but Chri…

He quotes a hymn (likely 'The Solid Rock') to express the true foundation of hope for acceptance with God, contrasting it with self-righteousness.

I submit to you that until you've been beat off from every foundation but Christ crucified, until you've been driven from the place of hoping anything in you will ever be the ground of acceptance to where you can say from the heart, Jesus, thy blood and righteousness, my beauty. You are my glorious dress, midst flaming worlds, with these arrayed, with joy shall I lift up my head, bold shall I stand in thy great day, for who ought to my charge shall lay, fully absolved from these I am, from sin and fear and death and shame.

29:51 - 30:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Have you signed any treaties? How about you, fellows and girls? Any treaties with lies, uncleanness, pride, stubbornness, deceitfulness? How about you, adults? Any treaties with temper, anger, lust, passion, envy, coveto…

He references the publican beating his breast, not for show, but from deep inward pain over his sin, illustrating the internal nature of true repentance.

some applies the same prices. There were a thousand great teachers investigación on the love of ט υυνες in the Bible, and many of them wrote flyers just under the phrase, Που� Volvo μην ξεκινει washerolor is to inquire of the Lord. to the inner court, but he stood afar off, and the inward pain was so great the only way he could express it was to beat upon his breast, not for stage effects. He was conscious

37:37 - 38:17 Read in full sermon