Your Churchmanship, Part 1

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides a personal history lesson, explaining his transition from a denominational church in 1962 to the founding of Trinity Baptist Church in 1967. He recounts the…

Martin recounts his journey from a denominational church in 1962 to the founding of Trinity Baptist Church in 1967, explaining how the congregation's deliberate decision to be taught biblical churchmanship shaped their identity and commitment to confessionalism. This story provides the historical context for his passionate exhortation.

So we don't often go back into our history. And I want to give you a little history that will help you understand why this particular concern is high on the list of the things concerning which I'm giving you my parting words of council. In the summer of 1962, I came to a little denomination. A denominational church up in North Caldwell here in North Jersey in order to be a pulpit supply for six weeks.

6:04 - 6:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides a personal history lesson, explaining his transition from a denominational church in 1962 to the founding of Trinity Baptist Church in 1967. He recounts the…

Martin recalls the early meetings of the church in the Women's Club of Caldwell, describing the wooden floor, chairs, and echo. This anecdote illustrates the humble beginnings and the immediate sense of God's presence despite the challenging environment.

And in January of 1967, our first several meetings, we met in the Women's Club of Caldwell. I can still remember that experience. It had a wood floor with wooden chairs, hard surfaces. Our singing was glorious.

9:32 - 9:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow para-church organizations to wag the dog, eat the dog's food, or eat the dog itself, meaning they should not eclipse or sap resources from the church.

Martin lists Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, and Middle East Reformed Fellowship as examples of para-church organizations that have a place as 'handmaidens' to the church but must not be allowed to usurp its unique role.

Para church organizations. That are not functioning as churches. Which have distinctive ministries. Which we with a good conscience can use.

23:01 - 23:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow para-church organizations to wag the dog, eat the dog's food, or eat the dog itself, meaning they should not eclipse or sap resources from the church.

He uses the metaphor of the 'tail must never be allowed to wag the dog' to illustrate the danger of para-church organizations becoming more prominent or consuming resources meant for the church.

Which we can support. But the tail must never be allowed to wag the dog. Let alone. Eat the dog's food.

23:12 - 23:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow Trinity Christian School to sap away personnel, energy, or monies essential for the well-being of the church.

Martin uses Trinity Christian School as an example of an institution that, while valuable, is not the church and must not sap essential personnel, energy, or monies from the church itself.

Not open doors. Trinity Christian school. Is not the church. It must not be allowed to sap away.

23:35 - 23:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not let home school groups take second place to the church, ensuring weekends are not spent at home school gatherings instead of church.

He uses home school groups as an example of activities that, while legitimate, should not take precedence over the church, leading to weekends spent away from corporate worship.

Of the church. That meets in this place. Home school groups are not the church. So that weekends are spent at home school gatherings.

23:54 - 24:09 Read in full sermon

The point: For those going to college, understand that campus crusade or inter-varsity organizations are not the church, and their approval is not the validation of your Christian faith.

Martin warns college-bound students that campus crusade and inter-varsity organizations are not the church and cannot validate one's Christian profession in the same way the church does.

You've got campus crusade. Organizations. You've got inter-varsity organizations. They are not the church.

24:51 - 25:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You need a Christ who is as fully God as though he were never man and as much man as though he were never God in two distinct natures in this one glorious person forever.

He explains that the London Baptist Confession of Faith reflects centuries of the church wrestling with heresies, citing examples like Athanasius and Arius, the Council of Chalcedon, and the errors of medieval Romanism, to show its value in maintaining doctrinal purity.

As the church of Christ. As the church of Christ. church has wrestled with heresies and errors that have cropped up. For example, the sections dealing with the person of Christ and the being of God take us all the way back to Athanasius and Arius. They take us back to the council of Chalcedon and other church councils where the people of God came together and against the backdrop of heretics who were denying truth that was established in the hearts of the people of God based upon apostolic instruction, they wrestled and said, no, the truth is this and not that. That's where you get such beauti...

29:59 - 31:02 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You need a Christ who is as fully God as though he were never man and as much man as though he were never God in two distinct natures in this one glorious person forever.

Martin quotes a catechismal definition of Christ as "eternal God became man and so was and continues to be both God and man in two distinct natures in one person forever." This illustrates the precision and theological depth of the church's confessional standards.

Christ. I get the goosebumps quoting it. That's our Christ. That's my Christ. Who's your Christ?

32:15 - 32:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Jealously watch the doctrinal purity and doctrinal unity of this church, looking for wolves from outside and men from within who speak perverse things.

He describes the church's membership interview process, where applicants receive the London Baptist Confession of Faith and are asked about any conscious controversies, illustrating the practical application of maintaining doctrinal purity.

And when you come for your interview with the elders, you are asked, did you read the Confession of Faith? Were there any things in there that when you read them, said, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Wait a minute. I don't believe that. We make it plain. We don't ask, do you grasp everything to where you could teach the adult Sunday school class and go through from chapter one, paragraph one to the end of the confession? But we ask, do you have any conscious controversy with anything in there? Why do we do that? Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter one. We'll tell you why. Paul's dealing with d...

33:28 - 34:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Jealously watch the doctrinal purity and doctrinal unity of this church, looking for wolves from outside and men from within who speak perverse things.

Martin contrasts the modern emphasis on a "togetherness orgy" or "hug fest" that ignores differences with Paul's call for unity rooted in "same-mindedness and the same judgment," highlighting the danger of superficial unity.

And when you come for your interview with the elders, you are asked, did you read the Confession of Faith? Were there any things in there that when you read them, said, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Wait a minute. I don't believe that. We make it plain. We don't ask, do you grasp everything to where you could teach the adult Sunday school class and go through from chapter one, paragraph one to the end of the confession? But we ask, do you have any conscious controversy with anything in there? Why do we do that? Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter one. We'll tell you why. Paul's dealing with d...

33:28 - 34:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Jealously watch the doctrinal purity and doctrinal unity of this church, looking for wolves from outside and men from within who speak perverse things.

Paul's warning to the Ephesian elders about "grievous wolves" from outside and men from "your own selves" speaking perverse things is used to illustrate the constant threat to doctrinal purity.

I know. I know that after. After my departing, grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. He said, I know this. I am absolutely confident of this. Furthermore, he goes on to say, and from among your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them. Wherefore, be watchful. Be watchful. I say to my fellow elders, Pastor Smith, Pastor Carlson, I charge you in God's name, jealously watch the doctrinal purity and doctrinal unity of this church. God lays that responsibility upon you. Not only looking for wolves

37:08 - 38:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Never cave in to the ear-tickling society of preachers.

Martin uses the metaphor of people wanting "scratched ears" instead of "pierced hearts" to describe the desire for ear-tickling preaching over convicting, challenging preaching, explaining why churches compromise on sound doctrine.

Why? Because people no longer want pierced hearts. They want scratched ears.

43:28 - 43:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Hold fast your convictions and practice concerning the maintenance of biblical standards for membership in the church.

The story of Simon Magus from Acts 8 is used as an example of someone who was baptized and joined the church but was not truly converted, illustrating that unregenerate individuals can enter the visible church.

none were admitted, but those who were truly converted, they were in Christ, except some self-deceived or willfully deceptive were also admitted. You have Simon Magus in Acts 13. He heard Peter preach. He was baptized.

49:55 - 50:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not give up the practice of careful assessment of any man or woman who applies for membership, ensuring the pastoral interview is critical.

The story of Ananias and Sapphira is used as an example of God exposing willful hypocrites in the early church through divine judgment.

And what about the willful hypocrite? Well, God exposed some of them. Ananias and Sapphira, God killed them. God took the disciplinary action.

51:29 - 51:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not give up the practice of careful assessment of any man or woman who applies for membership, ensuring the pastoral interview is critical.

Martin shares an anecdote about a membership application that took a full year due to "intense, concentrated pastoral interaction" and visits, illustrating the church's commitment to careful assessment of conversion.

Seek to resolve it. If it's not resolved, come to one of your elders. That's not an empty, empty form. We had a situation a couple of years ago where a whole year passed from the initial application to the time we received someone into membership.

53:37 - 53:51 Read in full sermon

The point: If people do not walk according to biblical standards, they are to be admonished, exhorted, marked, and disciplined.

He clarifies that church discipline is not a "Gestapo mentality" but a crucial practice for maintaining a regenerate membership and the spiritual health of the church.

Dear people, this is not some kind of a Gestapo mentality imported into a lovely family of God's people. It's crucial. To keep the membership of the church, a membership that is in,

54:32 - 54:48 Read in full sermon