Your Churchmanship, Part 4

In this part of the sermon: Martin argues for the existence of the universal church, citing the confession of faith and Paul's letters. He recounts how Trinity Baptist Church has historically fulfilled this…

Martin cites the enriching ministries of Pastor Ted Donnelly and Pastor McDiarmid, who, though from other ecclesiastical structures, provided wisdom and experience to Trinity Baptist Church, demonstrating the benefit of seeking input from the wider body of Christ.

that over the years? Well, long before we left the denomination, we knew what it was to seek counsel and direction and input from brothers, in other circles than our own, recognizing that in the larger body of Christ was a deposit of wisdom, of experience, and we sought to tap into that. Think of where we would be as a church if we had not been enriched over the years through the ministry of a Presbyterian by the name of Pastor Ted Donnelly. Where would we be without the ministries of other brethren,

11:55 - 12:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin argues for the existence of the universal church, citing the confession of faith and Paul's letters. He recounts how Trinity Baptist Church has historically fulfilled this…

He recalls early special offerings sent to Nicaragua and Africa through para-church organizations, illustrating Trinity's early efforts to express love and concern to local churches globally.

such as Pastor McDiarmid, and many others who have stood in this pulpit from other assemblies, some of them from other ecclesiastical structures, enriching us by the exercise of their gifts. Very early in our life, we expressed benevolence to people of God totally outside our circles by special offerings sent to Nicaragua, some to various places in Africa, using certain para-church organizations through which to funnel those expressions of our love and

12:38 - 13:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin argues for the existence of the universal church, citing the confession of faith and Paul's letters. He recounts how Trinity Baptist Church has historically fulfilled this…

Martin describes his extensive correspondence in the 1970s and 80s with people of God around the world, seeking counsel and encouragement, showing how this woven into the fabric of Trinity's life to fulfill its duty to the universal church.

by letters from sister churches, our present awareness of the work of God in Italy, the Far East, India, Sri Lanka, the Suffering Church? Around the world, I keep a record of all my correspondence, just in terms of my secretaries have always written out John Doe, such and such a date, how many letters were dictated. And I'm amazed when I look back into the 70s and 80s, it was not uncommon week after week to send out 20, 25, 30 letters. Who was I writing to? The people of God around the world

14:27 - 15:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin argues for the existence of the universal church, citing the confession of faith and Paul's letters. He recounts how Trinity Baptist Church has historically fulfilled this…

He recounts how the church selflessly held him with an open hand, allowing him to travel to Sweden, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Pakistan to build up churches and encourage struggling brethren, demonstrating their commitment to the universal church.

who were correspondents of God. And I'm amazed when I look back into the 70s and 80s, it was not uncommon looking for counsel, looking for encouragement, so that woven into the fabric of the very life of Trinity Baptist Church has been this effort to fulfill our duty to the church universal. And after that initial international ministry in 1967 that I alluded to in the previous hour, how selflessly you as a church held me so that when calls came, to go to Sweden, when calls came to go to Scotland and Wales and Ireland and Pakistan

15:07 - 15:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Never lose that passion and that vision. Don't lose it. Hold fast to your duty to the universal church.

Martin highlights the church's continued open-handedness in supporting Pastor Smith's visits to Pakistan and Hong Kong, showing ongoing commitment to the universal church.

and concern for the work of God in other places at the practical and monetary level, just as Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4, 9 and 10, concerning love of the brethren, you have no need that one write to you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another. For indeed you do it to all the brethren that are in Macedonia. They were loving all the brethren in Macedonia, not just their own little assembly. But then Paul says, As we exhort you, brethren, that you abound more and more. And how open-handed you have been

16:38 - 17:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Never lose that passion and that vision. Don't lose it. Hold fast to your duty to the universal church.

He points to the annual Pastor's Conference and the modules where he is freed up to teach, and homes are opened, as examples of Trinity's ministry to the universal church, leaving a legacy of needed material.

since Pastor Smith has come on to the eldership, holding him with an open hand, his many visits to Pakistan, his two visits to Hong Kong. Your open heart to minister to the church universal year after year after year. Twenty-five years this fall with the pastor's conference, where the whole church becomes mobilized, and you open your hearts and your homes to these men. What do you gain from it? This is a ministry to the church universal. Your commitment to the modules

17:16 - 17:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Never lose that passion and that vision. Don't lose it. Hold fast to your duty to the universal church.

He mentions Trinity Christian School as not existing simply for church families, implying its broader impact and contribution to the community and potentially the universal church.

in which I am freed up and your homes are open, that men might come in, that we might leave a legacy of this material that the church has consented, is desperately needed, and have pressured me to do this. Trinity Christian School does not exist simply for the families of Trinity Church. These are the ways, ways that I cannot recount, in which you as the people of God have fulfilled your duties to the church universal. Just a few weeks ago, when you heard of the needs there

17:52 - 18:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Never lose that passion and that vision. Don't lose it. Hold fast to your duty to the universal church.

He cites the recent offering of nineteen thousand dollars to build homes for brothers and sisters in Kenya, illustrating a concrete act of fulfilling duty to the universal church.

in which I am freed up and your homes are open, that men might come in, that we might leave a legacy of this material that the church has consented, is desperately needed, and have pressured me to do this. Trinity Christian School does not exist simply for the families of Trinity Church. These are the ways, ways that I cannot recount, in which you as the people of God have fulfilled your duties to the church universal. Just a few weeks ago, when you heard of the needs there

17:52 - 18:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Never lose that passion and that vision. Don't lose it. Hold fast to your duty to the universal church.

He uses Jesus' principle from Mark 8:38, 'He that would save his life will lose it,' to explain that a church that hoards its resources will lose its blessing, while one that gives generously will retain it.

universal church. The ways that you fulfill that duty will change as it has with us over the years. But the duty remains the same. And the great biblical principle, I mentioned it in the previous hour, is this. He that would save his life will lose it. But he that

18:54 - 19:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Continue to be faithful in your commitment to the prayer meeting, ministering to the church universal in your prayers.

He uses the analogy of an 'open hand' being the key to the blessing of the 'arm to which the hand is attached' to illustrate that generosity is essential for God's continued blessing on the church.

I charge you. I urge those of you in office, my fellow pastors, my deacons who labor faithfully, never forget the open hand is the key to the blessing of the arm to which the hand is attached. And if you as God's people would continue to know his blessing upon you, then it will come in the way of fulfilling your duty to the universal church. Continue to be faithful in your commitment to the prayer meeting. Seven-eighths of the

20:04 - 20:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Continue to be faithful in your commitment to the prayer meeting, ministering to the church universal in your prayers.

Martin humorously exaggerates the state of the prayer meeting he inherited in 1962, where prayers were entirely self-focused on trivial needs, to contrast it with the kingdom-oriented prayer he later taught.

When I came to that denominational church in 1962, the prayer meeting was a disgrace. The whole prayer meeting taken up with praying for Aunt Susie and her second cousin who had an ingrown toenail.

21:06 - 21:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Be honest, upright, and diligent in your place of business, validating the gospel in a corrupt context.

He shares a personal story about his father, George A., a production control manager, who meticulously paid for a shaver cord even though he could have easily taken one, illustrating the gospel's power to make an honest man who embraces duty without complaint.

Honest, upright, diligent, in a context where people cut corners continuously, where people are dishonest and double-talk. Oh, I thank God for a father. It was known George A. was honest to a hairpin, to a paperclip, production control manager over the entire Schick electric shaver operation, putting out thousands of shavers a day, putting out hair dryers by the thousands.

32:42 - 33:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Continue to have great grace upon you, or your witness to the world is neutralized.

Martin uses the example of the congregation still giving him hugs after he 'thunders and hollers and pounds and repeats his words' as evidence of 'great grace' resting upon the church, validating their love and unity.

The fact that I leave with no, no diminution of our mutual affection without being covered with shame that I have deflected morally or doctrinally. It's a great comfort. Grace is upon us. You could love this guy after he stands up here and thunders and hollers and pounds and repeats his words and then you still give me hugs at the door.

41:47 - 42:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Be able to bring any sinner into this place and say, 'This is what the gospel does,' demonstrating its transforming power in your corporate life.

He describes how the gospel transforms family dynamics, where men rule like kings but treat their wives like queens, and wives are not afraid to speak, presenting a counter-cultural model that validates the gospel's power.

I see men, they lead, they rule, but they treat their wives like queens. The wives don't go around all bent over, afraid to open their mouths and look up and speak. The women are treated like queens. But the men rule like kings.

43:02 - 43:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Hold fast to your duty to a lost and dying world, validating and illustrating the transforming power of the gospel by your lives individually and corporately.

He describes gospel-transformed children as open-faced, outgoing, and fun, yet not wild brats, because they are lovingly and biblically disciplined, illustrating the gospel's power in the home.

You say, yeah, that's what it does. It'll change your family life too. I see kids. They're open-faced.

43:41 - 43:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines the second aspect of duty to the lost: openly confessing attachment to Christ and verbally communicating the gospel according to one's gifts. He clarifies that…

He recalls three men in the early days of the church who were particularly gifted in confrontational evangelism, systematically going door-to-door, illustrating early efforts to verbally communicate the gospel.

Both in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth. And by the grace of God in spite of all of our failures, we have sought to urge God's people openly to confess their attachment to Christ and according to their gifts to verbally communicate the gospel of Christ. While in the cracker box, there were three men particularly gifted with confrontational evangelism. I mentioned them in the previous hour.

49:41 - 50:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines the second aspect of duty to the lost: openly confessing attachment to Christ and verbally communicating the gospel according to one's gifts. He clarifies that…

He lists various evangelistic endeavors over the years, including home Bible studies, evangelistic dinners, a new tract kiosk, and ministry to nursing homes, showing diverse ways the church has sought to communicate the gospel.

They went out systematically, door by door, street by street. Throughout the years, we've attempted our home Bible studies, our evangelistic dinners. We've got a new tract kiosk down halfway between the first and second levels. The ministry to the marginalized, the nursing homes that have gone on for years.

50:16 - 50:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines the second aspect of duty to the lost: openly confessing attachment to Christ and verbally communicating the gospel according to one's gifts. He clarifies that…

He cites the planting of churches in Newark and Hazleton, and sending missionaries like Pastor Blaze, Steve Huffmeyer, Arif Khan, and Thompson Chung, as examples of fulfilling the task to a lost and needy world.

And in the midst of all of that, a commitment to plant churches in our more immediate area. The work that has been established there in Newark. The work that was established in Hazleton. Sending men to the ends of the earth.

50:40 - 50:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He introduces an accompanying duty: to do good to men as a genuine expression of love, citing Jesus' example in Acts 10:38 and Paul's instruction in Galatians 6:10. This validates…

He mentions Vacation Bible School, special dinners for the elderly, and the Boy Scout endeavor as examples of doing good to the community, validating that the gospel is brought out of genuine love.

Paul writes to the Galatians, says, As we have opportunity, let us, the same language, do good unto all men, especially, but not exclusively, to the household of faith. As we have opportunity, we do good to validate our bringing of the gospel is born of genuine love, and so we have our Vacation Bible School in which we seek to do good to this community, to help enhance ministry, doing good to those who have critical afflictions. Your special dinners for the elderly, the Boy Scout endeavor, and I pray God will multiply these opportunities

53:07 - 53:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Be reconciled to God; forget distractions and face the fact that Almighty God has a controversy with you.

He quotes Paul's words, 'We beg you, in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God,' as a powerful entreaty to the unconverted, emphasizing the urgency of their need for reconciliation.

And therefore we cannot help but use Paul's words as Mike Brackett used them so powerfully a couple of months ago. We beg you, in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God. We beg you. We beg you.

56:25 - 56:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Be reconciled to God; forget distractions and face the fact that Almighty God has a controversy with you.

He uses 'MySpace and YouTube' as examples of modern distractions that consume time and mind, urging the unconverted to set them aside and face their controversy with God.

Forget your my space and forget your you too and all the other nonsense to which you give your mind and your time.

56:44 - 56:54 Read in full sermon