Six Realities at the Heart of My Ministry

Driving home: The life of the minister is the life of his ministry.

Martin quotes Bridges' saying, 'The life of the minister is the life of his ministry,' to emphasize the importance of a pastor's personal conduct aligning with his preaching.

embodying in my life that which I have preached to you. The men in the academy often quote the saying that I quoted again. Then and again to them, I first found it in Bridges' book on the Christian ministry where he says, quoting someone else whom I have forgotten, the life of the minister is the life of his ministry. The life of the minister is the life of his ministry. And one of the most formative texts in my life that took its place deeply in the theater of my conscience. The first text before God was Acts 24 and verse 16 where Paul said, Herein, in the light of the coming day of judgment,...

10:04 - 11:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The life of the minister is the life of his ministry.

He uses the analogy of Olympic discipline to describe the rigorous spiritual exercise Paul undertook to maintain a conscience void of offense, illustrating his own commitment.

embodying in my life that which I have preached to you. The men in the academy often quote the saying that I quoted again. Then and again to them, I first found it in Bridges' book on the Christian ministry where he says, quoting someone else whom I have forgotten, the life of the minister is the life of his ministry. The life of the minister is the life of his ministry. And one of the most formative texts in my life that took its place deeply in the theater of my conscience. The first text before God was Acts 24 and verse 16 where Paul said, Herein, in the light of the coming day of judgment,...

10:04 - 11:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If the gospel is not real, explain the life of that preacher.

Martin lists 'money, pride, unbridled ambition, and women' as the 'four great giant killers of preachers' to highlight common pitfalls he has, by God's grace, avoided.

For 46 years, I've sought to embody, by God's grace, what I preach. The four great giant killers of preachers, money, pride, unbridled ambition, and women have killed their thousands by the grace of God. They've not slain me. And over the years, when I've anticipated the fact that at some time there would be a farewell sermon, my mind has gone again and again to 1 Samuel chapter 12. And I've said, Lord, I want to be able to do what Samuel did in the great congregation. 1 Samuel 12, verse 1, Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I've hearkened to your voice in all that you've said to me, and hav...

13:26 - 14:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If the gospel is not real, explain the life of that preacher.

He recounts Samuel's challenge to Israel in 1 Samuel 12, where Samuel asks if he has defrauded or oppressed anyone, using it as a model for his own blameless conduct in ministry.

For 46 years, I've sought to embody, by God's grace, what I preach. The four great giant killers of preachers, money, pride, unbridled ambition, and women have killed their thousands by the grace of God. They've not slain me. And over the years, when I've anticipated the fact that at some time there would be a farewell sermon, my mind has gone again and again to 1 Samuel chapter 12. And I've said, Lord, I want to be able to do what Samuel did in the great congregation. 1 Samuel 12, verse 1, Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I've hearkened to your voice in all that you've said to me, and hav...

13:26 - 14:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If the gospel is not real, explain the life of that preacher.

Martin suggests that his life should be such that if a skeptic denies the Christian faith, the people of God could say, 'If the gospel is not real, explain the life of that preacher,' illustrating the power of a consistent life.

we do not honor him by denying it. To say with Paul, You are witnesses, and God also, how holily, righteously, and unblameably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe. While confessing my sins, yes, not sinlessly, but blamelessly. And I have sought so to live before you that you, the people of God, could say to any skeptic who denies the reality of the Christian faith, that you would be able to say, If the gospel is not real, explain the life of that preacher. And with all my heart, I've wanted to give you that as my greatest gift to you. Do you think that's been easy? You have no clue.

15:53 - 16:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second reality is his commitment to ministering the whole counsel of God without fearing men, echoing Paul's words in Acts 20 and Galatians 1. He attributes this boldness to…

He shares a personal anecdote of being a naturally sensitive boy who felt sick when scolded, contrasting it with the boldness God gave him to preach without fearing men, attributing it to grace.

In Galatians 1.10, Paul said, if I should yet fear men, I should not be the servant of God. And in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, Paul gives a similar emphasis, verses 4 and 5, as we've been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God who proves our hearts. For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness. God is witness, nor seeking glory of men, neither from you. Nor from others. The apostle was unashamed to say, I preach to you the whole counsel of God without fear of your faces, and that G...

18:16 - 19:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: For 46 years I have given myself to you with unsparing passion and earnestness in the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. And again, Paul is my model...

Martin quotes Spurgeon's statement about 'emptying the barrel to the last dark drop' when preaching, illustrating his own commitment to unsparing passion and earnestness in ministry.

I might be dead before the next hour. Spurgeon said, every time I stand to preach, I empty the barrel to the last dark drop, and then I bring my prayer to the Lord. I bring my empty barrel to God and say, oh God, fill it up again. And God knows I have not spared the energy of mind, of soul, of body.

21:18 - 21:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: However, however, Trinity Baptist Church is not Al Martin's church. If it were, may it die and be buried. It's a fulfillment of Christ's promise, who said, I will build my church.

He recounts receiving an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1976 and telling the congregation that if anyone called him 'doctor,' they'd 'need a doctor,' illustrating his insistence on being seen as one among many pastors.

of you do not know that in 1976, I was made a doctor. I received an honorary degree, a doctor of divinity degree, from Geneva College out near Pittsburgh. Before I went out to receive that degree, having sought counsel from my confidants who said I should receive it and accept it, I said to the congregation, I'm Pastor Martin standing before you. I'm going out for a weekend to Pennsylvania to get doctored. But when I come back, if any of you call me doctor, and remember, 76, that's 32 years ago. I said, I'll take you out in the back alley, and when I'm done with you, if you call me doctor, you...

24:58 - 26:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Give the future pastors the privilege of commending the congregation for their obedience.

Martin shares how he has 'bragged' about the congregation's obedience to the Word of God all over the world, using Paul's boasting of the Corinthians and Macedonians as a parallel.

Your faces would be red if you knew how I've bragged about you all over the world when I've been in various places ministering and often in pastors conferences in many places throughout the world and the matters come up in discussion what do you do when people won't follow the word of God you teach it and preach it and they buck against it. I've been able to say, well, I can give you some principles from the Word, but I thank God that's not the context in which I minister. That I've been able to do for you and of you and concerning you what Paul did. He boasted of the Corinthians.

40:10 - 40:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Give the future pastors the privilege of commending the congregation for their obedience.

He uses the analogy that in biblical ministry, there is 'no backup system' if people don't follow the Word, emphasizing that if they are not obedient, a pastor must move on.

He boasts of the people of God. And he was boasting of the grace of God that was operative in them. And as I often would tell the men in the academy, in the work of the ministry, if you're committed to a biblical ministry, you have no backup system. You lay out the Word of God if people don't follow the Word.

40:57 - 41:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Prove your love to Christ by being obedient to His Word.

He mentions Mr. Heist's poem that 'beautifully captured' his idiosyncrasies, acknowledging his quirks and the congregation's tolerance.

tolerated my idiosyncrasies that Mr. Heist so beautifully captured in his poem,

42:58 - 43:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Prove your love to Christ by being obedient to His Word.

He humorously mentions his continued wearing of wingtip shoes and blue Oxford shirts, stating he'll be buried in them, as examples of his quirks.

I'm still wearing my wingtip shoes. I'll be buried in them. And my blue Oxford shirt. Deacons won't let me wear anything else.

43:14 - 43:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Prove your love to Christ by being obedient to His Word.

He humorously recounts how the deacons 'dictate his wardrobe,' forbidding white shirts for videos, illustrating their 'heavy-handed' but caring involvement.

I can't wear it. Did you know that? The deacons dictate my wardrobe.

43:25 - 43:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Continue to pray for Pastor Martin as he seeks to do good for Christ's kingdom.

He describes himself at age 72, when God brought Dorothy into his life, as being 'like a silly teenager with his first crush,' illustrating his joy and the congregation's shared rejoicing.

You rejoiced with me when at age 72 I was like a silly teenager with his first crush when God brought my dear Dorothy into my life.

44:31 - 44:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Correct anyone who says Pastor Martin has retired, stating he is only changing his ministry.

Martin states he doesn't want to 'fall off a rocking chair' but wants to be 'shot out of my saddle,' a metaphor for desiring to serve Christ actively until his last breath.

I'm not the 40-year-old man who used to do that. I'm an old, worn-out man in many areas. But I want to serve Christ to my last breath. As I've told people, I don't want to fall off a rocking chair, break my neck, and go to heaven.

46:13 - 46:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Correct anyone who says Pastor Martin has retired, stating he is only changing his ministry.

He humorously tells people to correct rumors of his retirement by saying they 'got it straight from the old horse's mouth,' emphasizing his continued commitment to ministry.

Tell them, you heard wrong. I don't know where you heard it. You heard wrong. I got it straight from the old horse's mouth.

46:42 - 46:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Dear people, you're my life's work. It's right here.

He uses the analogy of a man who helped build a cathedral pointing to his stonework or roofing, to illustrate that the congregation is his 'life's work' in a spiritual sense.

The man that helped build a cathedral can walk with people and say, here's the cathedral. I did all of the stonework here. I did all of the roofing work. Or I did this.

48:07 - 48:18 Read in full sermon