59a) Baptisms; Principles for Weddings/Funerals

The point: Go into situations to plan and administer direction in a wedding or funeral as Christ's free man, ensuring his blood-bought rights over you are never violated by others' expectations or cultural traditions.

Martin's interaction with a hard-drinking lawyer, who later sought his help for a wedding, led to the conversion of the lawyer's secretary, illustrating the impact of a consistent Christian witness.

Years ago, there was a hard-drinking, utterly pagan lawyer who helped us to incorporate back in 1967. And God gave me some credibility with him. His secretary subsequently came to this church and was converted and married a Christian man. And in giving her testimony, she said, one of the seeds God used was my interaction in that office as a Christian man.

11:05 - 11:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Go into situations to plan and administer direction in a wedding or funeral as Christ's free man, ensuring his blood-bought rights over you are never violated by others' expectations or cultural traditions.

Martin recounts being asked to perform a wedding for a lawyer living in a common-law relationship. He insisted on verifying their marital freedom and clearly stating the biblical nature of the vows and homily, demonstrating how to maintain identity as a man of God without compromise.

Apparently, for the first time, she met a reverend whose religion was something more than his profession. Well, this man had been living in a common-law relationship with a woman. I didn't know it at the time. He called me and he said, Rev, he says, I want to marry the woman I'm living with.

11:32 - 11:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first general principle is to never compromise one's position and identity as a man of God, subject to Scripture, even when facing cultural expectations. Martin illustrates…

Martin's neighbor, a devout Catholic, asked him to conduct her non-religious husband's funeral. Martin proactively clarified that he would read from both Old and New Testaments and speak of Christ as the only way to salvation, illustrating the importance of not compromising truth or identity.

I said, fine, then I can with a good conscience. And I had the privilege in the old cracker box of preaching to 60 or 70 high class pagans from the professional world at that wedding. But I did not compromise one iota of my identity as a man of God subject to the word of God. When my neighbor, several years ago, after her husband died of lung cancer, called me and said, Al, you know, my husband had no religion.

13:04 - 13:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow yourself to be put in a situation where the antithesis between truth and error is blurred, especially by participating with other clergymen if it implies a compromise of fundamental truth.

Early in his ministry, Martin was asked to marry a wealthy, middle-aged couple. After investigation, he determined their union would be adulterous according to Scripture and refused, offering them the gospel instead. This illustrates the principle of not compromising truth for an opportunity.

Now, we must speak the truth in a context that is true. And so, in weddings and funerals, you must be very careful that you do not compromise truth in order to get an opportunity to speak the truth. The same way with regard to a couple that came years ago, early in my ministry, when I was still up in North Caldwell, and I'll never forget it, a dignified-looking man and woman, probably in their early 50s. Obviously, opulent, wealthy, were settling in that area, and we were a local church, and they said, we'd like to attend a church nearby, and we'd like to be married.

17:57 - 18:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Exude in your person and bearing the tone and climate you wish to create at such gatherings, including appropriate attire, gate, countenance, and tone of voice.

Martin uses the example of wearing a bright plaid suit to a funeral or dressing like a funeral director at a wedding to illustrate the incongruity of attire with the desired tone and climate of the gathering.

You, in your person, must exude your whole demeanor, the tone and climate you wish to create. It begins with your attire. For you to show up with a bright plaid suit at a funeral is somehow incongruous. Why?

26:38 - 26:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Exude in your person and bearing the tone and climate you wish to create at such gatherings, including appropriate attire, gate, countenance, and tone of voice.

Martin describes a man 'bopping into a funeral service and saying, praise the Lord, isn't it wonderful to know that Christ is the resurrection?' to illustrate an inappropriate countenance that jars with the solemnity of the occasion.

Well, for you to have a bright tie that ties in with the decor of the bride, the grooms and the groomsmen, et cetera, the wedding should reflect this dignity, but joy and then your countenance for a man to come bopping into a funeral service and saying, praise the Lord, isn't it wonderful to know that Christ is the resurrection? No, no, no. It's it's it's jars and love again does not behave itself. On.

27:27 - 27:57 Read in full sermon