Baptisms; General Guidelines for Weddings/Funerals

Driving home: It is universally agreed by respected linguists that baptizo and bapto at least have as one of their primary meanings to dip or to immerse.

Martin uses the practice of the Greek Orthodox Church immersing infants to demonstrate that even those who practice pedo-baptism acknowledge immersion as the linguistic meaning of 'baptizo'.

It is acknowledged by many who practice what they call a baptism by sprinkling or washing or pouring that this was not the apostolic mode. And I could bring forward those quotes both from Calvary. And it's very interesting that to this day in the Greek Orthodox Church, they immerse their infants. Because to a Greek to say, I baptize, and then to do anything other but plunge the baby into the water would be for me to say to you, Mike, I strike you on the cheek.

4:12 - 4:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Seize the opportunity during baptismal services to explain the visible word of baptism by expounding the written Word.

Martin shares a personal anecdote about a grammar teacher's ditty for spelling 'seize' to lighten the mood and make a point about seizing opportunities.

Number one, seize, and the word seize is S-E-I-Z-E, I before E, except after C or when sounded as A as in neighbor and way but either leisure, neither and seize are four exceptions if you please. Now, that little ditty was taught to me by that ninth grade student of mine when I was a freshman in high school and he said, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know or grammar teacher who pounded stuff into me and is with me to this day, I before E except E or when sounded as A as in neighbor

27:40 - 28:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Seize the opportunity during baptismal services to preach the gospel to the unconverted.

He describes the radical change in church architecture during the Reformation, where the pulpit became exalted over the table, illustrating the principle that sacrament stands under the Word.

In one of the great and wonderful legacies of the Reformation is the great truth that sacrament always stands under the word, and it radically altered Reformation church architecture, and it's a delight to go to some of those churches that still reflect that, and from a situation where you always had an exalted table as an altar, you have the table put beneath the exalted. It's an exalted pulpit, and often now you've got these steps that you've got to walk until you almost feel like you're going to need an oxygen mask, and there you stand in this exalted pulpit on the back wall of a building, ...

30:10 - 30:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Seize the opportunity during baptismal services to preach the gospel to the unconverted.

A missionary's story of an African village baptism, where believers and candidates gather on opposite sides of a river, vividly illustrates the visible separation from the world and identification with Christ's community.

I've often wished we could have the situation that a missionary told me about in one of the third world countries. I think it was in an African village, and what they did when they had their baptisms is they would go down to the riverside, and if this was a village precinct, the whole village would come and gather. On one side of the little stream or river that was on the outskirts of the village, the people of God would gather on this side. All the church members, all who were identified with Christ and his visible community, and then one of the elders would step into the water, and all those...

31:54 - 32:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He offers four guidelines for the service itself: seize the opportunity to explain baptism through exposition of the Word, preach the gospel to the unconverted, remind believers…

Martin recounts a humorous incident where a section of the Rockaway River, used for a baptism, was declared polluted the next day, leading to a lighthearted reflection on 'washing away sins'.

The Rockaway. The Rockaway River, and in fact, it was funny. The one baptism we had in the Rockaway River a number of years ago, the very next day in the Star Ledger, there was an announcement that that section of the river had been condemned as being polluted.

38:23 - 38:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He outlines the first two principles: never relinquish your identity as a man of God subject to His Word, and never compromise truth to gain an opportunity to speak truth…

He shares a personal story of officiating a wedding for a 'godless, foul-mouthed' lawyer, illustrating the principle of never relinquishing one's identity as a man of God and setting non-negotiable terms for ministry.

church and the rest, we sought the services of a godless, foul-mouthed, nominal Roman Catholic, hard-drinking, lecherous lawyer in the area. God has since been pleased to save his secretary, who was, at that time, a flighty, immoral young woman. And she has since been marvelously converted and for a number of years was a member of this church, for the sins of the world. That's what I mean by that. That's what I mean by that. That's

54:41 - 55:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't assume that to be a man of God you must turn every culturally precipitated ministry into a full-blown evangelistic meeting; exercise wisdom and love, avoiding rudeness.

The example of Herod hearing John gladly, despite John's uncompromising message, illustrates that not being hated doesn't necessarily mean compromise; God can dispose hearts to hear.

But don't assume that if you aren't hated, you've compromised. God just may be giving some modern Herod a disposition to hear you gladly. Even though you're telling him he's got no right to be beddened down with his paramour.

65:53 - 66:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God that you may be clothed with the power of the Spirit in the discharge of these ministerial functions, recognizing their spiritual significance and evangelistic potential.

Martin tells the story of a woman converted in her 60s after being initially offended by his certainty at a funeral, but later drawn by the consistent grace shown to a church member, highlighting the power of Spirit-clothed ministry.

And what a marvelous opportunity then to cry to God that we may, in our capacity as the servants of Christ, though we've come into a situation on the crest of a cultural expectation or tradition, to come as men clothed with the Spirit, so that if ever we can say our speech was not with enticing words of men's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, it is at funerals and at weddings. There's a woman now, she may have been taken home to be with the Lord, I don't know. She retired up in Massachusetts, but she was converted.

77:36 - 78:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The final three principles are detailed: give careful, detailed planning and direction to such gatherings, exude in your person and bearing the desired tone and climate, and cry…

He humorously describes the challenges of choreographing wedding rehearsals, emphasizing the need to serve 'for Christ's sake' amidst family tensions, and how these seemingly mundane tasks can lead to gospel opportunities.

Every time I've got to choreograph a wedding rehearsal, I say, Lord, for your sake. For your sake. And the only thing that gets me through is I think of all the ears I'll have the next day and then I manage to get through with some degree of sweetness. Otherwise, I tell my wife, I say, Honey, I'm called to be a minister of the gospel, not a choreographer.

80:44 - 81:06 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The final three principles are detailed: give careful, detailed planning and direction to such gatherings, exude in your person and bearing the desired tone and climate, and cry…

Martin recounts a woman telling him 11 years later that a sermon at a wedding sent 'an arrow to my heart,' leading to her conversion, underscoring the long-term impact of Spirit-empowered ministry in unexpected settings.

And it's amazing what you have to do. But you say, for Christ's sake, for Christ's sake, for Christ's sake, for His sake. And then you're able to get through it. And then look back and hopefully have the joy that I had just a couple months ago when a woman walked up to me and she said, I've been waiting for years to meet you.

81:27 - 81:45 Read in full sermon