The Church at Prayer, Part 2 (tape 11936, ~1981)

The point: Encourage audibility on the part of those who lead in prayer.

Martin uses the example of the Corinthian church's chaotic public gatherings, where everyone spoke at once, to illustrate the problem of 'free-for-alls' and the need for structure for edification, as Paul commanded in 1 Corinthians 14.

The whole emphasis of 1 Corinthians 14. That was the problem of the dumb Corinthians. They thought the only way to have maximum edification is to have free-for-all in the public gatherings. So all the tongue speakers all burst out in tongues, and all the prophets would stand up, and the one with the loudest voice would be heard, and Paul said, Stop this foolishness.

1:33 - 1:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Set an example in your own public prayers by being audible.

Martin quotes John Angle James, an author from the mid-19th century, who states that 'Nothing, however, tends so much to flatten a prayer meeting as long prayers,' to support his point about encouraging brevity and focused prayer.

There is a good little article in the issue. Number 211 of the Banner of Truth magazine on prayer meetings by John Angle James. And this author wrote about the middle of the last century and had some very helpful suggestions to make on corporate prayer meetings. But in the midst of his article, he says this.

5:02 - 5:26 Read in full sermon

The point: If a man is in a backslidden state, he ought to get his hands holy by repenting and getting right with God before praying publicly.

Martin sarcastically asks what kind of 'leadometer' God has sent down from heaven for people to know when they 'feel led' to pray, highlighting the absurdity of waiting for a feeling rather than acting on biblical duty.

By what measuring instrument do they know when they are, quote, being led to pray? What kind of leadometer has God sent down from heaven? Where do they place it? How do they monitor their being led?

7:47 - 8:04 Read in full sermon

The point: If you come to a prayer meeting without clean hands and a pure heart, take the shortest route to get them clean.

Martin suggests that public groaning in a corporate prayer meeting, while sometimes a valid expression of distress, might be mistaken for a 'bellyache' by others, implying it might not be generally edifying.

In a corporate prayer meeting would be of much general edification. They might think you had a bellyache. And you ought to take some Pepto-Bismol or something else. Well, granted, there may be times when it would be inexpedient for a man to lead in prayer.

9:11 - 9:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Be patient and suffer in silence for a lengthy period if necessary, rather than immediately trying to tear down existing unbiblical prayer structures.

Martin describes a scenario where a new pastor might encounter people praying for trivial matters like a 'second cousin twice removed who's got a boil on her left elbow,' illustrating the need for patience and a gradual approach to reforming prayer concerns.

a prayer meeting in the middle of people whining about a second cousin twice removed who's got a boil on her left elbow and she's in great pain, if you simply stand up and say a plague on your house and try to tear down the whole structure, all you're going to do is create problems. So you may have to sit there and just bite your lip while they pray for dear old sister so-and-so's second cousin twice removed who's got a boil on her left elbow and long for the day when the prayer concerns will show a broader vision and a more biblical perspective. But that will be as a result of a growing out o...

13:41 - 14:25 Read in full sermon

The point: If inheriting a prayer meeting with a preceding Bible study, use that Bible study to teach on the subject of prayer, preaching through major passages on prayer.

Martin shares an anecdote of a preacher who reformed his church's prayer meeting by preaching through all the major passages on prayer, leading the congregation to desire more prayer time and eventually convert their Bible study into a dedicated prayer meeting.

the book of Ephesians or the book of Philippians. You start teaching them on the subject of prayer. So you start preaching through all the major passages on prayer in the Old and the New Testament. That's what a certain preacher did when he came to a group of people some 20 years ago and thought, well, things about prayer that were so deficient. And he started taking all the major passages on prayer

16:06 - 16:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not start reformation by attacking sensitive issues like women praying if they are perceived as the most spiritual; prioritize less volatile issues first.

Martin provides an example of prioritizing reformation, advising against immediately addressing women praying in public if they are perceived as the most spiritual, and instead starting with the less volatile issue of long, repetitious prayers that everyone recognizes as unhelpful.

a whole bunch of irregularities. That's the status quo, the mess we're in. All right, now which one are you going to go after first? Well, it would be a terrible expression of kookishness to say, well, the first thing we're going to go after is women praying.

21:06 - 21:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Be gentle, patient, and not striving, as a servant of the Lord, when working through reformation in a prayer meeting.

Martin quotes and then modifies the ditty 'Patience is a virtue, find it if you can. Seldom in a woman, never in a man,' to emphasize the rarity of patience, especially in young men, as a lighthearted way to stress its importance in pastoral ministry.

begin to occur as the fruit of your instruction. And brethren, if ever you need a passage stamped over your forehead when you have to work through this matter of reformation in a prayer meeting, you need 2 Timothy 2, 24 to 26. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle toward all men. Patient, patient, patient. You've heard the little ditty. Patience is a virtue. Find it

23:40 - 24:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Have compassion for Christ's sheep who are victims of bad teaching and examples, even if they are fearful of change.

Martin uses the metaphor of 'Christ's sheep' versus 'billy goats with signs around their neck' to distinguish between genuine believers who are poorly taught and those who merely feign spirituality, urging compassion for the former.

If you have reason to believe they're Christ's sheep, he died for them. With all of the present indications that they are the victims of bad teaching and bad examples, I hope your heart will break for Christ's sheep. And in many situations, there are real sheep. Now, you may go into one situation, there's just a bunch of billy goats who've got signs around their neck, we're sheep. Well, no amount of signs around the neck of a billy goat makes it a sheep.

24:44 - 25:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Have compassion for Christ's sheep who are victims of bad teaching and examples, even if they are fearful of change.

Martin references the 'kooks of the 60s' who advocated destroying anything older than five years, to illustrate the danger of welcoming change for the sake of change, highlighting the biblical value of tradition and stability.

thing. Without it, we'd all be like the kooks of the 60s. If anything's older than five years, kill it, stomp on it, beat it to death, blow it up with a bazooka. Well, you see what that produced.

25:32 - 25:46 Read in full sermon