The Church Ministering to Itself in Love, Part 1

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds Ephesians 4, highlighting the diversity of gifts given to each member for the perfecting of the saints and the building up of the body. He argues this passage…

Wilson, quoting Hanson, explains that the unity of the body does not mean drab uniformity, but rather that each member receives a diverse gift from Christ for the building up of the body, emphasizing the purpose of varied graces.

bottomed upon these great realities of the one Lord, one faith, etc., now we have this transition into a new, a new area of thought that within this essential unity, bottomed upon these great redemptive realities, there is great diversity. But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And there in verse 7, the emphasis falls upon this diversity of gifts, and I can do no better than to quote the comment by Wilson, who in turn is quoting a man by the name of Hanson,

3:19 - 4:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: From this it is plain, now quoting Calvin, that those who neglect this means and yet hope to become perfect in Christ, are mad.

Wilson, quoting Calvin, clarifies that Christ appointed the ministry of the word to equip all church members for service, and those who neglect this means are 'mad,' rejecting the common ministry for private revelations.

Complete outfitting of the saints for ministration work, for upbuilding of the body of Christ. For complete outfitting of the saints for ministration work, for upbuilding of the body of Christ. Again, Wilson's comments on verse 12 are very perceptive, quoting in part from Calvin. As the New English Bible's omission of the first comma shows, the purpose for which Christ gave these men is that all God's people should be perfectly fitted for the particular service that each is to contribute

6:37 - 7:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: From this it is plain, now quoting Calvin, that those who neglect this means and yet hope to become perfect in Christ, are mad.

This example describes an excessive reliance on pastors and teachers, where the congregation expects the 'specialists' to do all the service for the building up of the body, illustrating a common error in church life.

Sacerdotalism is an excessive reliance on a class of priests. Now there is a kind of evangelical sacerdotalism that says we recognize the gift of Christ, we call the gift of Christ, we pay the gift of Christ, we provide a parsonage for the gift of Christ. With all of that, let him do anything, that can be called service for the building up of the body. And there is an excessive inordinate dependence upon and deference to the specialists, the pastors and teachers.

9:41 - 10:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: From this it is plain, now quoting Calvin, that those who neglect this means and yet hope to become perfect in Christ, are mad.

This example describes a spirit that questions the need for recognized specialists (elders, pastors, teachers) because all believers have the Spirit, the Word, and gifts, illustrating the opposite error to sacerdotalism.

And that's a kind of evangelical sacerdotalism. On the other hand, there is in this passage a death blow to what I would call evangelical anti-clericalism. And what is anti-clericalism? That is the spirit that says since we are all in Christ and brothers, and we are to call no man father or master, and we all have the word, and all have the spirit, and all have a gift, and all have a ministry, what need is there for the one-man band, or the two-man band,

10:18 - 11:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Carefully expound Ephesians 4:7-16 to your people early in your ministry, warning them against becoming a priest in their estimation and against tolerating an anti-clerical mentality.

The story of Korah's rebellion against Moses and Aaron is used to illustrate the danger and divine judgment associated with an anti-clerical spirit that questions God-ordained leadership.

The language is that of that ancient rebellion. Do we not all have the spirit? Are we not all holy? Moses and Aaron, you take too much upon yourselves.

11:15 - 11:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Carefully expound Ephesians 4:7-16 to your people early in your ministry, warning them against becoming a priest in their estimation and against tolerating an anti-clerical mentality.

Wilson, quoting Hanson, states that the church's unity and growth are promoted only if each member's gift is placed in service of the whole, with love as the superior principle, envisioning the ultimate end of the body's increase in love.

but you are equally determined that you will not tolerate a sinful anticlerical mentality. My final quote from Wilson, page 93, where he envisions the ultimate end of the body making increase of itself in love, quoting this man Hanson again, as every member in a body has a task, to fulfill and exists for the sake of the body as a whole, so has every Christian a function in the church, however different it may be, and only if each one's gift is placed in the service of the whole, i.e.,

13:39 - 14:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: they are the glory of Christ

Martin recounts his fascination with the unidentified brother in 2 Corinthians 8:18, whose praise was spread through all the churches, and how this led him to consider why God might not have named him, connecting it to avoiding idolatrous esteem.

And I said Lord have you revealed who that brother is? So I did some rooting around and tracking down and I finally ended up in Hugh's commentary and he has a large footnote indicating that this has been a torturous bit of fascination for exegetes way way back for centuries and there isn't the slightest bit of consensus. I mean it is more unsettled than the authorship of Hebrews. Alright?

27:30 - 28:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: they are the glory of Christ

The description of the brethren carrying the offering as 'the glory of Christ' is used as a powerful metaphor to show how believers exercising their gifts, even in humble service, reflect Christ's compassion, love, power, grace, wisdom, and tenderness.

And I think I maybe found out why God didn't name him because while he was still alive since his praise was already spread throughout the churches could it be that people would be tempted to have an idolatrous esteem of him and what would happen well when you see how they are described in verse 23 these brethren involved in this task are described in this way they are the glory of Christ and I tell you that thing smacked me like a ton of bricks they are the glory of Christ who? These guys carrying the bags of money with uprightness and integrity

28:01 - 28:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that cultivating an awareness of biblical body life and mutual ministry in your people is a central responsibility, not a secondary issue.

The analogy of a 'tank full of piranhas all eating one another up' is used to illustrate the destructive outcome of biting and devouring one another in the church, leading to its vaporization.

neighbor as thyself but if you bite and devour one another take heed that you be not consumed of one another it's like a tank full of pariahs all eating one another up until the tank is empty if such a thing were possible you keep biting and devouring you consume one another in other words the church will vaporize with nothing left and the answer he said is the recognition that we have been set free from the tyranny of an accusing conscience set free from the trappings of the old mosaic system to what end Peter says that we may render loving bond service to God

33:55 - 34:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Constantly inculcate (impress by frequent repetition) the scriptural concepts of the church that undergird the duty of mutual ministry.

Martin uses the analogy of a horse that has been running a certain way for twelve years and has to learn a different gait, sometimes stumbling, to ask for patience as he trains himself not to repeat material already in print.

inculcating the scriptural concepts of the church which undergird this duty and here I have to train myself not to repeat because you have it in print in front of you so you be patient with me when the horse has been running a certain way for twelve years and he's got to learn a different gait sometimes he'll stumble alright so you indulge me in love alright there must be this constant inculcating now why have I chosen the word inculcate you can put to the side if you want the definition of inculcate is to impress by frequent repetition to inculcate something is to impress it upon another by f...

36:53 - 37:37 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He first emphasizes the concept of believers as 'brethren in the same family,' using Philemon 15-16 to show how this identity transforms relationships and 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15…

Martin recommends the epistle to Philemon as a rich deposit of principles of ministerial tact, suggesting it for a 'mental spiritual baptism' in holy tact.

the church in the church in the church working out their own natural God blessed chemistry in an assembly of God's people look at Philemon verses 15 and 16 going to look at several examples of this in the New Testament Philemon after Titus that often neglected little book is probably the most rich deposit of principles of ministerial tact to be found anywhere in scripture if you find you lack tact and you want a good mental spiritual baptism of what holy tact is immerse your soul in a

41:21 - 42:06 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Next, Martin highlights the concept of believers as 'members of the same body,' arguing that this organic unity undergirds the call to keep the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians…

The analogy of body members disjointing themselves every night and needing to be stuck back together is used to illustrate the horror and incongruity of a church lacking unity and organic living involvement among its members.

disciplines of walking before my brethren with lowliness and meekness forbearance can I not endeavor to do all within my power not to fracture the unity of the spirit when God has made us one body , what a horrible thing if every morning sometime during the night all of my members of my body disjointed themselves from one another and all I had is a pile of 30 pieces that I had to somehow have somebody stick together before I could get out of bed and what a horrible thing when the people of God gather when in a sense that's all you have is a temporary coming together of these fragmented members...

52:16 - 53:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Inculcate in your people the perspective that they are members of the same body, which should motivate them to speak truth and avoid malicious gossip or insensitivity.

The analogy of eyeballs lying about Tom Selleck or a hand lying about the distance to a cup is used to illustrate the ludicrous and destructive nature of falsehood within the organically united body of Christ, emphasizing the vital need for truth.

I mean if my eyes look out and say you know I have got a group of Tom Selleck's in this place the most handsome manly macho looking guys in all the world what a terrible thing if my eyeballs lied to me that way wouldn't it be terrible speaking tongue in cheek of course what a terrible thing if my hand reaches out to take a cup of something my wife has given to me and it lies to me it tells me that the cup is a foot and a half away when in reality it's two feet away and I grab the air and start moving back and she lets it go

54:26 - 55:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Inculcate in your people the perspective that they are members of the same body, which should motivate them to speak truth and avoid malicious gossip or insensitivity.

The analogy of a man chomping on his own index finger for lunch is used to illustrate the foolishness and self-destruction of believers eating up their brethren with malicious gossip, insensitivity, and indifference, just as one would not eat their own body.

and he could use that with regard to this matter in Galatians don't bite and devour one another you'd think me a fool if I began for lunch to start chomping on my index finger off comes the first half inch crunch crunch crunch hear the bones I spit out the calluses you'd say something gone crazy no man sits and starts eating his own body remembers one of another don't eat up your brethren with malicious gossip don't eat up your brethren with insensitivity and indifference any more than you'd start chomping on your own fingers and eat them down to their stomach

55:55 - 56:39 Read in full sermon