The Church Evangelizing, Part 1

The point: Impart to your people this biblical context of the commission, seen as that of the exalted Christ and the ever-present Christ.

Martin uses the analogy of a coach patting players on the rump and saying 'win this one for the gipper' to contrast with Christ's promise 'I am with you always,' emphasizing Christ's active, constant presence in the evangelistic task, not just a send-off.

notice the marginal reason for this. And you'll notice the marginal reason for this. And you'll one captures, the Greek more literally, all of the days, each and every one of the days in which you seek to accomplish this task, lo, I am with you, even unto the consummation of the age. So it's not as though our Lord is the coach who pats his players on the rump and says, now go on out and get them, boys, and win this one for the gipper. He says,

11:01 - 11:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And this whole idea of having evangelism as a specialist activity that goes on out here, detached from the growth of the church and the incorporation of men into the life of the church is utterly unknown in the New Testa…

Martin shares his personal inability and dread of being a salesman, using it to highlight that the compelling nature of evangelism for people like him comes from Christ's command and presence, not personal sales ability.

They may feel relatively indifferent to a lot of other motives. But if there is any love to Christ, the heart's fixation upon the exalted and ever-present Christ will get them off dead center. And the realization that they're not sent out to be salesmen, they may feel themselves to be the worst salesmen in the world. I've told people if my life had to depend upon a sales job to earn a living, I'd be on welfare tomorrow.

23:44 - 24:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And this whole idea of having evangelism as a specialist activity that goes on out here, detached from the growth of the church and the incorporation of men into the life of the church is utterly unknown in the New Testa…

He tells an anecdote about his friend Randy Pizzino, who loves sales and is exceptionally good at it, contrasting Randy's natural inclination with his own, to further illustrate that evangelism's motivation for many must come from Christ's mandate.

I... It just came from my dear friend Randy Pizzino and he said if the Lord hadn't called him to preach, he'd be a salesman.

24:36 - 24:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains the crucial importance of Matthew 28 for pastoral directive, emphasizing its Christ-centered nature, comprehensiveness, and compelling nature. He quotes J.I…

He uses the 'Jack Spratt could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean' rhyme to metaphorically describe the differing aptitudes and enjoyments people have, applying it to the contrast between his own aversion to sales and his friend's love for it, to explain why Christ's command is essential for motivating evangelism.

It would be recreation for him if he could do it with a good conscience to take a part-time job as a salesman for two days a week. And he beams when he talks about it. Well, you remember, Jack Spratt could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean.

24:57 - 25:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Expound Matthew 28:16-20 to each new spiritual generation of your people until their thinking is honed upon an accurate exposition of this passage.

Martin quotes J.I. Packer from a 'classic' book, who explains that the promise 'I am with you always' in Matthew 28 extends to the whole church throughout history, and therefore, the commission to make disciples also extends to all believers, making it a personal responsibility.

And He has promised to be with me in the accomplishment of the work of the Lord. And He has promised to be with me in the accomplishment of that task. Listen to Dr. Packer on pages 74 and 75 of what I regard to be a book around long enough now to call it a classic.

25:32 - 25:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't be embarrassed about preaching well-known, well-worn, epitomizing pillar texts, but make them proven texts to your own people.

He uses the example of Charismatics and Pentecostals misinterpreting Acts 1:4-5 as a basis for 'tarrying meetings' to illustrate the importance of careful exegesis, noting that the text commands to 'wait' for a promise, not to 'pray' or 'agonize.'

but to wait for the promise of the Father. And may I just pause to say, when the Charismatics and the Pentecostals want to use this passage as a basis of tarrying meetings, one helpful thing without getting into Biblical, Biblical theology with them too soon, for many of them aren't prepared for it, you first of all have got to shake their polemic with just the words of their favorite texts. And this says, they were not to depart from Jerusalem, but not to pray, not to agonize, not to tarry, but simply to wait. And to wait for what?

30:30 - 31:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Preach Acts 1:8 to your people to keep before them the necessity of comprehensiveness in the scope of their witness-bearing, evangelistic passion, prayers, and endeavors.

Martin uses the analogy of a church having '50 lights on the board' for missions by sending $10 a month to 50 different mission boards, calling it a 'charade,' to illustrate superficial missionary endeavors that lack genuine passion and commitment, contrasting it with true, comprehensive witness.

But they never think in terms of concurrent witness that touches the ends of the earth. Other churches great missionary endeavors and I mean that real. I'm not talking about tongue in cheek. Having 50 lights on the board because you send $10 a month to 50 different mission boards.

41:04 - 41:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Philippians 2:14-16 as a pivotal epistle text, noting the Philippian church's gospel-oriented nature. He explains the command to do all things without murmuring…

He uses the metaphor of being like 'one of the seven dwarfs whose name was grumpy' to describe the negative attitude of murmuring and questioning, contrasting it with the desired blameless and harmless conduct of believers.

for the engagement of all your faculties that God is always at work in you not bypassing your will and your working but he is working in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure and then from that generic exhortation he descends to a specific do all things without murmuring and questioning without grousing and complaining don't be like one of the seven dwarfs whose name was grumpy do all things without murmurings and questionings in every relationship make it evident that you really believe that your life

47:06 - 47:51 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Philippians 2:14-16 as a pivotal epistle text, noting the Philippian church's gospel-oriented nature. He explains the command to do all things without murmuring…

Martin quotes Johnstone's commentary on Philippians 2:15-16, which explains that believers are to shine as 'light givers' or 'luminaries' in the world, reflecting Christ's light and holding forth the word of life through both holy character and verbal proclamation, like a herald with a scroll.

as faithful witnesses seen as shining luminaries and functioning as faithful witnesses now there are some linguistic problems with the text I commend to you the footnotes in Hendrickson's commentary on Philippians for a full and helpful discussion of some of those linguistic problems however I believe that Johnstone in his excellent commentary on Philippians has captured the heart of this part of the text I quote from page 181 and following the thought of responsibility for the power of example

49:19 - 50:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Impart to your people the vision for consistent, detailed lives of blameless godliness coupled with judiciously aggressive, willing holding forth of the word of life unto men.

Johnstone's quote includes an analogy comparing believers to the new moon, which at first shows only a narrow surface of light but gradually fills up to a broad, complete surface, illustrating the progressive growth in holiness and light-shedding of a Christian life.

this is our calling Christian brethren and in a measure all true followers of the same saviour fulfill it for to believe the gospel is to become light in the Lord but as it has been accurately said it is with believers as it is with the new moon in the heavens there is at first only a sharp and narrow surface of the light and not unfrequently there may be seen embosomed in the luminous outline the dark shadow of the old nature but the imperfect circle is gradually filled up till there is presented at last a broad and complete surface of light they appear clothed with the sun in his statement o...

53:00 - 53:44 Read in full sermon