Precise Functions and Importance

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents an extended analogy of a gracious king rescuing his subjects from a cruel tyrant and setting them on a road to his palace. Along this road, the king provides 'food…

An analogy of a gracious king rescuing his subjects from a cruel tyrant and providing 'food stations,' 'map stations,' 'armories,' and 'resting places' along the road to his palace. This illustrates how God provides the means of perseverance for believers on their journey to heaven.

who ruled his subjects with kindness, with uprightness, with consideration for all of their needs. But by the perversity of the seduction of a cruel tyrant of a king from another kingdom, this gracious king's entire domain, all of his subjects defected from him to this cruel tyrant of a king, and were carried off by him in ships to another country. And in that country, they became his slaves. And the cruelty of his heart, and the selfishness, and the total absence of principle was manifested in his entire administration of his authority, in plain sight. But I must tell you, if you argue with m...

16:01 - 17:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not despise or neglect the means of perseverance, as this is gross presumption, defying God's prescription while pleading His promise.

An example of a rescued pilgrim who ignores the king's map, food, and armory stations, presumptuously relying only on the king's promise of safe arrival. This illustrates the danger of despising God's appointed means of perseverance.

To despise, to neglect these means, is to be guilty of gross presumption. Let me illustrate. We meet a man who supposedly has been delivered upon the shore and seems to be part of that great multitude who have been rescued by the gracious King. And we see him along the way and we notice that he doesn't stop at the map stations.

25:54 - 26:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: To plead the king's promise while defying the king's prescription is high-handed presumption.

The detailed account of Paul's shipwreck is used to demonstrate that God's unconditional promise of no loss of life was inextricably linked to the condition that everyone remain in the ship, showing that divine promises often include the means for their fulfillment.

God has nowhere said in his word, he will take men to heaven irrespective of what they do with the means he has appointed to bring them there. He has said he'll take them to heaven in the use of the means he's appointed to get them there, not irrespective. Now let me illustrate it from a classic passage in the word of God. And it's been used again and again in this connection in the history of the church. And you know why it's been used again and again? Because it's worthy to be used again and again. Acts chapter 27. Acts chapter 27. You remember the setting? The apostle Paul is on his way to ...

29:09 - 29:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not substitute your resolutions or determination to be a faithful pilgrim for Christ; Christ alone is the Savior of sinners.

A quotation from John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress' about a man who crossed the river with confidence but was turned away at the gate, illustrating that there is a way to hell from the very gate of heaven for those who have not truly engaged at the beginning of the way.

And that's why John Bunyan wisely said, at the end of his pilgrim's progress, you remember a man who crossed the river with apparent confidence that he would be welcomed at the gate. And he saw him turned away, and one of the last words, or it is the last word of pilgrim's progress is, and so I perceived and saw that there is a way to hell from the very gate of heaven.

42:34 - 42:59 Read in full sermon