Ultimate Concerns of Paul's Prayer

In this part of the sermon: To clarify the distinction between immediate burden and ultimate concern, Martin uses an analogy of a mother sending her son to buy potatoes, where the immediate task serves the…

A mother sends her 12-year-old son to buy potatoes, explaining that the immediate task (buying potatoes) serves the ultimate concern (having dinner ready for dad). This illustrates the distinction between the immediate burden and ultimate concerns of Paul's prayer.

There were reasons lying behind the burden of his prayer. Now, it would be a complete record of the burden of his prayer if it simply stopped at the end of the middle of verse 10. But the apostle is concerned to inform the Philippians and the apostles of the Bible that the apostle is concerned to inform the Philippians and the apostles of the Bible and us of that ultimate concern which lay behind the immediate burden of his prayer. Now, to show the relationship of those two things so that you'll be convinced this is not a philosophical or a merely linguistic distinction, imagine, if you will, ...

5:04 - 5:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He unpacks the meaning of 'sincere' (without mixture or alloy) and 'without offense' (not stumbling, and by extension, not causing others to stumble), emphasizing that these…

The analogy of pure gold or silver being alloyed by adding even 1% of another metal is used to explain the meaning of 'sincere' as 'without any mixture of foreign substance'.

We may have a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon missionary come to our door and after he leaves, one of the things that grieves us is we say that poor young man or that poor woman, that poor man, is totally deluded but so sincere. And what we mean by the word sincere is without hypocrisy, straightforward, earnest. Well, that's not the meaning of the word that the apostle used. The word used by the apostle could better be translated without any mixture of foreign substance, without any alloy.

10:39 - 11:20 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon culminates in the ultimate concern: 'unto the glory and praise of God.' Martin defines God's glory as the outshining of His perfections and praise as the creature's…

A well-known artist unveils his most accomplished work to a crowd of knowledgeable people. The manifestation of his excellence (glory) elicits murmurs of admiration and praise from the observers, illustrating the relationship between God's glory and the creature's praise.

Let me illustrate. The day comes when a well-known artist is to have his most recent and in many ways, what he feels to be his most accomplished work of art unveiled. And a great crowd of knowledgeable people gather. People who are very, very familiar with this artist's work and who have great expectations of that which will be the revelation of the excellencies of this artist.

22:14 - 22:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon culminates in the ultimate concern: 'unto the glory and praise of God.' Martin defines God's glory as the outshining of His perfections and praise as the creature's…

God's work of taking sinners and transforming them into faultless saints is described as His 'most glorious work of art,' which will bring the entire moral creation to bow in wonder and praise, connecting the Philippians' sanctification to God's ultimate glory.

For the Scripture makes it plain that God's crowning work of art is not the original creation but it is the new creation. And God's most definitive work of art is taking sinners such as those who were there at Philippi when Paul came blind and bound and dead and on their way to hell and taking them out of that state and into a state of grace having begun a good work in them perfecting it until the day of Christ keeping them by His grace from the admixture of foreign elements keeping them from stumbling

24:36 - 25:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Strive to pray in a God-centered way, beginning and ending with God, rather than allowing selfishness to make prayers self-centered whining.

Even the godless cry out 'Oh, my God, help me' in a pinch, but true prayer involves quieting the mind and reflecting on God's gifts before asking, demonstrating the difficulty of God-centered prayer due to remaining corruption.

And prayer can become a form of self-centered whining instead of a God-glorifying exercise of true praise and supplication. All true prayer begins and ends with God. And my friend, because of remaining corruption within us, it is not an easy thing to pray in the light of that principle. You let God break in upon your life with, quote, a tragedy.

30:12 - 30:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not take God's goodness and grace for granted, but let the evidence of abundant grace stir you to pray for more grace, vision, love, zeal, and sacrificial abandonment to the gospel work.

Martin uses the example of Trinity Baptist Church's 14 years without division or church splits, and its global ministry, to illustrate God's goodness and challenge the congregation to pray for 'more and more grace' rather than resting on past blessings.

Much fruit can become increased fruit. Do you see how that applies to our own situation? God has been very good to us as a church with all of our sins, with all of our potential for wickedness, and for division, and for schism. God has been good to us over 14 years.

34:19 - 34:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not give up or sit back when wrestling with great biblical truths, as spiritual laziness will cripple you.

Martin imagines Christians in Rome or Ephesus, eager for practical solutions to problems, receiving letters from Paul that begin with chapters of deep doctrine before addressing practical issues. This illustrates the biblical pattern of doctrine preceding life application and rebukes impatience with theology.

The pattern of the Word of God is again and again to show that undergirding all proper perspectives of life are right views of God and the world of reality as interpreted by God. I was thinking in preparing for the message of what the attitude might have been at Rome if you had Christians there like we have in our day. Here they are wrestling with the problem how can the Jews and Gentiles get along together? Here they are under the shadow of Caesar and Rome with its imposing magisterial authority and they wonder how in the world as a Christian can I honor God and honor the King?

56:06 - 56:44 Read in full sermon