God-Ordained Results of Courageousness

Driving home: Now God, who knows our frame, is fully aware of our fear of suffering and of distress, and yet it is this very God who calls us to a life of such supreme attachment to himself, to his Son and to his ways, as to demand ou…

Martin uses the examples of a bully on the block and a loving family physician with a needle to illustrate the natural human recoil from pain and distress, even when the source is not malicious.

Each one of us is naturally frightened by the presence of people or things which we have reason to believe will cause us pain or distress, whether it's the bully on the block, that some of you fellows are afraid of, or whether it's the loving family physician, whom you know is the man who sticks a needle in your arm sometimes, and therefore you're a bit afraid of him. Every one of us is so constituted that any person or thing with which we associate adversity, pain or discomfort, brings us a sense of dread and aversion.

1:57 - 2:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon focuses on the first line of thought from Philippians 1:28: the God-ordained results of undaunted courageousness. Martin explains that this courage has two focal…

He uses the analogy of an animal startled by something darting across its path, like a horse rearing back, to explain the literal meaning of 'affrighted' and how Christians are not to be startled by adversaries.

which you saw in me and now here to be in me. Now we'll only have time this morning to take up that first line of thought given to us in verse 28. In nothing affrighted by the adversaries which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation and that from God. Now you'll remember that two weeks ago in the exposition of the passage I mentioned that this word affrighted or affrightened is a word which literally means to be startled as an animal that suddenly has something

7:25 - 8:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I would sooner die than knowingly disobey my Lord

Martin references reading Mr. Houghton's church history in family worship, noting how early Christians were blamed for anything that went wrong in the Roman Empire, illustrating the irrational opposition faced by believers.

bring this over into the realm of what the apostle is telling the Philippians here the Philippians are seeking to live humble earnest Christ exalting lives they are seeking to live lives worthy of the gospel in their unified steadfastness in their corporate aggressiveness in spreading the gospel and then opposition arises and men begin to oppose them verbally some are opposed at work some lose their job others are maligned and lies are told about them we've begun to read through Mr. Houghton's lovely little work on church history and our own family worship and he mentions in there how

17:55 - 18:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides two biblical examples: Stephen's martyrdom, which likely pricked Saul's conscience, and David's undaunted stand against Goliath, suggesting the giant's conscience…

He describes ancient plows with sharp pointed sticks (goads) that would prick oxen if they grew restive, using this to explain how Stephen's courage acted like sharp stakes biting into Saul's conscience.

of the Christian church to the obliteration of the Christian church and he beholds Stephen in the midst of his adversity not terrified whatsoever not terrified of death not terrified of his accusers not terrified even of the cruel method of death in quietness in calmness of spirit he commends his own spirit to Christ and then his dying words are words of prayer which reflect he has no vindictive spirit toward those who take his life well when the Lord apprehends Saul of Tarsus you remember one of the questions that he asked him or one of the assertions he made it's recorded in Acts 26

24:35 - 25:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides two biblical examples: Stephen's martyrdom, which likely pricked Saul's conscience, and David's undaunted stand against Goliath, suggesting the giant's conscience…

Martin recounts the story of David and Goliath, highlighting David's undaunted courage and faith in the living God against the giant's threats, suggesting that David's fearlessness caused Goliath to 'die a thousand deaths in the court of his own conscience.'

Old Testament story you children could take up at this point and tell this part of the story the story of David and Goliath let's turn back to it for a moment in 1st Samuel chapter 17 1st Samuel chapter 17 you remember the picture this great giant Goliath who's been defying the armies of God and David goes down to the place of battle and we pick up the story at verse 41 and the Philistine came on and drew near unto David and the man that bore the shield went before him and when the Philistine looked about

27:31 - 28:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides two biblical examples: Stephen's martyrdom, which likely pricked Saul's conscience, and David's undaunted stand against Goliath, suggesting the giant's conscience…

Goliath's threat to feed David's flesh to the birds of heaven is paraphrased as 'feed you to the buzzards,' emphasizing the adversary's expectation of fear.

and there on the battlefield when he goes to cursing David he does so by his gods he was a worshipper of many gods and the Philistine said to David come to me and I'll give thy flesh unto the birds of the heavens and to the beast of the field well at that point you see he would expect that David would begin to shake in his sandals come to me and I'll feed you to the buzzards that would be a 20th century paraphrase come to me and I'll feed you to the buzzards we'll give the vultures a banquet David and the banquet will be your flesh but instead of trembling before the adversary what happens the...

29:00 - 29:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If they were true Christians they knew that left to themselves they were a mass of people of weakness left to themselves they had no strength to face adversity left to themselves they'd be turncoats left to themselves th…

He alludes to the parable of the sower, where the 'sun of adversity' reveals the true state of the soil, illustrating how trials expose genuine faith.

this will be a proof to you of your salvation notice he doesn't say it will be the basis of your salvation no no the basis is Christ of your salvation and the work that Christ has wrought for sinners but when we ask the grand question is the faith that I profess in Christ true faith well you know from the parable of the sower that that which revealed the true state of the soil was the sun of adversity remember when the sun arose and Jesus said when tribulation and persecution arise because of the word that's when the true state of the soil was revealed

36:23 - 37:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Seal your testimony with a kind of honesty that makes you stand out in your office, even if it means being labeled a 'prude' or 'snobbish.'

Martin provides examples of practical courage in the workplace: being known as the honest person who won't take a paperclip, or a woman who firmly rebuffs flirtation, illustrating how daily godliness requires courage and may lead to being labeled a 'prude' or 'snobbish.'

an academic question right now isn't it the question is you're called upon to seal your testimony with a kind of honesty that will make you stand out like a sore thumb in your office you'll be known as the guy who won't even take home a paper clip you'll be known as the girl whom nobody can penetrate in terms of getting any response to the most subtle form of flirtation because the moment you sense that that's what's coming you know how to pull down that veil of an icy look that gets the message out strong and clear that they're messing around with the wrong woman

44:32 - 45:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Graciously but firmly speak up when conversation becomes filthy and vile, even if you are laughed at.

He challenges Christian teenagers to graciously but firmly speak up against filthy and vile conversations in homeroom, demonstrating courage in social settings.

you'll be labeled in that office as the prude the one who's going to be the one who's going to be a bit snobbish sure you will sure you will that's where you're called upon to live a life worthy of the gospel and in nothing terrified by your adversaries sitting in that home room when free discussion is permitted and the conversation becomes filthy and vile must vileness and filthiness predominate can no Christian teenager graciously but firmly speak up and say hey fellas and girls knock it off this is a this is offensive to my ears and more so it's offensive to the ears

45:14 - 45:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't stifle the voice of conscience, which reminds you of accountability to God and coming judgment.

He uses the metaphor of the 'worm of a guilty condemned uncleansed conscience' in hell, which 'always eating and yet always has something upon which to feed,' to describe the eternal agony of deserved punishment.

there's an hour coming when God will force every man to own up to what his conscience has been telling him all along that's the day of judgment and if there's anything that meets the description of hell as the place where their worm dies not and the fire is never quenched the picture of a consuming worm that is always eating and yet always has something upon which to feed surely it must be the worm of a guilty condemned uncleansed conscience in hell to remind you that every single pang of agony that streaks across

47:26 - 48:10 Read in full sermon