The Relevance of These Issues Today

The point: Demonstrate the relevance of Reformation principles as the Church faces Rome, apostate Protestantism, and the world.

Martin uses these contemporary, highly relevant events (a political protest, a surprising baseball team, and seasonal weather) to humorously assert that the 'dusty, musty Latin phrases' of the Reformation are just as, if not more, relevant.

I want to state unequivocally that these issues are just as relevant as Moratorium Wednesday, the amazing Mets, and a fall frost. Now, I don't think you can get much more relevant than those three things, especially those amazing Mets. It'll be a long while before we get over that. That's pretty relevant business, isn't it?

4:33 - 4:55 Read in full sermon

The point: As a pastor, bind the conscience of the congregation only by the authority of Scripture.

He recounts Luther's confrontation with Eck, where Luther insisted his conscience was bound by the Word, not the Fathers, illustrating the core conflict of Sola Scriptura.

My conscience is held captive to the word. And Eck, the great scholastic theologian, would quote the fathers, and Luther would say, in essence, be still with your fathers. If you want to say what they said, fine. But don't you try to bind my conscience.

7:07 - 7:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Any apparent changes in Rome in the present day are merely surface changes, and a harlot becomes more dangerous when she is more attractive.

Martin uses the metaphor of a harlot becoming more attractive to describe Rome's apparent changes, arguing that surface-level modifications make her more seductive and dangerous, not less heretical.

Since Luther's day she has declared the assumption of Mary into heaven. Since then she has declared the equal authority of tradition with Scripture. Since then she has declared anathemas upon every cardinal doctrine of salvation, justification by faith alone, assurance of salvation, and all the rest. Any apparent changes in Rome in the present day are merely surface changes, and a harlot becomes more dangerous when she is more attractive.

8:53 - 9:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Be willing to be out of joint with Rome and contemporary Protestantism if it means standing under the judgment and directives of God's Word.

He describes listening to UN debates as an 'avalanche of words' and 'effusion of accumulated ignorance' because they reject God's wisdom, illustrating the world's inability to solve its problems without Sola Scriptura.

I just know it's my third button on my radio where they have a continual playing of the activities at the United Nations. If you want something that'll break your heart, just tune that in and listen for a couple of hours while you're doing the ironing or scrubbing the floor or something else, you ladies. And listen to the world's great statesmen grappling with problems sincerely. These people aren't playing games.

19:44 - 20:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: it's because God in grace from eternity purposed to bring him and he owes his faith to his election, not his election. Not his election to his faith.

Martin uses the metaphor of a 'reservoir of God's grace' in Christ, contrasting it with Rome's idea of grace being funneled through sacraments, to explain how God confers grace by uniting believers to His Son.

There's God's reservoir of grace. All is stored up in him. And as God is pleased to confer that grace, he does so not by opening up a spigot here and a spigot there, but by grasping men into the reservoir, to mix my metaphors. He puts them into the reservoir.

23:35 - 23:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: it's because God in grace from eternity purposed to bring him and he owes his faith to his election, not his election. Not his election to his faith.

He quotes Harold Ockenga's paper from the Berlin Congress, which advocates for 'practical synergism' and states that regeneration is conditioned on human acts, illustrating the denial of Sola Gratia within evangelicalism.

I want to quote from a paper delivered by Harold Ockengay, one of the great leaders in evangelicalism in our day. A paper delivered at the Berlin Congress, which now is about two years ago. This is a direct quote from Mr. Ockengay's paper.

26:19 - 26:37 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section focuses on Sola Gratia, contrasting it with Rome's sacramentalism, which views grace as stored in the church and dispensed through sacraments. Martin then challenges…

Martin uses Whitefield's tireless, cross-Atlantic ministry as an example of evangelism driven by a belief in God's sovereign grace, contrasting it with modern, man-centered methods.

Here's one of the greatest leaders in evangelicalism today saying that the only thing that will stimulate evangelism is the denial of the second principle of the Reformation, sola gratia. I wonder what stimulated Whitefield. And drove this man as though consumed with an inner fire to cross the Atlantic, what, eleven times? It would take as much as eight weeks.

27:59 - 28:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section focuses on Sola Gratia, contrasting it with Rome's sacramentalism, which views grace as stored in the church and dispensed through sacraments. Martin then challenges…

He cites M'Cheyne and Brainerd as examples of ministers who believed only God could give faith and repentance, illustrating how this conviction fueled their fervent prayer and preaching, leading to genuine conversions.

Sometimes you read his journals and you feel ashamed of yourself when you see what this man did, preaching some 18,000 times, literally burning himself out with compassion and with zeal for the cause of Christ. I wonder what drove him. He believed and gladly confessed that men owed their faith to their election and not their election to their faith. What drove McShane?

28:27 - 28:53 Read in full sermon

The point: In a post-Christian society, thank God for the privilege of living in a day where the line between true believers and others is clearer, allowing God's grace to shine more brilliantly.

The analogy of a brilliant diamond set against jet black velvet is used to explain how the increasing darkness and sinfulness of a post-Christian society enhances the brilliance of God's grace in believers' lives.

But then he comes to verse 4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when dead, hath quickened us together with Christ and made us to sit together in heavenly places, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his kindness and his grace to us in Christ Jesus. Why does the jeweler set the brilliant diamond against the backdrop of jet black velvet? Because the brilliance of the diamond

33:42 - 34:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Insist that salvation is all of grace, but that grace is operative only when one rests wholly in Jesus Christ, acknowledging 'He that believeth shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned.'

Martin describes the religious art of Luther's day, depicting an angry Christ, to illustrate that people then already feared God's judgment, making Luther's message of Sola Fide a direct answer to their felt need.

Since the age is unresponsive to the preeminently evangelical note of the Reformation, it must be made ready for the gospel. The biblical prescription of such preparation is the preaching of the law. And then the man goes on to say, in Luther's day, Luther didn't need to preach the law. People were going around under the terrors of judgment.

41:42 - 42:01 Read in full sermon

Driving home: They're already lost, but they don't know it, you see? And our generation doesn't know that it's lost.

He shares John Reisinger's prayer, 'Lord, get some people lost,' to illustrate the need to first convict people of their sin and lostness before the message of salvation by faith alone becomes meaningful.

See, we've got to create problems. I don't want to steal his thunder. I'm sure he'll say it during the four days he's here, but it stuck with me. John Riesinger said, up to about ten years ago, he used to pray, Lord, save people.

44:51 - 45:04 Read in full sermon