Exposition and Application of Luke 8:18

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by imagining the devil's strategy to thwart God's saving purposes, first by undermining the preaching of the Word, and failing that, by destroying the profitable…

Martin asks how the devil, as the arch-enemy of God, would go about thwarting God's saving purposes, setting up the sermon's theme of spiritual warfare against the Word.

I want to read in your hearing the passage that will be the focus of our attention in the ministry of the Word this morning, verse 18 of Luke chapter 8. Take heed, therefore, how you hear, for whosoever has, to him shall be given, and whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away, even that which he thinks or that which he seems to have. Take heed, therefore, how you hear. You hear. Now, if you were the arch enemy of God, the arch enemy not only of God in his person, but in his saving purposes, if you were that foul fiend of hell called in Scripture the devil, and you were determined to thwa...

0:03 - 1:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by imagining the devil's strategy to thwart God's saving purposes, first by undermining the preaching of the Word, and failing that, by destroying the profitable…

He suggests that if the devil failed to stop the pure preaching of the Word, he would substitute it with rituals, liturgies, or musical entertainment.

How would you set out to give vent to your fiendish and soul-destructive purpose to overthrow the purpose of God to save and to sanctify his people? Well, you say, if I were the devil, I think the answer to that question would be quite obvious. If God has ordained the preaching of His Word as the primary weapon in His arsenal to destroy the kingdom of the Prince of Darkness, you would, if you were the devil, no doubt, seek to undermine, to erode, to negate, to hinder, or even to put an end to the pure, powerful preaching of the Word of God. In the place of the pure and spirit-anointed preachin...

1:28 - 2:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by imagining the devil's strategy to thwart God's saving purposes, first by undermining the preaching of the Word, and failing that, by destroying the profitable…

Martin extends the analogy, asking what the devil's next move would be if he failed to remove preaching from its central place: he would seek to destroy men's commitment to hear the Word as they ought.

Or you would offer the full array of musical entertainment appealing to the full spectrum of musical tastes, from classical to hip-hop and to modern rap with its driving beat. But now, suppose you failed as the devil. In your effort to overthrow, to negate, and put a stop to the pure, spirit-anointed preaching of the Word, and you failed to move it from its central and strategic place in the life and ministry of any congregation, what would be your next means of attempting to defend your own territory and to hinder any further preaching of the Word? What would be your next means of attempting ...

2:44 - 4:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He expounds Ezekiel 33:30-32, illustrating how people can appear eager to hear God's Word, gathering and listening intently, yet their hearts remain unengaged, pursuing personal…

He contrasts Ezekiel, a true prophet whose mouth became the organ of God's words, with modern fanatics who claim to speak for the Lord in poor Elizabethan English, emphasizing the authenticity of Ezekiel's message.

Look first of all with me at the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter 33. Now Ezekiel, as you know, was a prophet, a true prophet. Not one of these modern fanatics who stands up, shivers, shakes, and puts on a funny voice, and then in the first person says, thus saith the Lord, and then usually in very poor Elizabethan English, proclaims to be speaking in the name of the Lord.

16:02 - 16:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He expounds Ezekiel 33:30-32, illustrating how people can appear eager to hear God's Word, gathering and listening intently, yet their hearts remain unengaged, pursuing personal…

Martin asks the congregation to imagine walking down a street in a warm climate, overhearing people in their houses saying, 'Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that comes forth from the Lord,' to illustrate the apparent spiritual eagerness of Ezekiel's hearers.

And this is what God had to say to the prophet Ezekiel, chapter 33 and verse 30. And as for thee, son of man, the children of your people, will talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that comes forth from the Lord. Now let me ask you something. If we had, as they had in those days, in the climate that made it possible, open holes in the side of the houses where we have what we call windows, where we have glass and double glazing as they call it over in the UK, and we would ...

17:15 - 18:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He expounds Ezekiel 33:30-32, illustrating how people can appear eager to hear God's Word, gathering and listening intently, yet their hearts remain unengaged, pursuing personal…

He suggests that overhearing such conversations would lead one to believe a town was experiencing revival, highlighting the outward appearance of spiritual fervor among Ezekiel's people.

The children of your people talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that comes forth from the Lord. They're saying, well, let's go hear what God's word is. Let's hear what the latest word from Jehovah is. You'd say, I'm in a town where there must have been a revival.

18:15 - 18:35 Read in full sermon