Report on Trip to New Zealand and Australia

The point: Acquire knowledge of God's work in other places to expand your vision.

Janie Eagleworth, a former member, sends her love and prayers from New Zealand, where she is now married with four children, illustrating continued affection and connection across continents.

It is indeed good to be back among you, and I do express my sincere thanks for your prayers on my behalf for both safety in the many thousands of miles traveled and for the Lord's blessing upon the many opportunities for ministry. I bring you special words of greeting from the Sovereign Grace Church in Sylvia Park, which is in the country of New Zealand, a suburb of Auckland, and from your brethren at the Stanmore Church in Sydney. And especially for those of you who remember Janie Eagleworth, she sends her love and assures you of her continued affection and prayers for those of you that she c...

0:17 - 1:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Acquire knowledge of God's work in other places to expand your vision.

Acts 14:24, 26-27 is cited as a biblical precedent for giving a report on missionary endeavors, demonstrating the practice of accountability to the sending church.

The most frequently used passage being Acts 14, verses 24, 26, and 27, which contains the record of Paul and Barnabas returning to the church from which they were sent and coming at the end of their first missionary journey and declaring the things that God had been pleased to do through them in their gospel endeavors. Rather, as I've prayerfully considered the composition of this report, I do desire to underscore some other, some other biblical principles highlighted in this recent ministry. And I do this for three reasons. Number one, I hope there will be an acquisition of knowledge of the w...

1:31 - 2:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: when I chose the words that this decision was made based upon deferential, prayerful interaction between three elderships and several key men of known spiritual discernment, that was not just hot air to sound spiritual.

A letter from Stanmore Baptist Church is read, inviting Martin and his wife, covering all expenses, and offering a holiday, demonstrating the genuine inter-church fellowship and care.

When we speak of accountability and inter-church fellowship with the spirit of skepticism abroad in our day, whether or not some of you really believe that this stuff goes on. Well, I hold in my hand a letter with the Stanmore Baptist Church letterhead, which says, Russell Matthews, one of the elders writing, I'm writing on behalf of all the church and with the full support of the membership to ask two further things of you. First, would it be possible for Mrs. Martin to accompany you next year? It would be of great benefit to the church to meet her, and we would count it a privilege to extend...

6:33 - 7:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: when I chose the words that this decision was made based upon deferential, prayerful interaction between three elderships and several key men of known spiritual discernment, that was not just hot air to sound spiritual.

A letter from Sovereign Grace Church in New Zealand is read, formally inviting Martin to minister, highlighting their commitment to biblical reformation and the interaction between elderships.

letter is dated October 7th. A letter dated October 7th, which is the month of October, October 15th with the letterhead Sovereign Grace Church in Sylvia Park in New Zealand came writing from Pastor Martin's recent letter to me and from Pastor James Hogg of Sydney and this is addressed attention Pastor Frank Barker dear elders the request was made of the eldership of this church we gather you are prayerfully considering Pastor Martin's possible visit to Australia next year this letter is a formal invitation on behalf of Sovereign Grace Church to ask that you consider our invitation to Pastor M...

8:29 - 9:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Trust in Bible-based, Spirit-wrought, and Spirit-sustained inter-church communion, rather than man-made structures.

A letter from Pastor Hogg is quoted, expressing his observations on the potential and need for Reformed conference ministry in New Zealand, underscoring the usefulness of a clear biblical view of reformation.

possibility of having our own church conference in New Zealand and I've been very pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Pastor Hogg and with Pastor Robert Fisher they too encouraged me in this matter Pastor Hogg was with us in New Zealand last week and we discussed it again and then he goes on to say it is our prayer that you elders will see your way clear to respond favorably to this request well then a letter came from Pastor Hogg dated the 5th of November after he passed away from the church in New Zealand and he writes to Pastor Bala and this is a copy of the letter when I was in N...

9:56 - 11:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Men, take your responsibility to lead in prayer in the church.

Martin describes the separate apartment built by a family in New Zealand for guest preachers, illustrating their hospitality and provision for ministry.

picked up by Pastor Bala and taken to the home of one of his families that have a lovely accommodation for guest preachers. They, at one point, raised their house and built a separate apartment underneath for a relative who was to live with them. And it has its own little kitchenette, its own bathroom, its own living room, and makes a lovely place to be quiet and to work and to pray and to rest. And I got some six hours of sleep that day, spent the evening with Pastor Bala, then on four hours of sleep was up at quarter to two Sunday morning to prepare for...

16:07 - 16:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Men, take your responsibility to lead in prayer in the church.

Pastor Bala reports that after Martin's sermon on male leadership in prayer, men who had never prayed before led with unction, and women expressed relief, illustrating the immediate fruit of the Word.

And just one of my headings was this, that a biblical church will engage in prayer that will reflect God's divine order for male leadership in the church. And I touched only briefly on 1 Timothy 2.8, I will that the men pray in every place, and when I saw Bala the following week at the pastor's conference in Australia, he told me that when they gathered to pray Wednesday night, he could not believe his ears. He said, men who had never prayed, not only led the congregation in prayer, but he said they led with words that only could have been given by God. Men naturally reticent, men never known ...

19:31 - 20:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Be committed to a church-based ministry, trusting God's blessing on clear, biblical commitments.

Martin observes the well-ordered home of Pastor Bala, the careful conference preparations, and children politely distributing flyers, illustrating the church's commitment to order and hospitality.

a true man. I was in his home, and it was very evident that he has a well-ordered home, and this was Pastor Hogg's assessment after spending several days in his home, a godly and gracious wife and two lovely children. He has paid a dear price to stand for the truths that he holds dear. He has good men who are potential elders and deacons, as I've already indicated, and everything, in conjunction, with the conference, right down to making sure that the glass of water was in place, nicely printed up announcements, a little brochure introducing their congregation that was tucked into the song she...

22:22 - 23:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Be committed to a church-based ministry, trusting God's blessing on clear, biblical commitments.

The New Zealand church's attendance doubled at their church-based conference compared to previous cooperative efforts, illustrating the benefit of clear, church-based commitment.

In the past, they've tried to conduct conferences, like this, and cooperate with others who were not as thoroughly committed to their doctrinal and practical and experimental perspectives, seeking to have a Catholic spirit. And even at that, with several churches cooperating, their attendance only ran about 150. And now, with a single church, church-based, clear commitment, God doubled the attendance. And as I said to the men at a subsequent passage, at the pastors' conference, numbers in themselves do not mean anything, but if you ask the question, what draws people, what do you need to do to...

23:50 - 25:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Be aware of and address special concerns in congregational life: the problem of the second generation, complacency, capitulating to compromise, and inadequate laborers.

The distance between Auckland and Sydney (1500 miles) is compared to New York to Oklahoma City, illustrating why indigenous pastors' conferences are needed.

We have Australia here, down below it the little island of Tasmania, and off to the right, many people think maybe three, four hundred miles, but it's fifteen hundred miles from Auckland to Sydney. It's the distance between New York and Newark, and Oklahoma City or Fort Worth, Texas. So it gives you a little idea of the distance that exists between New Zealand and Australia, and why having their own indigenous pastors' conference would not be overkill in days to come. Well, God gave a safe trip over to Sydney, and I'm thankful that the schedule is arranged in such a way that on Monday and Tues...

25:57 - 27:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Be aware of and address special concerns in congregational life: the problem of the second generation, complacency, capitulating to compromise, and inadequate laborers.

Every family of every member was represented at the Stanmore prayer meeting, or a public apology was given, illustrating their serious commitment to stated meetings.

Number one, every family of every member was represented, and if not represented, a personal word of apology and explanation was publicly given from the pulpit. May I repeat that? Every family was represented. Like our own assembly, they have young couples where mother and father alternate, and one attends one week, one the next, and there were two or three members whose families were not represented, and Pastor Hogg was able to say, we have apologies from the Smith family that they are not represented tonight, their sickness has come, some other reason was given.

28:38 - 29:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Take commitment to stated meetings seriously as church members.

Pastor Hogg calls on specific brethren by name to pray concerning particular concerns, illustrating a deliberate and discerning approach to leading corporate prayer.

And then the prayers. It was a blessing to hear letters read from various parts of the world, much like our own prayer meeting, but instead of simply saying, now will the brethren lead us in prayer, prior to the reading of the letter, Pastor Hogg will say, now will so and so and so and so take special note of these concerns and be our mouthpiece at the throne of grace when we pray concerning this letter. And so in that way he calls on brethren by name to lead in prayer and as different ones show more and more of an indication of a spirit of prayer and ability to lead in prayer, pastoral judgme...

29:49 - 30:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Be open and teachable, willing to receive counsel and advice from the Word of God.

Pastor Hogg installs an answering machine after the elders' meeting to gain control over his schedule, illustrating his teachableness and the practical fruit of the counsel given.

And I'm happy to report that even since I left, a telephone answering machine has been installed in his study and a phone call at 3 o'clock this morning, I was up and in my study and just called him to let him know that I was safely home. I had not called and he said, you'll be happy to know that already, he said, my schedule in preparation for the Lord's day was appreciably increased because I went right out after you left, purchased an answering machine and now I feel that I have some control over my time rather than the telephone controlling me. And so we are thankful to God for the opennes...

31:47 - 33:16 Read in full sermon

The point: As elders, articulate and implement the full range of biblical teaching concerning the church by biblical means (prayer, discipline, pastoral interaction).

Three elderly people from Tasmania, who had relied on Trinity pulpit tapes for 20 years, traveled to the conference, illustrating the hunger for sound ministry in isolated areas.

Some people got up at two or three in the morning to drive eight and nine hours to be present the hall where they meet the worship center was filled the overflow hall with a large closed circuit television was almost filled between 450 and 500 people were gathered for that ministry again that began at nine in the morning and went through until one o'clock. In the first hour I simply expounded the text in the second hour Pastor Hogg applied take heed to thyself and in the third hour I applied take heed to the teaching both with regard to the content what is taught who is taught and the manner i...

35:02 - 36:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Work to bring unconverted relatives and friends under the sound of the gospel.

A woman shaking her head in defiance during a sermon on the seventh commandment, then returning the next night and shaking Martin's hand, illustrates the power of the gospel to subdue hearts.

in fact Monday night when I was speaking about God's assessment of our sin and that God does stick his nose into our private life and I got on the seventh commandment a woman sat on the back row and started shaking her head just like this in defiance and I said oh so you don't think God sticks his nose into your bedroom and cares what you do and her head went like this and I said well I have news for you and I just looked right at her and preached to her and before we were done she was subdued she wouldn't shake my hand going out the door but wonder of wonders she was out the next night and ev...

39:29 - 40:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand the origin and purpose of the church and that it is ruled by the Word of God alone.

A humorous anecdote about a sermon using the spies carrying grapes from Canaan as an allegory for assurance of faith illustrates the dangers of unwise allegorical interpretation.

indicated that there was a determination by the grace of God that their ministries would reflect a closer adherence to the manner of preaching which God in his own word articulates now in looking back upon that pastor's conference both Pastor Hogg and his fellow elders and I were of one mind that of the two three conferences that I've been part of that none has been so marked by unity clean through during the question and answer times no one was trying to debate no one was trying to be clever or nasty trying to make a speech which can so often happen we did have some touches of humor one quest...

46:55 - 48:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for brethren launching into new ministry endeavors, such as family conferences.

The Stanmore church's book ministry, previously in the red, sold nearly five thousand dollars worth of books during the conference, illustrating the demand for Reformed literature.

has looked at their property and is excited that a viable buyer of their property may now be on the horizon and then they are launching into a new ministry this year and that is a family conference this will be a first and the joy of our hearts will be to pray that God will bless the two men who will be preaching there whom we know well reform Baptist family conference Pastor Ashiel Blaze and Pastor James Hogg and we will want to remember our brethren that God will bless them as they launch into this new endeavor well I have gotten through all that I had hoped to get through I haven't quite sh...

51:23 - 52:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize children, show them love and concern, and preach to them in a way that makes them feel loved.

Children, including Pastor Bala's daughter and Janie Worth's children, write notes of appreciation and prayer, illustrating that children respond similarly to love and concern everywhere.

New Zealand three of them not able to be present but he spoke with me on the phone and conveys his greetings to you and several of you have written to him and he asked me to please express thanks for your prayers and then my final little display is that children are no different anywhere when you take them into consideration when you preach to them when you interact to them in a way that makes them feel that you love them they write their lovely little notes the preaching helped me a lot we'll be praying for your flight when you preach overseas may God bless you all the days of your life love ...

52:53 - 54:22 Read in full sermon