What He Will Do with His Own, Part 3

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by emphasizing the certainty and climactic nature of Christ's return, reviewing previous sermon points on eagerly awaiting Christ, the certainty of the event, its…

Martin uses the analogy of a pie with three main slices (what Christ will do for his own, to his enemies, and to the created order) to illustrate that the events connected with Christ's return are manifold but not presented in a strict chronological order in Scripture.

and in the yearning for the return of Christ. Then we came to the fourth category of concern with regard to the basic matters related to the Lord's coming, and I stated it this way, as to the events connected with our Lord's return, they are clearly revealed and manifold. They are not, some of them, easily understandable, but they are clearly revealed, and they are manifold, and so they are clearly revealed, and so they are manifold, and so they are clearly revealed, and so they are manifold. And so I suggested that in trying to absorb the full testimony of Scripture regarding the events in co...

5:25 - 6:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by emphasizing the certainty and climactic nature of Christ's return, reviewing previous sermon points on eagerly awaiting Christ, the certainty of the event, its…

The metaphor of a cluster of grapes, with Christ's coming as the stem and various events clustering around it, further illustrates the non-linear, interconnected nature of eschatological events.

And there is no passage that sets before us what is purported to be by the biblical writers a strict chronological unfolding, of all of the events connected with the return of Christ. So I suggested the image of a pie, the whole circle being all of the events that will occur in conjunction with the Lord's return, and thinking of that pie in terms of three main slices, what he will do for his own, what he will do to his enemies, and what he will do to the created order. Or think of it in terms of a cluster of grapes, the coming of Christ is the stem, and all of the various events cluster around...

6:45 - 8:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Or do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Martin uses the analogy of a Supreme Court judge being competent to sit in a county court to explain Paul's argument from the greater to the lesser, demonstrating that if saints will judge the world, they can surely judge smaller matters among themselves.

He argues from the greater to the lesser. He is saying if a man's legal competence legitimately paves the way for him to sit in the Supreme Court in Washington, could we not assume he was confident to sit in the county court in New Jersey? He's arguing from the greater to the lesser. And as he's going to press these Christians at Corinth to take his proposed solution to heart and implement it, he wants them to know that this is not just a convenient expedient.

19:53 - 20:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Do you not know that we shall judge angels.

Martin references Paul's teaching to the Thessalonians about the great apostasy and the man of sin as an example of Paul assuming prior instruction on eschatological truths, paralleling his assumption that the Corinthians knew they would judge the world.

There are deep theological reasons for his counsel. And the theological reason is, he says, don't you know, apparently this is something that was an issue that Paul included in his eighteen months of ministry among the Corinthians. Just as writing to the Thessalonians after being among them a short time, he can say to them, while we were with you, we taught you about the great apostasy and the emergence of the man of sin. We told you these things in our preaching.

20:32 - 21:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You find Jesus saying to his people what I did and what I've received as the reward for what I did I've done it all for you my people that I might confer as much of it upon you as what you are as a creature and what I am…

The metaphor of a potter's vessel dashed upon a concrete floor is used to describe the final, decisive judgment Christ will execute upon the nations, fulfilling Psalm 2, and in which believers will share.

Here's the promise. To him that overcomes and keeps my works unto the end to him will I give authority over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessel of the potter are broken to shivers as I also have received of my Father. He said I have received from my Father a position of exaltation from which I will govern the nations and notice now the governing has a peculiar reference. It is that governing with respect to final judgment that will leave them as a potter's vessel dast upon a concrete floor. Fulfillment of Psalm 2. Now when you bring both passages together what d...

33:14 - 34:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You find Jesus saying to his people what I did and what I've received as the reward for what I did I've done it all for you my people that I might confer as much of it upon you as what you are as a creature and what I am…

Martin shares his personal struggle at his desk, finding the truth of believers judging with Christ 'too good to be true,' highlighting the amazing and almost unbelievable nature of this promise.

but bless God nothing less he cannot say to him that overcomes I will give omniscience I will give infallibility but he can say I'll widen my throne and make a place for you to sit with me and when I engage in the final climax of a prophetic act by which my identity as son of man and Messiah is vindicated and displayed before the moral universe I'll make it plain I did it all not for my sake but for you my people dear people of God I found it hard at my desk to say Lord that's too good to be true I found it hard to believe this but what other meaning can you attach to these words of Jesus to h...

34:42 - 36:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: my dear child of God and my brother and sister ain't that enough to cause you to say I'm ready for this world to spew me out as dung don't spew dung trample me underfoot as dung spew me out as a sour meal that's gone ran…

Martin uses the vivid metaphor of being 'spewed out as dung' or 'trampled underfoot' by the world to emphasize that worldly rejection is insignificant compared to the future privilege of sitting with Christ in judgment.

my good friend the Lutheran commentator Lenski quote in what this judging consists in promulgating or confirming the verdict or in otherwise assisting we must leave until the great act takes place I can tell you no more than what God's revealed but my dear child of God and my brother and sister ain't that enough to cause you to say I'm ready for this world to spew me out as dung don't spew dung trample me underfoot as dung spew me out as a sour meal that's gone rancid in the belly in the knowledge that one day I'll sit with him upon his throne and in a way consistent with not robbing him of gl...

36:10 - 37:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Embed the truth in your soul that worldly judgment and persecution do not matter, because you will sit with Christ in judgment upon them if they do not repent.

Martin shares an anecdote about families fleeing Canada because the state took away their children for biblical discipline, illustrating the increasing pressure and persecution faced by Christians in modern society.

there are some families that recently fled Canada to come to the states because the state moved in to take away their children because they biblically disciplined them with a rod it's in the latest world magazine we're moving there now in the light of that you young people that profess to have laid hold of Christ you need to get hold of this teaching and have it percolate in your heart it matters not what judgment the world makes of me or what sentence it lets loose upon me for its judgment whether social ostracization loss of job unwillingness to hire you because you won't go with the flow of...

44:56 - 46:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Embrace the graciously provided gifts and privileges of God's people with God-glorifying faith, rather than saying 'I'm not worthy.'

Martin uses the Queen of Sheba's statement, 'the half has not been told,' to convey that the reality of sitting with Christ in judgment will be far greater than anything preached or imagined.

to give me all of this and I'm not going to insult you by saying I'm not worthy you know far better than I my unworthiness but Lord I'm not going to dishonor you by shriveling in unbelief and mock humility but I'm going to say oh Lord Jesus how could you do this for me I don't believe your word this is what you've pledged to do give me grace in your strength to overcome and then experience will exegete what the preacher could only point to and talk about in fumbling mumbling human terms and you'll sit next to him and say Lord Jesus it's a thousand times better than I imagined it could be when ...

56:39 - 58:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Embrace the graciously provided gifts and privileges of God's people with God-glorifying faith, rather than saying 'I'm not worthy.'

Martin contrasts the non-threatening church gathering with the terror of the judgment day, noting that no one entered the church 'trembling looking around like a scared animal,' to highlight the stark difference in atmosphere.

to give me all of this and I'm not going to insult you by saying I'm not worthy you know far better than I my unworthiness but Lord I'm not going to dishonor you by shriveling in unbelief and mock humility but I'm going to say oh Lord Jesus how could you do this for me I don't believe your word this is what you've pledged to do give me grace in your strength to overcome and then experience will exegete what the preacher could only point to and talk about in fumbling mumbling human terms and you'll sit next to him and say Lord Jesus it's a thousand times better than I imagined it could be when ...

56:39 - 58:06 Read in full sermon