Christ as Our Prophet Part 1

The point: We must not put our own meaning upon the word 'believe,' but must seek to discover what the Scripture means in using that word.

Illustrates how liberalism accepts Christ as a 'teacher of Nazareth' but rejects His atoning work, resurrection, and ascension, separating His person from His saving work.

That's saving faith. Self-commitment to Jesus Christ in all the glory of His person and the perfection of His work as He is offered to us in the Gospel. You see, liberalism has a faith that would separate the person of Christ from the work of Christ. And they say, well, we will be followers of the teacher of Nazareth.

2:31 - 2:54 Read in full sermon

The point: We must not put our own meaning upon the word 'believe,' but must seek to discover what the Scripture means in using that word.

Illustrates how evangelicalism often focuses on Christ's work (e.g., dying for sinners) apart from His person, suggesting one can be saved by believing in the atonement without submitting to Christ Himself.

And so a plague on the house of liberalism. Who would say we may be saved by this person while rejecting His work. But you now see we've switched the tables and the curse in evangelicalism is that we think we can be saved by the work of Christ apart from His person. And so almost every gospel tract and every book dealing with an invitation to the gospel says if you'll admit you're a sinner and believe that Christ died on the cross for sinners, you will be saved.

3:56 - 4:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon transitions to Christ's three great offices, focusing on His prophetic office. Martin explains that 'Christ' means 'Anointed One,' and Jesus was anointed to be the…

Illustrates that a prophet's personality or speaking ability is secondary to his obedience in conveying God's exact words, as seen in Jeremiah's call.

It was a mouthpiece to convey the message of God. You remember as you read through Ezekiel, Isaiah, and all the minor Prophets as well, that again and again they would introduce their message by saying, the word of the Lord came unto me saying, and then when they stood before men, they would say, thus, things didn't amount to a hill of beans. The Prophet's personality may have been somewhat of the backdrop through which God conveyed His message, but His personality wasn't the important thing. His gifts and His abilities to speak were not the important thing.

8:43 - 9:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon transitions to Christ's three great offices, focusing on His prophetic office. Martin explains that 'Christ' means 'Anointed One,' and Jesus was anointed to be the…

Illustrates that while prophets sometimes used object lessons or their lives to convey messages, their primary method was verbal announcements of God's word.

So the whole office of a Prophet, in a peculiar way, is simply to be a mouthpiece for God, to be the vehicle through which God would convey to men His mind and His will, now listen carefully, in verbal announcements. Sometimes, well, I haven't said, what in the world is the Prophet doing? Has he gone crazy? Is he getting senile?

9:42 - 10:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Whoever rejects His prophetic office, whoever will not be subject in mind to the truth of Christ, will perish just as surely as the man who will not be subject in heart to the atoning work of Christ.

Illustrates the absurdity of 'new theology' claiming God is too transcendent to communicate intelligently with humans, by showing how this limits God's power.

God spoke by the prophets. They were his instants. But the whole thrust of the prophetic office was God spoke from heaven. And this cuts the nerve of the new theology which says it's absurd to think that the God of such transcendence and majesty and power, a God who is infinite, could in any way make intelligent communication with finite sinful creatures.

15:33 - 15:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Drawing from John 17, Martin highlights that Christ's true people, for whom He prays, are recognized by their reception and keeping of His words. This distinguishes them from…

Martin shares his personal struggle with the doctrines of election and perseverance found in John 17, admitting he 'hated to turn up' to it in devotions, to illustrate the natural resistance to difficult truths before God's mercy disposes the heart to believe.

It's a prayer, but in this prayer there is found some of the richest teaching on basic theological and practical issues to be found anywhere in the word of God. The great doctrines of election, perseverance of God's people, all of these doctrines are found in John 17. In fact, when in my heart I was fighting those things, this is one passage I hated to turn up in my devotions. I was always embarrassed.

23:06 - 23:33 Read in full sermon

The point: This church will know the blessing of God only to the extent that we, like Luther, say our consciences are held captive to the word of God. Where we stand and say tradition means nothing... we're going to follow the word…

Martin recounts an evangelist's conversation with Pastor Mehir, where the evangelist failed to recognize a sermon invitation because it didn't conform to his preconceived notions of what an invitation should be (e.g., coming forward). This illustrates how evangelicals can selectively receive Christ's words, accepting promises but rejecting demands like taking up a cross.

May I give an illustration that came home so forcibly to my heart and then I'll have to leave some of the other things till next week. I was in these tent meetings over in Morris County a few weeks ago with 18 evangelical churches cooperating as they do each summer for these meetings and God was pleased to make His presence very real to us in some of those nights. I told I think the folk in the prayer meeting that I have never preached with greater liberty and a greater sense of the enablement and help of God and there was a sense of conviction upon those meetings some nights that was very ver...

36:14 - 37:44 Read in full sermon