Loving Biblically Framed Nurture

Driving home: You have been lovingly and carefully nurtured in a biblically framed total character molding context.

Martin uses the story of the poor man's ewe lamb from 2 Samuel 12 to illustrate the comprehensive and tender nature of 'nurture' – feeding, protecting, cherishing, and providing for total development.

The them is the totality of what makes them them. Not just their souls, not just their minds, not just their psyches, not just their view of education or their view of social responsibility, but fathers are to nurture them. And what they are to do is to nurture them. And the best illustration I know of the significance of that word nurture is the way in which it is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament scriptures in the message of Nathan to David, the sinning man of God, in 2 Samuel chapter 12.

9:44 - 10:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the second major blessing: being lovingly and carefully nurtured in a biblically framed, total character molding context. He defines 'nurture' using the example…

Martin recounts how he and his wife faked an intense argument to show their children what a conflict-filled home was like, highlighting the children's terror and their blessed ignorance of such an environment.

in bitterness. Confrontation is always explosive and filled with carnality. Many of you know absolutely nothing about that. I can remember one time when my wife and I determined that our children would know something of what it is like to be reared in a home like that.

14:15 - 14:36 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the daily, the hourly drip, drip, drip of faithful, loving, consistent biblically framed total character context of godly nurture.

The slow, daily 'drip, drip, drip' formation of stalagmites and stalactites in a cave is used to illustrate God's ordinary method of building stable character through consistent, loving, biblical nurture over time.

In other words God's ordinary means of preparing boys and girls for their life's goal and responsibilities is like the construction or the building the... I can't find the right word of a stalagmite and a stalactite.

19:10 - 19:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: until things are seen in their relationship to God God's relationship to that thing and our relationship to God in that thing we have no wisdom. We are simply educated fools.

Martin uses the analogy of a bird instinctively knowing it's a bird and how to function in its world to argue that a biblically framed worldview is liberating, not restricting, as it aligns with reality.

They don't want you to base your life on folly. That is to relate to life in a way that life is really not. You see that's the curse of this thought that well to be reared in the context of wisdom defined like this everything viewed in the light of scripture isn't that restricting and constricting in terms of true and honest intellectual pursuit and development. Of course not.

38:48 - 39:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It's the most liberating thing intellectually to deal really with reality.

Martin uses the example of trying to put a fist through a solid oak pulpit to illustrate that reality is stubborn, and wisdom is dealing with reality as it truly is, especially in relation to God.

It's the most liberating thing intellectually to deal really with reality. Reality's a very stubborn thing. I may sit here and say, well, I'm buying into the notion that what we see as substance really is more just empty space than substance and go into some view of molecular construction, et cetera, that this is not really substantial and then make a fist and say to prove it I'm going to put my fist through this old pulpit because it's more nothing than something. It'll be x-rayed by the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow morning.

40:01 - 40:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second aspect was Jesus's advancement in stature, meaning a truth-based, God-centered view of his physical constitution. Martin highlights Jesus's physical strength and…

Zacchaeus is referenced as 'the shorty of the Bible' to clarify that 'stature' in Luke 2:52 refers to physical height or development, not just age.

Jesus was advancing in age. Well, of course he was. Now, in Luke 19 3, when it speaks of Zacchaeus, famous for being the shorty of the Bible, if people don't know much about the Bible, if you say who in the New Testament could be nicknamed shorty, it would be Zacchaeus. For we read in Luke 19 3, and he, Zacchaeus, sought to see Jesus who he was, who he was with his physical constitution.

42:07 - 42:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second aspect was Jesus's advancement in stature, meaning a truth-based, God-centered view of his physical constitution. Martin highlights Jesus's physical strength and…

Martin describes the physical demands of carpentry in Jesus's day, without modern power tools, to emphasize the physical strength and development Jesus acquired through his trade.

Spirit of God gives us, that he was learning the trade of a carpenter, so that he is called in the Gospels not only the carpenter's son, but he is called the carpenter. Apparently he had begun to gain some reputation for his own skill in the handling of wood. Now remember, no skill saws, no DeWalt or Craftsman routers, no 12 or 14 volt micata cordless drills. You cut wood with the strength of your arm and a crude primitive saw. And you played and

46:13 - 46:55 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second aspect was Jesus's advancement in stature, meaning a truth-based, God-centered view of his physical constitution. Martin highlights Jesus's physical strength and…

Martin uses the example of parents not rearing children on 'Twinkies and jelly beans' to illustrate the concern for physical health and nutrition as part of a God-centered view of the body.

on Twinkies and jelly beans. And much to your chagrin, they would not let you just feed on all of the junk food you wanted to eat. You've had moms and dads, I hope, I hope, who've at least read a little bit on nutrition and on the place of physical exercise. And I hope are aware with some sense of alarm at the growing measure of obesity as a national problem among people.

50:03 - 50:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The fourth aspect was Jesus's growth in favor with men, demonstrating a truth-based, God-centered view of social grace and decorum. Martin illustrates Jesus's comfort and ease in…

Jesus's comfort and ease at a wealthy publican's banquet is used to illustrate his social grace and decorum, showing he could navigate high-class social settings.

The moment they saw her coming to make sure that she didn't touch them, make them unclean, why did she feel free to come and touch the hem of Jesus' garment? That woman who was a sinner, why did she feel free to crash the party and come to Jesus' feet and weep and wash them with her tears and her hair? Why could he be invited into a wealthy publican's banquet hall? After he calls Matthew, he says he made a feast for him. I mean, this was of mine course. Sure enough, five-star

59:42 - 60:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: social customs and decorum are not matters of indifference they are the symbols of unselfishness

Martin shares an anecdote of seeing men fellowshipping while their wives struggled with babies and coats, using it to rebuke a lack of social grace and gentlemanly conduct among some men.

social boorishness our coarseness gruffness and bluntness and the lack of even attempting at making social relationships smooth and delightful and non irritating you've had the benefit I trust of a father who still says thank you to your mother at the end of the meal I trust though I have to say this is the area where I have the least amount of confidence that you and the second generation have learned an awful lot from some of them in the first

62:35 - 63:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: social customs and decorum are not matters of indifference they are the symbols of unselfishness

Martin uses the example of how children answer the phone to illustrate a lack of social grace and decorum, challenging parents to teach proper telephone etiquette as a symbol of unselfishness.

issues and here I'm going to leave from saying you were blessed to say to you parents I think you need to get your act together you ought to be ashamed to allow your children to answer the phone the way many of them do I've called many of you how and I said this is Pastor Martin to whom am I speaking I can't even recognize the voice that's unconscionable if we're seeking to train a generation to be like Jesus you're never going to offend

64:42 - 65:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: social customs and decorum are not matters of indifference they are the symbols of unselfishness

Jesus's rebuke of Simon the Pharisee for not anointing his head with oil or washing his feet is used to show that Jesus himself valued and expected social graces as expressions of honor and unselfishness.

don't you put this is some little hobby that I'm writing it is embedded in scripture and you see it in our Lord Jesus remember what he did when he went into the house of that man that didn't anoint his head with oil didn't wash his feet he rebuked him he said Simon I came into your house no oil on my head and no water from my feet this woman did not cease to wash my feet with her tears the Lord Jesus knew what a socially sentirable action I could deliver a man into the inevitably problem that is why we're in it for Jesus that's why I'm in a deep I do not need to I'm in it for Jesus and I've be...

66:46 - 67:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Are you thankful? When's the last time you got in your pappy's face and said, Dad, thank you for busting your hump. Give me this.

Martin shares a personal story of still hearing his mother's sayings ('doing what you don't like to do develops character') in his ear at age 67, illustrating the lasting impact of faithful nurture.

there'll come a day when you'll bless them and say, thank you for all the drip, drip, drip on the stalagmite and the stalactite. The drips were a pain in the neck, but now they are the substance of what I am as a man and a woman. I still kid my mother. I say, you're still in your 67-year-old son's ear many a time on a Saturday night, telling him doing what you don't like to do develops character. The job worth,

68:20 - 68:50 Read in full sermon