During the Sermon, Part 4

The point: Hear the word of God with a resolute fixation of your minds, mortifying sins like innocent daydreaming, mental laziness, and intellectual flabbiness.

The preacher's preaching is like one side of a Velcro fastener, and the listener's mind and spirit are the other, so that the word fastens onto the mind, initiating God's work in the heart.

of that exhortation, such sins as innocent daydreaming, mental laziness, intellectual flabbiness in general, so that in the imagery that apparently stuck with many of you, the preacher's preaching will be like the one side of a Velcro fastener, and your... Your mind and spirit like the other, so that when they come together in the special presence of God, there is that fastening of the word upon the mind of the listener.

9:11 - 9:49 Read in full sermon

The point: When a sin-exposing, convicting word comes, respond with immediate brokenness and true repentance.

King Josiah's immediate response of rending his clothes and seeking the Lord upon hearing the rediscovered Book of the Law illustrates true brokenness and repentance.

demands an immediate response of brokenness and true repentance. Turn please to the book of 2 Kings and chapter 22 for an illustration of this very principle. 2 Kings chapter 22 Here we see how scripture these Old Testament scriptures with the accounts of various kings and leaders how these scriptures are profitable to teach us how to hear the word of God. 2 Kings chapter 22 and we begin in verse 8.

20:04 - 20:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Do what the word of God demands, and do it the moment that word comes to you.

The pagan Ninevites' corporate repentance, including the king, in response to Jonah's message of judgment, demonstrates an appropriate heart response to a convicting word.

because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book. We find a similar response in a totally pagan setting. This was within the nation with whom God had entered into special covenant relationship but we find that amazing record in the book of Jonah. You children one of the first Bible stories you learned was Jonah being swallowed by the great fish but the amazing thing is not so much that God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah but the amazing work he did

24:19 - 25:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Do what the word of God demands, and do it the moment that word comes to you.

The crowd at Pentecost being 'pricked in their hearts' by Peter's sermon and asking 'What shall we do?' illustrates immediate conviction and a desire for repentance.

now when we turn to the New Testament we find a similar example in Acts chapter 2 what are we seeking to do simply to substantiate this principle that we must hear the word determined to render the appropriate responses of the heart which the word demands of us illustration number one a sin exposing convicting word demands an immediate response of brokenness and true repentance on the day of Pentecost Peter was not trying to convince the Jews who slew the Son of God that he was a nice guy and they weren't too bad a bunch after all he wasn't telling a bunch of jokes

28:37 - 29:21 Read in full sermon

The point: When terrified by the truth of God's righteousness, self-control, and coming judgment, fall upon your face and cry out for pardon and preparation for judgment through Jesus.

Felix's terror and subsequent dismissal of Paul, saying 'Go your way for this time,' illustrates the danger of rationalizing delay and postponing repentance.

into the outer vestibule of the ear it registers on the mind it makes some inroads into the heart and there is a disruption in the seat of a man's being a woman, boy or girl but instead of giving that appropriate response what do they do well some give a rationalizing response of delay look at Acts chapter 24 a rationalizing response of delay rather than an immediate response of grief and repentance and humiliation Paul is preaching in the presence

35:12 - 35:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He provides another negative illustration: the Sanhedrin's response to Peter and Stephen. When 'cut to the heart' by the truth, they reacted with hatred and a desire to kill the…

The Sanhedrin's reaction of being 'cut to the heart' by Peter's preaching and desiring to slay the apostles illustrates rejection and hatred of the messenger instead of repentance.

for us let's go to Acts chapter 5 I'm here to talk about an incident that took place in Acts chapter 5 what happened in Acts chapter 5 and what that incident was the authorities have already threatened the apostles in the name of Christ and the authoritarians have already threatened the apostles they were not to speak in the name of Christ God has wonderfully delivered them they continued to speak about Christ and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. What nonsense. They already did it. They said his blood be upon us and our children.

41:02 - 41:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He provides another negative illustration: the Sanhedrin's response to Peter and Stephen. When 'cut to the heart' by the truth, they reacted with hatred and a desire to kill the…

The Greek word for 'cut to the heart' (Acts 5:33) is explained by an analogy to David's brutal act of sawing people in half, emphasizing the profound and painful impact of the truth.

They were cut to the heart. They were cut to the heart. And this word is the very word that means literally to saw through. It describes some of the brutal things that David did, recorded in 2 Chronicles 23.

42:25 - 42:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: No, you say, that's madness! Sin is moral madness.

The stoning of Stephen after his sermon, where his audience was 'cut to the heart' and gnashed their teeth, further illustrates the violent rejection of the messenger.

They did not render the appropriate response of the heart which the word demanded of them. It demanded an owning of their sin as those in Acts 2 who were pricked in their hearts and cried out, what shall we do? But instead, they turned on the messenger and were minded to kill them. By the time we come to Acts 7, that response was not just a purpose.

44:17 - 44:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin illustrates the ultimate rejection: King Jehoiakim's attempt to destroy the Word by cutting and burning Jeremiah's scroll. He applies this to modern listeners who…

King Jehoiakim's act of cutting and burning Jeremiah's scroll illustrates a foolish attempt to get rid of the convicting Word of God itself.

A rationalizing delay, rejection and hatred of the messenger. Then you find an instance in the Old Testament of an attempt to get rid of the word itself. If it weren't so tragic, it'd be humorous. Look at Jeremiah 36.

46:45 - 47:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not foolishly think that by cutting out or discarding the word that condemns you, you can rid yourselves of the word of God.

The act of King Jehoiakim burning the scroll is compared to modern listeners who 'burn' the preached Word by immediately distracting themselves with rock music or other worldly pleasures, preventing heart dealings with God.

You say how stupid no more stupid than what some of you do in this place every single Lord's Day.

50:15 - 50:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He reiterates the call for inward brokenness and repentance, lamenting the lack of such responses in contemporary worship and recalling the early days of Trinity Church when…

The idea that if people outwardly expressed inward brokenness by rending their garments every time the Word exposed sin, there would be much torn clothing in the church, including the preacher's.

If we all outwardly expressed inward brokenness as they did at Nineveh as the king did when the book of the law was read if outwardly every time the word finds us in a sin we were to rend modestly some part of our garment.

54:05 - 54:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Let the sin-exposing, convicting word demand an immediate response of brokenness and repentance while the word is even preached, as you are having dealings with your God.

Recalling the early days of Trinity Church when people would split vacations to return for Lord's Day services, fearful of missing a word from God, illustrates a generation that truly took heed how they heard.

hear as God gave us in the beginning of the birth of Trinity Church it's all over.

55:57 - 56:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not leave another Lord's day with a bloodied, guilty conscience; confess your sins immediately to receive the pardon of God.

David's immediate confession 'I have sinned' when confronted by Nathan illustrates the appropriate response of confession to a word of indictment, leading to absolution.

And as God brings that word to you God willing in a subsequent message we'll take up how we ought to respond to the promises and respond to those high mysteries that come to us in the preaching but may I simply ask you as we close this morning do you know anything of that response that is described in Acts 2? The response of the king that we contemplated the response even of David who in his tragic backslidden state when Nathan came and said thou art the man it is said that David responded immediately saying I have sinned

57:43 - 58:28 Read in full sermon