After the Sermon Part 3

The point: Cherish the privileges of worship regulated by God's Word and seek to bring others into their orbit.

Martin shares his personal story of being born and raised in a Christian home where the themes of God's grace and man's sin were part of his earliest consciousness, illustrating the privilege of early exposure to the gospel and character cultivation.

Amen. Now, many of you know that it was my unspeakable privilege to be born and reared in a Christian home. And while I am most thankful that this privilege placed me in contact with the gospel of the Lord Jesus, in a very real sense, with my mother's milk from my earliest dawning of consciousness, the great themes of God's grace to sinners and man's great need as a sinner were a part of the whole world of my thought, I say, from the very dawning of my consciousness. And while I am most grateful for that privilege that came out of God's sovereignty, and my sovereign purpose to cause me to be b...

2:32 - 3:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Cherish the privileges of worship regulated by God's Word and seek to bring others into their orbit.

He quotes two adages from his mother: 'a job worth doing is worth doing well' and 'doing things you don't like to do develops character.' These are used to introduce the idea of completing the sermon series and the character-building nature of spiritual disciplines.

particularly my mother, though my father is well, would say to me, and repeat to me that adage that a job worth doing is worth doing well. You've heard me repeat the adage most often spoken to me by my mother, doing things you don't like to do develops character. And hardly a week passes but that one or the other or both of those adages does not come to me in some facet of my character. Labors, a job worth doing is worth doing well.

3:50 - 4:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Cherish the privileges of worship regulated by God's Word and seek to bring others into their orbit.

A third adage from his upbringing, 'a job worth beginning is a job worth completing,' is presented as the direct motivation for finishing the sermon series on 'taking heed how you hear.'

And the reminder that doing things you don't like to do develops character. Well, there was another saying that was constantly pressed upon my consciousness in the years of my development within the walls of that home, and it was this, that a job worth beginning is a job worth completing. A job worth beginning is a job worth completing. You say, Pastor, your vacations affected your head.

4:32 - 5:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Consciously cultivate a meek and eager disposition of heart towards the Word, longing for it like newborn babes.

Martin uses the analogy of shifting mental furniture into neutral to explain that even the most captivating preaching cannot absolve the listener of the duty to actively engage their mind with the Word.

Psalm 119 and verse 18 open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law then we move to the matter of what does it mean to take heed how we hear during the actual preaching of the word and I set before you two categories of concern that there is a sobering fact to be faced every time a man of God stands to open up and preach the word of God to us a sobering fact to be faced and what is that fact it is the fact that the insidious and soul destructive influences of our remaining sin and of the devil himself are neither suspended or negated under the preaching of the word and ...

10:54 - 12:23 Read in full sermon

The point: After hearing the Word, engage in supplication, asking God to write the Word upon your heart and incline your heart to obedience.

He uses the analogy of 'first class' vs. 'third class' Christians to challenge the idea that spiritual disciplines like taking heed to the Word are optional for a select few, emphasizing that they are duties for all believers.

supplication after hearing the word of God we must supplicate God and particularly for two things that God would take the word we have heard in the preaching and write it upon our hearts and that God would incline our hearts into the path of obedience to that word which he has written upon them one is a prayer that God would do something in our hearts with respect to that word he would write it upon our hearts and that he would do something in our hearts in our response to that word now some may say pastor just hearing you go over in 15 minutes what it took you 13 hours to preach seems like yo...

16:46 - 18:14 Read in full sermon

Driving home: if having a high inspired word such a high regard that you actually lift up your hands in praise to God for his commandments is bibliolatry he was guilty of it

He explains Psalm 119's structure as an acrostic poem, with each section beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, to illustrate how it was designed to aid memory and emphasize the theme of the believer's relationship to God's Word.

after verse with the believer's relationship to the word of God are you thinking somewhere in the psalms let me ask another question that may help you what is the longest chapter in the bible it has 176 verses by now the whole class has pretty well got the answer I'm referring to psalm 119 now isn't it interesting and here I've been a Christian all these years and I've never felt the force of this until now my preparation of all the things that God could have done in giving to us the one complete written revelation of his mind and will of all the areas that we wish God had said a lot more and ...

37:15 - 38:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: if having a high inspired word such a high regard that you actually lift up your hands in praise to God for his commandments is bibliolatry he was guilty of it

The psalmist's experience of princes talking against him (Psalm 119:23) is used as an example of external pressures that might tempt one to abandon meditation, highlighting the psalmist's resolute commitment despite adversity.

precepts here the focus is upon the psalmist determination to engage in meditation as an act of his own will of holy nation I will meditate on thy precepts we turn to verse 23 and we find the psalmist saying princes the great ones of the earth influential ones have sat and talked against me how do most of us feel when people talk against us especially when they make up stories about us and pass them around as though they are truth we're hurt we're hurt few things grieve us more few things take the spirit of a little child or the spirit of an old man or woman and batter it more fiercely than vi...

40:07 - 41:36 Read in full sermon

Driving home: if having a high inspired word such a high regard that you actually lift up your hands in praise to God for his commandments is bibliolatry he was guilty of it

Martin introduces the term 'bibliolatry' to address critics who accuse those with high regard for the Bible of worshipping a book, contrasting it with the psalmist's genuine love and praise for God's commandments.

lightning bolts that strike the sensitive tables of my heart I am committed that I will meditate upon the statutes of my God no excuse for allowing how others treat us to move us aside from the duty of meditation we may come on any given lords day our hearts buffeted and battered by a thousand different influences but if we're to take heed how we hear we may be we must be able by the grace of God to say but the psalmist regardless of these external pressures your servant is committed to meditate on your statutes verse 48 I will lift up my hands unto your commandments which I have loved now chi...

42:31 - 43:59 Read in full sermon

Driving home: if having a high inspired word such a high regard that you actually lift up your hands in praise to God for his commandments is bibliolatry he was guilty of it

He references David's experience with Absalom usurping his throne as a parallel to the psalmist's feeling of being 'overthrown wrongfully,' illustrating a severe circumstance where meditation might be neglected but is still commanded.

and in have overthrown him we don't know what the circumstances were it could be a situation that had parallels to that which David knew when Absalom in the pride and ambition of his own heart usurps the throne of his father David if anything would cut a man to the quick and cause him to leave off as it were the discipline of meditation a man in such circumstances we would surely excuse him but listen to the language let the proud be put to shame for they've overthrown me wrongfully or with falsehood but I will meditate on my precepts here again there is that fixed commitment to the discipline...

45:26 - 46:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: if having a high inspired word such a high regard that you actually lift up your hands in praise to God for his commandments is bibliolatry he was guilty of it

He describes David's experience as a shepherd contemplating the vastness of the heavens during night watches, contrasting it with metropolitan living, to illustrate how meditation can extend beyond the written Word, though the sermon's focus is on the Word.

my meditation all the day and one final text from this psalm verse 148 verse 148 this is an amazing statement my eyes anticipated the night watches here is a man who knows that he is going to pull in order in some kind of a rotating sequence he is going to pull the night watches when from 12 till 4 in the morning or in the morning or from 4 till sunrise whatever was the apportionment of those watches he would have to keep awake in the night hours when he and others would normally be sleeping and he says I anticipated I looked forward to the night watches why? that I might have additional oppor...

46:55 - 48:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Meditation is the chief agent in fastening divine truths on the mind the knowledge of these truths we receive by hearing reading and social interchange of pious thought that is conversing with spiritually minded christia…

An extended quotation from Oliver Heywood's 'Heart Treasure' is used to powerfully describe meditation as the 'chief agent in fastening divine truths on the mind' and the 'digestive process' for spiritual nourishment, emphasizing its necessity for spiritual growth and stability.

meditation that by means of meditation it might be assimilated into the entirety of our spiritual constitution as i close i'll close with my word to my fellow believers by reading what is one of the choicest paragraphs on this subject i have ever found it's in the book that has become a household book for many of you called heart treasure by oliver haywood and in chapter seventeen where it deals with the subject of meditation listen to the helpful words of pastor haywood meditation is the chief agent in fastening divine truths on the mind the knowledge of these truths we receive by hearing rea...

58:44 - 60:13 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Meditation is the chief agent in fastening divine truths on the mind the knowledge of these truths we receive by hearing reading and social interchange of pious thought that is conversing with spiritually minded christia…

Heywood's metaphor of heads and hearts being like 'sieves' out of which truth runs as fast as it's poured in, and impressions being 'fleeting as characters traced in the sand,' illustrates the ineffectiveness of hearing without meditation.

the most ample teaching still remain ignorant unstable and unfruitful ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth instruction flows in upon them from all sides but their heads and hearts are like siths out of which everything runs as fast as they can as it is poured in the impressions which truth makes on their minds are as fleeting as are the characters traced in the sand that are totally obliterated when the next wave breaks upon the shore meditation alone imprints truth deeply upon the conscience and engraves it on the tablets of the inner man as with a pen of iron an...

60:13 - 61:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Become one of the blessed ones by going to the Lord Jesus, who can change your heart to love God's Word and pardon your sins.

The story of the rich man in hell (Luke 16) is used as a stark illustration of forced, eternal meditation on folly and regret for those who despise God's Word and refuse to repent in this life.

puts into my mind there's a thought that almost overwhelmed me this morning and brought me to tears sitting on this platform as i thought of some of you of whom this is true listen to me my unconverted friend boy or girl man or woman you hear me in these closing moments you say i have no use to meditate on the law of god i don't want to be the person described in psalm one verses one and following i be shaped and by what the world says ought to shape it ought to shape it over me meditate come off it every spare minute i'm going to use to fill my mind with the music that pleases me with the tv ...

61:42 - 63:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Become one of the blessed ones by going to the Lord Jesus, who can change your heart to love God's Word and pardon your sins.

Martin uses the analogy of 'clowns in the pulpit' to highlight the seriousness of preaching and the reality of hell, arguing that entertainment does not lead to repentance.

my brothers what's the word of abraham son remember that in your life son remember meditate reflect on what was my unconverted friend who hates god and hates his word and therefore would hate the thought of going home to meditate upon it today remember you'll meditate in hell if you don't repent and meditate for all eternity and god will bring back this very morning when you were told that unless you repent you'd be forced to meditate and you'll meditate on the sermon you heard on meditation that you despised along with a thousand other sermons why don't we have clowns in the pulpit that make ...

63:10 - 64:39 Read in full sermon