His Knees, Part 1

The point: Maintain the posture of continually bowed knees before the living God as Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign Lord of the world.

The analogy of God never dropping a stitch as He knits illustrates His meticulous control and lack of surprises, reinforcing ministerial stability.

It's the foundation of ministerial stability. If this is God's world and all things are under His control, then there are no surprises, no accidents. God never drops. Stitch as He knits.

18:26 - 18:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain the posture of continually bowed knees before the living God as Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign Lord of the world.

The analogy of God never being caught without aspirin in the medicine chest emphasizes His preparedness and sovereign control over all situations, ensuring ministerial stability.

God's never caught off guard. God's never caught without aspirin in the medicine chest. God's never caught the situation somehow not quite resolved. He is never tentative.

18:54 - 19:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be in bondage to men's frowns or bought by their smiles, but be driven by the desire to please Christ alone.

Paul's indifference to being judged by men is illustrated by the vivid image of people making funny faces or wiggling fingers, highlighting liberation from human approval.

it is a very little thing to me if I be judged of you or of man's judgment. I love that text. He says, if I'm preaching to you and you sit there and make funny faces at me, that's a very little thing to me. It's a very little thing to me if I be judged of you or of man's judgment.

39:56 - 40:14 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a bond slave of Christ. Why? For the simple reason no man can serve two masters.

The analogy of a man of God's 'threatening independence' from fellow mortals, because he cannot be swayed by frowns or smiles, illustrates his singular devotion to Christ and liberation from men.

There's something very threatening about a man that you know you can't scare away with your frowns or buy with your smiles, isn't there?

43:17 - 43:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This posture also liberates a man of God from bondage to men. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 4 and Galatians 1, Martin argues that a bond-slave of Christ cannot serve two masters…

Martin shares a personal anecdote about how a man of God, initially threatening due to his independence, becomes endearing when one's own heart is bowed to Christ's master, reinforcing the value of such freedom.

I found it so whenever I've sat under a man of God. If I had any controversy with God, I was threatened by the fact that I knew I couldn't buy him with my smiles or shut him up with my frowns. But when my heart was bowed to his master, no one was more dear to me than the man that loved me enough to be free of my frowns and my smiles. That was the great apostle.

43:55 - 44:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate hearts bowed in such devotion to Jesus Christ that you count your life of no account, willing to endure discomfort and sacrifice for missions.

The example of missionaries in the Philippines, enduring discomfort, learning new languages, and being 'written off,' illustrates the selfless devotion required for missions and church planting.

what is going to be from the human side the thing that triggers a stream of men going out to the Philippines to join our brother Steve, to labor with our brother Nene Martinez, to be a shepherd to that shepherdless flock in Ormak that met on their Lord's Day with nothing but a tape recorder and a cassette for a preacher. What's going to be the trigger to release men who are willing to endure the discomfort of that tropical climate, to have to get their tongues all twisted around learning another language that they might be useful not only speaking English, but speaking one of the other major l...

51:15 - 52:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Be willing to bury your lives in unglamorous church planting ministries, working hard and laying solid foundations, rather than seeking instant success.

The example of unglamorous church planting, requiring hard work, self-support, and laying deep foundations in an age of 'instant success,' illustrates the selfless devotion needed for this ministry.

Many of you men will be called upon to engage in church planting ministries here in our own country. Why is church planting so unglamorous? Because it means you have to go in and take a little group of people, many times not able even to support you adequately and have to work with your own hands to put bread on the table and you've got to be in the trenches and dig those trenches deeply and lay solid foundations for a generation to come and this is the age of instant success. The church growth movement with all of its carnal sociology and all of its psychology and Madison Avenue's slick techn...

52:43 - 53:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers with no subtle fine print, holding your children with an open hand, even if it means they serve in difficult mission fields.

The metaphor of 'this pigsty called planet Earth' highlights the immense condescension of Christ in leaving heaven, emphasizing the depth of His selfless devotion and challenging parents' idolatry of natural ties.

What's going to crush the idolatry of those natural ties that you will hold those children with an open hand? I tell you only one thing. It's a posture of being bent in knee in the presence of the incarnate Redeemer who gave up the very glories of the presence of His Father and the worship and adoration of those angelic creatures and came to this pigsty called planet Earth and then took upon Himself the horrible burden of the guilt of all of our sin tasted hell itself for the likes of you and me.

55:05 - 55:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Honestly ask yourself if Jesus Christ and the reward of His sufferings mean more to you than cuddling your grandchildren.

The mention of Pastor Dixon and his wife, presumably as an example of those who have experienced the pain and tears of selfless devotion, reinforces the reality of sacrifice in ministry.

What will it matter? Yes, some tears, some pain, some agony if you don't believe it. Talk to Pastor Dixon and his wife.

56:38 - 56:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin applies the call for selfless devotion to parents, challenging them to pray for laborers without reservation, even if it means their children serve in difficult mission…

A quotation from an old gospel hymn, 'It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,' serves as a powerful summary of the ultimate reward for selfless devotion and enduring suffering.

Tears, I'm sure, shed in secret when the Savior comes and by His grace we can present a little something that is the fruit of that single-eyed devotion to Him. In the language of that old gospel hymn, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus. One look at His dear face, all sorrow will erase. So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

56:49 - 57:23 Read in full sermon