His Feet, Part 2

In this part of the sermon: The second reason for beautiful feet is that they carry one who announces the 'good things of the gospel' which alone answer to man's deepest needs, illustrated by an analogy of a…

An extended analogy of a colony of rebels, suffering from hunger and disease, who are justly under the king's wrath. An emissary arrives, not with judgment, but with terms of pardon, food, medicine, and skilled help, perfectly suited to their needs. This illustrates why the feet of a gospel preacher, bringing Christ's pardon and provision to sinful humanity, are beautiful.

And it is these things which alone answer to man's deepest needs. Let me try to illustrate it this way. Imagine with me that we lived in the day when kings were the ordinary rulers of great countries of whole vast segments of populations in various lands. And in a given kingdom, there is a whole group of people who have rebelled against their sovereign.

14:37 - 15:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides three lines of biblical evidence: the requirements for elders (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1) emphasizing godliness, the apostolic pattern of Paul's life (1 Thessalonians…

Martin contrasts the disinterested love of Paul with modern charlatans who exploit human suffering for money, specifically mentioning John Wimber and his healing clinics, to highlight the corruption of motives in some ministries.

It was love that was not interested in its object, but it was love that was interested in its object for its object's sake, not for what it could get out of its object. It's a word we need to restore, disinterested love. Not like the charlatans on the tube who play upon human suffering and human sickness and tragedy. And promise to send you their prayer cloth for so many bucks.

51:32 - 51:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: they go home as it were with an amen thundering in the deepest recesses of their hearts that that gospel is true not only because it is a self-authenticating message from the throne of god but because they've witnessed i…

A quotation from Philip Hughes, commenting on 2 Corinthians, emphasizes the seriousness of a minister's conduct and how inconsistency can dishonor the gospel and destroy hope of progress, serving as a stumbling block to unbelievers.

The good things of liberation from bondage to sin. The good thing of restored fellowship to almighty God. Listen to these very perceptive comments of Philip Hughes, a contemporary. Who has commented on the entire book of second Corinthians and on this text, giving no occasion of stumbling in anything that our ministry be not blamed, but in everything, commending ourselves as ministers of God.

54:53 - 55:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God that He will mold such men (men of God) and lovingly encourage, faithfully reprove, exhort, and admonish them where necessary within the church.

A quotation from John Newton, stating 'only the God who made a universe can make a gospel minister,' is used to emphasize that the character traits of a man of God are divinely wrought, not humanly manufactured.

may god grant that you long to be useful in christ's kingdom you may long, cry and plead with god and then be prepared to have god use a thousand intricate disciplines to answer your prayers pray oh god make me a man of god and to you the lord's people in this place surely if you've listened with even half of one ear careful of one ear cr bluffing even being a slave of men & women of one ear, you know that men such as we've described in this series of messages are not made by other men. John Newton eloquently stated it when he said only the God who made

60:09 - 60:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider if the gospel message has come to you in vain; do not toy with God or tempt Him, but run to Christ in all your guilt and hell-deservingness, embracing the perfect righteousness, liberty from sin, and access to G…

The metaphor of a 'God-shaped hole' in every person is used to explain the restlessness and unfulfilled yearning of the unconverted, which can only be filled by God through Jesus Christ.

what it is to commune with the God who made you and made you for himself. And that's what lies at the root of all that restlessness and all of that unfulfilled yearning. As one has said, there is a cod-shaped hole in all of us that only God can fill. And you try to fill it with finery and with things and people and fun and frolic and a thousand other things. The hole's too deep and too broad for any but God to fill. And God won't

63:00 - 63:33 Read in full sermon