“Of Him Through Him and to Him are all Things”

Driving home: While maintaining every single constituent element of that car we have completely destroyed the original design of the designers and the engineers we have completely destroyed the purpose for which the production manager…

Martin uses the analogy of designing and producing a car to illustrate how God has a specific design and blueprint for the Bible. Just as rearranging car parts destroys its purpose, rearranging biblical truths outside God's design nullifies its message.

Now let me illustrate this. Out in Detroit and also in Kenosha and also in Cadillac, Michigan our American cars are produced. And they are produced according to the original design of the Bible. The design of the engineering departments who conceiving in their idea a product that can be marketed for the purpose of transporting people from one place to another.

5:25 - 5:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Give glory to God not grudgingly, but delightfully, with an open heart, in response to contemplating His character and works.

He uses the historical 'Copernican revolution' (shifting from an earth-centered to a sun-centered view of the solar system) as a metaphor for the spiritual transformation needed when one truly grasps the God-centered message of Romans 11:36, moving from a man-centered to a God-centered perspective in all of life.

to the worship and service of the church then we want to touch in the area of the educational framework within which we put our children I want to draw out some very practical lines of application but the one general application I shall make in closing this morning is this when this perspective the perspective of Romans 11.36 becomes real to us it can be for us spiritually a Copernican revolution now you kids learned about the Copernican revolution yet? school? no?

35:12 - 35:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not read the Bible merely for your 'next fix' of consolation, but to understand God's character, dealings, and what response He requires from your heart.

Martin compares a self-centered approach to Bible reading to a drug addict seeking a 'fix' for personal euphoria, arguing that such an approach misses the Bible's true purpose of revealing God and His glory.

do you read it like the poor junkie who parades around the streets of New York with one thing in his mind everything in the whole system of New York exists for one thing for that next needle he can pump in his arm and get his sense of euphoria and go off into that no man never never land of his next life high and all is well then he doesn't care what goes on people can be lying in their own blood being murdered around them but he's alright because he's had his next fix is that the way you read the Bible? all the time looking for your next fix to give you some little consolation

40:03 - 40:48 Read in full sermon