Ye Are Lights of the World

The point: Shine as lights in the world by living a lifestyle in marked contrast to the world's.

Martin quotes Luther stating that confessing every truth of God except the one under attack is not confessing Christ, likening it to a soldier fleeing the battle where loyalty is tested.

the responsibility of the Christian to shine as lights in a world that has been described in these terms, crooked and perverse, which are simply more synonyms for the general description of a world that lies in the power of the wicked one, that lies under the grip of darkness. And I'm thinking particularly of certain areas in which there is unusual necessity for us to shine as lights because in a very special way the powers of darkness are seeking to inundate our whole society with facets of the kingdom of darkness. Now this exhortation to shine as lights in the world can be carried out to app...

4:09 - 5:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Shine as lights in the general sphere of contact with society by bearing witness to the dignity of human life.

Martin contrasts the generation that uses bumper stickers to protect animals with the same generation that legislates the slaughter of millions of unborn fetuses, highlighting the perceived inconsistency and devaluation of human life.

It's strange that the generation that produces bumper stickers be careful I stop for animals is the generation that has produced legislation that butchers human beings by the millions. Isn't it strange? The generation that deifies a flower will treat an unborn life as though it's nothing but the collection of a few cells.

10:03 - 10:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Submit to the divine order for the roles of husbands and wives.

He mentions missionaries Don and Liz Ritter in Sweden who shared experiences with role reversal, implying negative consequences from such experimentation.

number one submission to the divine order for the roles of husbands and wives submission to the divine order for the roles of husbands and wives we do not take the position that is being blatantly and again aggressively propagated in our day that our present mentality with reference to the wife having a distinctive role and the husband having a distinctive role is simply a cultural conditioning business I heard one of these women just the other day and she was really hot under the collar she says it seconds me she said the minute you turn the kids loose in the nursery school where do they put ...

22:55 - 24:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Implement the divine directives for the rearing of your children, particularly in discipline.

A young mother asks how to teach her child not to slap when she slaps him for it. Martin affirms the mother's God-given authority to spank, distinguishing it from the child's lack of authority to slap.

I missed it I missed it and you know when I've been teaching on the Christian home and expounding principles from the book of Proverbs I've had Christians ready to fight me and tar and feather me they didn't prove my exegesis wrong but I dared to say that Solomon was not culturally conditioned to act like a man when he used such terminology as he that loveth his son chasteneth him diligently thou beat him with the rod he shall not die thou shalt deliver his soul from hell and I've dared to tell Christian parents all your prayers that God will save your children are mockery until you begin to a...

27:20 - 28:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Exemplify biblical priorities in your lifestyle by seeking first the kingdom of God and being content.

A deacon declined a position doubling his salary due to its high price tag on his walk with God, family, and church, contrasting with his boss who lost his family for career advancement.

that's the influence of a world that has no God so it's made things it's God and we are called upon to shine as lights in the midst of that darkness and what a blessed thing when a family can stand in the midst of a sea of affluent materialism and know something of that wonderful release from itching for more things it's a common saying in our house that the kids say you know that so and so got such and such and such and such and such and such and such and such and such and such and such down the street I say hmm isn't that interesting what's that have to do with us I just look real stupid wha...

31:47 - 33:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow any erosion of the centrality of preaching in the church.

Martin illustrates how a person can become a full-time Christian worker without ever being a vital part of a local church, moving from youth group to Bible college to missions, often without deep church ties or understanding of its importance.

to come right through from being converted to being a full time Christian worker and never once have been a vital part of a visible functioning local church he gets converted in a non-church youth movement alright and his camaraderie with these other young people is such that going into a place where you got some old people and some not so sharp looking people and some will look a little dull and some will dress a little bad he's been with the kids that are all with it you see and the youth leader who's always got the latest styles and all the rest you know right with it so that becomes his in...

37:40 - 39:10 Read in full sermon