Membership and Biblical Preaching, Part 1

Introduction: The Sobering Warnings of 1 Corinthians 3 and the Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church

0:06 1 Corinthians chapter 3, and in this chapter in which Paul is demonstrating the spiritual folly of the divisions at Corinth, divisions occasioned by God's goodness and grace, sending them various gifted men to labor in the ongoing work of the church at Corinth, the Apostle makes some very profound statements that have great relevance for our present study. I begin the reading at verse 9 and read through verse 17, 1 Corinthians 3, 9. For we are God's fellow workers, ye are God's husbandry, or tilled land, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given unto me as a wise master builder, I laid a foundation, and another buildeth thereon. Let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1:17 But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble, each man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire. And the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

1:58 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth, in you? If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, and such are ye. The words I have read in your hearing are obviously very sobering words.

2:29 They contain the sober warning to everyone involved in the labor of building up the house of God. In verse 10, Let each man take heed how he builds thereon. A sober warning. These words are followed by an equally sobering prophecy of a coming day when there will be a qualitative analysis, not quantitative, qualitative analysis by the fire of God's infallible assessment of the true nature of a man's labors.

3:05 Verses 12 through 15, The day, shall declare it, and what it shall declare, the end of verse 13, each man's work of what sort it is. And then the passage read in your hearing concludes with an equally sobering threat that God himself will destroy those who destroy the church which is his own sanctuary or temple. Now, these sobering words have great relevance in conjunction with the present focus of our studies in the word of God. We're in the midst of an extended series of messages entitled A Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church. And in this series, I'm attempting to identify, to expound and apply those central biblical issues which have constituted the heart and soul of our life together. As a church for the past 24 and a half years of our existence as a church. As we approach our 25th anniversary, it's vital that these issues be identified, expounded afresh,

4:26 and I trust by the Holy Spirit written upon many hearts with fresh clarity and other hearts for the first time by the power of God. Thus far, we've covered four affirmations in the Manifesto. We are determined affirmation one that Jesus Christ shall have his rightful place in the totality of the life and ministry of this congregation affirmation too. We are determined that all of our doctrine and practice shall be molded by the word of God affirmation number three.

5:08 We are determined. To maintain a God centered climate in the totality of our church life affirmation for we are determined that our life in ministry will unquestionably confirm the unique place assigned to the church in the saving purposes of God. We're now opening up the fifth affirmation which is this we are determined to strive for a membership role comprised or composed. And the words are used synonymously.

Manifestations of Our Commitment to Regenerate Membership

5:42 One of the brethren lovingly brought to my attention that I might have been making a grammatical error using the word comprised instead of composed, and I did my homework and they are both transitive verbs and are used synonymously. So I've done my homework and I'm going to stick with comprised. All right. We are determined to strive for a membership role comprised of truly regenerate.

6:08 And. genuinely converted men and women. Now, in the opening up of this fifth affirmation, I define for you the meaning of the key words, determined to strive, truly regenerate, genuinely converted. We then considered, secondly, the biblical basis for this affirmation and demonstrated from the Old and the New Testaments that this determination to strive for a truly regenerate and genuinely converted church membership role is not the dream of fanatics.

6:46 It is mandated by the Word of God itself. And now, thirdly, we're considering those things in our life and practice which are clear manifestations of this determination. If you're determined to strive for something, there ought to be plenty in your life that indicates such strength of purpose. And thus far, we've considered three things that are plain manifestations of our determination to strive for a regenerate membership.

7:20 Our practice with reference to the children of our church members and their relationship to membership in the church. Our practice with reference to the message and methods of evangelism. And our practice...

7:34 Our practice with reference to the examination and reception of new members. Now, all of that's on tape for any of you visiting who care to inquire further into these things. But we come this morning to the fourth plain manifestation of this determination articulated in this affirmation. What is an additional plain manifestation that we are determined as a church, leaders and people, to have a membership role?

Defining Biblical Preaching

8:04 A role comprised of truly regenerate and genuinely converted men or women. I answer in this way. Our commitment to biblical, discriminating, applicatory, passionate and earnest preaching. Commitment that this pulpit shall be marked by preaching that is biblical, discriminating, applicatory, passionate and earnest, is a plain manifestation of our determination to have a truly regenerate and genuinely converted membership role.

8:46 Now, obviously, I'll begin with chopping up that mouthful of words. We begin this morning with a definition of the key words used to describe this commitment. It is, first of all, a commitment to biblical preaching. And by that, I simply mean preaching in which the scriptures, of the Old and the New Testaments, are the main ingredient of every sermon.

9:15 I mean preaching in which the Bible is used to interpret itself, to illustrate and demonstrate its own meaning, and to enforce its own authoritative teaching. It is preaching in which, by contrast, anecdotes and illustrations are not the dominant element. And if one has been a Christian for forty years, and been preaching for forty years, and has not had total amnesia, he could keep a lot of people entertained for hours on end, telling very interesting stories and anecdotes. All related to the gospel and to the work of the ministry and the life of the church.

9:57 But this pulpit is not dominated by anecdotal preaching, but biblical preaching. Likewise, it is not dominated by biographical snippets, when one has endeared himself to his people. It is appropriate from time to time to introduce biographical elements, to illustrate truth, to enforce truth, to persuade. As Spurgeon said, when I have spent all of my gospel bullets and none have struck the mark, I put myself in the gun and I shoot myself at sinners whom I am seeking to win.

10:35 And while there is a legitimate place for the interspersing of biographical evidence, this pulpit is not dominated by biographical snippets, nor is it preaching in which pop psychology and the latest fads in human relationships are the dominant issues. In short, by biblical preaching, I mean preaching in which the words and thoughts uttered from the pulpit are formed upon the anvil of a responsible handling of the pulpit. The words found in the Old and the New Testament scriptures. Whether the heights of profound doctrine, such as we find in Ephesians 1, we are introduced to the doctrines of God's free sovereign election, not logically or not philosophically, but by opening up such words as these. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in the heavenlies, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him,

11:55 in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. And there were some twelve or thirteen sermons just opening up those words. Pregnant words. So that in the opening up of doctrine, it is biblical preaching in which the doctrine arises out of the text.

12:19 Or whether as we've done for the last twenty some odd weeks in the adult class, we're dealing with the nitty gritty of when to spank and when to comfort and encourage your children. You've not been given a spate of human opinion, but text after text, literally now hundreds of texts of scripture, have been brought to bear upon your conscience as parents, to mold your thinking concerning the nurture of your children. So when I say we have a commitment in this place to biblical preaching, that's what I'm talking about. But then secondly, I said we have a commitment to discriminating preaching.

Defining Discriminating Preaching

13:01 A commitment to biblical discriminating preaching. Now what do I mean by discriminating preaching? I certainly don't mean that we discriminate against classes and races and ethnic groups. Blessed be God for our little United Nations in this place.

13:21 And how I thank God again and again that anyone of any background or ethnic group can come and look through the glass doors and see his own kind here and say, I must be welcomed. But I am using the word discriminate in its proper sense. If you were to take your dictionary, you would find that among the meanings given are these. To discriminate is to see the difference between things.

13:47 The ability to perceive real distinctions. And I have my son's permission to use my youngest grandson as an illustration. A few days ago, our grandson was over at our home, and having our daughter stay with us, as most of you are aware, during this time of her recuperation, they have a little daughter. A dog, a little Shih Tzu.

14:11 And I won't get sidetracked on Shih Tzus, but they are lovely little creatures, though they have a funny name. And in the family room where our daughter was staying, the dog has a little towel spread on which is his drinking dish and his food dish. And because of their flat nose, we have to take some of the dry dog food and spread it out on the towel so he can get it. Well, when little Lucas came over and was going around, he looked down and saw some of the dog's dry food there, and as far as he was concerned, it looked an awful lot like Cheerios or Weet Chex.

14:44 So before we knew hardly what happened, he had one or two of them in his mouth, chomping away, happy as a clam. Now, if you were to come into that same room, and I were to say, would you like a snack, and then reach down and take some of the dog's dry food and say, here, nibble on this, you'd be insulted, you'd be disgusted, some of you might even turn your head and have to keep down a barf. Why? Well, here's the fundamental difference.

15:11 You are able to discriminate between Weet Chex, Cheerios, and dry dog food. Little Lucas doesn't have that ability. He does not discriminate. There is a difference, he doesn't perceive it.

15:24 His mind and other faculties have not developed to the place where he sees the difference between little octagonal pieces of dry puppy food and Weet Chex and Cheerios. So discriminating preaching, then, is preaching which does not create artificial distinctions, but is careful to identify distinctions which God says do exist and are real and are matters of life and death, of heaven and of hell. Discriminating preaching, for example, is preaching in which the Bible's real distinctions, with reference to the subject of faith, are made plain to one's hearers. The Bible makes a distinction between saving faith, temporary faith, the faith of demons, dead faith, historical faith, notional faith, and only one of them is called the faith of God's elect. When the Bible says, by grace are you saved through faith, speaking of any kind of faith, but of the faith which is the gift of God, the faith of God's elect,

16:51 which has distinct properties and qualities, it is the faith which works by love, the faith that is always accompanied by repentance, the faith that embraces the whole Christ with the whole heart. But the Bible also speaks of temporary faith. In Luke 8, 13, in the parable of the sower, Jesus interprets the stone of the cross, the stony ground, here or this way. These are they who, having received the word, for a while believe.

17:21 And it's the same Greek word, pisteuo, for a while they believe, but when tribulation and persecution arise, they fall away. Oh, you see, it's not enough to say, I believe. There is true saving faith. There is temporary faith.

17:41 There is also the faith of demons, James 2, 9, 10. Thou believest God is one, thou doest well. The demons also, same Greek word, believe and tremble. Are demons going to heaven?

17:55 They're believers. Demons are believers. They believe so strongly they shudder, but their damn salvation is never offered because it was never provided. Discriminating preaching is careful to make the distinction between saving faith, temporary faith, the faith of demons.

18:21 The Bible says, in James, James 2, 26, as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead. Same Greek word for saving faith is used for faith, but a faith that is apart from works is dead. There is a dead faith. Now, you see, I've only taken one aspect of the Bible's differences, and in discriminating preaching, those differences are made as clear as an object under the light of the noon, day, sun, and the cloudless day.

18:56 Discriminating preaching, for example, with the matter of faith, is not content simply to say to people, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. He that believeth on the sun hath life. It is concerned to help people to know, on the basis of Scripture, is my professed faith saving, or is it temporary faith, the faith of demons? Is it dead faith?

19:26 Is it mere historical faith? Is it notional faith? Discriminating preaching is not content to dabble in vague generalities, because the Bible doesn't dabble in vague generalities. One other area is an illustration.

19:45 The Bible makes a clear distinction between reigning sin in the unbeliever and remaining sin in the true believer. It makes a distinction. Between reigning sin and remaining sin. Discriminating preaching is careful to make that distinction.

20:04 Romans 6 speaks of the sin that reigns before men are converted. The sin that no longer reigns when men are converted. All epitomized in verse 14, sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. Where grace has come, liberation has come, dethronement has occurred, sin no longer reigns.

20:32 But the very next chapter, Paul makes it abundantly clear that it yet remains. The good that I would, because sin has been dethroned. The new I in Christ is committed to doing good. I find another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind.

20:53 There is remaining sin. What are the characteristics of the two? Wherein do they differ? Discriminating preaching is determined to make that distinction clear.

21:05 Why? If it's not made clear, believers will come into false bondage, thinking that their sensitivity to the power and acting of indwelling sin is an indication of reigning sin and doubt their conversion. And careless pseudo-believers, who think all is well, because they say, oh, Paul had a few problems, I have a few problems. The good that I would, I do not.

21:32 The evil that I would not, that I do. But sin has never been dethroned. They've never settled. Shall I be the slave of sin in self or the bond slave of Christ?

Defining Applicatory Preaching

21:44 And if discriminating preaching does not drive home that issue, you'll have true believers troubled beyond warrant and spurious believers comforted without biblical grounds for their comfort. This pulpit is committed not only to biblical preaching, but to discriminating preaching. Understand what it means now? But thirdly, it's a commitment to applicatory preaching.

22:10 Now, what is that? Well, that's preaching in which there is more than the mere statement of biblical truth, even discriminating biblical truth. In applicatory preaching, there is a conscious effort on the part of the preacher to press the truth that is biblical and discriminating to press it home into the conscience of each and every hearer so that no one can sit there saying, what in the world is he blethering about? Until every person feels, this is what God is saying to me.

22:49 The preacher makes a conscious effort to do that. He doesn't succeed in any one act of preaching. But it's not because he hasn't tried. He is seeking not only to preach, seeking not only to extract the truth from the scriptures, to set it forth in its discriminating differences as clearly taught in the scriptures, but in the language of Richard Baxter, he's seeking to screw it into your conscience by close application.

23:19 And he will do this by detailed descriptions of the issues expounded so that no one will be at a loss to see himself. You see, when you're looking for yourself in a picture, you're not just looking for a creature that has two ears and two eyes and a mouth and a nose. You're looking for the specific shape of your nose and your mouth and the color of your eyes. You know yourself when you see the peculiar delineating features of your own face in a mass of faces.

23:50 And that's what application in preaching is seeking to do. We draw not just a circle, the general truth. We make discrimination between ears, eyes, and nose. But in application, we try to get you to see where you are in the picture.

24:07 We not only cut the cloth out of biblical stuff and put it together by discriminating preaching so that the arm differs from the shoulder and the shoulder from the yoke and the yoke from the collar. But in application, we say, my friend, come now and I want to put it on. And I want you to feel the weight of the garment on your shoulders. I want you to know that the garment is for you and for you and for you.

24:33 It's tailor-made, has your name upon it. And that's done by detailed descriptions of the issues expounded. It's done also by pointed questions calculated to force people to self-reflection. You see, most people will tolerate the truth floating by them like beautiful clouds on a lovely summer day.

24:53 But they don't want those clouds suddenly to form into thunderheads. And out of those thunderheads to have lightning bursting at its very point in the citadel of their own breast. It's lovely to lie in a hammock on a summer day and watch the clouds float by. It's not lovely to see jagged lightning coming out of those clouds and striking nearby.

25:16 But in application, the preacher's determined that no one will sit there and watch the lovely clouds of truth float by. But that the jagged lightning that that truth generates shall come home with its point. Either in self-condemnation, or in self-vindication, in a fresh sense of the wonder of the privileges of grace, the horrors of being damned and under the wrath of God, whether for comfort or consolation, in application, what are we? We're lame that yield the strike of the lightning of God.

25:55 That's what we're laboring to do. For example, we go back to saving faith. I might, in Biblical preaching, expound Acts 16.31.

26:09 I might, in Biblical preaching, expound Acts 16.31. Paul's answer to the question, sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

26:24 Preach a sermon on the necessity of saving faith. That would be Biblical preaching. Then, if I were to go on and say in the next sermon, what are the properties of saving faith, that would be discriminating preaching. And I'd say in saving faith, there's not only knowledge, notitia, and assent, and assent, assensus, but there is trust, fiducia, fiducia, the recumbency, as the old writer said, of the whole soul upon Christ.

26:52 And there is engagement of person to person. That would be discriminating preaching. But then, the third message, which would be all applicatory, would be, do you possess saving faith? Do you know anything of what it is to have your mind enlightened with the wondrous truths of the gospel?

27:12 Do you know what it is to have your will and affections molded by the power of the gospel? And you see, in applicatory preaching, you would then be taking what you did in the exposition and in the discrimination and seeking to bring it home into the realm of every man's inner being until every boy, girl, man, or woman says, there is one being in the universe with whom I have to do, and that is God. And if I meet him in unbelief, I'll be damned. And if my so-called faith has not wrought a transformation of heart and mind and will and affections and practice, my faith will only damn me, not save me.

27:55 And we're committed to applicatory preaching. And I've blessed God over the years, even though people haven't known precisely what to call it, that has been one of the greatest barriers to dead wood in Trinity Church. We've had hundreds and hundreds of people over the years come here as one-time visitors. When I want to shock my ministerial brethren who know that we don't practice the invitation system, you know, getting people to raise their hand, come down an aisle, they ask how things are going, I say, things are going great, we're getting decisions every Sunday.

28:26 And they look at me, Pastor Martin, he hasn't gone the way of all. I say this, we're getting decisions every Sunday. I say, there are people who come once and decide I'm never going back again. That's right, we do.

28:39 And do you know why they don't come back? It comes back to us. Sometimes from their own mouths, usually second-handed, but reliably. It's not that they found the service dull, the singing lifeless, the preaching dead and lifeless.

28:54 It's that they found that if they came in this place, they were going to have to have dealings with God. Not just with the Bible, not just with notions about salvation, their hearts were going to be the Word of God. Whether it was high doctrine preached or the most mundane duty preached, we would not rest short of attempting to make them feel the point of the lightening jags of God's authority to their own hearts. And if they don't mean business with God, that's usually the last we see of them.

29:31 May it ever be so. May it ever be so. God have mercy the day when vague generalities or human eloquence or persuasive personalities draws its men and no- the truth and strike their hearts. And that's the aim of applicatory preaching.

Defining Passionate and Earnest Preaching

29:55 But then fourthly, we have a commitment not only to biblical, to discriminating, applicatory preaching, but we have a commitment to biblical, discriminating, applicatory, and then passionate and earnest preaching. Passionate and earnest preaching. Passion is defined in the dictionary as extreme compelling emotion or intense emotional desire or excitement. Earnestness is defined as that which is characterized by seriousness and intensity.

30:39 Not joking or playful. Now we see these qualities of passion and earnestness in almost every realm of ordinary life. I've heard it said of certain singers after they've made their debut at the Met. And I happen to get a New York Times on a Monday as my wife will often buy one for me on a Monday.

31:01 And I try to read in the section that deals with the arts. And they will say so-and-so's technical treatment of the role was impeccable. However, his singing lacked what they'll say of a certain violin virtuoso or piano player. Technically here she was impeccable, reproduced impeccably, but without, without.

31:38 What is it makes the great musicians great? It is not only their mastery and they have to master their scales. Singers must master the discipline of vocalizing. When Pavarotti as a young man asked one of the great tenors of his day, when, when did you become the tenor that you are?

32:02 The singer that you are? How did you rise to these heights? And he had just finished vocalizing. He was in his late fifties.

32:09 And he said something to the effect, I'm still becoming. I just finished three hours of vocalizing. You see, these people become this by a passion that drives them to excellence. That they might then sing the role with what?

32:28 Extreme and compelling emotion, commensurate with the lyrics, with the music, with the role, with the overall plot. And they'll spend hours and hours until the music gets inside of them and becomes a part of the texture of their very being. Then when it comes out over the vocal cords, that element is there. Likewise, with the matter of earnestness, you come up to someone and say, hey, I'm just about to shoot you.

32:53 And they say, oh, you're joking. Some wild eyed character comes through the door with a sure enough looking loaded 38, snub nose pistol and says, I'm going to shoot you. And they say, hey, wait a minute, I'm going to shoot you. And they say, wait a minute, you're in earnest.

33:08 You're not fooling, are you? You see, earnestness and passion we live with all the time in the music realm. We live with it in the sports realm. What's you guys who follow the Mets?

33:19 I'll try to get you all. You see, I want to get you to know I'm not living off in a cloud somewhere. All the sports writers are analyzing what's wrong with Darryl Strawberry this year. They say, well, now that he professes to be converted, he's not a mad, angry man anymore and therefore he's not hitting the air at the plate.

33:39 Regardless, he has the same size back. He's been lifting weights all winter. He's never been in better shape. If he doesn't have his anger funneled and channeled, he's not going to hit his 450 foot home runs.

33:52 Athletes all the time are analyzed as to whether or not the elements of passion and earnestness are present, no matter what their native ability may be. The level of competition in professional sports is such without passion and earnestness you've had it. And we could illustrate it in every realm of life. It's a matter of which our own consciousness responds almost automatically.

34:14 And in a profoundly moving book passed on to me by one of my spiritual sons, a man converted by listening to some tapes on discriminating preaching, the old carnal Christian tapes. He was a ministerial student in seminary but unconverted. And God used those tapes to be the instrument of his salvation. And he knew I'd been looking for this book for a long time and he wrote to a dear friend and faithful friend and father whose life and ministry have profoundly influenced my own.

34:45 And it's John Angel James' book entitled An Earnest Ministry The Great Need of the Times. Listen to what John Angel James says on this matter of earnestness in preaching. He says that earnestness is not and then he takes off describing the false and the artificial tricks of the stage but it is the impassioned vivacity of the church and the capacity of one who feels intensely his subject and who speaks under the influence of strong emotion. The secret of animation the nature of earnestness lie as we have said in an intense feeling of the subject of discourse in a mind deeply impressed and a heart warmed with the theme discussed. All men are in earnest when they feel. Hence the story of the pleader that is someone who came to plead a case before a lawyer who on being applied to by a client to undertake her cause upon preceding the coldness of her manner in stating her case told the applicant he did not believe her story. Stung by this reflection upon her truthfulness and this disbelief of her grievance she rose into strong emotion and affirmed with expressive vehemence

36:14 the truth of the matter. Now he said I believe you. What is that but a human illustration of the importunate widow. She was in earnest.

36:25 So the judge who didn't fear God and have any compassion for men said her earnestness has borne me down she is going to bruise me with her continual coming out the avenger of her adversary. Well we are committed dear people to preaching that is not only biblical not only discriminating not only hereditary but is passionate and is earnest. Now having defined those elements I want very quickly to demonstrate from the word of God that this is the preaching mandated by scripture. I spent all that time defining the words I have given you biblical illustrations there has been a lot of Bible in the illustrations of the meanings but now I ask or you ask well pastor that is all right and good you have made assertions you have explained you have illustrated you have given earthly illustrations you have given texts from the Bible to support them but really is there a case in the Bible to say that only discriminating obligatory earnest and passionate preaching is the means ordained of God to keep the church membership role a regenerate converted membership yes there is a biblical case

The Biblical Mandate for Biblical Preaching: Regeneration and Conversion

37:55 and I'll only get as far as I get this morning this is too crucial to rush over I want us to consider first of all then the mandate for biblical preaching why must the preaching be biblical preaching in the way I describe what's wrong with telling lots of stories it keeps everybody awake yes it does we may send them wide awake but when you tell stories yes that you can slip into hell with a bunch of stories in your head what is the mandate for biblical preaching for making people wrestle with the meaning of biblical words biblical lines of argument you can as a preacher to make it interesting and simple and clear but at the end of the day the word of God what you've said is in heaven in hell you're going to think and you're going to think about what God says so the mandate for biblical preaching in what does it consist on what foundation does it rest I stated as simply as I know how

39:23 and I stated this way if people are to be truly regenerated and converted they must have the word of God brought to bear upon their understanding their affections and their wills and this is the clear teaching of the following text now I want you to turn with me to these texts James chapter one and verse 18 James chapter one and verse 18 having stated that every good gift comes down from the father of Christ who is changeless immutable we read in verse 18 of his own will that is this gracious father he brought us forth that is brought us to spiritual life and birth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures that is he brought us that we should be set apart unto God even as the first fruits were brought as an offering unto God God is going through as it were the field of humanity

40:52 and by the selectivity of free sovereign eternal electing grace he is bringing the word of the gospel to men and as it comes he exercises his own faith and love and consecration of heart to serve him and to honor him but notice how he brings them forth not by stories not by anecdotes not by biographical snippets not by jokes and things that tickle men's funny bones but by the word of truth now if this pulpit is having that is the uniquely ordained instrument of God to bring people to spiritual birth first Peter 1 23 to 25 the second witness there is a call to unfeigned love of the brethren in verse 22 now that call is predicated upon that which they've experienced verse 23 having not of corruptible seed not of

42:20 corruptible sperma but of incorruptible through the word which lives and abides then he quotes a text from the old testament that underscores that it's the word of God which lives and abides forever but then in verse 25b he tells the word of the good tidings which was preached unto you he says you have been begotten again by the incorruptible seed of the word of God and he says that word of God was not stories about Peter and Paul and James and the other apostles it wasn't interesting and fascinating anecdotes it wasn't a proclamation of the facts concerning Jesus of Nazareth the facts concerning his unique person the facts concerning his glorious life the attestations of his identity by signs and wonders and miracles the facts of his substitutionary death his literal bodily resurrection his glorious ascension his mighty resurrection his eternal

43:50 resurrection his eternal resurrection his unending life he brought them to the word of God that is and that he made him invoiced in the world and that he is the only one that in bad shape, friend.

44:24 The longer a Christian matures in grace, the more he understands and sings from his heart. I love not only to tell, but to hear the story. For those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.

44:47 The older I get, do I despise the mother that travailed in birth to bring me into this world? No! The more I appreciate her. When she lies beneath the sod, I'll appreciate her even more as long as I have breath.

45:03 You never despise that which became the womb of your spiritual birth. It is the word of the gospel by which God expels people into life.

45:15 And that's why the preaching must be biblical. Romans 10, 17. Turn to that key passage. These are texts you all ought to be familiar with, ought to memorize them.

45:25 They ought to be at your fingertips. People challenge it and say, well, you know, you've got to have some musical packages, lighten things up a bit. These services with the one-hour sermons and the rest, I want to see people get saved, but let's do it a little more streamlined in this marvelous chapter on what it is to call upon the name of the Lord in a saving way and Paul's close chain of argument. How can people call on a Lord of whom they have not heard?

45:55 How shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach except they be sent? He then draws a conclusion in verse 17. So belief cometh of hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Not the word of the preacher's experiences.

46:14 Not the word of the preacher's notions. Not the word of the preacher's memories of anecdotes and biographical snippets. The word of Christ is that which genders faith under the blessing of the Holy Ghost. And therefore, if we want a regenerate and converted membership, it better be essentially, primarily, pervasively biblical preaching.

The Biblical Mandate for Biblical Preaching: Laying Bare the Heart

46:36 What is it that brings men into direct contact with God? Turn to Hebrews chapter 4. What is it that will bring sinners in this place who wander in among us or who deliberately come, who come self-deceived, who've never had any heart dealings with God, who've never trembled at the thought of their sin, who've never shed a tear over the wretchedness of their hearts? What will bring them into contact with God so that they sense, I'm known of God.

47:06 All things are naked and laid bare before His eye. Listen to the writer to Hebrews as he answers that question. Hebrews 4.12 For the word of God.

47:17 Not the preacher's anecdotes. Not the preacher's biographical snippets. Not the preacher's jokes. The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two.

47:28 A two-edged sword and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow and living to discern the thoughts and the intents of the heart. What lays bare the hearts of men to their own gifts so that distinctions they never saw they now see. A heart that they thought was supremely set upon Christ they see is supremely set upon self and upon the world and material possessions and ambition and career and marriage and friends and pleasure and art to their own gaze is this sharp instrument that concesses of the human sighting than any other known instrument. It's the word of God. It's living and it's active. It pierces.

48:23 Now look at verse 13 and there is no creature that is not manifest in His sight but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. In a very real sense no one gets converted until the truth of verse 13 begins to haunt him. Usually the first step in anyone's conversion is the thought that I ain't fooled God. God knows me.

48:49 Every thought every word all of the things I think in the secret recesses of my being every deed done in secret the lie told but never discovered the act of theft perpetrated but never uncovered and known to men the act of lechery and immorality secret personal impurity fornication never laid bare to mom and dad adultery never known to husband or wife what will bring a man a woman a boy or girl to conversion generally the first step is when this thought begins to haunt in day and night. There's nowhere I can go but God sees me. God knows me. And this is the God who made me and the God who placed me under His law and the God who's going to summon me to judgment and in that day will be disclosed to the whole moral universe. So when you begin to be haunted by those things you may be in the way to conversion because now you're ready to take seriously the mountain of guilt and iniquity that you've got which is your greatest problem. And when you're told that someone came all the way from heaven and took to himself a human soul and body in the humiliation of the incarnation deity to himself humanity and in that humbled state lives in our condition dies under the wrath of God naked

50:17 spat upon bruised and bleeding rose again for the justification of sinners I tell you you won't sit there ho-humming it like you've been for years. You children will not sit there and say oh there he goes again talking about Jesus dying rising from the dead no, no, no, no no, no more you begin to take seriously every lie every filthy thought every angry word and then you hear that there's someone who never thought of filthy thought who never spoke an angry word who never spoke a word that was tinged with jealousy and pride and he lived a perfect life and God's ready to credit his perfect life to your account and then he died under the darkened heavens under the darker countenance of his father until all of his wrath was poured upon him and you hear that Christ died for our sin and it's no longer a ho-hum or gospel it's oh God is there a place in the perfect life and awful death of Jesus for me? Is there a place in all of that for my sins? And then it's the joy of the preacher to say this same Jesus said him that comes to me I'll in no wise cast he says to you today in the gospel come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest you see all of that will be ho-hum

51:46 go to sleep wait for lunch think about tomorrow's business tomorrow's play until you begin to take seriously all things are naked and open before the eyes of the God with whom you have to do you have to do with him whether you like it or not and all things are naked and laid bare before him whether you want to acknowledge it or not and it's when the preaching of the word begins to make you take that seriously you're in the way to conversion but it's the word of God it's the word of God it's the word of God living and active not the preacher's anecdotes not the preacher's biographical snippets not funny stories not interesting pop psychology interlaced occasionally with the quotation of a bible verse it's the word of God from this book by its by a spirit anointed Christ called servant of the most high it's biblical preaching one text from the old testament and I love this because of the graphic imagery Jeremiah 23 and this is as far as we'll get this is the this morning we'll have to finish up God willing the Lord sparing us to next Lord's day Jeremiah 23 and verse 29 look at the connection now again between God knowing us and the word of God verse 23 am I a God at hand saith Jehovah not a God afar off

Conclusion and Prayer: Preserving the Legacy of Biblical Preaching

53:14 can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him the answer is no do not I fill heaven and earth saith Jehovah I've heard what the prophets have said that prophesy lies in my name prophets came along with their prophets clothing and with a sanctified far away holy look in their eyes I've dreamed a dream that's what they say I've heard what the prophets have said lies in my name saying I'm saying in my name saying I have dreamed people already say oh tell me a dream oh boy a prophet said a dream tell me a dream how long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart that think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor as their fathers forgot my name for Baal the prophet that hath a dream let him tell a dream he that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully what is the straw to the wheat that which is worth being thrown away is the answer right what's the straw to the wheat but my word like fire saith Jehovah and like a then break I tell you all of us can be pretty brave till you stand before a raging fire

54:42 and we can be pretty brave and think we're hot shot tough stuff till a huge boulder comes rolling our way that's why week after week I dare to face the face of some of you who have withstood the most earnest preaching and pleading from this pulpit from me and other men for years I know if God lets loose the fire on you today and turns loose the rock you have to face I know if God lets loose the fire on you today and turns loose the rock you have to face the fire and turns loose the rock my word like the God who is a consuming fire and I don't know how and in what way the spirit of God takes the preaching from a man who himself ought to be in hell redeemed by grace and seeks to be faithful to the text of script and he makes it fire to consume human pride and stubbornness human arrogance and he withers that arrogance and pride and makes the spirit docile and tainted and unteachable and it's like a rock a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces a mighty hammer that comes down upon the most powerful rock and smashes it that's God's word that's why we are committed committed to biblical preaching God willing we'll show the biblical basis next week for the

56:09 discriminating preaching the applicatory preaching and what I hope will convince the conscience of everyone to passionate and earnest preaching and then make some appropriate applications but thus far for this morning what are we doing to make sure that we do not in so far as God enables us have a membership role that is interspersed with unregenerate unconverted men and women well we are as we have seen committed to a practice of treating the children of our church members that under God does not let them get in simply because they're our kids or have been that for 30 years we're committed to a message and methods of evangelism that is so far as God has given us light is biblical and we refuse to alter message or method and we are committed to a procedure of examining and receiving members that in so far as we can discern will welcome only those who have the marks of being regenerate and converted and we're committed to preaching that is biblical that is biblical that is biblical that is biblical that is biblical that is biblical that is biblical that is biblical that is discriminating that is applicatory that is earnest and passionate we've explained what each of those things is sought to illustrate to my trust to the convincing of your judgment we've had time to show only the biblical mandate for biblical preaching

57:38 but you've heard enough bible to convert a hundred of you this morning now why are you going to go on in your sin how can I close without saying from the depths of my heart why will you die why will you die and the way of life has again been opened before you and dear people of God don't you ever regard it as an innocent suggestion if someone says well you know this is not a day when when in passion preaching and making people think it's popular we what you're saying is if you tolerate that and even listen to it is we're willing to give up the one means ordained of God for our salvation and the salvation of our children and unborn generations and somebody dropped the ball somewhere because there are edifices throughout this whole area that one time rang with the proclamation of the word of God I recently read the life of Edward Griffin who labored in Newark who preached in Morristown and in many of the towns in this area and saw power and as I've been reading his sermons as part of my own devotions dead words have leaped off the page with such unction that I can only imagine what it would have been like to sit under the living preacher preaching that stuff

59:06 but some of the very churches mentioned the buildings are standing today and there isn't a gram of gospel being preached and it it's starting to have something a little demanding a little less a little less applicatory oh yes gospel orthodox respect a little more refined a little less jagged we want just heat lightning not electric lightning that strikes our heart issue dear people get us in when you give up what we're talking about this morning God help you to say Lord if necessary I'm committed to preserve that with my lifeblood for the sake of the souls of my children and unborn generations let us pray oh our father we mourn how we marvel that you would ever speak to us in the scriptures that you would condescend to embody your mind

60:36 concerning our salvation in a book that we should have that book in our own language that men should have sealed their commitment to have it in our language with their own life's blood we thank you for men like Wycliffe and the Lollards and others who are whose commitment to you was such that we hundreds of years later reap the benefit of their sacrifice oh God may we not through love of ease and love of self and through the pressure of the world betray that legacy but oh God help us to preserve it for generations yet unborn oh God take the things considered today so write them upon the hearts of your people that should our Lord Jesus delay his coming for generations to come oh God may this place long after this present pulpit has worn away and been discarded and replaced by another and those who now stand in it are in their graves oh God may the word of truth still be heralded from this place that the preaching may indeed be biblical discriminating applicatory earnest and passionate and even until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory and in power have mercy

62:05 upon sinners our Father oh may they sense that you are having dealings with them may your eye be fixed upon them in their own consciousness give them no rest till they flee to Christ deal with us your people God help us help us help us we pray lest through sloth and carelessness and the itch for novelty we should let these things drift from us hear us and answer us for Jesus sake Amen