“ Great Sermon! ” What powerful preaching by Pastor Martin.
It held us and kept us on every word, showing our Great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ, has finished the work God the Father gave him to do, bearing all our sins and guilt in his great sacrifice on the Cross in our place.
We did notice that Pastor Martin believes in the free offer of the gospel to all, but we know that the gospel is proclaimed to all, yet we also know that only the true sheep, God's chosen elect, will come.
“ Great Sermon! ” Thanks for your note Pastor Carlson: When Pastor Martin told me he was going to preach on this text, I was reminded of the first time I was aware of him preaching it. November 1985. The audience was Grace Community Church, Panorama City, CA.(where John MacArthur pastors) I had just left Trinity the month before to move back to Montana. I had a copy of that tape for years, it may still be up in the attic. I have heard one other recording of him preaching this, but this was an interesting introduction to this sermon.
“ Very Needed Word! ” In this message Pastor Martin covers the biblical passages which clearly demonstrate what we know by instinct but do not always apply: that we have the right (and responsibility) to assess the genuineness of repentance before conferring forgiveness. He shows that we do no good to the offender, nor to the fractured relationship, by neglecting this assessment. Though we may be tempted to "just forget it and move on," without genuine repentance the sinning brother is still covering his sin, and he who covers his sin will not prosper--nor can the relationship barriers be removed. It's self-love to neglect faithful dealing with a sinning brother for fear of the consequences--not love to him. Can this principle be abused? Absolutely. So, Pastor Martin exhorts us to remember the Golden Rule and the law of equal treatment: "with what measure you measure it shall be measured to you." We aren't to be hard or Pharisaical, insisting on the right number of tears. Not everyone expresses brokenness the same way. We should freely forgive where there is true contrition, however it is expressed. Still, we are not to be taken in by deceit. For all this we need the wisdom supplied by the Spirit of God, in our families and in our churches.
“ What a glorious gospel! ” I've heard Pastor preach on this text before, but this is a fresh approach. While this is a classic example of the powerful preaching of Pastor Martin, it is not so much the herald, but the message being heralded that stands out.
“ Preached 31 years ago, still relevant ” I first listened to these four sermons one year after they were preached at the Midwest Reformed Baptist Family conference, Bluffton, OH. 1983 .I only knew of Pastor Martin for a few months. I am sure I have listened to a few thousand sermons since, I once gave 300 sermons away of some of these and other sermons in 1 year. But 30 years later I don't know of four sermons that exist on cassettes, and now mp3, that are as powerful. I am only drawing attention to them here because comparatively, they haven't been heard that much here.Just listened to the sermon Effective Fatherhood again by the same preacher. It is devastating to my innate self righteousness but that is why the reason to hear these things. To throw me to the feet of the Savior again and again that He would - as Thomas Brooks would say- pick me up in the arms of mercy.
“ Highly Recommended! ” In this message centered on the unforgiving servant of Jesus' parable, Pastor Martin surveys the overwhelming biblical evidence that our forgiving--or our not forgiving--others who sin against us is a matter of life and death. The loving Lord Jesus himself teaches that an unforgiving spirit reveals an unforgiven person. If unforgiveness is a way of life for us, we are on our way to hell, as surely as an unrepentant adulterer, liar, or murderer. If we have truly received the overwhelming grace of God, we must and we will forgive others as he has forgiven us.
“ Great Sermon! ” Some sermons bring tears of sorrow and a great need for intercessory prayer for the Body of Christ that we walk worthy of our call; in all things.
This was one of those sermons.
Thanks, and may God continue to bless you and your listeners.
“ Powerful Sermon! ” Brother Martin pierces the soul and heart when he opens it to see where we stand with the Lord. Knowing Christ Jesus as God demands, will give us peace and salvation beyond words or description. If we are part of God's family we will strive to know Christ Jesus more deeply each day. Our heart will ache to do God's Will and to love His Son and grow in the Holy Spirit to follow Him more every day. Thank you Brother Martin for a soul-searching sermon that will show us true salvation.
“ Great Sermon on Biblical Modesty ” Great Sermon on Biblical Modesty
While I was hearing this sermon my heart stirred up to Praise my God for giving such men for the children of God to expound from the word of God. God in his mercy gave you all the grace to speak the truth in love. Surely, any woman pursuing godliness will not be offended by this message but examine herself, repent and turn to modesty. All Praises to God.
“ Forgiveness and Consequences ” Having told us in this series much that forgiveness is and does, Pastor Martin now continues a theme begun in the last message, namely, certain things that forgiveness does not mean. (In the last message we learned it does not automatically mean trust is restored.) In this message we learn: 1. The conferral of gospel forgiveness does not cancel or reverse the natural consequences of the sin fully and freely forgiven, but rather, that these consequences may even last for a lifetime 2. The conferral of gospel forgiveness does not preclude the possibility of chastisement for the sin forgiven. Examples from Noah to David to Corinth to our own homes and children illustrate his points, and it is sobering to consider the biblical accounts in which the sin of half an hour affects generations. Finally, concerning chastisement of repentant believers, we are urged to remember that it is fatherly (Hebrews 12), and does not mean the repentance was deficient or the forgiveness is not complete; that it is a fruit of Christ's work, not a supplement to it; that it helps enforce the lesson of the evil of sin; that it is legitimate to fear this chastisement, among other gospel motives for holiness; and that this chastisement of God provides a pattern for wise parental and church discipline.
“ Must I Trust? ” Pastor Martin in this seventh message addresses the sticky matter of trust. Many are told that the conferral of forgiveness mandates the immediate restoration of trust. But this is unbiblical, and imposes false guilt and a needless burden on those grievously sinned against. In this message, Pastor Martin contrasts the conferral of forgiveness and the restoration of trust. The conferral of forgiveness is free, undeserved, and by grace. It is the work of a moment and the commitment of a lifetime. The restoration of trust, by contrast, is earned, deserved, and by merit. It is not the work of a moment, and it is not the obligation of the one sinned against! It is the work of the one who sinned, and it takes time to re-earn lost trust. Pastor Martin warns that it is easier to earn trust in the first place than to re-earn it after losing it through grievous sin. Using the story of a fictional couple, as well as Joseph and John Mark, Pastor Martin illustrates these principles. Pastors are warned not to do anything to lose the trust of their people; church members are advised that a repentant, forgiven, sinning pastor does not need to be restored to his pulpit right away; and we are charged not to be unreasonable in the restoration of trust, but to appropriately credit efforts to re-earn
“ Apology vs. Confession ” In this sixth message Pastor Martin opens with a helpful review of the series so far.
He then distinguishes between the common practice of apology and the biblical process of confessing sin and seeking forgiveness.
What, then, to make of the widespread practice of apology in the church?
Pastor Martin explains four things that apology may be: everything from a sincere but imprecise effort at confessing sin, to a carnal substitute for the pride-withering, grace-exalting real thing.
He also provides helpful guidance on how to receive, wisely and graciously, different kinds of apology.
As well, he glances on the subject of the sincerity of the one apologizing, a subject which I believe is dealt with more fully in a later message.
He concludes with a challenging call to make full, biblical confession and forgiveness our family pattern, to the end of full reconciliation in the face of our unavoidable sins against one another.
“ Very Helpful Distinctions! ” Pastor Martin in this fifth message now helps us avoid four common mistakes in thinking about forgiveness:
1. Failure to distinguish between the duty to relinquish vengeance, and the granting of forgiveness
2. Failure to distinguish between the disposition of a forgiving spirit, and the act of conferring forgiveness
3. Failure to distinguish between a love-motivated, unilateral covering of the sin of another, and the bilateral transaction of conferring forgiveness
4. Failure to distinguish between loving your enemies and forgiving your enemies
In all this Pastor Martin presses us with the sweeping requirements to love from the heart and to leave vengeance to God, and sets forth the examples of Christ, Stephen and others to that end.
In case anyone might think that all these distinctions are splitting hairs, Pastor Martin shows how important they are by setting forth the case of a woman sexually abused by her father as a child. If when she repents of her vengeful spirit she goes to her father and says merely "I forgive you," he may be left thinking that God too will forgive him, without his ever repenting of his vile sin. Listen to the message to hear how she can turn from her vengeful spirit but also better benefit her father and mirror the gospel.
“ Great Preacher ” I have had the privileged of rubbing shoulders with Pastor Martin off and on since 1987. He passionate, kind, and quite funny. He loved his deceased first wife and sought to be a faithful father. Yes, he very straight forward and is very forthright in his preaching. He has made me blush a bit during his preaching, but he clearly preaches the way of salvation. Many have come to a deeper understanding of Christ and His finished work through his preaching.
“ Clarifying and Convicting ” In this fourth message in his series on forgiveness, Pastor Martin sets out the conditions on which God himself forgives. Why? Because we are to forgive AS God has forgiven us (Message 3). And God does not forgive unconditionally! He forgives upon our repentance and faith.
(We do not earn our forgiveness BY our repentance or our faith--Jesus Christ alone earns our forgiveness--but God confers his forgiveness only UPON our repentance and our faith.)
Even so, then, we are to forgive each other upon repentance.
But listen to the message to hear an inspiring, convincing explanation of what our approach to someone whose sin has caused a breach in our relationship should look like. We are there to seek their repentance; we are hoping, eager, to forgive; how should we go, then? Not with "you've offended me and I'm here to tell you how!" No, instead bathed in the humility of a sinner forgiven by grace. Highly recommended.
Finally, for those who are wondering about the idea of "unconditional forgiveness," a popular idea which Pastor Martin does not find in the Bible, more on that is coming, I believe, in the next message in the series.
10/26/14 4:36 PM
