What Would Luther Say (Part 2)

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.

No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2 verse 5 where the

Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.�

In short, if you like smooth, watered -down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you.

By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the

Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King. Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth and we are just churning out the shows today.

Ever made butter? You just churn and churn. Ever made ice cream without the electrical plug?

You just keep going around and around and around. I guess snow ice cream is a little bit easier, but it doesn�t taste quite as scrumptious.

When�s the last time you used scrumptious in a sentence? When�s the last time you used scurrilous in a sentence?

When�s the last time you used, I don�t know, anyway, my name is Mike Abendroth. I am privileged to be the pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts.

Just grab a pen and grab a map of Massachusetts, put a little dot right in the center, and you�re probably close to Worcester, where we are.

We�ve been here 17 years, and about five years ago we started a daily radio show, No Compromise Radio.

Here�s what we did. Get lots of friends from seminary who have graduated, now pastors.

They want to have radio shows and they want to play sermons online. Certainly, if it�s a biblical sermon,

Christ -centered sermon, amen, preach it. That would be worthy to put online or on a local radio show.

But since most of my friends, and I�m at the top of the list, or in this particular case, bottom of the list, there are a lot better preachers out there.

So God has just gifted some folks just to preach. Maybe it�s an Alistair Begg, or it�s a

John MacArthur, or it is a Eric Alexander Sinclair Ferguson. Lots of folks who are still living who are just excellent preachers.

And so I see why their sermons are online. But why would I put my sermons online?

Let�s have a different format. And so, since I don�t have their gifts, let�s try a different tact.

So Mondays we do play shows, Mondays we do play sermons that I preached on a

Sunday worship service here at the church, in the church building. And then Tuesdays I talk to Pastor Steve, Tuesday Guy, at TheTuesdayGuy if you�re a

Twitter follower. I think he�s on Facebook too, Steve Cooley, Stephen Cooley. And then

Wednesday I try to interview folks, if I don�t have interviews it�s just me talking. Thursday, something positive, Friday, critiquing stuff.

So we have Teach Sound Doctrine, Titus 1 on Thursdays, Reprove Those Who Contradict Fridays.

And so I do it in kind of a banter style, back and forth. And I would say most people either love it or you hate it.

Most people, by the way, with our YouTube channel at least, 75 -80 % male, that would be our demographic, between ages of about 30 and 45, that�s the demographic there.

And I just try to talk in an engaging way, like if you were sitting right here and we�d talk about things.

And I think I�ve probably been nicer over the years than I was at the very beginning, and it was kind of the shtick of always biblical, always provocative, always in that order.

And I do realize, and I�m saying this with all candor, that controversy gets a lot more ratings than just stand -up, straight -up

Bible teaching. And so I could be a lot more controversial, I could be a lot more, and I mean controversy in the good sense, in the

Machen sense, that this is something worth fighting for, we stand up for the truth.

I don�t mean, hey, we just got to rabble -rouse for no sake, but for the sake of truth, Machen would say.

And so, you know, at the beginning you say, well, let�s go for it, and you burn the message

Bible or something. Did we ever do that? I probably called for a burning, but then we had some kind of crazy guy down in Florida and they give book -burning a bad name.

I mean, you know you�ve reached to the bottom of society when book -burning has been given a bad name.

So anyway, the show could be a lot crazier. We could do shock Christian talk, but I am a pastor, and I�m thankful to be a pastor.

And I want you to know that if you hear preaching on Sunday, you go, well, the style is just a little different.

It just seems more, I don�t know, godly, maybe more professional, maybe more serious.

Then that�s exactly right. The way I talk to my wife is a certain way, the way

I talk to my children is a certain way, I do radio a certain way, I preach a certain way, and I�m the same person, but there�s just a different contextualization as I think about my mission.

So anyway, that�s the story. If you say, you know, I don�t like Mike�s attitude, I honestly,

I honestly, I mean, if you�ve got a major problem with me, and you think I�ve got a super bad attitude, and you live close, or if you�re far away and you want to get yourself here physically, if you are a man, then

I�ll be glad to buy you a lunch, and we could sit down and talk about our differences, and I think you would think, oh, he seems to be a nice guy.

He didn�t put any strychnine in our food, and he paid the bill, and he prayed, and he prayed that God would bless me, and if you�re a woman and you think

I�ve got problems and you�d like to address that, well then, why don�t you grab your husband, and maybe the three of us can sit down and have a cup of coffee, and I�d love to build bridges.

Just kidding. Now, see, if you don�t like sarcasm, if you don�t like that kind of humor, if you don�t like irony, then maybe like some, you might have to plug your children�s ears because it�s so offensive.

I think of myself regarding that, you know, S. Lewis Johnson, older southern gentleman, just has a lot of dignity to him, his style, his delivery, and of course, did

I think it was improper for him to say certain words, and I have to say this now, but I want you to know

I normally don�t say it, but for the sake of it, for the sake of this show, I�m saying it. So when he�s talking about sexual sins, and he�s talking about the marriage bed, let�s say, in Hebrews 13, or Proverbs 5, and that kind of thing,

I would just say the word �sex.� That paints enough picture for me because, hey, it is radio,

I do have children, I have girls, I have a son, and I don�t need to be graphic or anything or paint bad pictures for folks.

I do want to try to encourage you with a little sarcasm and a little humor, yes, but S.

Lewis Johnson from the pulpit even on a Sunday morning would talk about sexual intercourse, and so he wouldn�t even,

I mean, he probably talked about social intercourse as well, he wouldn�t even make an excuse, I mean, I could feel my forehead getting sweaty even saying that even though it�s a proper term.

So what I�m trying to say is that we at No Compromise Radio, we�re trying to teach you the Bible. Do we try to poke and to prod and to maybe make you feel a little bit uncomfortable?

I think the answer is yes. Maybe you don�t agree with everything we say, okay, good.

I would say this, though, in my little monologue closing, I hope you pray for us,

I hope you say, �Well, I don�t like the style, but at least most of the substance is pretty Christian.�

I mean, he does talk about Jesus a lot and free grace and his divine nature and his representative work, his substitutionary death, his literal resurrection.

I think you have to say we�re on the same team and so I have the same goals there. And if you really love the show,

I�d like to have you tell your friends, right? I�d like to have you tell your friends, I think you�d be encouraged by No Compromise Radio.

And so that�s my two cents word. I�m on right now the

No Compromise Facebook page, No Compromise Radio. And with Ben�s help, we�ve really stepped up both

Twitter and Facebook and there�s all kinds of fun things on here. I try to make the

Facebook page reflect the show, Bible teaching, Bible posts, funny pictures, serious pictures.

It�s a great inquisitive things. There�s some biblical hyssop that I got that I took a picture of in Israel and it�s the

Galilee aromatic blend and you put just a pinch. So anyway, go to the

Facebook site, go to the TV site, who knows where you might want to go. You could also go to WVNE.

They are the ones that carry our show. They have other shows as well and Worldview Weekend too. Last time,

I did a providential Luther quote book random at my own freedom, pick a quote, then launch on the topic.

And it was so much fun, I�m going to do it again. Now here�s the problem. The first time

I did this last week, well actually like 20 minutes ago in real time, it went well.

I was pleased with the show. Now see, I have sovereignty over this show to the degree that if I�m starting to do a show and I don�t like it,

I just record over it. Well, it just records the next spot but proverbially speaking, real the real.

And so I liked it, I played it, we put it on the air. And so we�re going to do part two. We have a book here, Martin Luther�s little instruction book.

If you missed last week, you probably want to listen to that first. A classic treasury of timeless wisdom and reflection. And so here�s the game.

We�ve done this with other books before, Puritan books. Since we believe in providence, what is providence by the way?

That�s always a good question to ask and it�s good to give the right answer. R .C. Sproul, if he were here, he�d have a chalkboard and he would have a piece of chalk and he would write down providence and then he�d write down R .I.

No, he wouldn�t do that. He would write providence and then he would begin to break down the terms and he would underline pro and then he would underline vid.

And where we get the word video, provid, provideo, providence, provideoance.

And he would say video to see and providence before, to see before. And the theological term providence is that God sees before but it�s much more than that, right?

He�s working all these things together and he�s sovereign. He doesn�t see before but he�s determining and active and personally taking all the events of the world and all the atoms of the world and molecules and driving them to his one eternal decree of the maximum, the maximum, the maximum, the maximum, the maximizing, for the maximization of his glory and for his churches.

Good. So, provideo. So I open up this and I read it and then we talk about it.

So, how do you like those sound effects? All right, here we go.

Martin Luther. The more a person loves, the closer he approaches the image of God.

What do you think of that? Well, that�s not too bad. Actually, I could launch on that a little bit because I know the image, the icon, the likeness of God, the spirit is

Jesus Christ, right? That is Colossians 1. And when you see

Jesus on earth, you see him love as love incarnate.

I think that�d be fair to say. How theologically correct that is, I don�t know. So, that�s why

I�m glad Scott Clark doesn�t listen. He�d like me if he met me.

He likes my brother. So, anyway, you have Jesus on earth and he is love personified.

He is love incarnate. He loves the Lord God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength perfectly and he loves his neighbor perfectly as himself.

So, everything he does is love. And of course, the Holy Spirit is helping him, assisting him, and the fruit of the

Spirit is love, joy, peace, I mean, and the rest. And he�s always walking by the

Spirit�s power. There�s not a time where he�s not Spirit -controlled. He is showing love all the time.

And so, as we love in word and in deed, attitude, action, aren�t we reflecting the person of Christ more and more?

And I think the answer is yes. All right, here we go. Number two,

Luther. An orthodox person gives the glory to God and does not doubt that everything has been put down well and correctly in Scripture, even though he may not know how to prove everything.

Fascinating. All right, I need proof. I need evidences.

I need a rational explanation. Now, is that really faith? Is that really the best?

Now, there�s nothing wrong with Christians who are encouraged by archaeology and evidence and studying those type of things to confirm their faith, right?

To bolster their faith, to buttress their faith, to have their faith buoyed, to have rebar put under their faith and through their faith.

There�s no problem with that. But there are times, David, that you have to say, �I cannot grasp this intellectually.

My arms are too short, and what I�m going to have to do is just trust

God that it�s true. I�m going to not be reasonless, right? We are to use our mind.

We are to be logical. We are to be thoughtful. We are to rationalize things. God gave us a mind.

Remember that kid song, �I can use my mind to choose, mind to choose, mind to choose.�

And we are to think, �Of course, God gave us brains to contain our minds.�

Is that right? I think that�s right. Of course it�s right. And so we are to love God with our minds, right?

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. I can think of the egg. This is your mind on drugs in the skillet there.

And so what do we do? We say to ourself, �I cannot understand completely the triune nature of God.�

I read in Matthew 28, baptizing them in the singular name. There�s one

God in the singular name of the Father, definite article, and of the Son, definite article, and of the

Holy Spirit, definite article. There�s three in one. God is one. The Holy Spirit is

God. The Son is God. The Father is God. The Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the

Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. Those are the three things that you need to keep in mind when you discuss the

Trinity. Maybe at the heart of it, the deity of Christ is what unlocks everything else.

But anyway, we have to just submit and say, �God�s Word says it.�

I have to think through the grid of revelation. That�s how

I determine things to be true. Not, �Well, can I really grasp it ?� Because otherwise, you�re going to be in big trouble.

Sovereignty and freedom of agency. I didn�t say freedom of will, so let�s use duty or responsibility.

How can we reconcile the two? They seem like they want to be reconciled, at least in my mind.

My mind wants to reconcile those things. And so we are not to reconcile them, because we�re the

Scripture to bring in a different reformer besides Luther to bring in Calvin, where Scriptures are silent.

I�m silent. We should be silent, and the secret things belong to the Lord. It should not surprise you that God is so infinite.

Can you be so infinite? Can you be mightily infinite? Can you be the most infinite? Okay. God is infinite, and therefore

His ways are above our ways, and His thoughts are, Isaiah 55, �above our thoughts.�

And we are finite, we are sinful. Did I call God finite or infinite?

I called Him infinite. We are finite. And we are tainted by the fall, and we just can�t�I mean, we�re just not

God. I mean, there are some things that just cannot�we just cannot get, if I use

Nebraskaese, �get through our thick skull.� Can you get that through your thick head?

I can remember my dad just saying. So anyway, Scripture above some kind of our mentally being satisfied with the proof that we make.

Luther, being afraid of God is different from fearing God. The fear of God is a fruit of love, but being afraid of Him is the seed of hatred.

And of course, this is the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. I think of Peter in 1 Peter 1, that even if you call

God your Father, you should conduct yourself with fear. This isn�t the cringing fear of a dog afraid of its master because it bit the sofa.

Do dogs bite sofas? Do they chew on things?

I�m very glad our dog is past chewing on furniture. She has chew bones.

She chews on those. I think she�s just getting tired. She�s tired, so, you know, why chew a lot if you�re tired?

I think that�s pretty much the case for people, too. You know, why don�t old people, why don�t grandpas chew gum?

They�re too tired. Well, maybe they don�t have any teeth. Do grandpas have�see, my grandfather, he had�one died when

I was too young to really know, and the other one, he died when he was about 90 -something, so I knew him well, and he had the dentures.

Not just dentures, but he had the dentures. Why? I guess his teeth chewed too much gum.

He was not tired too soon, too soon, too tired. All right, next.

This is worth the radio show. Mike Ebendroth, NoCo Radio.

Loco for NoCo, right here. This is worth it. This is why you should tell your friends. This is why 24 and a half minutes, it�s worth it, right?

Wealth, Luther said in the little instruction book printed by H .B.

Books, Honor Books. Wealth is the smallest thing on earth, the least gift that God has bestowed on mankind.

I told you. Now, is wealth a gift? Yes. Is the ability to earn money a gift from God?

Yes. Is wealth something that is always sinful? No. See David, see

Job, see Solomon, see Abraham, but we all, of course, when we�re thinking wrongly, love money.

That is the root of what? Money is not the root of all evil. Money is nothing. It�s a no thing, nothing, but love of money.

We could talk about how we think money becomes the savior, money is the one that can provide for us and sustain us and undergird us and be there for us in the future, all things that we should attribute to God and His sovereign providential workings alone.

Think about what God gives. Is, in fact, every good gift from God?

You think of James chapter 1, of course. These gifts are from God. James makes sure we understand that we think properly and it says in verse,

I want to say 14, but I think it�s 18. Let�s see, 18.

Oh, it�s 17. Every good gift, every good gift, and every perfect gift, every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the

Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Every good gift is from the Father. And, of course, he goes on to say in verse 18, of His own will

He brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.

So we have God giving us good gifts, and if you have money, that�s a gift from God.

If you are wealthy, that�s a gift of God. But instead of saying and thinking that that is the greatest gift, that is right up there, that�s top three, that�s, you know, how could

I live without it? What does Luther say? Luther is very wise to say wealth is the smallest thing on earth, the least gift that God has bestowed on mankind.

Bank! Take that to the bank. All right, we�ve got time for one more. Mike Abendroth here,

No Compromise Radio. I have been very thankful these days for your support, for your � we�ve been getting gifts.

We get gifts in the mail, except, you know, the coffee. You know, if it�s not sent straight from Pete�s headquarters, then

I have to put it under the UV lights to see if there�s anything on it or in it.

It�s like the first time I sent a bunch of books to a prisoner who was professing

Christ Jesus, you know, got in trouble, got into jail, got saved, and then needed some books.

And so I sent them from my house. You know, I just got some books and put them together and sent them in there.

And I quickly realized you can�t do that, because you might have a Robert Raymond systematic theology book, and then you cut the middle out and put some sour patch kids in there or something, you know, that they�re not supposed to have.

So they have to come straight from Amazon or, you know, a book company. So anyway, one more.

Whenever a man reads the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is speaking to him. See, that�s just so good.

In the day and age that we live in, in evangelicalism with the Sarah Youngs and Voscamps and others and God speaking,

Beth Moore�s, this whole slew of men as well. Now the Holy Spirit speaks to you through the

Word, okay? Not through your liver, not through your gizzard, not through your goiter.

By the way, that would really hurt. I mean, if your goiter was jiggling, that�s like the worst thing ever.

I don�t even know what a goiter is. I think it does that somehow on your neck or something, hanging from your neck.

I don�t mean your Adam�s apple. My name is Mike Avendroth. This is No Compromise Radio. You can write us at info at nocompromiseradio .com.

Why don�t you get Martin Luther�s book written about him, Here I Stand by Roland Banton. God bless you.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Avendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.

Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life -transforming power of God�s Word through verse -by -verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We�re right on Route 110 in West Boylston.

You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.