Explore Sermons By Dr. Lloyd-Jones
Book of Ephesians
Page 1 of 8
Discipline and the Modern Mind
Every new parent knows the stress of navigating advice while raising children. Christian parents especially understand the weight of this calling. We hear from the culture around us, with all the experts bombarding us with parenting philosophies. No issue is more contentious (and has been) than discipline. How are Christians to understand the modern resistance to discipline in many spheres of life, not just parenting, but civil authority and criminal reform as well? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how the Bible presents a sophisticated picture on the topic of discipline and exposes the false idea that the human nature is essentialy good. While rejecting the traditional Victorian model of fatherhood and motherhood, with its excessiveness and sometimes brutal treatment of children, the Bible does not therefore deny the need for discipline, righteousness, justice and punishment. Instead, it calls Christians to consider the right discipline and true discipline. We must not misunderstand the themes of law and grace as we care for our children. Nor should we limit our understanding of how God has revealed himself in Holy Scripture. Listen as Lloyd-Jones presents us how the Old Testament and New Testament provides us with a full picture for biblical parenting.
Balanced Discipline
How should parents discipline their children? It can be a hard topic since past abuse often provokes a parent to not discipline at all. In reaction to this, many Christians can react wrongly too. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds us that Christians need balance, especially when it comes to disciplining children. We cannot be reactionaries and revert to the old tyrannical methods, nor can we deny where Scripture says discipline is necessary for children. In expositing Ephesians 6:1-4, Lloyd-Jones provides parents and those in authority over children several principles to guide them in not provoking their child to anger. Importantly, there is a call towards self-examination by parents. The Doctor sets Ephesians 5:18 as the paradigm to commence this self-examination. Being filled by the Holy Spirit will give parents power that is not uncontrolled, capricious, unreasonable, selfish, severe or thoughtless. In other words, the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in parent’s lives. When this is the case, loving discipline is never domineering or possessive and guards against exasperating a child by changing rules and methods. Listen closely as Lloyd-Jones provides practical advice for parents that is biblically based.
Godly Upbringing
What is distinctive about Christian parenting? While non-Christians bring their children up with some form of nurture and admonition, Christian mothers and fathers engage in these duties with an entirely different category. Parenthood, from a Christian perspective, makes its highest priority nurture and admonition of their children with a knowledge of the Lord. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives Christian parents practical advice showing how this is the parent's responsiblity. The discipleship of children begins with the home. Lloyd-Jones challenges parents to consider what our home life is like from the parents general attitude about Christ and the church, and to direct teaching and worship within the daily rhythms of our Christian life with children. This challenging message to parents will show important nuances in raising children to follow Christ as Lord and Savior, never forcing them to a decision, but leading them with love. The church needs to take its calling to be Christian parents seriously. We need to think soberly about what is the better way in accomplishing this tremendous task. Lloyd-Jones is a faithful guide towards these ends.
Things that are Gods
A message to the Church alone; the importance of Christian doctrine; the Christian and slavery; the Christian and the Trade Unions; Christian teaching and the subject of work; the centrality of the teaching of man's relationship to God; the purpose of the Church is to expound Scripture.
The Christians Priorities
The function of the Church is to evangelise; the dangers of segregation from the world; Christianity and slavery; the duty of the Church is not to defend a particular system; the Christian duty to God; our Master in heaven; the lesson of the great evangelical awakening of the eighteenth century; the examples of William Wilberforce and the Earl of Shaftesbury; the indirect approach of Scripture.
Our Master in Heaven
Master or slave; under the same common denominator; all are the slaves of Christ; the Christian's accountability to the Lord; the error of modernist philosophical teaching; this life only temporary; the relationship of slave and master; new men in Christ Jesus; a question of reward or punishment.
Introduction
The previous chapters and their teaching reviewed in outline; the exalted character of the Christian's high calling; a call to battle; preparation for the battle; the enemy outside; the devil and his forces; the danger of sentimentality in modern teaching on sanctification and holiness; put on the whole armour.
The Only Way
Many modern teachings based upon ignorance of what the Church is; and the nature of her teaching; a message given by revelation; the example of history; the breakdown of morality; the mistake of regarding man as purely mind and intellect; the standard of Christianity; the misunderstanding of the Christian way and message; not only a moral and ethical teaching; the error of monasticism; a certain victory.
The Enemy
Treating the symptoms and not the disease; the nature of the conflict; a variety of gods; fatalism; reason and logic are not the answer to the world's problems; the problem is not merely on the human level; the devil and his forces; no understanding of sin without the devil.
The Enemy Described
Our need to understand the enemy; the devil is a person; the devil is not divine; second in power only to God; the names of the devil; and their meanings; principalities and powers; and their functions; a Christian to be in the world; but not of it; delivered from the power of darkness; education not the answer to man's problem; man is but an instrument in the hands of the rulers of darkness.