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The Conquest of Death

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

How has God overcome death and sin? According to holy Scripture, it is by dying upon the cross in the place of sinners and rising from the dead. For sin can only be removed by a sacrifice, and Jesus dying upon the cross was the sacrifice for the sins of all who believe. He rose from the dead as a proclamation that He has overcome death Himself, and that all who believe in Him will also rise from the dead. In this sermon on death from 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 titled “The Conquest of Death,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on this great theological truth that also has profound implications for everyday lives. It gives hope and purpose knowing that there is life after this, because Jesus has died for sinners and saved them from sin. How is one to respond to the message of the gospel and Christ’s victory over death by the resurrection? Believers must forsake their sins and come to God. They must repent and believe in Jesus because He has truly overcome all evil and sin. Jesus alone can save sinners. For the resurrection is not merely something sentimental, but it is the power of God over all evil. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation for all hope in this life.

Ungodliness

Romans 1:18

The wrath of God explained in Romans 1:18 is aimed at everyone who continues in sin. In this sermon titled “Ungodliness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd- Jones outlines two key descriptions of sin from this verse: ungodliness and unrighteousness. One should be careful that these descriptions are always associated in this order and never mentioned apart. Ungodliness convicts all humans of sin because it shows how far they fall from the measure of God. Unrighteousness furthers guilt, showing how even in relationship with God and others, all have failed immensely and stand condemned. Paul warns that all will one day be judged on their response and relationship with God. The social gospel has no answer to God’s wrath and nothing apart from Christ can reconcile sinners to God. Only hell awaits those who continue in transgressions, broken in their relationship with God, and awaiting His punishment. Yet because of Jesus Christ, there is hope for all who surrender and repent of sin.

Confessing the Lord Jesus Christ

Romans 10:9-10

What does it mean to confess Jesus as Lord? Talk is cheap and when dealing with matters of life and death, one should think carefully about what it means to profess that Jesus is Lord. In this sermon on Romans 10:9–10 tiled “Confessing the Lord Jesus Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives a practical list of what a true profession of faith will look like. If Jesus is Lord, it means that He is over everything. If He is the Lord of one’s life, then every part of their life should be changed when they encounter Jesus. If one is not sure if they have encountered Christ, they can ask themselves these five questions: “do you have a changed attitude towards sin? Do you love being with other Christians? Are you concerned with God’s glory? Are you able to give a reason for your hope when asked? Are you not ashamed of Christ, regardless of the consequences?” The answer to these questions reveal the truth about one’s heart. These are marks that can only come from God Himself through salvation. Dr. Lloyd-Jones will help the listener see that following Jesus is the greatest thing that they can ever do. It is more than an intellectual commitment; it transforms everything about the Christian.

Exercise

Ephesians 6:10-13

In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Exercise,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the importance of Christians exercising their faith so that they can grow. Christ is the source of strength for a believer. Christians are told to run to Christ for their spiritual food and drink, and yet there must be something more— they must use spiritual food and drink for spiritual development. Christians must exercise their faith so that they can gain the strength needed to stand strong. Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives three practical ways to implement this exercise. First, the Christian must develop a certainty regarding the things of their faith. Second, Christians must exercise their faith by laying hold of the doctrines of Christianity and learn the Bible well so that they can communicate the hope of Christianity to a lost world. Third, they can look to the past and examine the lives of faithful Christians who have walked before in the midst of incredibly trying times. This, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, serves to encourage, inspire, and strengthen one’s faith. Through Christ, believers can stand strong in the midst of difficult times and this exercise of their faith will only serve to deepen their steadfastness.

A Ruined Mansion

Jeremiah 2:6

What is the source of suffering and misery in this world? In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:6 titled “A Ruined Mansion,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this question and more. Humanity is like a ruined mansion, a dark shadow of what it once was. People were made to be a friend of God, but now they live in sin and filth. Humanity has sinned and fallen from the original state of happiness and peace into despair because it has willingly rebelled against God. They are now an enemy of God and subject to the wrath of God. What then is humanity’s hope? It is certainly not in itself. Hundreds of years of human history has only shown that people cannot save themselves. This is why God had to send His own Son into the world to die in the place of sinners. Jesus Christ suffered and died a bloody death on the cross for all. All that trust in Him are saved and made children of God. God’s answer to the plight of humanity is to take their place. This sermon calls all to forsake their sins and flee to Christ. There is no guarantee that anyone will live another hour; for this reason all must come to Christ this day.

What is Man? Part 1

1 Peter 2:9-10

People are not highly-developed animals. Neither are they enlightened products of evolution. In this sermon on 1 Peter 2:9–10 titled “What is Man?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how God made humanity. In the Bible, humanity is made in the image of God, naturally upright. Yet they chose to sin, and are now condemned as a slave to sin and immorality. This is why the world is filled with so much wickedness; this is why there is war and suffering. It all goes back to the sinful nature of humankind. What hope is there for sinful humanity? The answer is found in God’s free gift of salvation. God sent His Son to die in the place of sinners, for all those that believe in Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus into the world because He loved the world, not because of anything in it. The gospel calls all to forsake their sinful ways and flee from darkness. For it is only the gospel that gives people truth concerning themselves, the world, and God. God commands all to flee from themselves and come to the light of Jesus Christ.

Miracle of the New Birth

John 2:7-10

Who is Jesus? As seen in the Scriptures, Jesus is no mere man and is much more than can be imagined. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from John 2:7–10 where the question of the identity of Jesus is at the forefront. Jesus has power to perform great signs and miracles and performs them to show the world His divine power over all of creation. Jesus not only has power over the physical world, but also the spiritual world. Jesus not only turns water to wine, but also changes dead sinners into living children of God. Jesus as the Son of God gives new life because He is the water of life. To be a Christian is to believe in Jesus for salvation; it is to trust Him wholly and completely. The person of Jesus forces all to ask the question: “am I trusting in Him?” Christians cannot have a neutral attitude toward Him. Jesus is divisive because He is the true and better Adam that has come to redeem sinners and set them free from all sin. The sermon calls all to believe and hope in Jesus Christ for their salvation.

Outside the Word of God

Amos 8:9-12

God made humanity for Himself and His own pleasure. In this sermon on Amos 8:9–12 titled “Outside the Word of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks at the warnings of sin and the promises of obedience God gave to Israel. The Christian message starts with personal condemnation and exposure of sin, but it does not stop there. Hear the gracious message of God making a way for people in spite of their grievous sin. God’s only Son came to deliver humanity from the wrath they deserved. Why do people ignore the word of God? They think they know better. This is the same today as in Amos’s time with the children of Israel. Humanity doesn't like the word of God because they don’t like what it commands and what it prohibits. This is a moral problem. Is religion just a parachute to fall back on in time of need? God sends His word and speaks, but people ignore it. God chastises and punishes, but He gives hope by calling people back to Himself through famines. Learn about the worst famine of all—the silence of God. The disobedient person is left to themselves and completely hopeless. Nothing they or anyone else can do will improve their position. Find a firm foundation in the hope of Christ.

The Fear of Death

2 Timothy 1:10

This sermon calls to those who have a tendency to feel down or discouraged about life. It is for those who look around at the world and wonder what good can possibly come from all the evil that seems to run so rampant today. In this sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from 2 Timothy 1:10, and offers the believer some practical encouragement drawn from Paul’s letter. Timothy, like many believers today, had a tendency for being down, especially with the anticipated death of Paul, his beloved friend and mentor. Knowing this, Paul wrote this encouraging letter to Timothy. His remedy for Timothy’s sadness is to remind him of the gospel. It’s easy to think that things have only been going poorly in the world during this lifetime. However, this evil has been occurring since the beginning of time, and it’s crucial to remember that God has been acting from even before that time. The Christian’s hope and rest is in the gospel because God is in control of it all and through Christ who has cancelled out the effects of sin and death. Christians are those who have been made alive unto God, and thus, can look at this world knowing that there is a perfect world awaiting followers of Jesus upon their deaths. This is the hope that Paul imparted to Timothy and that Dr. Lloyd-Jones wants to give to the listener.

Raised for Our Justification

Romans 4:22-25

What is faith? Is it simply belief in some divine power? Is it merely confidence in belief itself? In this sermon on Romans 4:22–25 titled “Raised for Our Justification,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to answer the question of what true faith is. Biblical faith is not a generic faith in an idea of God or even salvation, but it an absolute trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is a faith in the message that Jesus has died and risen from the dead. It is a faith that revolves around what Jesus has done for sinners by dying on the cross. It is the death and resurrection of Jesus that saves and makes the Christian right before God. It is Jesus’s work on the cross that brings the believer to a true knowledge of God the Father. The only thing left to do is to believe in Jesus, to come before God in need of His grace and mercy. Just as Abraham believed in the promises of God and it was accounted to him as righteousness, so too all that believe in the promise of God in Jesus Christ will justified before God. This sermon is a message of hope and peace in the salvation that Jesus’s brings.

Recovery of Sight to the Blind

Luke 4:18-19

In this sermon on Luke 4:18–19 titled “Recovery of Sight to the Blind,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones uncovers the biblical truth regarding the human heart that most do not want to consider. People are wholly corrupt and sinful as a result of the fall. They are blind and unable to see the light of God’s truth because they reject the grace of God and scorn the gospel of Jesus Christ as foolish and offensive. But it gets worse. God has appointed a day when He will come in judgment to condemn all those who will not repent and believe in the gospel. The Bible is clear that no one escapes this final judgment. There are no second chances. But as Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims, there is hope. By repenting and believing in the message of salvation given in God’s word, anyone may be made right with God. This powerful work is what the Holy Spirit does inside of people, giving the blind sight and the dead new life. This gospel of grace, repentance, and redemption in Christ Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit is the only means of salvation that God has given this world.

Temptation and Sin

Ephesians 6:10-13

Many Christians live burdened by a misunderstanding of what it means to be tempted by sin. They think that because they experience involuntary evil thoughts that they have sinned. In this sermon on temptation from Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Temptation and Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones uses the example of the temptations of Jesus to refute this belief. Jesus was repeatedly tempted by Satan when He was in the desert, but he never sinned. The temptation that Jesus faced was not because He wanted to sin but it came through external promptings. In the same way, Christians may have thoughts that they do not desire to have and that are not their own. Many times these thoughts are the result of Satan and his demons who tempt the children of God. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims, the only way to truly fight the devil and sin is to flee to Christ who alone has the power to overcome sin and temptation. Christ died for all who believe so that though they are still in the flesh, they will one day be free from all sin and temptation when Christ returns to finally destroy death, sin, and the devil. This great hope is the remedy against all sin and spiritual depression.

Why Has Satan Filled Your Heart?

Acts 5:1-11

Why is there so much evil in the world? Why is it that none of humanity’s efforts to end war, death, and poverty succeed? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says the problem is found in the fact that the world is overrun by the devil, and he has blinded people so that they cannot see the light of God’s grace and love. It is seen in Acts 5 when Peter asks, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart…?” This evil is not simply the absence of good character and good deeds, but it is militant opposition to God and His rule. This is why all attempts to make the world a better place by education, human works, and moralism are ultimately futile and ineffective. Until sin and the devil are recognized as the root and source of suffering and evil, all will continue in godless ways, seeking to bring peace to the world by their own wisdom and power. In order for true transformation to take place in the world and in the hearts and minds of sinners, there must be the acknowledgement of God and his Son, Jesus Christ. For without Christ there is no hope in this life or in the next. For all stand condemned before God, and it is only by believing in the death and resurrection of Christ that sinners can be saved and brought into the kingdom of God.

I Am He

John 4:25-26

Who is Jesus? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from John 4:25–26 that Jesus reveals His identity to a Samaritan woman as the long-awaited Messiah. Here Jesus tells that He is not just another prophet or religious teacher, but He is God’s appointed Messiah that has come to bring salvation. Furthermore, He is not simply the savior of the Jewish people, but of all who believe. This is the message of all of Scripture – who Jesus is and what He has come to do. He was born in a lowly place to normal people, but He was born as the Son of God. He lived and preached the kingdom of God as the very one who would inaugurate the new heavens and the new earth. He died so that all who believed in Him might be saved. Many people have had false ideas about who Jesus is but Scripture is clear about who He is – He is the Savior of humanity. This sermon calls all to ask the vital questions: “Who do you say Jesus is? Is He your only hope in this world?” Salvation comes only by believing in Jesus Christ and His work.

The Second Adam

1 Corinthians 15:47

What does it mean that Jesus is the second Adam? Adam was the first man and head of all of humanity. But when he sinned, he brought sin upon all his descendants, and this sin meant that all were destined to die. In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:47 titled “The Second Adam,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains why Jesus is the only hope for the world because He is the new Adam. Just as Adam brought sin and death, Jesus will bring life and forgiveness of sins. As Adam was the head of the old humanity, Christ is the head of the new humanity and all of the new creation. The only way to be freed from sin and its consequence—death—is to believe in Jesus. All those that trust in Jesus will be perfected in the last day, freed from all sin and judgement. Jesus is the true light of the world and He alone can save sinners and make them right with God. This sermon calls all to forsake sin and come to Jesus. He alone makes all things new by His death and resurrection. He alone can reverse all the effects of the fall and Adam’s first sin. Jesus alone saves.

The Gift of God

John 4:13-14

The Christian gospel holds out a hope for everyone who has received the gift of God. Do you know the gift of God? In this sermon on John 4:13-14 titled “the gift of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells of the satisfaction that God can give to an otherwise hopeless man. He firstly explains that in order to see that we are hopeless without Christ, we have to examine ourselves and realize how much we depend on activities and worldly things instead of God. The world is in total darkness and despair, not knowing its own need for salvation. It pursues nothing but pleasure and the fleeting pleasures of this life. Not even the most complex philosophies offer any lasting satisfaction. All this comes to nothing because on the last day Christ will return and judge those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior. Unless we see our worldly sin, then we cannot receive the wonderful gift of God that he offers freely to us. Then he explains that in order to receive the gift of God and a new life, you have to understand that you need Jesus and the world cannot satisfy your needs. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman “if only you knew the gift of God” and Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this gift is the exceeding riches of his grace and the unsearchable riches of Christ.

The End of the World

Luke 21:34-36

How will this world come to an end? The Bible teaches that Jesus will return in glory to judge the earth and consummate all things. Jesus tells that no one will know the day or the hour of His coming, and for this reason Christians are to be ever faithful and vigilant, called to be holy. However, some have ignored this teaching and attempt to predict when Jesus will return. This leads to speculation and creates division in the church. In this sermon on Luke 21:34–36 titled “The End of the World,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the biblical answer is to trust that Jesus will be faithful to His word to return and complete the salvation of all believers. The church is to look to Christ to make the world new at His coming and set all things right. This is the hope amidst the many trials and hardships that come from living in a fallen world. All are beset by the schemes of the devil from the outside and from sinful desires within. This is why Christians ought not to trust in themselves, but only in Christ Jesus. At His coming He will judge the whole world in righteousness and truth. Those who are still in sin and rebellion will be condemned, but those that believe are saved through His righteousness.

The Only Light

John 8:12

Over the course of civilization, humankind has diagnosed its problems many different ways. Some generations have determined that poverty is the great motivator of crime. In other generations, ignorance was the culprit. The world has, therefore, gone from one false hope to another. At one time it says “education will be our savior” and at other times “riches will free us from crime.” What these nearsighted solutions cannot comprehend is that humankind’s main problem is an ignorance of God. In this sermon on John 8:12 titled “The Only Light,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones elaborates and says that the main problem is a lack of knowledge of God, regardless of whether one is a prostitute or a philosopher. From here he shows his audience how Jesus the Messiah is the ultimate revelation of God to humankind. It is for this reason, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, that Jesus is called the light of the world. He shines true knowledge of God on the world, which cannot know God apart from God’s revelation. Jesus had compassion on the crowds and on the lost. Similarly, the Christian should likewise have this burden for unbelievers: that they are sheep without a shepherd, that without hearing the gospel of Christ they will have no saving-knowledge of God.

The Wisdom of the World

1 Corinthians 3:18-20

One must ask themselves if they are wise by worldly standards and if they understand life’s fundamental issues. In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:18–20 titled “The Wisdom of the World,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses worldly wisdom in light of Paul’s words to the Corinthians. The world has rejected the gospel for centuries, and its rejection of the gospel is nothing new. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a complete contrast to what humans think of themselves by nature. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that humanity always seeks to advance itself and improve itself. The gospel, in contrast, knows that humankind needs rebirth, and this must be done by the Spirit. The gospel cannot be changed or modified, since it is perfect and complete in every way. The fundamental problem with humankind’s solutions, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches, is that humankind’s solutions originate in the human mind. God’s solution transcends human reason and offers the only hope for humanity’s salvation. Dr. Lloyd-Jones mentions that H.G. Wells, a popular author and philosopher, had his own philosophical solutions, but still was devastated by the reality of World War II, and extremely destitute at the end of his life. A person can only be made wise after admitting they are a fool.

The Affliction of My People

Acts 7:30-33

What gives comfort and security? In this sermon titled “The Affliction of My People” where Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from Acts 7:30­–33, he presents one of the most comforting truths one can know: that God has acted in history for His people. God knows of human suffering and pain, the sorrows and hardships of life, and the oppressive nature of the world and the enemy, the devil. The great hope of the gospel is that God in Christ Jesus came down from Heaven and delivered His people. This is seen in the Old Testament when the people of Israel are suffering under the cruel bondage of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. God raises up a deliverer, Moses, and through him led Israel to freedom. This is continuous throughout the entire Bible. God’s faithfulness is manifested again and again as He provides a way to deliver His people. It is in Christ Jesus that true freedom over the bondage of sin and the destruction of the enemy’s forces and work is found. When Jesus came to redeem His people from their sins, He came to establish a new kingdom where there is no oppression and evil, and where there is no eternal suffering. All who believe in Jesus Christ as the only Son of God are freed from their sin and may partake with him in the new creation and in the kingdom of God.