The Living God
A Sermon on Acts 4:23-24
Originally preached Nov. 7, 1965
Scripture
23¶ And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made …
Sermon Description
What is one of the primary marks of a Christian? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on Acts 423-24, one of the surest signs of a true Christian is that true Christians pray to God. These are not prayers to some distant deity or to some abstract philosophical ground of truth, but it is prayer to the one true God who rules the whole universe in power and might. This is the true God as revealed in the Bible and in Jesus Christ his Son. This is the God of the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets, and he is the God of the church and the Apostles. He is active in history to save and redeem his people. He is the God who sent His only begotten Son to die on a cross in order to make a great kingdom that cannot be shaken. And it is this God who offers redemption and salvation to all who will repent and believe in His Son, and all those that do will be made anew in the new heavens and the new earth. This great gospel should not be rejected, but all must believe in God’s only begotten Son who has died on the cross so that sinners would have life eternal.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon examines Acts 4:23-24 which describes the disciples praying after being threatened by the Sanhedrin.
- The sermon considers how one can know if they are truly a Christian. The "acid test" is how one reacts to trials and tribulations.
- The disciples' reaction to the threats of the Sanhedrin demonstrates true Christianity. They pray to God with confidence and assurance.
- Prayer is speaking to the living God. It is not repetition, posture, or thoughtless words. True prayer demonstrates a knowledge of God's character and power.
- The disciples knew God as the living God, the sovereign Lord, and the all-powerful God who created the universe. They prayed with confidence because they knew His power.
- We can know God through nature, revelation (Scripture), history (God's actions), and through Jesus Christ. All demonstrate God's power, sovereignty, and love.
- The miracles and resurrection of Jesus prove He is the Son of God. His power over death and nature demonstrates God's power.
- The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost also demonstrated God's power to the disciples. They had experienced God's power personally.
- Although threatened with death, the disciples were not afraid because they knew God's power. They prayed for God to demonstrate His power.
- We live in a world being "shaken" but we can rely on God's unshakable kingdom by repenting, believing in Christ, and knowing God.
- God's kingdom is eternal and unshakable. We must make sure we are part of it.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Prayer and Knowing God
What is the difference between true prayer and merely "saying prayers"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, true prayer is vastly different from merely "saying prayers." He explains that prayer is not simply a matter of posture (being on your knees), thoughtless repetition, or gabbling through the Lord's Prayer without thinking about the meaning. True prayer involves speaking to God with confidence, calmness, and absolute assurance - as demonstrated by the early Christians in Acts 4 who "lifted up their voice to God with one accord." They weren't crying out into a void or repeating formulaic phrases but were speaking directly to a Person whom they knew intimately.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the ultimate test of genuine Christianity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that "the only real thorough going test is the test we've got in this incident" - how one reacts to trying and testing circumstances. He explains that many people may appear religious when life is smooth, but the true test comes in crisis moments. When facing threats, persecution, or death (as the apostles were), genuine Christians turn to God in prayer with calm confidence rather than panic. This response to adversity reveals whether one truly knows God or merely has a superficial religious profession.
According to the sermon, what does it mean to "know God"?
To know God, according to Lloyd-Jones, means to have personal knowledge of Him as the living, sovereign Lord of the universe. It's not merely intellectual acceptance of doctrines or following traditions, but recognizing God as a Person with whom you can speak directly. The Christians in Acts 4 demonstrated this knowledge by addressing God as "Lord" (sovereign ruler with absolute power) and approaching Him with confidence. This knowledge transforms how we respond to life's challenges, giving us access to divine resources in times of need.
What are the ways we can come to know God according to this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several ways we can come to know God: 1. Through nature and creation - observing the order, design, and intricacy of the universe 2. Through revelation - particularly the prophecies in Scripture that demonstrate God's foreknowledge 3. Through history - seeing God's interventions throughout human history, especially with Israel 4. Through Christ - the ultimate proof of God's existence and character 5. Through personal experience - being transformed by the Holy Spirit and experiencing God's power firsthand
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast Christianity with religion?
Lloyd-Jones makes a clear distinction between Christianity and religion. He states, "Christianity is not religion. Religion is the counterfeit that has misled so many people." Religion, as he describes it, can involve tradition, habit, intellectual beliefs, moral behavior, or even emotional experiences - all without a personal knowledge of the living God. True Christianity, by contrast, brings us into a relationship with the living God whom we can approach directly in times of need. This knowledge of God as a Person is what distinguishes authentic Christianity from mere religious practice.
What final warning does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about the shaking of the world?
In the conclusion of his sermon, Lloyd-Jones warns that we live in a world that is "being shaken today" and may soon be "shaken for the very last time." Quoting Hebrews, he reminds his listeners that God will shake not only the earth but also heaven, removing everything that can be shaken so that only what cannot be shaken will remain. All human institutions, empires, entertainments, and pursuits will be destroyed, but those who belong to "the kingdom of God" will remain secure. His final appeal is for listeners to ensure they are in this unshakable kingdom by repenting and believing in Christ.
The Book of Acts
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.