Life Without God
A Sermon on Jeremiah 2:5
Scripture
5¶ Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Sermon Description
It is common to encounter disbelief, skepticism, and disdain for Christianity from unbelievers. Driven by a fear of this criticism, some Christians retreat from conversations about God and the gospel. In this sermon based on Jeremiah 2:5 titled “Life Without God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps equip his listeners to know how to handle such criticism with grace and confidence. As he analyzes the position of the skeptic, he challenges their unbelief with his own questions regarding their unbelief and dismissal of God. Asking the unbeliever to consider their rejection of God, he focuses particularly on their rejection of the morality found in the Bible. What exactly is the unbeliever’s objection to morality? What rational foundation could there be for holding to such a belief? Biblical morality, he argues, seeks the flourishing of humanity and the world, so the rejection of morality is both foolish and irrational. It leads to worldwide chaos and tension. If the unbeliever were to turn in belief to the God who created them, they would realize the height of their foolishness. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches on countering the foolish unbelief of this world with the light and clarity of the gospel.
Sermon Breakdown
- God is challenging the people of Israel to consider why they have gone far from Him.
- God is asking them what iniquity or wrong they have found in Him that has caused them to go far from Him.
- The people of Israel had turned their backs on God and pursued worthless idols and vain things.
- The people became foolish and vain themselves as a result of turning from God.
- There is no reason or justification for turning away from God. He is the eternal, almighty, creator God.
- God's way of life and moral law is perfect. There is nothing wrong with worshipping God and following His commandments.
- Suffering and problems in the world are the result of mankind's sin and rebellion against God, not because of any fault in God.
- The gods and idols the people turned to are worthless and empty, they have no power or ability to help.
- The prophet Elijah demonstrated the powerlessness of idols by challenging the prophets of Baal. Their god did not respond with fire but the true God did.
- The world today has turned from God but pursues vain and worthless substitutes like money, pleasure, knowledge, and politics.
- A life without God is aimless, futile, and leads to decline in how people view themselves, their intellect, emotions, and willpower.
- The state of the world today with its lack of values and chaos is due to mankind turning from God.
- Disaster results from turning away from God, not just in a worldly sense but in an eternal sense. God is still the judge of the world.
- The only solution is to turn back to God, recognize your sin and need, repent and believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God.
- God in His love sent Jesus to provide forgiveness and salvation to all who believe. There is no reason to turn from such a merciful God.
Old Testament
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.