When the Spirit Comes
A Sermon on John 1:26-33
Scripture
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where …
Sermon Description
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “When the Spirit Comes,” Scripture teaches that God often works in special ways through His Spirit. This special deployment of the Spirit’s power and work is different than His indwelling of every believer. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out from the book of Acts, God is seen sending the Holy Spirit upon those early believers in order to empower their ministries. God still chooses to work by sending his Holy Spirit upon men and women in modern days. The greatest examples of this is in the revivals since the time of the Reformation. This is a unique blessing of the Holy Spirit. This baptism of the Holy Spirit does not come to all people, and when it does, it is often not permanent. Yet this is a great blessing that all Christians ought to seek, and often come upon in times of trial and great suffering. It produces a heart of joy and peace that rests in God and His many promises. While not all will experience this great blessing of the Spirit, nonetheless, all should seek it. According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, even if it is only temporary, many live their lives looking back on this experience and gain strength from it.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon is focused on how the baptism of the Holy Spirit is obtained and its characteristics.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by reading John 1:26 and 33 which discuss John the Baptist baptizing with water and Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones then discusses how the blessing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is obtained through diligent prayer, faith, and obedience. We must be prepared for difficulties and discouragements along the way.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several ways the baptism of the Holy Spirit is often given: while praying, reading Scripture, during a church service, while meditating, apart from the Word altogether through direct impression from the Holy Spirit.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses when we can expect to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit: after mourning over sin, after an act of self-denial, after a season of temptation, during a trial, when given a task by God, on one's deathbed.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines how we can know when we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit: perfect rest and peace, joy unspeakable, certainty of salvation. Examples are given of those who experienced this.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses how the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not always permanent. It can be lost but also repeated. Examples are given of those who both lost and regained the experience.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones closes by saying we should continue to seek God's face and ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, especially in evil times, so we can go out in power and authority and see people come to salvation.
The Book of John
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.