Controlled by Unbelief
A Sermon on John 7:25-36
Scripture
25Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? 26But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but …
Sermon Description
What is at the root of people’s unbelief regarding Christianity and the gospel of Jesus Christ? Is it a heart issue or is it something that is more intellectual? In this sermon on John 7:25–36 titled “Controlled by Unbelief,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches to understand what unbelief is and what is at the root of it. Not seeing Christ as Savior, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, is not merely an indifferent opinion that someone can hold. A person’s eternal destination is hinging on how they answer this, and thus, it is of the utmost importance. Unbelief is the consequence of the fall in Genesis 3. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks what the deep and radical nature of unbelief is and provides three helpful points to think through in consideration. First, it is deeper than merely intellect and reason— unbelief is an issue of the heart that is not fixed simply by changing someone’s mind alone. Second, it is deeper than superficial differences of opinion, and this is because of the importance and weight it bears. Third, unbelief leads to an appalling ignorance of God and that everyone, including the unsaved, will have to give an account and will be subject to God’s judgment for their sins. If one struggles with unbelief towards God, listen to this sermon and think carefully about their standing in relationship to God.
Sermon Breakdown
- Unbelief is not merely a matter of opinion or intellectual reasoning. It is something much deeper - at the center of human being and personality.
- Unbelief leads to ignorance of God. The Pharisees and religious leaders did not truly know God. They had a superficial, outward knowledge of God but lacked inward, spiritual knowledge of him.
- Unbelief leads to ignorance of one's own condition. People do not realize they are in God's hands and under his control.
- Unbelief leads to ignorance of God's plan of salvation in Christ. The Pharisees did not understand why Christ came and what his mission was.
- Unbelief leads to ignorance of being outside the kingdom of God. The Pharisees did not realize they were outside the kingdom and could not enter on their own.
- The cause of unbelief is spiritual deadness. The natural man cannot understand spiritual truth. The Pharisees could only understand Christ's words in a material, earthly sense.
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.