Religion that is True

A Sermon on Psalm 107:1-3

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Scripture

Psalms 107:1-3 ESV KJV

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. …

Sermon Description

“All the redeemed of the Lord will join in one great anthem.” In this sermon on Psalm 107:1–3 titled “Religion that is True,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this unity despite four different types of experiences people one can encounter. Those wandering in the wilderness in need of habitation, those bound in affliction needing relief, those suffering in ill health and starvation, or those on the sea in great waters and terrible storms—all can experience deliverance. The first characteristic of a true Christian is their gratitude to God. A non-believer may have no thought or care for God, but the Christian will be concerned about God. Christianity is holistic in its combination of the will, intellect, and emotion. It is impossible to be a Christian without emotions involved; Christianity without emotion is just moralism. Great danger comes in the self-righteous person: “The self-righteous is infinitely a greater sinner than the drunkard or prostitute.” A Christian is desperate about themselves and their sin that they don’t know what to do but can come to God.

Sermon Breakdown

The primary and fundamental note of Christianity is the giving of thanks unto God. This is the chief characteristic of the Christian.
We can test ourselves by determining if we have a sense of gratitude and praise unto God. If not, our religion may just be morality or philosophy rather than true Christianity.
The Christian not only knows God but wants to thank and praise Him. The Christian realizes he owes everything to the grace of God.
This sense of thanksgiving and praise is true of all Christians, no matter their background, experiences, or temperament. All are called to join in praising God.
God's character, namely His goodness and enduring mercy, leads Christians to praise Him. Failure to praise God is sin.
God's mercy is seen in Him continuing to look upon us and not destroying us as we deserve. His mercy is shown ultimately in Christ's incarnation and death.
Christians have been redeemed out of the hand of their enemies (sin, Satan, etc.) by Christ and brought into relationship with God.
Christians have come to the end of themselves, realizing they cannot save themselves, and have found salvation in Christ alone.
Christians owe everything to Christ and so give Him all the praise. They tell others about Him and bring them to join in praising Him.

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.