What is Man ... ? (1970)
A Sermon on Psalms 8:3-4
Scripture
3When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Psalm 8:3–4 titled “What is Man…?” spoken at Trinity Road Chapel Centenary in 1970, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones responds to the accusations of the world that Christians are stuck in the past and unaware of what is happening in the modern world. The Christian gospel is necessary to consider the past and to face the future. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the only people truly thinking in this world are the Christians. Governed entirely by the Bible, this is a new way of thinking and “considering” things. Christians are not anti-scientific. In fact, true Christianity has been the greatest stimulus for scientific discovery. Learn how the Protestant Reformation liberated people from Greek philosophy and encouraged the scientific revolution. The mind of God alone offers an adequate explanation for the intricacies of creation. Listen to the majesty of humanity, the companion of God, the mark of the divine stamp, the tragedy of humanity, and the great contradiction of humanity. People are hero worshippers with marred faculties. This life determines eternity, there are no second chances—enter in and be eternally safe.
Sermon Breakdown
- The psalmist considers the heavens and is filled with amazement at the universe.
- The non-Christian sees the universe as an accident, but the Christian sees it as evidence of God's design.
- The Christian thinks deeply about life's questions, while the non-Christian only reacts superficially.
- The difference in worldviews leads to different views of humanity. The non-Christian sees humans as just animals, but the Christian sees humans as made in God's image.
- Humans are a contradiction: we achieve amazing successes but also commit terrible failures and evils. This contradiction stems from the Fall.
- The world's only hope is that God still cares for humanity, as evidenced by Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection.
- Everyone will eventually be "launched" from this life into eternity. We must prepare now by entering into Christ, the only safe "capsule."
- Entering into Christ means turning from sin and believing in Him. In Christ, we are safe from condemnation and judgment.
- Two hymns illustrate being safe in Christ: "Rock of Ages" and "All the Way My Savior Leads Me."
Itinerant Preaching
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.