Called to Obedience
A Sermon on Acts 6:7
Originally preached July 3, 1966
Scripture
7And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Sermon Description
What is the message of the church? In this sermon on obedience from Acts 6:7 titled “Called to Obedience,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones boldly proclaims that it is the message of salvation in Christ to all who repent and believe in His name. It is a message of regeneration and new life as a new creature. This is not simply moral transformation, nor is it educational, but it is new life in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is redemption by His blood and this new life generates obedience to God and His Word; it calls for holiness and purity. Genuine conversion will always manifest itself in one’s actions and attitudes. The idea of a Christian who is saved but never repents of his sin and seeks holiness is an oxymoron. On the other hand, just because someone has an ethical transformation or lives a life of charity and good works, these do not save a person. The Christian life is a life of both good deeds and saving faith. There is a Spirit-empowered desire for righteousness and good works that only comes with salvation. The Christian must avoid the error of seeing all good deeds as the result of regeneration and a new heart. They also should not fall into the trap of thinking that one can know God truly and yet never desire holiness.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage under consideration is Acts 6:7 which states that the word of God increased, the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
- The chapter is important because it shows the early church dealing with challenges and making important decisions. It shows what it means to be a Christian and how one becomes a Christian.
- Becoming a Christian is the biggest and most profound change one can experience. It is called being born again, a new creation, etc. Mere changes of opinion or social class are superficial in comparison.
- The essence of becoming a Christian is obedience to God. Sin is disobedience to God, not just what makes us feel bad. The natural man is opposed to God.
- The first step in obedience is stopping resisting God. All men naturally resist God and the gospel.
- The next step is repentance, which means thinking again and changing your mind. It means confessing you were wrong and being open-minded.
- After repentance, one must call on the name of the Lord, crying out to God for mercy in light of one's sin and helplessness.
- When one calls out, God answers with the gospel message. One must believe that message: that Jesus died for our sins and provides righteousness and salvation.
- True repentance is proven by leaving sin and idols behind and turning to God.
- One must also confess Jesus as Lord with one's mouth, which means understanding and being able to articulate the gospel.
- Finally, the obedient Christian joins with other believers in the church, praising God together.
- Have you rendered total obedience to the faith with your whole being? If not, examine yourself. If so, you can have assurance of salvation.
Sermon Q&A
What Does It Mean to Be Obedient to the Faith According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What does it mean to be "obedient to the faith" according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, being "obedient to the faith" means a total response to the gospel message that involves the entire personality - mind, heart, and will. It is not merely intellectual assent or emotional response, but a complete surrender to God's word. In his sermon, Lloyd-Jones explains that obedience to the faith includes stopping resistance to the message, repenting (thinking again and changing your mind), calling upon the name of the Lord for mercy, believing what God says about salvation through Christ, leaving the world and its idols behind, and confessing Christ with your mouth.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the profound change that occurs when someone becomes a Christian?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes becoming a Christian as "the biggest and the profoundest and the most radical change that one can ever experience." He emphasizes that it's not a slight, superficial, or easy change but rather a revolutionary transformation that affects a person's entire being - their thinking, worship, conduct, and behavior. He references biblical terminology, noting that this change is called "being born again," "born from above," and "a new creation" in Scripture. Lloyd-Jones illustrates this by pointing to the example in Acts 6:7 of priests who completely changed their worldview and religious practices when they became Christians.
How does Lloyd-Jones distinguish true Christian conversion from other kinds of life changes?
Lloyd-Jones carefully distinguishes true Christian conversion from other kinds of life changes by emphasizing that the mere fact of experiencing a change doesn't make someone a Christian. He points out that many agencies, cults, and even psychological treatments can produce dramatic changes in people's lives and outlook. The key difference is that Christian conversion is specifically the result of and leads to "obedience to the faith." This obedience involves understanding and accepting the gospel message about sin, Christ's atonement, and God's provision of salvation, and then responding with repentance, faith, and a transformed life. The acid test is not the experience itself but whether one has rendered obedience to the truth of God's word.
Why does Lloyd-Jones emphasize the importance of obedience in the Christian life?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes obedience because he understands the essence of sin as disobedience to God. He explains that sin is not merely making us miserable or giving us negative consequences, but fundamentally it is rebellion against God - "transgression of the law of God." Since sin at its core is disobedience, salvation necessarily involves a return to obedience. Lloyd-Jones quotes numerous scriptures showing that the Bible consistently uses the language of obedience when describing conversion. He stresses that the gospel is not just something to be listened to, argued about, or intellectually accepted, but something that demands obedience from the whole person.
What steps of obedience does Lloyd-Jones outline in his sermon?
Lloyd-Jones outlines several steps in the process of obedience to the faith: 1. Stop resisting the message and the Holy Spirit 2. Repent - think again and be willing to change your mind 3. Confess that you've been wrong in your thinking and way of life 4. Call upon the name of the Lord for mercy 5. Believe what God says about salvation through Christ's atoning work 6. Leave the world, idols, and sin behind 7. Confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart 8. Align yourself with other believers by joining the church
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between the gospel and the human personality?
Lloyd-Jones explains that the gospel engages and transforms the entire human personality. He emphasizes that true Christian conversion involves the mind (understanding the truth), the heart (being emotionally moved and affected), and the will (deciding to follow Christ). He critiques partial responses where only the intellect is engaged ("interested in theology" without life change), or only the emotions are stirred (sentimentalism without understanding), or only the will is activated (doing something without knowing why). For Lloyd-Jones, authentic Christianity captivates and transforms the whole personality - "the mind influences the heart, and the heart moves the will."
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the primary task of the Christian church?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the primary task of the Christian church as preaching the gospel. He references Acts 6:2-4, where the apostles said, "It is not right that we should leave the word of God and serve tables." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that while philanthropic work, charitable efforts, and social work are excellent and praiseworthy, they all address only temporal needs. The gospel message, however, addresses eternal needs - it "covers us not only for time, but for the whole of eternity" and therefore must have priority in the church's mission.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the nature of sin in this sermon?
Lloyd-Jones describes sin as fundamentally rebellion against God rather than merely the negative consequences it produces. He states, "The essence of sin is disobedience to God... Sin is rebellion against God. Sin is disobedience to God. Sin is a transgression of the law of God." He explains that many people misunderstand sin, thinking it's merely what makes them miserable or unhappy, but that misses its essential nature. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that sin is an attitude of heart toward God - "The natural mind, the carnal mind, is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed, can be... The natural man is a God hater."
The Book of Acts
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.