Him Shall You Hear
A Sermon on Acts 7:37
Originally preached May 21, 1967
Scripture
37¶ This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
Sermon Description
What is the reason for life? This important question is addressed in this critical sermon titled “Him Shall Ye Hear” by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones from Acts 7:37. Many of the world’s greatest thinkers, scientists, poets, and philosophers have offered answers that end up being elusive and obscure. Regardless of their education or pedigree, they do not seem to ever get any closer to comprehending the truth. Even in modern times, with all the advancements in science, technology, and educational institutions and centers of learning, humanity is simply not any closer to arriving at the truth. The reason for this repeated failure is quite simple: people do not listen to God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones goes on to explain that God is a God who speaks to His people in His word, just as He did through the prophets and the apostles. Most importantly of all, He speaks in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ that the world and sinful people reject. They simply do not believe that He has any authority that should be obeyed. But God has declared Jesus to be the ruler and savior of the whole world. All wisdom is contained in Christ, and all things were made for Christ. When humanity rejects Christ, they abandon all hope of ever truly understanding the world and themselves.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage under consideration is Acts 7:37.
- Moses said that God would raise up a prophet like him and the people should listen to him.
- Stephen is saying that the Sanhedrin is rejecting this prophet that Moses spoke of by rejecting Jesus.
- The question for us is have we listened to and obeyed Jesus as Moses commanded.
- Many today say Jesus is irrelevant but we have great need for Him due to our ignorance, failure and inability to live right.
- No one and nothing else can help us with life's greatest questions and problems like Jesus can.
- The whole Old Testament points to Jesus. The patriarchs, Moses, the prophets all point to Him.
- John the Baptist also pointed to Jesus as the one who was to come.
- The apostles all point to Jesus as the one who changed their lives.
- The early Christian martyrs all point to Jesus as the one who was everything to them.
- Jesus Himself invites us to come to Him.
- Jesus claimed unique authority as the light of the world, the way, the truth, the life, the forgiver of sins.
- Jesus did miracles that prove His claims like healing the blind, lame, deaf, raising the dead.
- Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. He was tempted like us but without sin.
- Jesus' teaching is perfect. The Sermon on the Mount has never been improved upon.
- Jesus willingly went to the cross, dying for our sins. He rose from the dead, proving He is the Son of God.
- Jesus ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower the church.
- Jesus did all this to deliver us in our ignorance, failure and helplessness.
- Jesus showed compassion on sinners and outcasts. He came to seek and save the lost.
- God the Father said "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him." We must listen to Jesus.
- The Holy Spirit also testifies that we must listen to Jesus.
- Jesus is recommended by saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs. The answer is yes, we must listen to Him.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Why We Should Listen to Jesus?
Why does Lloyd-Jones emphasize Moses' command "Him shall ye hear"?
According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Moses' statement "Him shall ye hear" (found in Deuteronomy 18:15) is a prophetic command pointing to Jesus Christ. Lloyd-Jones explains that Moses was telling the people of Israel that God would raise up a prophet like himself, and they were commanded to listen to this prophet. This command was at the center of Stephen's defense before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7, where Stephen argued that by rejecting Jesus, the religious leaders were actually rejecting Moses' own teaching, since Moses had instructed them to listen to the coming prophet (Jesus).
What reasons does Lloyd-Jones give for why we should listen to Jesus?
Lloyd-Jones provides several compelling reasons why we should listen to Jesus:
-
Because of our human condition and need: "We suffer from ignorance, and we suffer from ignorance about the most important things of all." Our inability to answer life's ultimate questions about purpose, death, and meaning demonstrates our need.
-
Because no one else can help us: "No one else. You remember how the apostles, on one occasion... Peter, in a moment of inspiration, looked at him and said, to whom shall we go?" Philosophy, religion, and human wisdom have failed to answer our deepest questions.
-
Because of the Old Testament's recommendation: "The whole of the Old Testament encourages me to do so. It recommends him. It is preparing for him. What's the Old Testament? The Old Testament is a massive advertising campaign for Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God."
-
Because of the apostles' testimony: Their transformed lives and willingness to die for their faith demonstrate that Jesus was extraordinary. They were ordinary men who became extraordinary after encountering Jesus.
-
Because of Christ's own authority and invitation: Jesus claimed to be "the light of the world," "the way, the truth, and the life," and demonstrated authority to forgive sins.
What evidence does Lloyd-Jones present for Jesus' authority?
Lloyd-Jones presents several lines of evidence for Jesus' authority:
-
His miraculous works: "The blind receive their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf are made to hear. The very dead are raised." These miracles authenticated his claims.
-
His perfect life: "No one could point a finger at him. No one could charge him with any misdemeanor or any wrong... He was tempted in all points, like as we are yet without sin."
-
His unparalleled teaching: "This evening the world has had nearly 2000 years to improve on the sermon on the mount. Has it done it? No, no, they're still having to go back to him."
-
His resurrection: "I'll tell you why I listened to him. He came out of that grave. If he hadn't, you wouldn't be here tonight... He burst us under the bends of death. He arose triumphant or the grave."
-
The sending of the Holy Spirit: "He said he was going to do this, and he did it on the day of Pentecost."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe God's endorsement of Jesus?
Lloyd-Jones reaches the climax of his argument by pointing to God's own endorsement of Jesus at the Transfiguration: "A cloud of the shadow of them. And the voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Hear him.' Who's speaking? God is speaking from heaven."
He explains that Jesus is not merely recommended by patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs, but God Himself recommends Him. Lloyd-Jones adds that the Holy Spirit also continues this work, saying to listeners: "Listen to him. Listen to Jesus."
The sermon concludes with Lloyd-Jones urging his hearers to respond to this divine endorsement: "God himself is crying unto you. Hear him... Listen to him. Believe in him. You'll find out that he's the son of God, the savior of your soul."
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.