Praising God
A Sermon on Acts 2:46-47
Originally preached April 18, 1965
Scripture
46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be …
Sermon Description
In this Easter day sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims the centrality of praise in the Christian life. He says that praise is one of the marks of a true Christian who has been transformed by the Holy Spirit. While even the demons believe that God exists, only Christians who know God as Savior and Lord can praise Him in truth and joy. This desire to praise God flows from the great salvation that He has granted in His Son, Christ Jesus. It is by grace and grace alone that Christians have been regenerated and adopted into God’s family as children and heirs with Christ. It is the great and glorious truth for which God is praised. He is to be praised for His grace and mercy that He has granted. The apostolic church in Acts 2:46-47 lived out this great truth in the ministries and lives of its people. The preaching of the apostles on the day of Pentecost was driven by their desire to see the Lord and Savior praised by all. The church of today and of all times must behold the greatness of God and His Son, and they must praise Him for all His great works of mercy. Only by seeking the glory of God in truth can the church of today be a bold witness of Christ and His gospel.
Sermon Breakdown
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by discussing the importance of understanding what exactly the Christian church is and what Christianity means. He says this is the most urgent question confronting the world today.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones then provides an overview of the state of the world, describing it as a world of trouble, confusion, and unhappiness. He says that despite mankind's achievements and efforts, problems seem to be increasing rather than decreasing.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the only hope for the world is that a power greater than ourselves, God, is concerned about the world. He says the church's message is that God loves the world and sent his Son to offer salvation.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones then begins discussing the early church based on Acts 2, focusing on verses 46-47 which describe the early Christians as "praising God." He says this is the ultimate test of the Christian faith.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several reasons why the early Christians were praising God:
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They found themselves changed in a wonderful way they never knew before. They went from darkness to light.
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They realized this change was solely due to the grace and mercy of God, not anything they did themselves. This is the crucial test of real Christianity.
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They were amazed at the way God provided salvation through Jesus. They heard of his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension.
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They understood God's plan of redemption and their part in it. They knew the church would grow and Jesus would return.
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As they understood what God had done, they began to see God's glorious character. They saw his wisdom, power, love, grace, and mercy.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by asking if we are praising God. He says if we are not, it is because we are blind and ignorant of who God is and what he has done. But once we realize our ignorance and turn to God, he will pour out his love, forgiveness, and life on us.
Sermon Q&A
What is the Significance of "Praising God" in Early Christian Life According to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon, praising God was one of the most fundamental characteristics of the early Christian church. Let me explain why this is significant based on his teaching.
What did Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the ultimate test of true Christianity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identified praising God as the ultimate test of authentic Christianity, saying: "There's only one thing that I know of that the devil cannot counterfeit. And what is that? Praising God." While the devil can counterfeit intellectual interest in doctrine, fellowship with believers, participation in communion, and even a kind of joy, he cannot make people praise God because "he hates God."
Why were the early Christians in Acts 2 constantly praising God?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the early Christians praised God for several key reasons:
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Because of the dramatic change in their lives - "They praised God because they found themselves now to be what they were." They had experienced a complete transformation from their former way of living.
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Because they realized their salvation was entirely God's work - "They praised him still more as they realized increasingly that this wonderful change in them was entirely and solely due to the grace and the mercy of God."
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Because they were amazed at "the wonderful works of God" - They praised God because of the incredible way He had provided salvation, from creation through Christ's incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension.
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Because they glimpsed the glory of God Himself - "These people were praising God day by day and constantly because in what had happened to themselves and their understanding of how and why it had happened, they began to see something of the glorious being of God."
How does Lloyd-Jones contrast true Christianity with mere religion?
Lloyd-Jones makes a clear distinction between religion (even "pseudo-Christianity") and authentic Christianity:
"A man who believes that he's a Christian because he lives a good life, he doesn't praise God, he praises himself. A man who believes that he's a Christian because he's born in Great Britain, he doesn't praise God."
True Christianity, according to Lloyd-Jones, recognizes that "he is dead in trespasses and sin" and "he can do nothing about saving himself." This recognition leads to genuine praise to God who has done everything for our salvation.
Why is praise so central to Christian experience according to the sermon?
Lloyd-Jones argues that praise flows naturally from understanding what God has done. When someone truly comprehends their spiritual condition (dead in sin), God's amazing love and sacrifice through Christ, and the gift of new life, their only possible response is praise.
As Lloyd-Jones concludes: "The moment you realize that ignorance and go to him and confess it and ask him to have pity and mercy and compassion upon you... I give you forgiveness. I give you life. I make you a joint heir with him. Come and welcome God's free bounty, glorified. And the moment you receive it, you'll begin to praise him."
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.