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Sermon #2008

The Apostles Doctrine

A Sermon on Acts 2:40-42

Originally preached Feb. 28, 1965

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Scripture

Acts 2:40-42 ESV KJV
And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to …

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Sermon Description

What is the church and who are Christians? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, to know what the church is and understand its mission, he recommends looking to the church in Acts 2:40–42. There the church is a community of born again, spirit-empowered believers who boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to a broken and sinful world. The church committed itself to the teaching and preaching of the apostles’ doctrine and the fellowship. The church of Acts was far more than a social gathering, but it was the power of God, manifested on earth through the work of His Spirit. The early church did not grow by attracting people by appealing to humanity’s carnal desire, but though the power of the gospel. It is this gospel that the church is tasked with guarding and proclaiming. It is this glorious gospel that can transform the lives of those around us. If the church today and beyond is to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, and if the church is to be a faithful steward of His gospel, it must commit itself to the teaching and works of the apostles as found in God’s word.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon begins by introducing Acts 2:40-42. Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that the passage shows what the early church was like and what Christians today should aim to be like.

  2. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the early church underwent a complete change after believing the gospel. They were "born again" and became "new creatures."

  3. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the early church left the world behind and joined themselves to the apostles and other Christians. Their new faith became the biggest thing in their lives.

  4. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks what the purpose of the church is. He says it is not for social events, fundraisers, or entertainment. Its purpose is spiritual.

  5. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the early church came together for the apostles' teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer. These are the marks of a true church.

  6. Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on the apostles' teaching. He says there is confusion today about Christian doctrine, but the early church coveted the apostles' teaching.

  7. Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives several reasons why the early church desired the apostles' teaching:

  8. New Christians have an instinctual desire for spiritual truth, like a baby desires milk.

  9. The early Christians realized how ignorant they were of spiritual things and wanted to learn.

  10. They wanted to understand their new faith and experience more fully.

  11. They wanted to be able to help others come to faith.

  12. They didn't want to miss out on anything important that was taught.

  13. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says there is a definite body of apostolic doctrine in the New Testament. It is not vague or changing. The creeds of the early church aimed to articulate this doctrine.

  14. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines the core message of the apostles' teaching:

  15. There is one God who created all things.

  16. Humans were made in God's image but rebelled against him.

  17. Sin and judgment are realities.

  18. Jesus Christ is the Son of God who became man to save sinners.

  19. He died on the cross as a substitute for sinners and was raised from the dead.

  20. Those who believe in him receive forgiveness of sins and new spiritual life.

  21. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live righteously.

  22. There is an eternal destiny of either heaven or hell.

  23. Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the listeners to examine if they have believed and embraced the apostolic message. He says true faith will produce certain desires and appetites, like a hunger for God's word.

  24. Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls unbelievers to repent and believe the gospel. He says Jesus will not turn away anyone who comes to him in faith.

Sermon Q&A

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Apostolic Doctrine and the Early Church

What was the primary activity that the early Christians engaged in according to Acts 2:42?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Acts 2:42, the early Christians "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers." The primary activity emphasized in the passage is their commitment to the apostles' teaching or doctrine. This was the first thing listed among their activities, showing its fundamental importance to the early church.

Why did the early Christians desire the apostles' teaching according to Lloyd-Jones?

According to Lloyd-Jones, the early Christians desired the apostles' teaching for several important reasons:

  1. They had an instinctive spiritual hunger - "As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby."
  2. They became aware of their own ignorance - They realized how wrong they had been about Jesus.
  3. They wanted to understand the transformation that had happened to them.
  4. They desired to grow in their new life and faith.
  5. They wanted to learn more so they could help others - to be able to give a reason for the hope within them.

How does Lloyd-Jones refute the idea that Jesus taught "no theology"?

Lloyd-Jones refutes the idea that Jesus taught "no theology" by pointing to several important facts:

  1. Jesus Himself said in John 16:12: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now."
  2. Jesus explained after His resurrection that He had to suffer and die, expounding Scripture to His disciples.
  3. Jesus explicitly taught about the fall of man when He said "you must be born again" and called people "lost."
  4. Jesus taught about salvation when He said "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up."
  5. Jesus spoke of giving "His life a ransom for many," clearly teaching the atonement.
  6. Jesus commissioned the apostles to continue His teaching, guided by the Holy Spirit who would "guide you into all truth."

What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the core of apostolic teaching?

Lloyd-Jones identifies the core of apostolic teaching as:

  1. The reality of God as creator and sustainer of the universe
  2. Man created in God's image but fallen through sin
  3. The judgment of God upon sin
  4. God's love in sending His Son to save humanity
  5. The incarnation of Christ
  6. Christ's death as a substitutionary atonement for sin
  7. The gift of new life through the Holy Spirit
  8. Progressive sanctification
  9. The promise of eternal glory

He summarizes it as teaching how people "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to await for his son from heaven. Even Jesus, whom he raised from the dead, who delivered us from the wrath to come."

How does Lloyd-Jones say we can test whether someone is truly a Christian?

Lloyd-Jones says the true test of whether someone is a Christian isn't merely having an experience or feeling different, since other religious or psychological experiences can produce changes in people's lives. The real test is:

  1. What caused the experience - was it the result of believing the apostolic teaching?
  2. Whether they desire the apostolic teaching - "If you haven't got this desire, you're dead."
  3. Whether they hunger for God's Word - "If the Bible is still boring to you, you're dead."
  4. Whether prayer is a delight or a task - "If you find prayer difficult and to task, you're dead."

True Christians have a hunger for God's Word like "newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word."

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.