MLJ Trust Logo Image
Sermon #2102

The Individual Writ Large

A Sermon on Acts 8:4-12

Scripture

Acts 8:4-12 ESV NASB KJV
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. …

Read more

Sermon Description

The gospel is given for individual salvation, but it has implications for the whole world. In the sermon “The Individual Whit Large” on Acts 8:4–12, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how nations and societies will never be good and upright until the individuals who make up these societies and nations are transformed. This is why people who say things like “Christianity is about world peace” and “we should not be concerned with individuals, but with societies” misunderstand the message of the church as seen in the Bible and particularly in the Acts of the Apostles. The apostles did not tell the Roman emperor what to do nor did they start a protest. They proclaimed the kingship of the crucified and risen Messiah, Jesus Christ. It is this Jesus who died so that all would be saved from the wrath of God and made right with God. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims, there is no other message that can save. It is not the message of the humanist who sees people as good by nature, and not the message of the philosopher who thinks that by using right reason, people will be able to stop all war and evil. No, it is only the message of Jesus that offers any hope for this sin-filled world.

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.