The Living God
A Sermon on Acts 7:37-38
Originally preached April 23, 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. 38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which …
Sermon Description
What is the meaning and value of life? Is there a greater purpose than just what can be seen? In the sermon “The Living God,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones opens Acts 7:37–38 and explains the various ways people rationalize life. Some say humanity should be understood in terms of economics and materialism. Others accept a philosophical and rationalistic view that exalts intellect and scholarship. According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, whatever specific teaching one holds to, they all have one thing in common: they reject what God’s word says about humanity and how they are to live. These theories reject the idea that God has spoken, and His word commands all to be holy and to love their neighbors as themselves. For only by starting with God’s revelation can one understand what God designed people to be. This is why modern humanity is wasting time seeking to solve the world’s problems apart from God. Forgiveness can never be found, guilt can never be erased, and hope can never be secured apart from Christ. But when one looks to God’s word, they see their sin and great need for forgiveness. In God’s word, the truth is seen that Jesus died for sinners and that in believing on His name all can be washed from sin and freed from unbelief.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Bible is the word of God. It is eternal, living, and powerful.
- The word of God reveals God's character. He is holy, righteous, just, and loving.
- God demands worship and will not share his glory with idols. He is a jealous God.
- The word of God reveals the truth about human nature. Humans are made in God's image, not just animals.
- The word of God shows how humans should live. We should love God and love our neighbor.
- The Ten Commandments summarize how we should live. We should worship God alone and not sin against others.
- The word of God condemns us for our sin and failure to obey God's law.
- The word of God offers salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law and died for our sins.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Moses Receive from God According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What living oracles did Moses receive according to Stephen's speech?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon, Stephen in his speech to the Sanhedrin referred to Moses as one "who received the lively oracles to give unto us." These living oracles primarily refer to the law that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai, but also include the entire revelation that enabled Moses to write the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch). It was God's divine word—not human invention or philosophy—given directly to Moses for the people of Israel.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the living word of God with other words?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that God's word is uniquely "living" while the words of men don't live. He describes it as "the only word that's ever been alive and is still alive" and "the word of God that liveth and abideth forever." Unlike human words, God's word is powerful, searching, and confrontational. It reveals truth about ourselves that we cannot escape, exposes our hypocrisy, and presents us with only two eternal possibilities: either submitting to God or being under His judgment.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the difference between the God of Israel and other gods?
According to the sermon, the God of Israel is the living God who acts in history, while other nations had "dead gods" or idols that were lifeless and powerless. Lloyd-Jones illustrates this through the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel, where God demonstrated His reality by sending fire from heaven while the idols of Baal remained silent. The God of Israel is described as the only true God, holy, righteous, and jealous—meaning He will not tolerate the worship of other gods.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the proper understanding of man according to God's word?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that God's word reveals man is not merely an animal or economic unit as modern theories suggest. Rather, man is "a creature made in the image and likeness of God," the "Lord of creation, not a part of it." Humans have dignity, greatness, mind, understanding, soul, and spirit, and are "meant for communion with God and the eternal." This understanding of human nature, which comes only from God's word, is essential for addressing the moral problems facing society.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the fundamental message of God's word for modern society?
The fundamental message is that we must start with God, not with ourselves or our problems. Lloyd-Jones argues that the Ten Commandments summarize how we should live—first loving God with all our being, then loving our neighbor as ourselves. He contends that modern society's attempts to solve problems without acknowledging God are doomed to fail. The word of God condemns us by showing we cannot keep God's law, but it also offers salvation through Jesus Christ, whom Moses prophesied would come.
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.