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Sermon #2085

The Living Word

A Sermon on Acts 7:37-38

Originally preached April 9, 1967

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Scripture

Acts 7:37-38 ESV KJV
This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received …

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Sermon Description

Preaching the sermon “The Living Word” from Acts 7:37–38, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that Christianity is a religion based in the living God’s revelation of Himself. It is only in the written word, the Old Testament and the New Testament, that one learns how they may be saved. Only in Scripture does the sinner come to know of Jesus Christ and the great need of forgiveness from sin and rebellion. It tells of His holiness and just condemnation against all sin and ungodliness. God tells of what He has done in His Son so that wicked sinners may be saved. This gospel is not known through psychology, the natural world in science, or philosophy. It is only in God’s divinely inspired Scripture that one finds what He has done for the sinner in Christ. This word comes in the power of his Spirit. It is able to convict evildoers and sinners of their great need for the gospel and deliverance of sins. This is the foundation of Christianity and the church. This is what all who call themselves servants of God and his gospel are standing upon. It is a sure and steady foundation.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. Stephen is on trial before the Sanhedrin for preaching about Jesus.
  2. Stephen gives a speech summarizing the history of Israel and how they rejected God's messengers.
  3. Stephen quotes Moses, who said God would raise up a prophet like him, and who received the living oracles to give to the people.
  4. The "living oracles" refer to God's word, which is alive, powerful, and able to convict people of sin.
  5. God's word is the only thing that can properly diagnose the human condition and point to the only two possible destinies: life or death.
  6. God's word not only exposes our sin but also offers forgiveness and new life through faith in Jesus.
  7. There will be a final judgment where people will be judged based on how they responded to God's word.

Sermon Q&A

What Key Points Did Martyn Lloyd-Jones Make About the Word of God Being "Living Oracles"?

Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Acts 7:37-38, here are the essential points about the "living oracles" or Word of God:

What does Lloyd-Jones mean by the "living oracles" of God?

Lloyd-Jones explains that the "living oracles" refer to the Word of God that Moses received and passed on to the people. These are not ordinary words but divine communication from God Himself. As he states: "This isn't philosophy. This isn't men trying to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. This is God revealing the truth."

Why does Lloyd-Jones describe God's Word as "living" or "alive"?

According to the sermon, God's Word is living because:

  1. "It's alive. It's instinct with life. It's as true now as it's ever been."
  2. "It has got life in itself. And that is what makes this word so different from every other word."
  3. "It's a word that comes to us and it addresses us. It speaks to us. It's something apart from us. Its life is not in us and doesn't depend upon us."
  4. "It is a word that not only is always alive... it is a word that is continually alive."

How does Lloyd-Jones contrast God's Word with human philosophies?

The sermon draws several critical contrasts:

  1. Philosophy is "dependent upon our abilities, upon our strength, upon our qualities and powers," while God's Word has "life in and of itself."
  2. Human philosophies date and become irrelevant, while God's Word "is as alive tonight as it ever has been."
  3. The words of men "begin to die the moment they're uttered," while the Word of God "liveth and abideth forever."
  4. Human words are situational and only speak to certain conditions, while God's Word "goes on speaking and speaks always... whatever my state, whatever my condition, whatever my circumstances."

What power does Lloyd-Jones attribute to the Word of God?

Lloyd-Jones attributes remarkable power to God's Word:

  1. Creative power: "He said, let there be light, and there was light."
  2. Miraculous power: Like when Moses commanded water from rock or Jesus calmed the storm.
  3. Penetrating power: "Sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit."
  4. Convicting power: "It lays bare all self delusions, all sophistries, all pretenses and excuses."
  5. Discerning power: "It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
  6. Saving power: "It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth."

Why should people listen to God's Word according to Lloyd-Jones?

Lloyd-Jones provides several compelling reasons:

  1. It's the only word that reveals the true condition of humanity: "Here is the only word in the world tonight that exposes the real problem of the human race."
  2. It confronts us with our ultimate destiny: "It faces us with the one of the only two destinies that face us all."
  3. It offers genuine salvation: "This is the only word that is able to give us salvation."
  4. It will be the standard of judgment: "You will be judged on the day of judgment in terms of what you've been listening to tonight."

How does Lloyd-Jones apply this teaching to his audience?

Lloyd-Jones concludes with a powerful application, urging his listeners to respond to this living Word:

"My dear friends, this is a living word because it is the word of the living God himself. God grant that no one may go out of this service without having heard it. It's the word that tells of life. It's the word that gives life and life more abundantly."

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.