The Power of Sin
A Sermon on Acts 7:20-29
Originally preached Feb. 26, 1967
Scripture
20In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months: 21And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the …
Sermon Description
There is only one way to be reconciled to God and avoid the eternal punishment of hell. Only those who repent of sin and believe in Jesus Christ will be saved. Those who reject the gospel receive condemnation. Who would refuse salvation? In this sermon titled “The Power of Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows in Acts 7:20–29 what compels people to reject the only way of salvation that God has given to this broken world. It is a sinful nature and mind that leads people to reject God in this blind prejudice. Sin has corrupted every aspect of humanity. They are not able to rationally judge the truth of Christianity and the gospel and instead are controlled by blind prejudice and hate. This is why it is only by a divine calling to salvation that anyone believes and is saved. This is what is seen in the story of Moses. Moses was called by God to leave Egypt, but he encountered opposition from his own people. This hostility is not because of any reasonable objection to Moses but it is this blind and prejudiced unbelief being worked out in the life of sinful people who do not know God. This is why it is so vital that the church is always faithful to the message that has been entrusted to them by God.
Sermon Breakdown
- Stephen is on trial before the Sanhedrin for preaching about Jesus as the Messiah. The Sanhedrin accuses Stephen of blasphemy against Moses and God.
- Stephen reviews the history of the Jewish people to show that the Sanhedrin has misunderstood their own history and prophecies about the Messiah.
- Stephen talks about Abraham, Joseph, and Moses to show how they prefigured Jesus as the Messiah. The Sanhedrin rejects Jesus as the Messiah just as their ancestors rejected God's messengers.
- God confronted Moses with a choice between the pleasures of Egypt or suffering with God's people. Moses chose to suffer with God's people.
- The Israelites failed to understand that God would deliver them through Moses. They rejected Moses as their deliverer.
- Sin affects our minds and prevents us from thinking correctly. Prejudice is more powerful than reason.
- Sin also affects our hearts and spirits. It perverts us at our very core.
- Natural man hates God and is at enmity with Him. Man resents God's interference in his life.
- Man especially resents God's way of salvation. Man wants to contribute to his own salvation. He rejects salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.
- Man takes sides with his oppressors like the devil against his deliverer Jesus Christ.
- The Israelites treated Moses vilely even though he sacrificed greatly to deliver them. They spat upon him and threatened him.
- Jesus sacrificed infinitely more to save us, yet man rejects and crucifies Him. Man is guilty of the same sin as the Israelites.
- We must see that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for our sins, and that He alone can save us. We must submit to Him as our all-sufficient Savior.
Sermon Q&A
How Does Sin Affect Man's Response to God's Salvation According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
What is the main theme of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon from Acts 7:20-29?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on how sin causes mankind to reject God's salvation. Using Moses' rejection by the Israelites as his central example, he demonstrates how this ancient pattern repeats throughout history, including in the rejection of Jesus Christ, and continues today when people reject the gospel. The sermon explores how sin affects both the mind and heart, causing people to respond with hostility toward God's appointed deliverers.
According to Lloyd-Jones, what are the two main ways sin affects humans?
According to Lloyd-Jones, sin affects humans in two primary ways: first, it paralyzes the mind, preventing people from thinking straight and rationally about God and salvation; second, and even worse, it affects the heart and spirit, creating a perversion at the very center of human nature. This heart-level corruption produces prejudice, bitterness, and hostility toward God and His messengers.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the concept of prejudice in his sermon?
Lloyd-Jones describes prejudice as something more powerful than reason that controls and governs human thinking. He explains that prejudice "prejudges" issues without waiting to hear evidence. It operates at an emotional level rather than a rational one, yet it's so powerful that it governs thinking. He notes that prejudice is universal in human experience (racial, national, class prejudices) and creates bitterness, harsh feelings, and unhappiness.
What was the Israelites' response to Moses when he tried to help them?
The Israelites responded to Moses with resentment, bitterness, and rejection. When Moses tried to stop two Israelites from fighting, one thrust him away saying, "Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Will thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?" Rather than recognizing Moses as their God-sent deliverer, they threatened to expose him, forcing him to flee to Midian for his life.
What parallel does Lloyd-Jones draw between Moses' rejection and Jesus' rejection?
Lloyd-Jones draws a direct parallel between how the Israelites rejected Moses (their God-appointed deliverer) and how the Jewish authorities rejected Jesus (the ultimate Deliverer). In both cases, the people responded with hatred, resentment, and violence toward the one sent to save them. He cites examples like Jesus healing on the Sabbath (Luke 6) and being crucified (Luke 23) as evidence of the same pattern of rejection that Stephen highlighted in his speech.
What specific aspects of the gospel does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say people particularly resent?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two aspects of the gospel that people particularly resent: 1) The doctrine of Christ's death and blood atonement - that salvation comes exclusively through Christ's sacrificial death, and 2) The doctrine of rebirth/regeneration - that humans are so corrupted by sin that they must be born again rather than merely improved. He says people find both doctrines insulting because they suggest human helplessness and total dependence on God.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the irony of rejecting God's salvation?
Lloyd-Jones points out the tragic irony that when people reject God's salvation, they actually side with their greatest enemies. Just as the Israelites sided with their Egyptian oppressors against Moses, and the Jewish leaders sided with Roman authorities against Jesus, people who reject the gospel today are siding with the devil - the very one who caused their misery in the first place. He calls this a terrible perversion caused by sin.
What is Lloyd-Jones' final appeal to his listeners?
Lloyd-Jones concludes with a powerful appeal asking listeners to first objectively consider the story and render a verdict on the Israelites' response to Moses and the crowd's rejection of Jesus. Then he turns it personal: "Thou art the man." If you haven't submitted to Christ as your only and all-sufficient Savior, you are guilty of the same rejection. He prays that God's Spirit would open eyes to see Christ in "all the plenitude and fullness of his divine saviorhood."
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.