The Sheep and the Shepherd
A Sermon on Acts 8:30
Scripture
30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Sermon Description
The gospel is not just another philosophical school of thought for the wise and intellectual, but it comes to the weak and the outcast. It comes not through conquest and war, but through the death of a man upon a cross. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones boldly proclaims in “The Sheep and the Shepherd” from Acts 8:30, Jesus Christ came into this world to die a criminal’s death upon the cross of Calvary so that many would believe and be saved. This is contrary to the thinking of many modern people. They expect the world’s problems to be solved through clever plans and lofty ideals not known to previous generations. But the gospel of Jesus Christ contradicts this notion, for it says that the only means of salvation is a crucified Messiah who was not trained in the great philosophical schools of the day. He came to fulfill all that had been said of Him in the Law and the Prophets. His disciples were not of the Pharisees and philosophers, but were fisherman. It is this message that confounds worldly wisdom; it is this message alone that can save people from their sins and the judgment awaiting them.
Sermon Breakdown
- Man is guilty before God due to sin.
- Sin is defined as transgression (breaking God's law), iniquity (unrighteousness), and rebellion against God.
- The whole world is guilty of sin according to the Bible.
- Man's guilt is evidenced by grief, sorrow, and man's unhappiness.
- Man is lost without God like sheep without a shepherd. Man has no purpose or direction without God.
- Man is miserable, sick, fainting, and unable to stand up to life without God.
- Man is perverted and depraved, even rejecting God's offer of salvation.
- Man did not recognize Jesus as the Son of God and even despised Him.
- Man chose to free Barabbas instead of Jesus, showing man's condition.
- The law cannot save man because man cannot keep the law. Man is too sinful.
- Teaching and example cannot save man. Man's case is too desperate.
- Only Jesus' death on the cross for our sins can save us from our hopeless condition.
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.