The Church and the World
A Sermon on Ephesians 4:13
Originally preached Nov. 10, 1957
Scripture
13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Sermon Description
What is the church’s role in the world? In an environment that is becoming increasingly secularized, how should the body of believers see itself when thinking about how to share Christ with the world? In this sermon on Ephesians 4:13 titled “The Church and the World,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches on this vitally important subject. Scripture communicates eternal truth; it is relevant for every point of one’s life—right down to the small details. A big failure of the church today, he says, is that it does not speak with authority on issues Scripture addresses. Instead of taking commands from the Bible, many believers derive them from their own philosophizing— in this way, they fail to proclaim the message of Scripture and instead preach the standards of the world. But what is God’s plan for the world? This plan is the only message for the world in the New Testament— that everyone is in need of a savior and must turn to Jesus for forgiveness of their sins. God is coming back again, and the task for believers is to grow in Christlikeness until He comes. Christians are to show the world what it means to grow in the Lord as they await His coming for His bride, the church.
Sermon Breakdown
- God has a plan for the world that centers around Jesus Christ. This plan is currently unfolding and will continue until Christ returns.
- God's plan only applies to Christians, to those who have accepted Christ. It does not apply to the world at large. The only message for the world is to repent and believe the gospel.
- God's plan for Christians is to prepare them as a bride for Christ. The church and its leaders have been given the task of perfecting Christians and making them ready for Christ's return.
- Christians should not be concerned with worldly affairs and politics. Their focus should be on preparing themselves for Christ's return. The way Christians can influence the world is by showing what it means to be in Christ.
- God's plan cannot be stopped. Despite what happens in the world, God will continue his plan of saving all those who are meant to be saved. Every Christian will be made perfect and ready to meet Christ.
- Christians should see themselves as part of God's plan, as the bride of Christ being prepared for his return. They should not let worldly events determine their thinking but should focus on God's eternal plan.
- The church should not waste time on worldly matters but should focus on preparing Christians for Christ's return. The church's message for the world should simply be to repent and believe the gospel.
- God's plan is certain and unstoppable. Though the world continues in sin, God will accomplish his purposes through Christ.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 4:13
What is the main focus of Ephesians 4:13 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main focus of Ephesians 4:13 ("till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect men, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ") is God's plan for His church. He emphasizes that God has a specific plan that is centered in Christ and applies only to believers. This plan involves the perfecting of God's people as the bride of Christ, which will continue "until we all come" to spiritual maturity and unity in Christ.
What mistake does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe the church often makes on occasions like Remembrance Sunday?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones believes the church often makes the mistake of allowing "her message to be determined by the world instead of insisting that it is still determined by the scriptures." He criticizes the church for becoming "a kind of court chaplain or a state chaplain" that speaks "a vague, general message" dictated by worldly concerns rather than biblical truth. He sees this as a betrayal of the church's true purpose and authority, calling it "an utter denial, not only of the authority of the scriptures, but of the whole message of the Bible from beginning to end."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones differentiate between God's message for believers and non-believers?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a clear distinction between God's message for believers and non-believers. He states: "There is no message in the New Testament for the lost, except to tell them that they are lost, that they're under condemnation, that they're under the wrath of God, and that unless they repent, they remain lost and will be lost to all eternity." For believers, however, there is the message of preparation and sanctification as part of Christ's bride. The New Testament epistles, he explains, are addressed only to Christian people, not to the world at large.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "we all" in the text "till we all come"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "we all" refers exclusively to Christian people—those who are members of the body of Christ. He states: "The 'we all' means Christian people only. It means only those who are members of the body of Christ. The apostle is speaking about the church." He emphasizes that "we all" does not refer to the whole world, but only to those who have been saved and brought into the church through faith in Christ.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as God's plan for the church?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies God's plan for the church as "the perfecting of his own people." He explains that God is "preparing a bride for his dearly beloved, only begotten son," and this preparation will continue until every believer reaches spiritual maturity—"unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." This plan involves the ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers working toward the edification and perfection of the saints until Christ returns.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones view the relationship between the church and worldly affairs?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones views worldly affairs as largely irrelevant to the church's mission. He states: "Stop thinking for a moment about statesmen and international conferences and hydrogen bombs and possible wars and this and that. All that, you know, in a sense to us is irrelevant." He criticizes the church for "wasting her time on politics and social matters" instead of focusing on preparing believers for Christ's return. While acknowledging that Christians will suffer alongside others in worldly troubles, he emphasizes that their primary citizenship is in heaven.
What is the ultimate purpose of Christian ministry according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the ultimate purpose of Christian ministry is to prepare believers to be the bride of Christ. He explains that ministers are given "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." The goal is that believers will be "made perfect without spot or wrinkle or any such thing" to be presented to Christ as His holy bride.
How can Christians best influence the world according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that Christians best influence the world not by conforming to it or making alliances with it, but by "showing the difference of being in Christ" and by "making ourselves ready for him." He states: "It is the saints who have always influenced this world most of all" and encourages believers to focus on personal holiness rather than political activism. By purifying themselves and preparing for Christ's return, Christians demonstrate the transformative power of the gospel.
The Book of Ephesians
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.