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Sermon #1081

The Church and the World

A Sermon on John 1:26-33

Originally preached Nov. 8, 1964

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Scripture

John 1:26-33 ESV KJV
John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he …

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Sermon Description

Has religion become something “formal” that is only done on certain occasions? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says this one of the greatest of all curses. Listen to this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “The Church and the World” about how a Christian’s interaction with the world is their “witness.” Scriptures depict the Christian as a rejoicing person. No one can be an accurate and adequate witness of God without first receiving the Spirit’s power described here through baptism. The world often characterizes evangelicals as being so inwardly focused that they are not concerned about the world, but this is a myth. Dr. Lloyd-Jones touches on the “social gospel” and the gradual drifting of focus and influence of the church over time. Why does the church have such little influence today? This sermon pulls from the illustrations of the past to see how the influence of individuals has churned up the power to “turn the world upside down.” What is the business of the function of the church? It is to produce Christian people; this is where focus has been lost. The Christian must know what they believe, so that they can be the witness God has called them to be. By living differently, Christians can provide a radically different explanation for the difficult realities – death, calamity, hardship – and by this, to be the salt and the light of the earth.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The church is not meant to be a court chaplain that is only useful on special occasions.
  2. The church is not meant to just provide vague comfort.
  3. The church is not meant to just enforce patriotism or appeal for morality.
  4. There have been three main views of the relationship between church and state:
  5. The Roman Catholic view that the state is subservient to the church.
  6. The Erastian view that the church is subservient to the state.
  7. The Reformed view that the church and state are complementary but separate.
  8. The primary task of the church is to produce Christian individuals, not just give advice to the state or protest things.
  9. The early church turned the world upside down by producing Christians, not talking politics.
  10. Constantine made Christianity the official religion of Rome because Christians had become so numerous.
  11. The Protestant Reformation and Puritan era influenced society by producing many Christians.
  12. The evangelical revival of the 18th century saved Britain from a revolution like France's.
  13. The only way to influence society is to produce so many Christians that governments have to listen.
  14. Two essential things are needed to produce many Christians: understanding the message and the power of the Holy Spirit.
  15. Apollos powerfully refuted the Jews and proved Jesus was the Christ after Aquila and Priscilla taught him more accurately.
  16. The gospel must be preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, not just with words.
  17. Christians must live differently for the world to listen, with an explanation for society's state and the way out.

Sermon Q&A

What is the Primary Function of the Church According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

What is the primary task of the church according to Lloyd-Jones's sermon?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the primary task of the church is to produce Christian individuals. As he states in the sermon: "The answer of the New Testament is patent. It is to produce Christian people, Christian individuals. This is the primary task of the church, to make men and women Christian." He emphasizes that the church's influence on society comes through these individual Christians living out their faith in various spheres of life.

Why does Lloyd-Jones say the church has little influence in modern society?

Lloyd-Jones explains that the church has little influence in modern society because it abandoned its primary purpose of producing genuine Christians and instead focused on social and political matters. He notes: "Never perhaps, has the church talked more about worldly affairs than she's done in this present century... The argument was, if only we took an interest in practical affairs, the whole world would listen to us... and the more she's done that, the less she has affected the surroundings and circumstances."

What two elements does Lloyd-Jones identify as essential for effective Christian witness?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two essential elements for effective Christian witness:

  1. Clear understanding of the message: "The first is the understanding of the message" - Christians must understand the gospel and be able to articulate it clearly.

  2. The power of the Holy Spirit: "But on top of that, the power of the Holy Ghost, the baptism with power" - He emphasizes that correct doctrine without spiritual power is ineffective.

As he states: "With the power of the Holy Ghost, everything is different."

How does Lloyd-Jones view the relationship between church and state?

Lloyd-Jones advocates the Reformed view where "the state and the church are complementary, that they are both ordained of God." He rejects both the Roman Catholic view (church over state) and the Erastian view (state over church), explaining: "It isn't that the church is over the state or the state over the church, but these are two bodies that are complementary. They both derive their authority from God, and they mustn't interfere with one another's activities."

What historical examples does Lloyd-Jones provide of Christianity's influence on society?

Lloyd-Jones provides several historical examples of Christianity's influence on society:

  1. The early church: "The apostle Paul was preaching a personal gospel... Individuals were being converted... And these were unique people. They were different from everybody else."

  2. The Protestant Reformation: "The influence of the Protestant Reformation not only upon government and politics, but even upon science and literature and all these things is something beyond computation."

  3. The Commonwealth under Cromwell: "Oliver Cromwell was a remarkable Christian man... The Puritan preaching had produced so many Christians that they became a power in the land."

  4. The Evangelical/Methodist awakening: "What saved this country from something analogous to the French Revolution was the evangelical or Methodist awakening of the 18th century."

What does Lloyd-Jones say is the biggest problem in Christian living?

According to Lloyd-Jones, the biggest problem in Christian living is compartmentalization: "Nothing is more fatal in the Christian life than to live in compartments. And to think that your Christianity, your faith, is one thing which you keep in one compartment, but your life in the world is something quite different, and that there's no connection at all between the two. That has been the curse, probably the greatest of all curses, in connection with the life of the Christian church."

The Book of John

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.