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Sermon #1089

The Gifts of the Spirit (1)

A Sermon on John 1:26-33

Originally preached Jan. 31, 1965

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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

The Holy Spirit makes God’s children into profound witnesses for the gospel. Imagine Peter’s ministry after Pentecost. Think of Paul in Cyprus. These men were characterized by ability in speech, authority in performing miracles, and a boldness unmatched in proclaiming the truth about Jesus Christ. Even the Lord Jesus himself commenced His ministry by being baptized by the Holy Spirit. In short, without the Holy Spirit, the church is unable to perform its unique calling of representing Christ to the world. In his sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “The Gifts of the Spirit (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones not only teaches on this necessity of the Holy Spirit, but enters into a topic of grave controversy: are signs, wonders, and miracles only for the early church? Do signs, wonders, and miracles authenticate the gospel message the same way they did before the completion of the New Testament canon? Dr. Lloyd-Jones models a charitable engagement with alternative views and fairly surveys key arguments and the biblical passages they put forth. With a firm posture, Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides answers to several cessationist arguments. Whether the listener is unfamiliar with the debate on the gifts of the Spirit or well-initiated into it, listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones deals openly and reasonably in this controversial topic.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The baptism of the Holy Spirit enables Christians to represent Christ in the world.
  2. The world is full of trouble, confusion, sin and shame. It has been trying to solve its problems for centuries but is no closer to solving them.
  3. The world's only hope is the gospel. Christians are called to represent Christ and share this hope with the world.
  4. The question is how can Christians represent Christ? The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives them power to be witnesses for Christ.
  5. There are internal and external signs of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The external signs include a transfigured face, power in speech, authority, boldness and fearlessness.
  6. The baptism of the Holy Spirit also results in spiritual gifts. These gifts provide supernatural authentication of the Christian message which the world needs. However, these gifts can also be counterfeited by the enemy.
  7. Spiritual gifts were evident in the early church and throughout the New Testament. Some argue these gifts were only meant for the early church but the Bible never says this.
  8. Some argue the gifts were only to convince Jews or only for the beginning of the church. However, the Bible never limits the gifts this way.
  9. Others argue the gifts ceased once the New Testament was completed. However, 1 Corinthians 13 refers to the contrast between our limited knowledge now and our perfect knowledge in heaven, not between a time before and after the New Testament.
  10. There is no biblical evidence the gifts were only temporary. Attempts to make the Bible say this lead to contradictions.
  11. The church today urgently needs the power of God through the Holy Spirit to testify to Christ.

Sermon Q&A

What Is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and Why Is It Important Today?

What is the main purpose of the baptism with the Holy Spirit according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the central main purpose of the baptism with the Holy Spirit is to enable Christians with power to be witnesses for Christ. He states, "The central main object of the baptism of the Holy Ghost is to enable us with power to be witnesses unto him, his person, his work." This empowerment is essential for Christians to effectively represent Christ in a world that is "full of trouble, full of confusion, full of sin and of shame."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between who can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphatically teaches that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is available to all believers, not just special people or leaders. He states: "There are still people, I find, who seem to think that what we are talking about is only for certain special people. I try every Sunday morning to find out that that is a complete fallacy. That the New Testament offers this to all." He emphasizes this point strongly, noting that "the promise is to you and to your children, and to as many as are afar off," and that even the most ordinary believers can experience this baptism.

What are some of the objective evidences of the baptism with the Holy Spirit?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, some of the objective evidences of the baptism with the Holy Spirit include:

  1. Changes in facial appearance - "a kind of transfiguration, some reflection of the glory of God"
  2. Power in speech - both in preaching and in ordinary conversation
  3. Authority in delivery - speaking with conviction and certainty
  4. Boldness and fearlessness - no longer afraid to stand for truth
  5. Supernatural gifts - signs, wonders, and various manifestations

He emphasizes that these changes are noticeable to others and make an impact on those who encounter the Spirit-baptized believer.

What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones' response to those who claim spiritual gifts have ceased?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones refutes the cessationist position (the view that spiritual gifts ended after the apostolic age) with several arguments:

  1. The Bible never states anywhere that these gifts were only temporary
  2. The interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13 as referring to the completion of Scripture is flawed
  3. Such interpretation would illogically suggest that modern Christians have superior knowledge to the apostles
  4. The "perfect" in 1 Corinthians 13 refers to the glory of heaven, not the completion of Scripture

He concludes that attempts to make Scripture say the gifts have ceased lead to "dismal, impossible conclusions" and that these interpretations twist Scripture to suit preconceived theories.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe the baptism with the Holy Spirit is especially important in modern times?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones believes the baptism with the Holy Spirit is vitally important in modern times for several key reasons:

  1. The church is "failing lamentably" and needs more than orthodoxy to be effective
  2. People need to hear a "word of authority" in an age of skepticism
  3. Christians need supernatural authentication of their message
  4. Society shows increasing "manifestations of the power of evil spirits" that need to be countered
  5. The world needs to see the power of God through the church

He concludes his sermon saying, "The greatest need is the power of God through his spirit in the church, that we may testify not even to the power of the spirit, but to the glory and the praise of the one and only savior, Jesus Christ."

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.