What is Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teaching About the Different Ways People Come to Christ?

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores the different paths to faith and spiritual growth in this sermon on John 1:40-45. His message focuses on the experiences of Andrew and Philip as they first encountered Jesus and then eagerly shared their discovery with others.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the different ways people come to Christ?

According to Lloyd-Jones, people come to Christ through both direct and indirect methods. He points to Andrew, who came to Christ indirectly through the testimony of John the Baptist, while Philip was directly approached by Jesus himself who said, "Follow me." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes:

"The vast majority of people come to Christ and to a knowledge of this great salvation and eventually receive the fullness of the spirit as the result of the teaching and the instruction of others... But that's not the only way."

He warns against standardizing Christian experience, noting that "there is nothing stereotyped about this Christian experience and we must be very careful that we don't impose upon it some formula or some pattern which we make inevitable and absolutely essential."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as signs that a person is on the spiritual journey toward Christ?

Lloyd-Jones identifies several key indicators that someone is genuinely on the spiritual path:

1. An urgent desire to tell others: "The first test is this, that there is within us an urge to tell others about him and what we have experienced of him hitherto so far."

2. A sense of discovery: Those on the path can say with conviction "we have found" rather than merely seeking or hoping. They have moved beyond just searching to actual possession of something real.

3. Both experience and understanding: True Christian faith combines personal experience with doctrinal understanding - "it doesn't only come from his heart." The new believer not only feels something but understands something about Jesus being the Messiah.

4. A desire to bring others to Jesus: Like Andrew who "brought him to Jesus" and Philip who said "Come and see," those on the path want others to encounter Christ personally.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish true Christian experience from counterfeit experiences?

Lloyd-Jones clearly distinguishes genuine Christianity from counterfeits like cults and psychological experiences:

1. True Christianity involves both heart experience and intellectual understanding: "The Christian is a man who not only has the understanding, but because he's understood it, it's thrilled him."

2. Cults often standardize experiences where "they generally appear together" with identical manifestations, while God works uniquely with each person.

3. True Christianity recognizes Jesus as "the Messiah's that you look upon life and upon yourself and upon the whole world and its past, its present and its future in the light of this revelation."

4. Genuine faith changes you: "I've got something. I found something, and I'm different as the result of it."

What illustration does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to explain the Christian's desire to share their faith?

Lloyd-Jones uses a powerful medical illustration: Imagine suffering from a crippling disease that no specialist could cure. Then you find a doctor with an effective prescription that completely heals you. When you later see someone suffering from the same condition:

"There's only one thing to do. You've just got to cross the road... and say, 'I do know what's the matter with you. Have you ever heard of this?' producing your prescription."

He explains that Christians want to share their faith because they've found the answer to humanity's deepest problems, and they want both to help others and to bring glory to the Great Physician who healed them.