The Spirits Power in The Church
A Sermon on John 1:26-33
Originally preached Jan. 24, 1965
Scripture
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where …
Sermon Description
What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Is it a saving experience? In Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s exposition of John 1:26–33 titled “The Spirit’s Power in the Church,” he expounds on the outward biblical markers of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and argues for its essential (but not salvific) need in the church. He notes this need because the only true knowledge of God comes through the Holy Spirit. After discussing the internal markers of being baptized by the Holy Spirit (such as a sense of God’s holiness, humility, assurance of the love of God, etc.) in the previous sermon, he moves on to address the outward. First, he argues that a Biblical marker is often a physical phenomenon, such as a shining face. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones notes stories such as Stephen and Moses, and also recounts stories in church history. Second, he argues that baptism can be seen through the power dispensed to men and women in private conversations and preaching. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones bemoans the academic preaching that surrounds the church and notes that the disciples had all the facts when Jesus ascended, but Jesus knew they needed the Holy Spirit. He ends with asking the listener: “do you know anything of this power?”
Sermon Breakdown
- The baptism of the Holy Spirit is primarily for witness and testimony, not sanctification.
- There has been confusion about the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is not for sanctification but for empowering believers to be witnesses.
- The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives believers an unusual sense of God and His glory, a sense of awe and humility.
- The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives believers assurance of salvation, loss of fear of death, and confidence in eternity.
- The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives believers joy, love for God, and a desire to glorify Him.
- The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives believers spiritual light, knowledge, and understanding.
- Facial appearance is affected by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There are accounts of people's faces shining after being in God's presence.
- Speech is affected by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, giving power, liberty, and boldness. This is seen in both private and public speaking.
- The disciples were told to wait for the Holy Spirit before witnessing, even though they had been with Jesus for 3 years. Academic learning is not enough.
- The prophets and John the Baptist are examples of those empowered to speak by the Holy Spirit before Pentecost.
- After Pentecost, Peter and Paul spoke with power and authority from the Holy Spirit.
- Throughout church history, the Holy Spirit has empowered ordinary people to speak powerfully, resulting in revival. Examples were given of various preachers.
- An account was given of David Morgan, an ordinary preacher empowered to preach powerfully for 2 years. The Holy Spirit's power is sovereign.
- D.L. Moody and A.B. Simpson are examples of leaders empowered for ministry by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
- An account was given of an ordinary man praying powerfully in a prayer meeting, demonstrating the Holy Spirit's empowerment.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Baptism with the Holy Ghost and Spirit-Led Witness
What is the primary purpose of the baptism with the Holy Ghost according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the baptism with the Holy Ghost is "ultimately designed for witness, for testimony, not primarily for sanctification." He emphasizes that "much of the confusion concerning this doctrine arises because people will confuse it with sanctification." The primary purpose is to empower believers to be effective witnesses in the world, which is why he states there is "nothing more urgent for any of us than this particular doctrine" especially in an age with all its "tragedy and its problems, its pain and its sorrow."
What are the subjective evidences or internal marks of the baptism with the Holy Ghost?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones lists several subjective or internal evidences of the baptism with the Holy Ghost: - An unusual sense of God and His glory - A sense of awe - Being invariably humbled - A special, exceptional, immediate, direct assurance of God's love - Knowledge of sins forgiven - Loss of fear of death - Confidence regarding the eternal future - Joy and gladness even in affliction - Love for God and desire to glorify Him - Increased light, knowledge and understanding of spiritual truths
How does the baptism with the Holy Ghost affect a person's facial appearance according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that one of the external manifestations of the baptism with the Holy Ghost can be a change in facial appearance. He cites biblical examples like Moses whose face shone after being in God's presence, and Stephen whose face appeared "as the face of an angel" when filled with the Holy Ghost. He notes that in revival meetings, people have observed a luminous quality or glory in the faces of those filled with the Spirit, which has sometimes led to the conversion of observers. He emphasizes this is not limited to exceptional people, sharing a testimony of a child whose shining face during a revival in the island of Lewis led to a woman's conversion.
How does the baptism with the Holy Ghost affect a person's speech and preaching?
The baptism with the Holy Ghost transforms a person's speech and preaching by imparting: - Power and liberty in speaking - Authority that makes the message compelling - Unusual boldness and confidence - The ability to speak with "demonstration of the Spirit and of power" rather than mere human eloquence - Effectiveness that produces results in hearers - A divine "afflatus" or enabling that goes beyond natural ability - The capacity to speak in a way that convicts hearers, even when the speaker is not naturally eloquent
Dr. Lloyd-Jones cites examples from Scripture and church history of ordinary people who were transformed into powerful preachers through this baptism.
What historical examples does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give of people who experienced the baptism with the Holy Ghost?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides numerous historical examples: - John Tauler (medieval Catholic priest transformed by the Spirit) - Savonarola - Martin Luther - John Knox (whom Mary Queen of Scots feared more than English armies) - Hugh Latimer - John Livingston (who saw 500 conversions in one sermon) - Howell Harris (Welsh schoolmaster who experienced "baptism with fire") - George Whitefield - John Wesley (transformed from a "hopeless preacher" to powerful evangelist) - Charles Finney - David Morgan (ordinary carpenter-turned-preacher who had power for two years) - D.L. Moody - R.A. Torrey - A.B. Simpson
He also shares a personal story of witnessing an ordinary man with "certain defects" suddenly pray with extraordinary power in a prayer meeting.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main problem with the church in his day?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies that the main problem with the church is that "we seem to have forgotten the presence of the spirit and the power of the spirit." He criticizes how churches had become "so formal, everything so set, so organized, all in the control of man," while forgetting "the power and the glory of the spirit and the sanctity and the holiness."
He particularly criticizes the shift that occurred around 1850 when churches began emphasizing academic learning and respectability over spiritual power, saying this approach "has emptied the churches, and there is no hope until we return to the New Testament." He concludes that the lack of the Holy Spirit's power "explains the state of the Christian church" despite all "the talk about organizing and amalgamating and learning."
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.