The Spiritual Experience
A Sermon on John 4:27-30
Scripture
27And at this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What are You seeking?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” 28So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and *said to …
27¶ And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29Come, …
Sermon Description
What is the nature of a true biblical spiritual experience? Some people avoid all appearances of “religious ecstasy” while others are so overcome by a desire to experience God that they have an unhealthy spiritual life filled with subjectivity. In this sermon on John 4:27–30 titled “The Spiritual Experience,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the true nature of the spiritual life in Christ. He says that religious experiences are not something that can be made up on the spot or conjured up via human emotions. It is something that is brought about by God. One should also not discount the power of God to work in lives, for all throughout the Old and New Testaments God manifests Himself to His people. The Christian must always be receptive to what God has done and is doing in their lives. This sermon covers a topic that is important in the daily lives of Christians. It calls Christians to examine their spiritual lives to see if they are seeking to create ecstatic religious experiences rather than trusting God, or if they are suppressing what God is doing in their lives. Either way, this is a timeless message for all of God’s people.
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.