Stir Yourselves
A Sermon on Romans 12:11
Originally preached May 6, 1966
Scripture
11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Sermon Description
What does slothfulness and self-importance share in common? The antidote to both is a heart that understands that Christians are not their own but belong to God. The antidote to both pride and laziness is the great hope the Christian have in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this sermon on Romans 12:11 titled “Stir Yourselves,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores the question of slothfulness and he confronts the fundamental question on what it means to serve the Lord. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds the Christian of their fundamental identity. Christians are slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ and have been bought with a price. As slaves to the Lord, their service is not their personal cause but it is the Lord’s ministry. It is fundamentally not their honor involved as they serve, but the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. This slavery to the Lord is a privilege and Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds the Christian that they are co-workers with God. As those involved in God’s work, they cultivate a particular outlook of hope on this life. This is not a hopeful optimism in the present world, nor a general hopefulness. It is the doctrine of hope and the hope that Christ will return. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages keeping one’s eyes on Jesus Christ and mortify slothfulness and self-importance in service to Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is giving a series of injunctions to Christians in Romans 12.
- These injunctions apply to all Christians.
- Paul reminds Christians of the foundation principles in Romans 12:1-2 which govern Christian conduct.
- Romans 12:3-8 deals with exercising spiritual gifts. Romans 12:9-21 deals with Christian relationships and living the Christian life.
- Two principles govern Christian conduct: love and avoiding evil.
- Christians must not be slothful or lazy in zeal. They must be fervent in spirit.
- "Fervent in spirit" means allowing the Holy Spirit to manifest without hindrance.
- The ultimate antidote to slothfulness is "serving the Lord."
- Christians are slaves and bondservants to Christ. They do not serve themselves.
- The church and ministry do not belong to any individual. They belong to God.
- Serving the Lord is a privilege and a way to show gratitude to Christ.
- Christ's honor is involved in everything Christians do. Christians will have to give an account to Christ.
- Christ sees everything Christians do. His eye is always on them.
- Christians should not be slothful so they will not be ashamed at Christ's coming. They will have to stand before His judgment seat.
- "Rejoicing in hope" means having the right view of the present world as fallen and under judgment.
- God's purpose is to redeem individuals out of the world, not improve the world. Christ will return to judge the world and establish His eternal kingdom.
- Christians should rejoice in the hope of Christ's return and eternal glory, not in the present world.
- Present sufferings are light and momentary compared to the eternal glory that will be revealed. Christians look not at temporal things but eternal things.
- The blessed hope is Christ's glorious appearing and eternal kingdom. This is the Christian's joy and motivation.
Sermon Q&A
Lloyd-Jones on Serving the Lord and Christian Hope
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "serving the Lord" in Romans 12:11?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that "serving the Lord" is the ultimate antidote to slothfulness in the Christian life. He explains this involves understanding that we are slaves (bondslaves) of Christ, bought with a price. It means recognizing that the Christian cause isn't ours but God's - we don't serve ourselves or "our church" but Him alone. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes this is "the key, in a sense, to everything else" and "the supreme motive always in christian living and in christian service." When we truly grasp that we're serving the Lord rather than ourselves, it transforms our approach to Christian living and eliminates the problems that arise from self-focus.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the Christian's relationship to the current world?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christians must have a right view of this world as "the present evil world." According to his interpretation of Scripture, this is a fallen world under judgment - a doomed world with no hope for improvement in itself. He strongly criticizes the "social gospel" that was popular in the early 20th century, which suggested the world would gradually improve and be Christianized. Instead, Lloyd-Jones explains that God's purpose is not gradual improvement but redemption through calling people out of the world as individuals and placing them in the kingdom of God. The Christian understands that this present world is temporary, and that Christ will return to judge the world and establish His eternal kingdom.
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about "rejoicing in hope" from Romans 12:11-12?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that "rejoicing in hope" isn't about cultivating general cheerfulness or optimism about this world's future. Rather, it refers to rejoicing in the "blessed hope" of Christ's return and the coming glory. He explains that the Christian looks beyond present troubles to eternal glory: "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christians can rejoice regardless of present circumstances because they're focused on "things which are not seen" rather than "things which are seen." This hope involves anticipating Christ's return, the establishment of His kingdom, and believers being transformed to be like Him - "we shall see him as he is, and we shall be made like him."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christians should view suffering and tribulation?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Christians should view suffering in light of eternity. He references 2 Corinthians 4 where Paul calls his extensive trials "our light affliction, which is but for a moment." Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul could describe severe tribulations as "light" because he measured them against eternal glory - "he's putting it all into another context." The Christian doesn't deny suffering but places it in proper perspective by comparing temporal difficulties with eternal rewards. Lloyd-Jones teaches that while in this world Christians will face troubles, they can remain joyful by focusing on the coming glory rather than present circumstances. He notes that this perspective enabled early Christians to face even martyrdom with thanksgiving because of "the hope that was set before them."
What mistakes does Lloyd-Jones identify in how Christians sometimes approach church work?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several mistakes Christians make in church work, including:
- Thinking of "my church" rather than recognizing it as God's church
- Denominational rivalry and competitiveness
- Boasting about what "our church" is doing rather than giving glory to God
- Seeking personal reputation and praise rather than serving the Lord
- Being concerned with personal importance rather than being grateful for the privilege of participation
- Forgetting that God's honor is involved in what we do
- Failing to remember we will give account before Christ for our service
Lloyd-Jones warns that these self-centered approaches to church work lead to "rivalries and quarreling and hatred" and represent "a denial of the very essence of Christianity."
The Book of Romans
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.