Opponents: Objections and Judgment
A Sermon on Acts 4:1-12
Scripture
1And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they laid hands on them, and put them in …
Sermon Description
Christians should be encouraged that some of the trials and persecution they are facing in life might be as a result of being a follower of Jesus. Christians are not facing a new situation, and in this sermon on Acts 4:1–12 titled “Opponents: Objections and Judgment,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches on the gospel and people’s rejection of it. Christians must not forget that hostility towards the gospel is not a novelty— from the beginning, Christianity was rejected, and opposition to it has not changed at all. While people reject the gospel because of prejudices they bring against it that blind them to the truth, one of the main barriers to belief is pride. Christianity does not fit into the way that people want to think about the world and themselves. What are unbelievers rejecting? Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that at the root, people reject Jesus Christ as Savior and as the only Savior. Yet, as he points out, these are two extremely vital doctrines that must be dealt with by all. Why is Jesus the only Savior? From Scripture, Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that everyone is dead in their sins by their nature. Jesus is the only Savior because He is the only Savior sufficient enough to rescue humanity since He lived sinlessly and conquered death. Through Him, and Him alone, people can have the victory.
Sermon Breakdown
- The situation we face today is not new or unique. The early church faced opposition and persecution from the beginning.
- The gospel has always faced opposition from a strange assortment of groups that rarely agree, but unite against the gospel.
- The opposition is not due to intellect or understanding, but prejudice, feelings and desires.
- The opposition is often due to pride and a threat to authority and position.
- The opposition objects to Jesus as the Savior, his sacrificial death and his physical resurrection.
- Jesus is the only Savior. There is no other name by which we must be saved.
- Jesus does not need any assistance in saving us, not from his mother, the saints, priests or the Pope. He has done it all.
- We must proclaim Jesus as the only Savior against all objections. We are not narrow or intolerant, we are right.
- Jesus is the only Savior because God is God. He is holy, righteous and just and must punish sin.
- Man is sinful, guilty and helpless to save himself. He needs a Savior.
- Jesus is the only one who can be the Savior. He is fully God and fully man. He obeyed the law, died for our sins and was raised for our justification.
- Jesus has defeated every enemy - sin, death, the devil and the world. He has done everything and there is nothing left to do.
- We must challenge the modern "builders" who claim they can build a better world, but have produced nothing. They reject the only cornerstone.
- The rejectors of the gospel are under the judgment of God. They cannot thwart God's plans and power.
Itinerant Preaching
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.