The Wonderful Works of God
A Sermon on the Wonderful Works of God
Scripture
Sermon Description
What role does the Holy Spirit play in one’s life? Is there any room in prayers for praying for revival and a fresh outpouring of the Spirit? In this sermon on the wonderful works of God from Acts 2:11, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses the outlook of the church in his day. The church waxes and wanes throughout church history. At times it is strong in spreading forth in holiness and evangelism, reaching far and wide to exclaim the glories of her great God and Savior Jesus Christ. And yet at other times it wanes in want for a glimpse of the power of God in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that throughout the Old and New Testaments, the focus of the Bible is on the mighty acts of God. At Pentecost the mighty acts of God were heard in a multitude of languages. Moreover, he points out that the church has reserved little room to pray for revival and a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit with power. He implicates this rejection as the main reason for the weaknesses of the church in the modern day, closing itself off from the possibility of revival.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by highlighting the phrase “the wonderful works of God” from Acts 2:11. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that this phrase is appropriate to consider in the current times.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones expresses concern over complacency in the church and a failure to realize the seriousness of the current times. The world is in a time of crisis and climactic change.
- There are many problems in society and the church including: permissiveness, lawlessness, rebellion against traditional values, declining church attendance and membership, the rise of cults and new religious movements, anti-intellectualism, and a desire for experience over reason.
- There has been a tendency to turn Christianity into a cult focused on human activity and decision making rather than God. There has also been a focus on accepting certain beliefs rather than truly knowing God.
- There is a danger of replacing belief in and experience of the living God with an interest in apologetics and theology. One can spend too much time defending the faith and forget God himself.
- There is a modern tendency to turn faith into a philosophy or worldview rather than a relationship with the living God. Some even say the church should be abolished in favor of discussing ideas.
- The Bible emphasizes God's activity, intervention, and involvement in the world. It highlights what God has done, is doing, and will do. This is in contrast with the distant, static God of deism.
- God's activity is seen throughout the Old Testament in events like the call of Abraham, the Exodus, the giving of the Law, the establishment of Israel, and the ministries of the prophets. God constantly intervened to save, judge, and guide his people.
- God's activity culminates in the sending of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts records the early church's experience of God's power.
- Revivals throughout church history demonstrate that God is still actively involved in the world. He continues to pour out his Spirit in power. Revivals are necessary to revive the church in times of lethargy and deadness.
- There is a tendency to think God's activity ended with the apostles and early church. But God has been actively reviving his church throughout the centuries through phenomena like the Reformation and Great Awakenings.
- Stories of God's powerful work in people's lives, like Pascal's conversion experience, demonstrate that intellectual knowledge of God is not enough. We need to know God experientially.
- The only hope for the church today is a fresh outpouring of the Spirit and demonstration of God's power. Apologetics, theology, and philosophy are not enough. We need revival.
- We must pray urgently and persistently for God to pour out his Spirit in power and revival. Nothing else can deal with the desperate situation of the world today.
Sermon Q&A
What is the Meaning of "The Wonderful Works of God" According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What is the main theme of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on "The Wonderful Works of God"?
In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on the phrase "the wonderful works of God" from Acts 2:11, emphasizing that the church has largely forgotten the reality of the living, acting God. His main concern is that Christians have replaced a dynamic relationship with an active God with mere religious activities, apologetics, or philosophical approaches to Christianity. He argues that what the modern world needs is not more defenses of Christianity but a fresh demonstration of God's power and activity.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the current crisis in Christianity?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the church is facing a critical situation characterized by dwindling attendances, declining memberships, and general irrelevance in society. He notes that people increasingly view the church as outmoded, and there's a growing anti-intellectualism coupled with a hunger for genuine experience. The crisis is that the church appears lifeless and ineffective while people desperately seek something "dynamic, something living, or something real."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the difference between "religion without God" and true Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones distinguishes between "religion without God" and true Christianity by explaining that many practice religion merely as: - Morality tinged with emotion - Religious activities and customs performed out of habit - Church attendance without awareness of God's presence - Accepting certain doctrinal propositions without experiencing the living God
True Christianity, by contrast, centers on knowing and experiencing the living, acting God who intervenes in human affairs and transforms lives through His power.
What historical examples does Dr. Lloyd-Jones provide of God's active intervention?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones references numerous examples from Scripture and church history: - Creation and God's dealings with Adam after the fall - God's intervention in the flood and call of Abraham - The Exodus and parting of the Red Sea - The prophets who received "a burden from the Lord" - Christ's incarnation, miracles, death, and resurrection - Pentecost and the apostolic ministry - The Protestant Reformation - The Evangelical Revival under Whitefield and the Wesleys - The 1857 American revival and the 1859 Welsh revival
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "revival" and why does he believe it's the only hope?
For Lloyd-Jones, revival is "the intervention of God...the eruption of God into the process" - not merely a human-organized campaign. He describes it as: - God dealing directly with people and turning them into instruments He can use - A manifestation of divine power that creates a "phenomenon" in society - Something that cannot be explained in human terms - A fresh authentication of the truth by an outpouring of the Spirit
He believes revival is the only hope because the current moral and spiritual decline will continue despite all human efforts unless God intervenes supernaturally to authenticate His truth and transform lives.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones critique modern approaches to evangelism?
Lloyd-Jones critiques several modern approaches to evangelism: 1. Making evangelism primarily about human activity and organization with "prayer backing" as an afterthought 2. Reducing conversion to merely accepting doctrinal propositions or signing cards 3. Substituting apologetics for actual experience of God 4. Turning Christianity into merely a philosophy or "Christian attitude" toward various issues 5. Focusing on theological correctness while forgetting the living God 6. Teaching that Christians receive everything at regeneration with no need for further divine visitation
What practical advice does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give to those seeking revival?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers several practical points: 1. Recognize our tendency to forget the living God 2. Acknowledge that human efforts alone are insufficient 3. Study church history to understand how God has worked in the past 4. Pray urgently and persistently for God to manifest Himself 5. End self-reliance and develop a longing for God's power 6. Become "living witnesses" who can point others to genuine experience with God
What was the personal experience that John Wesley recorded that exemplifies what Lloyd-Jones is describing?
Lloyd-Jones quotes Wesley's journal entry from December 31, 1738/January 1, 1739: "About three in the morning as we were continuing instant in prayer the power of God came mightily upon us insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy and many fell to the ground. As soon as we were recovered a little from the awe and amazement at the presence of his Majesty we broke out with one voice. We praise thee, O God. We acknowledge thee to be the Lord." This illustrates the kind of divine visitation Lloyd-Jones believes the church needs.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect the Bible's emphasis on God's activity with the church's need today?
Lloyd-Jones argues that the Bible consistently emphasizes God's supernatural activity—from creation through the Exodus to Christ's ministry and Pentecost. He contends that the church has strayed from this biblical emphasis by focusing on human activities, philosophies, and apologetics. The solution is to return to the biblical expectation of God's active intervention, recognizing that the church's persistence throughout history has depended on periodic divine visitations that authenticate the gospel message in ways that mere human activity cannot.
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.