A Living God
A Sermon on Exodus 3:6
Originally preached Sept. 19, 1965
Scripture
6Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Sermon Description
Blaise Pascal once said, “God is not the God of the philosophers.” In this sermon on Exodus 3:6 titled “A Living God,” Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones expounds on how dangerous this statement is. The philosophers deal in the abstract, but Christians have a God that is real and can be known personally. When God described himself to Moses as I AM in Exodus 3:6, He was showing Himself as the familiar and intimate God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows in this sermon that this God is a God of compassion and faithfulness throughout the ages. This is the God who sees the sorrows and looks upon Christians as a father pities His children and then works His good purposes for them. He remains who He has always been: the God who was in covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and He acts out of compassion on the Christian’s behalf.
Sermon Breakdown
- God is not an abstraction or philosophical concept. He is a living, personal God.
- God reveals himself to mankind. He is not found through human reasoning or intellect.
- God can be known and experienced. He is not distant or unreachable.
- God is the God of covenant and purpose. He has a plan for redemption and salvation.
- God sees, hears, and knows the sorrows of his people. He is a God of compassion.
- God came down to earth to deliver his people from bondage. He intervenes and acts.
- God is unchanging and eternal. He remains faithful to his promises and covenant.
- Circumstances do not affect God or limit his power. He is in control of all things.
- God has worked mightily in the past, and will continue to do so in the present and future.
- God raised Jesus from the dead, demonstrating his power over sin and death.
- The church has endured despite facing immense struggles, proving God's faithfulness.
- People must come to know God personally. Religion and ritual are not enough.
- Knowing God brings comfort, peace, and confidence through life's trials.
Sermon Q&A
Who is the God of the Bible According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides a powerful exposition of Exodus 3:6, where God states, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." This foundational statement reveals several key aspects about the true nature of God.
What does Lloyd-Jones mean when he says God is not "the God of the philosophers"?
According to Lloyd-Jones, God is not merely an abstraction or philosophical concept. He emphasizes: "God is not just some abstraction... The philosophers, of course, have taught people to think like that. They talk about the uncaused cause. They talk about the absolute. They talk about ultimate reality... But all this is abstract." The God of the Bible is not an impersonal force, concept, or "ground of all being" that can only be accessed through intellectual effort or philosophical reasoning.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the personal nature of God?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that God is fundamentally personal: "God is personal. I am. Now, this is the most blessed thing that one can ever come to realize in this world of time. God is a person. God is essentially personal... God isn't mere force. He isn't mere energy. He isn't mere power." This personal God speaks, acts, reveals Himself, and can be known and met. Unlike idols that have "mouths but speak not," the Living God engages directly with humanity.
What does it mean that God is "the God of the covenant"?
According to Lloyd-Jones, when God identifies Himself as "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," He is declaring that He is a God who makes and keeps covenants. He explains: "He's the God of the covenant. He's the God of the purpose... Here is God covenanting himself to his people." This is in contrast to deism, which views God as creating the world but then abandoning it. Lloyd-Jones stresses that God actively intervenes in human history according to His redemptive plan.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe God's compassion?
Lloyd-Jones highlights God's compassionate nature by referencing Exodus 3:7, where God says, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry." He explains: "He is a God who knows all about us and is concerned about that... He hasn't merely made us and then allowed us to get on with it and suffer as much as we like. He hasn't abandoned us. He is not indifferent to us." God deeply cares about human suffering and actively responds to it.
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about God's unchanging nature?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that God is changeless: "God not only doesn't change... God cannot change." He points out that though 600 years had passed between Abraham and Moses, God identified Himself as the same God. Lloyd-Jones states: "God is and ever will be as he always has been." This unchanging nature means God's purposes, promises, and covenant remain steadfast regardless of circumstances or the passage of time.
Why is knowing this personal God so important according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones concludes by emphasizing that knowing this personal God is the most important thing in life: "Nothing matters ultimately but our knowledge of God and our relationship to him." He challenges his listeners with the vital question: "Have you ever met the living God? Do you know him? Has he spoken to you? Has he interrupted your life?" For Lloyd-Jones, religion and observances are "no substitute for the real thing" - a personal relationship with the living God.
Old Testament
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.