MLJ Trust Logo Image
Search
Sermon #5220

A Right View of Life

A Sermon on Judges 18:7

Originally preached Oct. 8, 1961

Share Share on Twitter Share on Facebook
Play Sermon
btn-play
Download Sermon Add to Queue Add to Playlist

Scripture

Judges 18:7 ESV KJV
Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had …

Read more

Sermon Description

The Bible is a book one can turn to for truth. It comes with warnings, and challenges one’s thinking. In it are found the teachings of what is right and wrong, how to live during one’s time on earth, and the history of humans. In this sermon on Judges 18:7 and 28 titled “A Right View of Life,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out that even though the Bible gives directions on how to live, humans too often decide to make their own way of life and come up with their own solutions to the world’s problems, all apart from the Bible. Dr. Lloyd-Jones goes through the history of the Bible and points out specific examples of how humans have done this. This kind of view on life is a selfish one: it only focuses on the self rather than on God and others. Not only that, but this kind of view also leads to lawlessness and carelessness. Humans are sinners and not fit to decide how they should live. Rather, Christians need to spend time growing their relationship with God and reading His word. They need to listen to His commands on how they should live and love Him well.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. Life is not simple. It is profoundly difficult and complex. Any view that claims otherwise is naive and oversimplified.
  2. The view of life presented in the passage is unworthy and selfish. It focuses solely on ease, pleasure, and happiness rather than responsibility, meaning, or purpose.
  3. The people in the passage had no law or order. They believed each person should do whatever they want without consequence. This leads to chaos and disorder.
  4. The people failed to consider future consequences or possibilities. They assumed all would be well and made no preparations or defenses.
  5. Their way of life ended in disaster. When crisis came, they had cut themselves off from any help or deliverance. They were overwhelmed and destroyed.
  6. We must face the facts of life, human nature, sin, death, and judgment. We are not competent to decide how to live on our own.
  7. There is only one deliverer: Jesus Christ. We must get into contact with him and stay in contact with him through prayer, Bible reading, and church attendance.
  8. The message of the Bible is profoundly practical. It helps us face difficulties and gives us a deliverer and a hope beyond them.

Sermon Q&A

What are the Two Ultimate Tests for Any Teaching or View on Life According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon based on Judges 18, there are two ultimate tests for any teaching or view about life:

  1. Is the teaching true? - This is the first and primary test. Is the teaching true in and of itself, or is there something inherently wrong or suspicious about it? This is the objective test of truth.

  2. Does it work? - The second test arises from the first. Does the teaching succeed? Does it do what it claims to do? In particular, does it help you when you're in a crisis or danger? This is the pragmatic test of effectiveness.

As Lloyd-Jones states: "You start with this objective test of truth. Then you follow with this pragmatic test as to whether or not it works and succeeds."

What is the Story of Leish in Judges 18 About and Why Does Lloyd-Jones Use It?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses the story from Judges 18 about the people of Leish (or Laish) as a powerful illustration of a naive and oversimplified view of life that leads to disaster. The story involves:

  1. The Zidonians who had settled in Leish, living "careless after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure."
  2. They had no magistrates, no defenses, and had cut themselves off from their fellow Zidonians.
  3. Spies from the tribe of Dan discovered this vulnerable settlement, reported back, and with 600 armed men easily conquered the town, killing the inhabitants and burning the city.

Lloyd-Jones uses this story to illustrate how a seemingly ideal way of life that appears to offer everything desirable can actually be fundamentally flawed and end in tragic failure. He states: "It is to show us the fallacy of a view of life which at first seemed to be wonderful, delightful, indeed ideal... But a view of life which in the end turns out to be utterly and entirely wrong and ends in a tragic failure."

What Are the Key Flaws in the Zidonians' View of Life According to Lloyd-Jones?

According to Lloyd-Jones, the Zidonians' view of life had several major flaws:

  1. It was naive and oversimplified: They had a "magic formula" for life, thinking everything was simple and easy, breaking with past wisdom.

  2. It was unworthy and selfish: They "contracted out of life," cutting themselves off from wider responsibilities, thinking only of their own ease and pleasure.

  3. It was lawless: They had "no magistrate in the land that might put them to shame in anything," rejecting all external authority and standards.

  4. It failed to consider consequences: They didn't prepare for potential threats or consider what might happen, living only for the present moment.

  5. It offered no deliverance in crisis: When danger came, they had no help because they had cut themselves off from everyone: "There was no deliverer because it was far from Zidon and they had no business with any men."

How Does Lloyd-Jones Apply This Ancient Story to Modern Life?

Lloyd-Jones applies this ancient story to modern life in several powerful ways:

  1. Modern oversimplification: He challenges the modern tendency to oversimplify life's problems and think we have easy solutions: "Do you hold this modern view that's so popular that the whole thing is rarely quite simple...?"

  2. Self-centered living: He criticizes the modern focus on individual pleasure and "contracting out" of responsibilities: "Isn't life today becoming more selfish?"

  3. Rejection of moral standards: He points to society's rejection of objective moral standards, where "every man is a law unto himself."

  4. Failure to face human sinfulness: He challenges the "fatal belief in the essential goodness of men" that fails to recognize our sinful nature.

  5. Living only for the present: He warns against failing to consider death, judgment, and eternity: "The world today is contracting out of life, turning its back upon God."

What is Lloyd-Jones' Solution to This Problem?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers a clear solution to the problem of an oversimplified, self-centered view of life:

  1. Face the facts: "Get rid of your fairy tales, your idealistic views. Get rid of this oversimplification, this idealization. Face the facts of life."

  2. Recognize our incompetence: "We are not fit to decide how to live. We are not competent to do so."

  3. Acknowledge God as the supreme authority: "This is God's world, and God is the law giver, and God has made everything, and God is still controlling it."

  4. Connect with the Deliverer: "Get into contact with the only one who can deliver you. The son of God, your lord and savior Jesus Christ."

  5. Maintain that relationship: "Not only get into contact with him, keep in contact with him. Maintain the lines of communication. Read your Bible. Pray regularly. Come to the house of God."

The sermon concludes with the assurance that Christ is the true deliverer who "will never leave you nor forsake you" and can save us from the "tragic end of these Zidonians."

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.