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Sermon #5235

Dead Religion

A Sermon on Psalm 50:1-23

Originally preached Oct. 13, 1957

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Scripture

Psalms 50:1-23 ESV KJV

A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him … A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: “Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!” The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. “You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (ESV)

A Psalm of Asaph.

1The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: …

A Psalm of Asaph.

1The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

4He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

5Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

6And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

7Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.

8I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

9I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.

10For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

11I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

12If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

13Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

16But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

17Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

18When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

19Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

20Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.

21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

22Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

23Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

Sermon Description

The sinner thinks God is like a human. They believes God will simply forget their sin. They assume God will forget it and not deal with it. But does God overlook sin? Is He not the solemn judge of the heavens and earth? The atheist outright rejects this God and their life is lived accordingly with no contradiction. The atheist believes there is no God and their actions mirror those beliefs. In this sermon on Psalm 50:1–23 titled “Dead Religion,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones sets forth to express how there is a human worse than the atheist: they claim to believe in God yet lives their life as if there is no God. Exploring Psalm 50:1–23, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this person believes that God is like themselves. They believe that God will not deal with sin and they ignore God’s wrath. They deny God’s judgement, assuming there is no hell. They minimize their own sin. This error is not simply doctrinal deficiency, but they have made a god in their own image. On the contrary, God wants people to know who He truly is. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the hearer to rightly know God and see His salvation so that Christians may live lives praising and glorifying His name.

Sermon Breakdown

People substitute their own ideas of God for the true idea of God. They make God in their own image according to their own thoughts and opinions.
People take only a theoretical interest in God and religion. They declare God's statutes and take his covenant in their mouth but they hate instruction and cast God's words behind them. Their interest is purely intellectual and academic, not influencing their lives.
People have a completely false and wrong view of sacrifice and offerings. They do it in a purely formal, external and mechanical manner. They think they gain merit from it and are even conferring a benefit on God.
People fail to realize who and what God is. They would realize they are sinners if they knew God. They can't believe in the atonement because they don't know God. The root of all problems is failing to know God.
People fail to obey God and keep his laws. They are called wicked because they declare God's statutes but don't keep them. The laws are to be kept, not just discussed.
People fail to realize God is the judge. Because God is silent they think he is like them and won't judge. But God will reprove and set sins in order. There is a day of judgment coming.
People fail to worship and praise God. God wants our hearts, not just outward actions. He wants praise, thanksgiving and worship.
The real failure is failing to surrender to God. God wants us to realize we are utterly dependent on him. He wants us to call on him for salvation.

Sermon Q&A

What is the Main Message of Psalm 50 According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the main message of Psalm 50 addresses a greater folly than atheism – the folly of those who claim to believe in God but live as if He doesn't exist. This is more inconsistent than outright atheism.

What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the central problem with nominal believers?

Lloyd-Jones identifies several key problems with nominal believers:

They substitute their own ideas of God for the true revelation of God
They have only a theoretical or academic interest in religion with no practical application
They approach worship in a purely formal, external, and mechanical manner
They fail to realize who and what God truly is
They fail to obey His laws while claiming to honor them
They fail to recognize God as judge who will hold them accountable
They fail to genuinely worship and praise God from the heart

How does Lloyd-Jones describe God's view of mechanical religion?

Lloyd-Jones explains that God is displeased with mechanical religion that lacks heart commitment. In Psalm 50, God makes clear that:

He doesn't need our sacrifices (the cattle on a thousand hills are already His)
He sees through empty religious performances
He is offended by those who declare His statutes but hate instruction
He rejects worship that seems to patronize Him rather than honor Him
He will eventually judge those who thought "I kept silence" meant He approved or forgot

What does Lloyd-Jones say God truly wants from us?

According to Lloyd-Jones, what God truly desires is:

Our hearts completely surrendered to Him
Genuine praise and thanksgiving
Recognition of our utter dependence upon Him
Lives ordered rightly according to His commands
Humble acknowledgment of our need for His salvation
To be loved with all our heart, soul, mind and strength

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones consider nominal belief worse than atheism?

Lloyd-Jones argues that nominal belief is worse than atheism because:

The atheist is at least consistent with his beliefs
The nominal believer contradicts himself by claiming to believe but living otherwise
The nominal believer "pays lip service to God" while failing to be controlled by Him
It represents a terrible self-deception that God will expose and judge
It dishonors God by misrepresenting Him to the world
It gives people false security while leaving them under judgment

How can we avoid this dangerous form of self-deception according to the sermon?

To avoid this self-deception, Lloyd-Jones recommends:

Realize who God truly is - the Almighty, Holy, Self-Existent One
Recognize our complete dependence on Him
Approach God with reverence and godly fear
Humble ourselves before Him rather than creating a God in our own image
Call upon Him genuinely for salvation
Order our lives according to His commands
Worship Him with our whole hearts, not just our intellects

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.

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