A False Hope
A Sermon on Revelation 21:5
Originally preached Jan. 1, 1956
Scripture
5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Sermon Description
What is the only hope for this world? Humankind puts its hope in all kinds of different things, from politicians to wise people. The world is always looking for a cure to its many ills. However, try as it may, the world has never found an answer to its many problems over the hundreds of years it has searched. Why is this? In this sermon on Revelation 21:5 titled “A False Hope,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that the answer is really quite simple: the world does not know God. For this reason, it always looks to the wrong places for hope. The world looks to itself, but this is vain and hopeless because only God can take this broken world and make it right. He is doing just this in His Son, Jesus Christ. By dying on the cross Jesus has vanquished not only sin and death, but He has destroyed Satan and broken his hold on this world. Jesus will return and put all things under His feet, He will make all things new and finally vanquish sin and evil once and for all. In the new heaven and earth, creation will be remade and freed from all pollution. All those who believe in Jesus will be made partakers of this new creation by grace and faith in Christ Jesus.
Sermon Breakdown
- The world pays attention to the passing of one year to the next, but this attention is misplaced. Nothing actually changes.
- Mankind persists in holding onto hope despite evidence that circumstances do not actually change. This is irrational but shows how deeply rooted hope is in human nature.
- The author of Ecclesiastes observed that "there is nothing new under the sun." History shows how little actually changes.
- Jesus said that the days before His return would be like the days of Noah and Lot. History repeats itself.
- Man's troubles come from within himself, not from his circumstances. But man avoids facing this.
- The world's confession that things need to change shows that the current state of the world is terrible. But the world avoids openly admitting this.
- The world's hope in the new year shows the world's desperation, even as it avoids admitting how bad things are.
- The world's hope in changed circumstances is misplaced. Circumstances do not change human nature.
- The real problem is man's sinful nature and his separation from God. Nothing but the gospel can solve this.
- The gospel first shows man his hopelessness and need for repentance. Only then does it offer hope.
- History shows that man cannot solve his own problems or change his own nature.
- With man, change is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. God alone can change human nature.
- The gospel reconciles man to God through Christ, then gives man a new nature, new life, and new power through the Holy Spirit.
- The gospel does not change circumstances but changes man's heart so he sees circumstances differently.
- God will one day make a new heavens and new earth. The question is whether we will enjoy it with Him.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on "Behold, I Make All Things New" - Key Questions and Answers
What is the significance of the phrase "Behold, I make all things new" from Revelation 21:5?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "Behold, I make all things new" represents God's ultimate promise and power to bring true renewal. Unlike the artificial and temporal transitions like New Year's celebrations, God's renewal is genuine transformation. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that only God has the power to make things truly new: "There is nothing new under the sun, says men. Quite right, says God. I make all things new." This divine renewal begins with transforming individuals' hearts and will culminate in the complete renewal of creation itself.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones critique the world's optimism about the New Year?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones critiques this optimism because: 1. It's irrational and artificial - merely "an artificial division made by men" 2. It reveals mankind's desperate admission that things aren't well as they are 3. It demonstrates humanity's refusal to face the real problem - sin within ourselves 4. It's a futile hope that has consistently failed throughout history
As he states: "Unless you become a profound pessimist, you'll never become a Christian. Christianity knocks us down before it lifts us up." He sees this misplaced optimism as evidence of humanity's unwillingness to confront our true condition.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the root cause of humanity's problems?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies sin and our broken relationship with God as the root cause of all human problems: "The world is as it is this evening and we all are what we are and as we are because of our wrong relationship to God." He explains that all conflicts, from personal relationships to international tensions, stem from "this self-centeredness, this selfishness, this putting of ourselves up and our refusal altogether to bow the knee before God and to live for him and his glory."
According to the sermon, why can't humans solve their own problems?
According to Lloyd-Jones, humans cannot solve their fundamental problems because: 1. The problem is our very nature: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" 2. Changing circumstances doesn't change human nature: "You don't change the nature of a pig by putting him into a new sty" 3. We cannot transform ourselves spiritually: "With men it is impossible"
The sermon emphasizes that the depth of sin requires divine intervention because humans cannot change their own sinful nature.
How does God make all things new according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
God makes all things new in two primary ways:
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Immediate personal transformation: Through Christ, God reconciles us to Himself, forgives our sins, and gives us a new nature - "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new." This doesn't change the world but changes how we see and experience it.
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Future cosmic renewal: God will ultimately create "a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness" where "all that is wrong and vile and filthy is going to be extruded out of it."
As Lloyd-Jones puts it: "He's the maker. He's almighty. He's the creator. He made you out of nothing. He can make you anew."
What is the relationship between pessimism and Christianity according to this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes the provocative statement: "Unless you become a profound pessimist, you'll never become a Christian." He clarifies that this isn't mere negativity but biblical realism about the human condition. Christianity begins with acknowledging our complete inability to save ourselves or fix our world - a kind of "pessimism" about human potential alone.
However, this pessimism about human nature leads to the greatest optimism about God's power and promises. Lloyd-Jones states: "What a hope, a certain hope, because it is based upon God and what God can do." True Christian hope is founded not on human progress but on divine intervention.
Other Sermons
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.