A False Hope

A Sermon on Revelation 21:5

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Scripture

Revelation 21:5 ESV KJV

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (ESV)

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.

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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.