In the Refuge of God
A Sermon on Hebrews 6:16
Scripture
16For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Hebrews 6:16 titled “In the Refuge of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides counsel for the troubled soul. He exhorts his listeners that the author of Hebrews focuses on believers having peace in spite of their bad circumstances. Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims how wonderful a truth this is in a world that has so much calamity and uncertainty. A Christian’s hope is not in their circumstances, but rather in the Lord who has redeemed the soul. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that the Bible teaches believers how to live in this world; it is a manual that has passed the test of time. With this manual in hand, Christians can enjoy peace even if there was another world war, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches. The reason Christians may have such peace is that the Gospel provides a refuge for the soul. He is quick to clarify that there is no promised refuge for the body found in the pages of Scripture; many have been martyred for their faith. Rather, the Christian may be comforted in that God has secured their soul. All must consider the truth about their eternal soul before given this refuge, and they must repent to the Lord for God to rescue them. In Christ, Christians may have an anchor within the veil.
Sermon Breakdown
- The author's objective in writing this epistle was to comfort and encourage persecuted Christians.
- The central message of the epistle and the Bible is that it is possible to have peace and rest despite circumstances.
- The question being addressed is whether it is possible to have an anchor for the soul in this world.
- The message of Christianity is practical and offers the only way to have true peace.
- The first thing the gospel provides is a refuge for the soul, not the body. The soul needs refuge from sin, evil, and God's wrath.
- Jesus Christ is the refuge for the soul. He conquered sin, death, and God's wrath on our behalf.
- The second thing the gospel provides is a certain hope for the future, not based on man but on God's unchanging character and promises.
- God's plan is to unite all things in Christ, to judge the world, and usher in a new sinless creation. Christ will return to accomplish this.
- The history of the Old Testament and the resurrection of Christ prove God's faithfulness to His promises.
- To have peace, we must flee to Christ for refuge and lay hold of the hope He provides. We must focus on eternity over the temporal.
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.