Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers

What does Jesus mean when He says "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you"?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when Jesus says "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you" in John 14:27, He is offering His disciples a specific kind of peace that is fundamentally different from what the world offers. This peace is the same peace that Jesus Himself enjoyed even amidst persecution and the knowledge of His coming death. It's not merely an absence of conflict but a deep inner stability that remains steadfast regardless of external circumstances. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this peace is Christ's own personal peace that He experienced while on earth, and He now offers to share it with His followers as a gift.

How does the peace that Christ gives differ from what the world gives?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the peace Christ gives differs from the world's peace in fundamental ways:

1. The world's peace is based on escape and avoiding problems (shutting off the news, refusing to face facts)
2. The world offers temporary distractions (entertainment, pleasure)
3. The world promotes wishful thinking ("There will be no war")
4. The world relies on psychological techniques, relaxation methods, or stoicism
5. The world sometimes seeks peace through drugs and sedatives

In contrast, Christ's peace: 1. Is realistic and faces problems directly 2. Addresses the root cause of our unrest (self and sin) 3. Is not dependent on external circumstances 4. Provides a new nature and perspective on life 5. Offers reconciliation with God and eternal hope

As Lloyd-Jones states: "Not one of them [world's methods] gets you to face the problem. They are all methods of escape."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the root cause of human anxiety and fear?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies "self" as the root cause of human anxiety and fear. He explains that self is essentially another name for sin, and it manifests in various destructive ways:

1. Self leads to ambition
2. Self leads to pride
3. Self leads to self-importance
4. Self leads to selfishness
5. Self leads to self-will

He states: "When you examine the things that cause you lack of ease and that upset you and cause your nerves to be frayed and makes you frightened of the whole of life and of the future, you'll find that it's always in terms of one or the other of those things, perhaps all of them together at the same time."

This self-centeredness creates constant strain as we're always watching out for ourselves, comparing ourselves to others, demanding what we want, and coming into conflict with others who are doing the same.

According to the sermon, why are modern people particularly afraid of being alone?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, modern people are particularly afraid of being alone because they have become completely dependent on external sources for happiness and meaning. He explains:

"The ultimate fear of the modern men is the fear of being alone with himself. It's the one thing that terrifies him, to be alone with yourself... because he's always dependent upon others and things outside himself."

Lloyd-Jones points out that modern people live only for this world and derive their happiness from entertainments and social activities outside themselves. When threatened by anything that might disrupt these external sources (such as war, illness, financial loss), they become terrified because they have no internal resources to fall back on.

Additionally, being alone forces them to potentially confront deeper fears they typically avoid: death, conscience, judgment, and the possibility that "after all, perhaps the Bible is right and that there is a God."

How does Christ give peace to those who follow Him?

According to the sermon, Christ gives peace to His followers through several means:

1. By convicting them of truth about themselves through the Holy Spirit: "He just gives me this picture of myself and I say, that's absolutely true. That is me. There I am. I see it now."

2. By offering forgiveness of sins: "I'm going to bear your sins. I'm going to take your punishment upon myself. I'm going to reconcile you to God."

3. By giving believers a new nature: "He gives us his own Nature. He gives us his own life. He gives us himself... You can have a new mind, a new outlook. Indeed, you're a new man."

4. By providing an eternal perspective: "As Christians, we enjoy this peace because we have long since come to see and to know that this is only a passing world."

5. By promising eternal life with Him: "In my father's house are many mentions... I go to prepare a place for you... That where I am, there ye may be also."

Through these means, Christians can face difficulties—even death itself—with peace, knowing that "nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."