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Sermon #5476

Not by Might ...

A Sermon on Acts 2:1-47

Scripture

Acts 2:1-47 ESV KJV
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one …

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Sermon Description

What is the grounding of the Christian faith? In this sermon on Acts 7:1-47, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the great reality that the Christian faith is anchored in time and history. God sent His Son into the world at a specific time and place to die and rise for sinners so that they would be redeemed. After Jesus ascended, He sent His Holy Spirit to empower His disciples to spread the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth. This supernatural power is what made the Church what it was in the time of the apostles, and the Holy Spirit continues to work in the Church today so that it can reach the world. The Church can be bold because it has a message that is grounded in history. The Holy Spirit continues to work in the Church so that the whole world can hear of what God has done in His Son. But, "what does Jesus dying upon the cross have to do with me?" someone may ask. The answer is simple: Jesus died and rose from the grave so that all who believe in Him might be saved and made children of God.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The chapter describes the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This event marked the beginning of the Christian church as we know it today.
  2. The events described in Acts 2 provide the only explanation for how Christianity spread so rapidly in a hostile world. The power of the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples and gave them courage and authority to preach the gospel.
  3. The pattern seen in Acts 2, where God uses small, seemingly insignificant groups of people to powerfully advance His kingdom through the Holy Spirit, has been repeated throughout history in revivals and awakenings.
  4. For revival and renewal to happen today, the church must seek the power and filling of the Holy Spirit. This starts with individual believers coming to know the love and joy of Christ in a deeper way through the Holy Spirit.
  5. When the Holy Spirit comes upon the church, conviction of sin and desire for salvation will spread even to those most antagonistic toward the gospel. The church will have authority and power to preach the word, and people will come seeking the truth.
  6. The duty of Christians today is to seek a deeper knowledge of Christ through the Holy Spirit, pray for revival in the church, and rely on the power of the Spirit rather than human ability or effort. When we are filled with the Spirit, we cannot help but speak of Christ.

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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.