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Sermon #5693

The Call of the Gospel

A Sermon on 1 Peter 2:9-25

Originally preached April 1, 1962

Scripture

1 Peter 2:9-25 ESV KJV
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you …

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Sermon Description

In this sermon on 1 Peter 2:9­–25 titled “The Call of the Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on Peter explaining to his fellow Christians the importance of their position with God. They are not just anybody, but they are chosen and called by God to be His people forever. Dr. Lloyd-Jones expands upon what it means to be called by the gospel. How does a person know if God is calling him or her? Dr. Lloyd-Jones breaks down the differences in callings. There is the “general” call, which pastors do when they preach the word. But there is also the personal call of the gospel. This personal call, he says, occurs when the listener understands that the message is meant for him or her in particular. The listener might feel disturbed or uncomfortable with their present way of living. They might now feel as if they do not know what to do. They feel the burden and weight of their sin and are humbled by it. They realize that they are in need of a savior. Dr. Lloyd-Jones closes by offering to all who hear this great gift of peace, forgiveness, and everlasting life.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon focuses on 1 Peter 2:9, specifically the last part of verse 9: "That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."
  2. The sermon discusses how God calls people out of darkness (sin and ignorance) into light (salvation and knowledge of God). This call disturbs and convicts people of their sin.
  3. The call of God is effectual - it actually saves people and changes their lives. Not all who hear the gospel call are saved, only those who respond in faith.
  4. The call of God leads to belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and only Savior. People come to see that Jesus died to save them from their sins.
  5. The call of God leads to coming to Christ. People come to Christ to thank Him, surrender to Him, and follow Him.
  6. Those who come to Christ want to hear His voice and word continually. They grow in their knowledge of God.
  7. The sermon ends with an invitation to come to Christ for salvation.

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.