Martyn Lloyd-jones Sermon Podcast

Acts 16:1-40 — Listen to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Acts 16 to Bridgnorth Baptist Church in 1977 as he considers the account of how Christianity came to the pagan culture of Europe. In this sermon, he tracks the history to see how intellectual and pagan cultures were affected by the Gospel. Why did Paul come to Europe? Who is the message of the Bible for? Listen and understand that the future of the church and the gospel is not up to the Christian – it is all part of God's plan that He has kept for generations before and will continue for generations after. Learn how God works in ways contrary to humanity’s plan. “We must be orthodox, but alone it is not enough,” reminds Dr. Lloyd-Jones. It is dangerous to have a dead orthodoxy, knowing the truth but not living it. Look at the example of Lydia in Acts 16 and remember that no one can convert another; only God can turn a heart of stone into flesh. Dr Lloyd-Jones also warns that it is not enough to merely hear the gospel; people of faith must attend to it

Acts 24:24 — In this sermon on Acts 24:24 titled “Faith: The Golden Key” that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached to Bridgnorth Baptist Church in 1975, he focused on how the gospel is to be preached and listened to. The tragic story of Felix and Priscilla unfolds as a prisoner talks to this Roman governor and princess. What happened then is still needed now. Take a look at the Ten Commandments and God’s design for humanity to be made in His image as a righteous companion. Temperance and self-control are crucial. All people are made of both body and soul and will one day stand before God in judgment. What distinct characteristic divides human and animal? Are humans merely a product of their instincts? Surely not. The gospel is absolutely necessary for humanity’s hope and it is at this very point in which God steps in. Turn to God, cry out for mercy, and He will give it. Christ died that all might be forgiven and made good; it only requires belief. Unbelievers should heed the warnings of the story of Felix and Pris

2 Peter 1:1 — How will a Christian stand fast in the midst of trials, and not be discouraged by the continued attacks on Christianity and how few people are following the Lord? In this sermon on 1 Peter 1:1 titled “Preciousness of Faith,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how believers can honor the Lord and hold fast to His word in the midst of persecution. Often when Christians are in the midst of hard times, they tend to think that they need something new to help them out of the rut they are in. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that they need to grasp what they already believe—that God is all-powerful and that their salvation is precious. In this passage, Peter describes faith as precious for a couple of reasons. First, it is rare—many believers are discouraged when they see how many people are not Christians when instead they should be rejoicing that they are part of His family. Instead of counting heads, Christians should look to the character of the few. Second, it is rare because it cost God His own Son.

Acts 24:24 — In this sermon on Acts 24:24 titled “Righteousness: Temperance and Judgment to Come, “ Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on two questions: how is the gospel to be presented and how are people to listen to the gospel? The gospel is reason, and people must think and be confronted with the truth. This gospel is not merely entertainment. Learn about the character of God and how He created people to be His righteous companions. What happened? Made in the image and likeness of God, people are to have self-control and temperance. The meaning of temperance is addressed alongside righteousness—one being the general principle, while the other is concerned with application in daily living. What distinguishes humans from animals? Animals are controlled by instinct, but people have souls with reasoning and understanding. Judgment will come and people will be held responsible before God, but they can look at the perfect provision He provided. Only a person’s fear can drive them to salvation. Why do people reject

Acts 4:1-12 — Christians should be encouraged that some of the trials and persecution they are facing in life might be as a result of being a follower of Jesus. Christians are not facing a new situation, and in this sermon on Acts 4:1–12 titled “Opponents: Objections and Judgment,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches on the gospel and people’s rejection of it. Christians must not forget that hostility towards the gospel is not a novelty— from the beginning, Christianity was rejected, and opposition to it has not changed at all. While people reject the gospel because of prejudices they bring against it that blind them to the truth, one of the main barriers to belief is pride. Christianity does not fit into the way that people want to think about the world and themselves. What are unbelievers rejecting? Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that at the root, people reject Jesus Christ as Savior and as the only Savior. Yet, as he points out, these are two extremely vital doctrines that must be dealt with by all. Why is Jesus the only

Acts 5:32 — How is one to face the problem of evangelism? Listen to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as he preached this sermon on Acts 5:32 titled “Witness in the Power of the Spirit,” onboard the OM ship Doulos on September 18, 1978. The church is fighting for life amidst pagan countries. Be certain of the authority of God and not humanity, and replace the fear of humanity with the fear of God. Learn of the two elements that are absolutely necessary for witness. One can be perfectly orthodox and yet still dead. There is great danger in taking the Spirit without the Bible and apostolic witness. Hear of the baptism of the Spirit and the transformation of Peter. To what does the Spirit bear witness? Is it to Himself, humanity, gifts, or something else? He was sent for one great purpose. Learn of one test to know whether a person has been filled with Spirit: do they point to Christ? There is great danger in living off other people’s experiences. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the true understanding of a revival. This i

Acts 4:11-12 — In this sermon on Acts 4:11–12 titled “No Second Name,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks at the first persecution of Christianity and how the apostles both answered the charge brought against them and withstood the fight to continue preaching. The rejection of the gospel is as old as the belief of the gospel itself. Dr. Lloyd-Jones speaks about the differences that divided the Pharisees and Sadducees, and how in the face of Christ these two opposing groups united together. Unbelief is always due to pride. Christians should never apologize for their faith. Christians must address the world as they are filled with the Holy Ghost. They cannot fight an unbelieving world with the message of the world. The church must preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified to this unbelieving world. They must not be doubtful about Christ—this is a travesty to the Christian faith. The teachings of Christ alone will condemn everyone, but He did not leave it at that. All are sinners and have rejected the cornerstone, but the

Psalms 8:3-4 — Do Christians think? In this sermon on “What is Man?” from Psalms 8:3–4, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asserts the wonder of creation and the fact that only the Christian can really perceive. Psalm 8:3-4 shows how the believer thinks differently from the unbeliever. The Christian mind is guided by the Bible, rather than by the media and news. The Christian should marvel and wonder at creation, not just live life from one news highlight to the next. Is Christianity really against the advance of science? Look at the persecution of Galileo and the Protestant Reformation that pushed science forward. There is a difference between accidental happening and intentional creation. Why are order and laws of creation in place? Learn the difference between a thinker and a superficial reactor. Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses the problem, the contradiction, the uniqueness, and the tragedy of humanity. People are worshippers and the only hope for humanity and the world is that this is God’s world. God visited and redeemed

1 Timothy 1:12-13 — Why do some people reject Christ? The truth of the gospel seems so sure, and yet many still turn from it. Why? In this sermon on 1 Timothy 1:12–13 titled “Ignorance: Prejudice and Fog in the Mind,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes to Scripture to explain why people reject the gospel. One of the greatest missionaries of all time was the apostle Paul. Yet in 1 Timothy 1:12–13, he makes a startling admission—he had at one point been a great blasphemer of God and persecutor of Christians. And yet, God eventually saved him. People today say that they are not Christians because of their high intellect— they say that Christianity is for the weak-minded, and that they do not need it since they have a high intellectual understanding. Yet, many great Christians throughout history have shown this to be false simply because they were of towering intellect themselves. Augustine and Paul himself are just two out of a vast number of those who were brilliant and yet followed Jesus. Paul writes that the real r

2 Peter 1:1 — It is not uncommon for the Christian to struggle in their walk with Christ, to be overcome with anxiety, or frustrated with continued temptations. While they are promised that God will gradually grow them into the image of His sinless Son, many become frustrated to find that they still struggle with many of the things they wrestled with before becoming followers of Jesus. In this sermon from 2 Peter 1:1, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that many of the problems in the Christian life can be traced to forgetfulness about the truths of the faith. For those who are constantly anxious or discouraged because they still wrestle with many temptations, Dr Lloyd-Jones encourages actively calling to mind the core tenets and promises of Christianity, such as that God has equipped His people with everything they need to live in a way that pleases Him. The character of faith is precious because God Himself has given it, it cost Him His Son, and it is rare. While many people do not have the blessing of knowing Jes

1 Thessalonians 1:5 — There is a great problem of communication and this sermon focuses on how the state of both the church and the world demands that all pay attention to the presentation of the gospel. This gospel is the only hope for the world and the answer for every need. In this sermon on 1 Thessalonians 1:5 titled “Not in Word Only,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this same problem that people have faced for centuries. He preaches of the proposals for new translations, how the gospel spread, and what the true Christian message is. There is no need for something new. People need the same old gospel and old apostolic way of preaching that is found in the New Testament. What is Christianity? Can it be defined? The gospel is the proclamation of the greatest good news humanity has ever heard. Is Christianity something that is caught or taught? Apostolic preaching never started with people, but with God. There is great need for people to see their need for Jesus in order to come to Him. Jesus did not merel

Luke 24:25-26 — In this sermon on Luke 24:25–26 titled “A Burning Heart,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from the New Testament passage regarding the two men walking to Emmaus. The gospel author uses four words to initially describe these men: “their hearts were sad.” Later, however, they undergo a massive emotional change as they end up with their “hearts burning within them.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says there is nothing more important than this change because when people claim to be Christians and yet have a heavy heart, they are a poor witness: “Masses of people are outside the church today because they look at us and see what we are.” Are Christians making the gospel attractive to people? Are they, as Paul instructs them to be in 2 Corinthians 2:16, a sweet-smelling aroma? For many believers, it is still a struggle to live in the joy that is theirs in Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the remedy for this is to pray and ask the Spirit to open one’s eyes to the truth and to enlighten them so that their heart rejo

Acts 4:23-24 — Christians all around the world face varying levels of persecution—some believers are murdered or physically harmed for their faith, while others are merely scoffed at by those who think Christianity is foolish. What can the Christian do to combat this? In this sermon on Acts 4:23–24 titled “Power in Persecution,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how the church can stand strong in the midst of trying times by pointing back to the early church and the examples of Peter and John. First, believers must not compromise their message. After being released from prison, Peter and John continued to preach the gospel even though they had been forbidden to on penalty of death. Second, they must go to God in prayer. It is so easy for Christians to become anxious about what they need to do, yet Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that Peter and John acknowledged that it was God’s problem to handle, not theirs. This brought immense peace because they were choosing to rest in God’s sovereignty by trusting His plan rath

1 Corinthians 3:11 — After Paul’s departure from the Corinthian church, it had started to divide itself into factions. He perceived that the trouble lay at the very foundation itself. In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:11 titled “The Only Foundation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that it is the same today when the world tries to deal with the symptoms of evil while avoiding the problem at its foundation: it has no foundation. Neither can humanity provide its own foundation. People have astounding knowledge and accomplishments, yet they are unable to find a solution to all their troubles. The human approach is wrong. They are in too much of a hurry and they do not understand themselves. They sense that there’s something or someone greater than themselves, yet they have no desire for the church or Christ. The Bible, on the other hand, deals with the great question of the foundation of life itself. It tells of one who is a flawless inspector, who will judge the foundation of all lives based on His own perfect

Psalms 107:1-31 — In this sermon, “Give Thanks Unto the Lord” from Psalm 107:1–31, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones defines the Christian as the one who sees their sin and brokenness. They see their weakness and flee to Christ, abandoning all efforts of saving themselves. Regardless of one’s background and upbringing, what unifies all of humankind is their fallen nature and their need for redemption in Christ. All are born in Adam and are children of wrath. It is from this mess of fallen humankind that Christians are saved through the work of Christ. It is Christ that delivers people from sin and gives them new life in the midst of their distress. All Christians are saved through the same blood, Savior, and God. This common salvation applies to all people regardless of their personality. It saves all people regardless of their ethnic background and cultural background. The peace that Christ brings applies to everyone in all times and in all places. This is because Jesus Christ fulfills the deepest need of everyone. He

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 — Modern man people declare themselves free from the tyranny of religion, but what has been the effect? They are now enslaved to and governed by the popular opinion of humanity. In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:21–23 titled “Full Salvation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on Paul’s concern over division in the Corinthian church, a division that was the result of their glorying in their apostolic leaders instead of Christ. There is only One who can set people free from enslavement to the things of this world. He is the Son of God, for whom and through whom all things exist. He came to set people free from the guilt of their sin, the reign of the devil, and the condemnation of the law of God. He is coming again to destroy every enemy and to set up His eternal reign of righteousness and peace. All who believe in Him become a part of Him. They are Christ’s and in Him all things are theirs. What does this mean? There is now no point in glorying in people. In Christ, Christians are no longer

1 Corinthians 3:16 — “Why is it that modern man, who has been so astounding in so many respects, is such a miserable and tragic failure in the whole question of life and of living?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asks this question to highlight that though people have achieved enormous accomplishments, they are still suffering with the basic questions of life, questions that are solved only in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why are people generally interested in seeking answers from anyone except God? Why, instead of coming to Jesus, do they fall at the feet of celebrities who are also struggling? Ultimately, why do they reject the gospel? In this sermon from 1 Corinthians 3:16 titled “Revelation and Reason,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that humanity’s ultimate sin is intellectual pride. God’s salvation brings it to dust, yet, people reject this because of their confidence in themselves. God’s way of solving the problems of life are far different from the world’s approach. Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides three ways in which the t

Acts 2:42 — In this sermon on Acts 2:42 titled “A Charge to the Church”, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows what the church is, why it exists, and why it is important. One of the primary reasons that a church exists is for the preaching of God’s word. Teaching directly from Acts 2:42, he points out that the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Many churches today gather in ways to increase the entertainment value for the congregation. While Christian fellowship in a church is an extremely vital part of a Christian’s walk, this must not outweigh and overshadow the necessity of going to church to worship with other believers and to hear God’s word preached. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that one of the great characteristics of the early church was that they were always meeting, but while the early church did gather for fellowship, Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that Acts 2:42 clearly states that they were primarily concerned with worship and hearing

Joshua 4:21-24 — Most people have certain ways in which they remember or celebrate markers of significance in their lives. In a similar way, God told the Israelites to set up a pile of stones to mark the day they crossed over the Jordan River and into the land that God had promised to give them. In this sermon from Joshua 4:21–24 titled “What Do These Stones Mean?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows why monuments are important for the Christian walk. First, they point to their history, and this is very important since the Christian faith sets itself apart from false religions because it is based entirely on historical facts. Second, these markers call attention away from human action and towards God’s action, allowing focus on Him. The reason God acted in human history is because humanity was enslaved to sin and was in desperate need of intervention. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages believers to look at milestones and monuments important to them and the Christian faith as reminders that the Lord is mighty to save.

Hebrews 13:8 — In this sermon on "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" from Hebrews 13:8 titled “The Unchanging Task of the Church,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones encourages listeners that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In this address, Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides an overview of some of the issues the world has faced in the past century. He says he is deeply thankful to be preaching in the 20th century, in which the world is confused and scared, the human soul is searching for a solution, and the church is less characterized by empty religion. Throughout history, and most recently in the last two centuries, humans have become increasingly convinced of their own strength and have delusions of answers to the universe’s problems, whether it be scientific, philosophical, or psychological. He says that these human solutions are all wrong. Rather, the Christian is to look to Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Looking to the unchanging God provides consolation