The Gift of God
A Sermon on John 4:13-14
Scripture
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting …
Sermon Description
The Christian gospel holds out a hope for everyone who has received the gift of God. Do you know the gift of God? In this sermon on John 4:13-14 titled “the gift of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells of the satisfaction that God can give to an otherwise hopeless man. He firstly explains that in order to see that we are hopeless without Christ, we have to examine ourselves and realize how much we depend on activities and worldly things instead of God. The world is in total darkness and despair, not knowing its own need for salvation. It pursues nothing but pleasure and the fleeting pleasures of this life. Not even the most complex philosophies offer any lasting satisfaction. All this comes to nothing because on the last day Christ will return and judge those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior. Unless we see our worldly sin, then we cannot receive the wonderful gift of God that he offers freely to us. Then he explains that in order to receive the gift of God and a new life, you have to understand that you need Jesus and the world cannot satisfy your needs. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman “if only you knew the gift of God” and Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this gift is the exceeding riches of his grace and the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- We must realize our true need. Our deepest need is for ultimate rest of the soul, final peace and quiet, confidence and assurance.
- We have to realize this need cannot be satisfied by the world. The world can only provide temporary relief and satisfaction. It cannot satisfy us completely.
- We must realize the possibilities of the Christian life. We must not limit the gospel to our own experiences. The Christian life offers unsearchable riches in Christ.
- We must understand "the gift of God" refers to all the blessings available through Christ. It is not just forgiveness of sins but includes growth and development in Christ.
- We must understand "living water" means life-giving, enlivening, stimulating, and invigorating. It is always fresh, not static. It lasts and springs up into everlasting life.
- We must ask ourselves if we have this living water - do we have life, vigor, power, and readiness to face challenges through Christ?
The Book of John
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.