Acts — Chapter 2

Sinful people cannot save themselves but they will try. In this sermon on Acts 2:40–41 titled “This Untoward Generation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how the world seeks to solve its problems by worldly means, turning to politicians and statesmen in times of need. But the Christian faith is a very different message than the world. It does not seek to reform the world by enacting legislation and electing politicians, but it brings a message of deliverance from sin and the promise of the new life in Christ. It says that the world’s problems are all symptomatic of its sin and alienation from God. The gospel says that no one can save themselves. It says that all are born in sin and have a corrupted nature. Because of the world’s sin, God has appointed a time in which He will judge the earth and all the inhabitants for the sin and rebellion against their Creator. This, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is the greatest problem facing humankind. Although war and poverty are terrible things, they are only products of the greatest problem. This is why the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is so different from the world’s ways. It alone has the power to save people from their sins and unrighteousness; it alone can make them right with a God. It alone brings eternal life for all who believe.

The great need for every person living on earth is not for the world to be made a better place, but for their souls to be saved from eternal destruction. In this sermon on Acts 2:37–40 titled “What Shall We Do?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says this is why the gospel is first and foremost a call to personal salvation and repentance. When the apostles and Jesus Christ preached, they did not do so before nations and governments, but before individual people. They spoke of the judgment that each person must endure in the final days because of their sins, and the only way to escape this judgment was repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This is not to deny the importance of working to make the world a better place through charity and the like, but it does mean that the primary application of the gospel is to individual salvation. While some may claim that this concern with personal salvation is narrow-sighted and selfish, the Bible presents the greatest need for all is salvation. Salvation is purposefully a matter of individuals, not nations and countries. The church and Christians must be focused in their proclamation of the gospel so that it does not become another message of social reform, but it is the power of salvation to all who believe.

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 God’s word. Why else does a church exist? A church, or gathering of believers, is a community where the gospel can be lived out and lost people can be introduced to it. Thus, churches serve incredibly important roles as lights to the world. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on these points and shows how a church can be used to further God’s kingdom.

Unity for the sake of unity is a current cultural movement. The culture encourages unity, to avoid division, to love everyone, and let others live as they please. According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, this movement isn’t confined to secular spheres of influence. It is also present in local churches. There is a great movement underway among churches to be ecumenical; that is, to focus on fellowship, love, and unity across all denominations rather than focusing on doctrinal differences. It is the idea that fellowship must come before doctrine and this movement needs careful consideration. The foundational issue at stake concerns the teaching found in the Bible about the doctrine of the church. What is a church? What are its objectives and goals? What does it provide and how does it function? As Dr. Lloyd-Jones examines the early church in this sermon from Acts 2:42, he focuses on the importance of correct doctrine for the life of the church. Doctrine is held in high regard and is the most important feature of the biblical text. The apostolic teaching and focus on doctrine must have preeminence and then, following from necessity, comes fellowship within congregations. If fellowship is allowed to reign over doctrine, confusion and compromise is invited into its midst. This allows the thinking and desires of humanity to direct actions, rather than the supremacy of Scripture.

In this sermon, the second of two sermons preached at the opening of Zion Evangelical Baptist Church (Rippon, England) on December 8th 1965, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the critical importance of understanding the doctrine and true nature of the Christian church. <br /> <br /> What does an authentic, Spirit-filled Christian church look like? In this sermon examining the early church in Acts 2:42-47, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that the defining mark is an insatiable desire to gather together, rooted in their new life in Christ. The early believers met daily because they shared the same salvation experience, the same newfound separation from the world, and the same joy in their Savior. Their example stands in stark contrast to many professing Christians today who see church as a duty rather than a delight. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asserts that the only thing that will draw the masses to church is seeing a body of believers who wouldn't miss gathering for anything because it thrills them to the depths of their being. Revival occurs when people are truly born again and treasure Christ and His church above all else. This passion and authenticity is the great need today. Please note that the ending of this sermon was lost from the original recording.

Great awakenings by God are often accompanied by great physical and mental phenomena. During revivals, men and women are described as being “struck”—falling to the ground and fainting. Supernatural knowledge about the future is given to ordinary people. What is to be made of these revival testimonies about prophesy and physical phenomena? Should such things as hysteria or brain washing be dismissed? In this sermon on Acts 2:12–13 titled “Revival Sermon: The Phenomena of Revival,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones pushes back against the Western tendency to describe these kinds of things in naturalistic terms. While acknowledging there can be mixture of false phenomena with the true, he cautions Christians not to merely dismiss these physical phenomena based upon a dry intellectualism. Such reasoning could result in Christians quenching the Holy Spirit. Instead, Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that these kinds of phenomena are always accompanied by a response from bystanders. It is either a response of doubt, amazement, or mockery. This was the experience of the early Christians in Acts 2:12–13 and it has held true throughout the history of revivals as well. The Christian response, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, must test such things. Nevertheless the whole person can be impacted by a great movement from the sovereign Spirit. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones seeks a balanced approach in this controversial topic.