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Sermon #5344

The Great Question

A Sermon on Matthew 16:26

Originally preached Jan. 11, 1959

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Scripture

Matthew 16:26 ESV KJV
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (ESV)

Sermon Description

In this sermon on Matthew 18:1–4 titled “The Great Question,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how Jesus taught that souls are of greater importance than anything else on the earth. This sermon shows that without Christ, the condition of the soul is lost and no one can find satisfaction in the temporary things of this world. Everyone on this planet has a soul in one of two conditions: it is either lost or it is found. The condition of one’s soul determines whether or not they will spend eternity alongside God in His goodness, or under the eternal wrath of God. In conclusion of this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the listener to soberly consider the current condition of their soul.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. Every person has a soul that is either lost or saved.
  2. The soul is the immaterial part of a person that links them to God.
  3. The ultimate way to know if your soul is lost or saved is to examine your thinking. Fleshly thinking indicates a lost soul, spiritual thinking indicates a saved soul.
  4. The content of lost soul thinking is self and the opinions of others like them. They fail to consider God, their soul, and Christ.
  5. There is no greater loss than the loss of the soul. The whole world cannot satisfy or compensate for a lost soul.
  6. If the soul is right with God, nothing else matters. You can lose everything else but still have joy.
  7. Christ came to earth and died to save souls because He knows their immense value.
  8. To be saved, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Christ. You must believe His words and give yourself fully to Him.

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.