The Authority of the Church
A Sermon on Matthew 28:18-20
Originally preached Sept. 23, 1956
Scripture
18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19¶ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to …
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Matthew 28:18–20 titled “The Authority of the Church,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of an urgent problem facing the church—it has lost its authority. When there seems to be a general revival of interest in matters of religion, people wonder why they should listen only to Christianity. Why not Buddhism or Judaism? Some try to approach God by their inner feelings and sensations and others by reason and philosophy, but all this ultimately leads to failure. Humanity can’t arrive at God; God must reveal Himself and he has in His Son Jesus Christ. The final sanction of the church’s authority depends entirely on the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the message of the New Testament—what Jesus claimed, what the apostles proclaimed, and what was finally proven through the coming of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost—God has visited and redeemed His people in Jesus Christ. Without Him there is no message, no faith, and no authority. Christians are called not to settle for merely pursuing a blessing from God but to believe in the Christ of Christianity to have more than one could ever desire.
Sermon Breakdown
- The church today faces an urgent problem regarding authority and the masses are outside the church.
- There is a revival of interest in religion but much of it lacks Christ. Many cults and religions are succeeding.
- The Bible shows God revealed himself through Christ, the only way to know God. The gospels introduce Christ as the Son of God.
- The gospels emphasize Christ's authority in his teaching, miracles, forgiveness of sins, and resurrection. Even his enemies recognized his authority.
- The book of Acts shows the apostles preaching the authority of the risen Christ, who continues to act through them. Christ is building his church.
- The epistles also emphasize the authority of Christ, who is the Lord of glory, the fullness of God in bodily form, and seated at God's right hand.
- Christ has authority as the eternal Son of God, the redeemer who bore our sins, and the ascended Lord. He will judge all people.
- We must base everything on Christ, the only way to God. We must seek God through Christ, not just seek blessings. Christ is the only authority and sanction for our faith.
Sermons on Authority
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.