A New Life
A Sermon on Acts 8:5-12
Originally preached Nov. 5, 1967
Scripture
5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many …
Sermon Description
Will this world ever get better? In the sermon “A New Life,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones brings the hard reality from God’s word in Acts 8:5–12 that the entire world lies in darkness and under the control of the evil one. This is because the original man, Adam, was deceived and fell into sin. This fall has poured throughout every aspect of creation. This is why the world of today is as it is, filled with sin and suffering. As a result of this sin, humanity is blinded and spiritually dead. It is unable to hear and believe the good news of the gospel. This is why the only way one can be saved is through the regenerating grace of God in the Holy Spirit. This is a miraculous work by which God gives new life to dead sinners who hate and reject Him. This is the greatness of the gospel; it is something God does for those who are not even able to hear the good news without grace. By their very nature, all people know of the need for salvation. They know that they will continue to live once this life has ended. Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns that while eternal life is offered to all who believe, all who reject Jesus Christ have no hope in eternity.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by establishing the importance and seriousness of understanding the true Christian message due to the confusion surrounding it.
- The message of Christianity is the only message that provides hope and deals with eternity.
- The sermon will examine the spread of the early Christian message by looking at Acts 8:4-5, 12.
- The message being preached was about the kingdom of God, God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
- Philip preached Christ, meaning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- The world hates the truth and crucified Jesus, showing its evil nature.
- Man's sinful nature is described, being spiritually dead, with a darkened mind and heart filled with evil desires.
- Forgiveness of sins is essential but Christianity does not stop there. It also changes human nature.
- Regeneration, being born again, gives one a new nature, mind, heart, will, and desires. It is a miracle of God.
- The Holy Spirit indwells and empowers believers, and Jesus sympathizes with and helps them.
- Christians have access to God through faith in Christ.
- The message Philip preached brought joy. The gospel is the power of God for salvation for all who believe.
The Book of Acts
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.