Christ; the Answer to Our Needs
A Sermon on Acts 5:1-11
Originally preached Jan. 23, 1966
Scripture
1But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan …
Sermon Description
Modern people reject the truth of the Christian faith often on the basis of the supposed superiority of science over faith. The claim is that no rational person can believe the gospel and the Christian faith in light of what is known about the world. In this sermon from Acts 5:1–11 titled “Christ: The Answer to Our Needs,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that while people may affirm the need for moral improvement, and therefore like the moral teachings of Jesus, they reject the two natures in Christ and the need for salvation from sin and the wrath to come. They reject the supernatural religion of Christianity for the moralistic teachings of godless humanism but moralistic religion cannot save people from their inevitable death. Humanity needs a new nature that will grant a true desire for righteousness. They must be delivered from the wrath of God and the power of Satan. Only through the supernatural work of Christianity can His children be transferred from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones powerfully says, those who reject the gospel of Christ have no hope. Moralistic teachings cannot save anyone from death, Satan, and the wrath of God against all unrighteousness. Salvation is only through the supernatural work of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The world rejects the Gospel because it has lost awareness of the unseen, supernatural and eternal. The modern man thinks he understands the world completely through science but he is still just a speck.
- The world rejects the Gospel because it fails to realize the depth of the problem - the problem is in the heart, not the head. The depth of iniquity in the natural, human and unregenerate heart is not known or is dismissed.
- The world rejects the Gospel because it does not realize its real need. It thinks it just needs to be better but it needs a new nature, power over the devil, power over death and ability to satisfy God.
- The world rejects the Gospel because it fails to realize its total inability in the face of its needs. Man cannot change himself, conquer the devil, conquer death or satisfy God.
- The world rejects the Gospel because it does not realize what the Gospel offers. The Gospel offers to meet every need and solve every problem through Jesus Christ.
- The Gospel offers a new nature, victory over the devil, victory over death and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life, conquered the devil, died and rose again, and gives new life.
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.