The Divided Man
A Sermon on Acts 2:46-47
Originally preached April 11, 1965
Scripture
46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be …
Sermon Description
What makes any person a Christian? Singleness of heart. Listen to the sermon “The Divided Man” as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones works from Acts 2:46–47 and explains how the early church manifested unity and singleness of heart because they each had been unified individually. The main effect of the gospel, when it is believed, is to simplify and unify the person. Only the Biblical view of humanity really explains the state of the world and the condition of humanity. The world is busy with its learning and understanding but there is one question all must face: “How can I stand before God and be just with Him?” The gospel simplifies the problem and the answer. All the problems in the universe have risen because humanity has lost the face of God. They are sinners under His condemnation. How does one face death? How do they stand with God? How are sins forgiven? The Christian is someone who sees the one problem that confronts everyone because they have been given the one answer. The Christian is no longer seeking; they are found. They are no longer swayed by different views, ideas, and schools of thought. They have found the answer to the one great question in this one blessed person. The answer is Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage under consideration is Acts 2:46-47. These verses describe the early church following Pentecost.
- The early church met daily in the temple and in homes, sharing meals together with gladness and singleness of heart.
- Singleness of heart refers to unity, shared purpose and devotion. The believers were of "one accord."
- This unity was possible because each believer had a single, devoted heart for Christ. Their lives were simplified and unified by the gospel.
- The gospel addresses the one great problem of the human soul and its relationship to God. It simplifies by showing that this relationship is the only thing that ultimately matters.
- The gospel answers this one great problem through Christ. He is the only way to be reconciled to God. Believers find rest in Christ, the end of restless seeking.
- In Christ, believers gain singleness of mind (a single guiding principle), singleness of heart (rest, peace, end of inner conflict) and singleness of will (the ambition to know and live for Christ).
- The world is characterized by distraction, restlessness and inner conflict due to divided allegiances and selfish ambition. The gospel offers unity, purpose and peace in Christ.
- We must examine ourselves to see if we have this singleness of mind, heart and will that comes from devotion to Christ. This is the one thing that is needed.
- We must stop rushing about in distraction and sit at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him, to gain this singleness of purpose and peace.
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.