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Sermon #4034

The Church which is His Body

A Sermon on Ephesians 1:20-23

Originally preached July 10, 1955

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Scripture

Ephesians 1:20-23 ESV KJV
that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one …

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Sermon Description

One of the most exalted ways the church is depicted in Scripture is through the metaphor of the body of Christ. Not only is it an exalted picture of the church, but the church as the body of Christ is one of the most intimate metaphors of the New Testament church. In this sermon on Ephesians 1:20–23 titled “The Church Which is His Body,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the metaphor of the body of Christ demonstrates that the church is in union with Christ, Christ is the head or source of the church, and Christ fills His body with life. The understanding of the doctrine of the church would be severely restricted if this picture were not in the Scriptures. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines this metaphor in great detail and with great passion, preaching on this source of unity and holiness. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also challenges a popular view of sanctification which regards any working on the part of the believer as misguided. Listen as these themes are brought together in such a way as to challenge the members of Christ’s body to remember the great source of power as one mortifies sin and resists the devil.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. We are joined to Christ in an organic, vital, and intimate manner. We are united to Christ, not in a mechanical or loose manner.
  2. The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church. He is the source and center of the life of the church. Everything in the body derives its life and being from the head.
  3. It is the same life which is in every single part and portion of the body. This gives unity to the body.
  4. The church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. His fullness is in the church, the body.
  5. He fills the body with his life. All the attributes and powers and graces of Christ are in us as members of his body.
  6. The church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. There is a sense in which we as the church are his fullness. We are essential and vital to the fullness of the mystical body of Christ.
  7. What is true of Christ is true of us. We have been crucified with Christ. We are dead to sin. We are risen with Christ. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ.
  8. We must exercise the power that is in us as Christians. We must make use of the life of Christ in us. As we exercise the power, we will receive more power.
  9. The way to receive more power is to use and exercise the power you have. We mustn't wait for some great blessing. We must resist the devil and mortify our members.
  10. There is no excuse for our sin or failure. The energy is in us. We must use it and exercise it. Then we will go from strength to strength, from glory to glory.

The Book of Ephesians

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.