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Sermon #1112

A Sovereign Lord

A Sermon on John 2:3-5

Originally preached Oct. 10, 1965

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Scripture

John 2:3-5 ESV KJV
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (ESV)

Sermon Description

Have Christians truly received the fullness of Christ? Do they understand God’s significant part in forming them into new creations? In this sermon on John 2:3–5 titled “A Sovereign Lord,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses these topics through the story of Jesus’s first miracle at the wedding feast. He begins by expressing the truth that God is the one who holds all the power. Christians are utterly dependent upon Him and His power to work in their lives. Dr. Lloyd-Jones expresses that it is when Christians behold Him that He changes them through the Holy Spirit and forms them into new creations. As the Christian beholds Him, He works a miracle in their lives and fills them with the unsearchable riches of Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones ends by explaining how this act of God is miraculous and sudden. It can happen in the blink of an eye. Not only that, but it is independent of reasoning. It cannot be reasoned in the minds of humans, but it is a miraculous work by God. It is through this work that others can see something different in the lives of Christians. May God’s work open the door for others to see Him and for His name to be glorified.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon examines Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. It looks at what we can learn from this incident about receiving God's blessings and fullness.
  2. We must realize that receiving God's blessings is a miracle and an act of God, not something we can achieve through our own efforts. It is supernatural.
  3. There is an active role we must play in filling the water pots and drawing out the water. We must obey God's commands. But the power and miracle is from God alone.
  4. God's blessing can come suddenly and unexpectedly, even after a long period of seeking Him. We must continue to seek Him in faith.
  5. The effect of God's miracle is that the world does not understand it. Only those who have received it, like the servants at the wedding, understand its secret.
  6. We can try to reason our way into faith but true assurance only comes through the Spirit.
  7. Those who have received God's blessing have a hidden knowledge of Him that the world does not have.
  8. We must ask God to write His new name of love upon our hearts. Do we have this secret knowledge of Him?
  9. We must continue to abide in God's grace, love, and fellowship through the Holy Spirit all our lives.

The Book of John

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.