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Sermon #1180

Christianity or Religion?

A Sermon on John 4:28-39

Originally preached Jan. 7, 1968

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Scripture

John 4:28-39 ESV KJV
So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging …

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Sermon Description

In this sermon from John 4:28–30 titled “Christianity or Religion?”, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the centrality of a relationship to Christ and how it should change every part of one’s life. Christianity is not just another helpful life teaching that can be added to a daily routine, but it is the message of salvation from God. It is the truth that all who believe in Christ are made children of God and forgiven from all sins. This means that now they view all of this life and the future in light of this hope. It means that the Christian tests themselves to see if they are truly in Christ. The Bible is clear that there are many who say they believe but are self-deceived. This is why the Bible exhorts all Christians to test themselves to see whether they are in the faith. This vital message for all to hear and obey is that Jesus died and saved those that believe.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon examines what Jesus means to us personally based on the story of the Samaritan woman at the well.
  2. The sermon suggests examining ourselves to see if Jesus is the biggest factor and influence in our lives.
  3. The sermon examines our lives by looking at the past and seeing if Jesus has been the biggest thing to happen to us.
  4. The sermon asks if we are prouder of our association with Jesus than anything else.
  5. The sermon asks if we know our sins are forgiven and if we have peace with God.
  6. The sermon asks if we see ourselves as children of God and call out "Abba, Father."
  7. The sermon asks if we have known Jesus' nearness, help, and working in our lives.
  8. The sermon asks if our knowledge of Jesus has increased over the past year.
  9. The sermon says we should look to the future and see if Jesus is the dominating factor as we consider the unknown.
  10. The sermon asks what our greatest desire is for the new year - to know Jesus better?
  11. The sermon asks if we desire to please Jesus more and see the success of His kingdom.
  12. The sermon distinguishes between a morbid anxiety about the future and facing it triumphantly in Christ.
  13. The sermon says we should consider the possibilities of life like ill health, failure, and death but face them in Christ.
  14. The sermon asks if we rely on Jesus' promises and find Him sufficient no matter what happens.
  15. The sermon presents the hymn "Jesus, My All in All" as an example of finding Jesus sufficient in all circumstances.

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.