The Road to Fullness
A Sermon on John 1:40-45
Originally preached June 20, 1965
Scripture
40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42And he brought him to Jesus. And when …
Sermon Description
What is the road to the fullness of God? Is this something that can only be experienced by Christian heroes of the past or is it for all of God’s children? In this sermon titled “The Road to Fullness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers these questions by considering conversion in John 1:40–45. A frequent misconception among people is that in order to experience the fullness of God, one must have a Damascus road-type of conversion. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains how this couldn’t be further from the truth and experience of the fullness of God comes from obedience and beholding the Lord. Conversion is not a certain formula that must be followed as it looks different for each person. He emphasizes that what matters is not how one comes to God, but simply that they do come to Him. While conversion may look different for each person, the results will be the same. Dr. Lloyd-Jones speaks about some of the similarities which include unspeakable joy, the finding of truth, and the desire to share it with others. This is the road to fullness. It is not saved only for the Christian heroes of the past, but for all if they only obey and behold their Lord and Savior.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on John 1:40-45 which describes Andrew and Philip finding Jesus and bringing others to him.
- Andrew and Philip came to Jesus in different ways - Andrew through John the Baptist and Philip directly called by Jesus. This shows that God deals with people in different ways.
- Andrew and Philip both had an urge to tell others about Jesus, especially their close ones. This shows that those on the way to knowing Jesus have a desire to share about him with others.
- Andrew and Philip said "we have found" Jesus. This shows that they were no longer seeking but had found what they were looking for in Jesus. They had a testimony to share.
- Andrew and Philip not only shared about their experience but also understanding - that Jesus is the Messiah. Christian testimony has both experience and understanding.
- Andrew and Philip brought others to Jesus so they could experience him for themselves. They knew Jesus was the answer even if they did not fully understand.
- The desire to bring others to Jesus shows one is on the way to truly knowing him. Like having a prescription for illness, one wants to share it with others who are suffering.
- One may not fully understand the "ingredients" or theology but knows Jesus can meet needs. The desire is for Jesus to receive all glory through others coming to him.
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.