The Kingdom of God
A Sermon on Matthew 24:14
Originally preached Feb. 22, 1959
Scripture
14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Sermon Description
In this sermon in a series on Matthew 24:14 titled “The Kingdom of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches on what the gospel is, not just what it is not. What is the way of escape that is offered to followers of Jesus and what is the kingdom of God found so often in the gospels? First, the gospel is good news. This good news is about God’s action, not humanity’s, and it is directly related to the kingdom of God. This is the realm in which God rules and reigns in the hearts of people. This kingdom is related to the good news of the gospel because it is a demonstration that God has not given up on humankind, thus becoming a beacon of hope for a lost world. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes with addressing God’s relationship to history. First, He is in control of all things. Second, God has acted, and is still acting, throughout history. From the very first pages of Scripture, God’s hand in the movement of history is clear: from the fall of humanity, to His promise to Abraham of a coming ruler, to the cross of Christ. All can trust His control over history because He has faithfully acted in history, keeping His promises, and staying faithful to His character.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon is focused on Matthew 24:14 which says "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
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The sermon begins by providing context about the instability and uncertainty of the times. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that people are talking about the end of the world and the destruction of humanity.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the chapter addresses how individuals can escape the coming doom and destruction. The verse in focus provides the answer - by preaching the gospel of the kingdom.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the gospel is "good news" and the kingdom refers to the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is where God rules in the hearts and lives of people. It is separate from the kingdoms of this world which are ruled by the devil.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines God's relationship to history in two main principles:
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God is in control of human history. He permits evil but also controls it and shows His wrath against it. He ordains human governments and institutions to restrain evil.
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God is acting in history by setting up another history - the history of His kingdom. He is gathering a people for Himself out of the world. There is a struggle between His kingdom and the kingdoms of the world.
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God's kingdom history begins in Genesis 3:15 with the promise of the seed of the woman bruising the serpent's head. It continues through the separation of God's people from the world, like with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Israel. It culminates in Jesus Christ who calls people out of the world into God's kingdom.
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The preaching of the gospel will continue until the end when God puts an end to human history, destroys evil, and gathers His people into His eternal kingdom. People must hear the gospel and flee from the wrath to come into God's kingdom.
Sermons on the Kingdom of God
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.