How has God turned the wisdom of the world into foolishness? The answer is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the opposite of what the world tells is wise and mighty. In this sermon on Isaiah 40:13–14 titled “The Wisdom of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones confronts the worldly pursuit of high-minded thinkers and well-educated leaders. Jesus came from a lowly family in Nazareth. He did not bring a message for the wise and proud, but for the lowly and humble. He did not come to conquer with an army, but to die for the sins of many and to deliver them from Satan. The cross is foolishness to the wise, as the apostle Paul says. What does this mean for Christians today? It means that Christians must not look to worldly wisdom and authority to spread the message of Christ, but they should come as servants as Jesus Himself did. The church cannot become like the world to reach the world, for Jesus never changed who He was and instead He trusted God the Father and did all that He commanded of Him. Christians must trust in the humble power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, not the vain and passing wisdom of this world.

How does the Bible describe the folly of sinful people? While many today claim that to reject God and His revelation is to become enlightened, the Bible denounces unbelief as spiritually bankrupt and foolish. In this sermon on Isaiah 40:18–24 titled “To Whom then Will Ye Liken God?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches the biblical truth that those who reject God inevitably fashion an idol of their own making; whether it is politics, money, power, or fame, everybody worships something. The question is not: “do you worship something?” But the question is: “what do you worship?” The Bible calls all idols what there are: lifeless images that cannot save in the time of need. They are deaf, dumb, blind, and mute. But the God of Scripture is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hears the prayers of His people and saves them from their sins. God has not abandoned humanity in the midst of their idol worship and spiritual rebellion, but has sent Jesus Christ into the world to die for sinners. Jesus has come and died so that all who believe in Him would not perish but live as children of God. The sermon calls all to forsake their idols and worship the true and living God in His Son, Jesus Christ.

What separates humanity from God? In this sermon on Isaiah 40:25–28 titled “The Character of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones responds that the answer is God’s holiness. Because all of humanity is sinful and fallen, they are alienated from God. Sinners cannot approach God or stand before Him because they are unclean and unholy. How then can anyone come before God? The answer is found not in what humanity can do, but in what God does. For God is both the just and the justifier in the salvation of humanity by sending His Son into the world to die in the place of sinners. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, was born of a virgin and died in the place of sinners, bearing their sins upon Himself. All who believe in Christ receive the great benefits of salvation and are made right before God. How can anyone stand before a holy God? The answer is that they stand before God by standing in the righteousness of Christ Jesus and are found by God to be in Christ. The great truth of the gospel is that although people are sinful and vile, God makes them clean by sending His Son to die in their place on order that they might have life everlasting.

The gospel like a trapped city hearing of coming deliverance. In this sermon on Isaiah 52:1–3 titled “Saved By Grace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares that this joy produced by the news of Scripture is a great characteristic of the gospel and the story of the Bible is seen in this passage. First, that people are fools. They have rebelled against God and chosen lesser things over the all-satisfying goodness of who He is. Second, salvation is entirely of God’s grace. To understand this point, and the whole of the gospel, one must understand what is wrong with humanity. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that they have sold their souls to sin and are slaves to it. But praise be to God, this is not the end of the story. Though they have nothing to pay, God can and will redeem them. In this passage, He says that Christians are redeemed without money. First, because they ultimately have nothing to pay. They are broken sinners with nothing to bring before God. Second, redemption is without money because it has already been paid for on the cross of Jesus Christ. All that is required is to repent from one’s sins and disobedience against God and belief in the gospel. This, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, is what brings deliverance from sin and peace with God for this life and the next.

Everyone must consider what they are chasing in life and if it will last. In this sermon in Jeremiah 2:13 titled “Fountain of Living Waters,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that all seek satisfaction from a worldview that is either like a cistern of stagnant water or a fountain of flowing, living water. What characterizes the cistern “way of living”? First, it is entirely human-made — all authority is subject to change depending on the shifting opinions of humanity. Second, all the effort for happiness is dependent upon oneself. They are expected to find what makes one happy and chase it with all they have. Third, this way of thinking is so limited because it reduces everything to rationality, even beautiful emotions such as love and joy that cannot be measured. This way of approaching life cannot satisfy—there is no hope. But Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that Jesus offers a fountain of flowing, living water designed to satisfy the deepest longings of the soul in Himself. In contrast to the cistern, this living water is rooted in God’s unchanging authority, providing a bedrock upon that which one can establish their life. Crucially, this living water has accomplished all the work because no one could not earn it on their own — Jesus’s offer of salvation accomplished through His death and resurrection to atone for the sins of all humanity is offered to the Christian. Take a deep drink from this living water and find eternal life.

It is common to encounter disbelief, skepticism, and disdain for Christianity from unbelievers. Driven by a fear of this criticism, some Christians retreat from conversations about God and the gospel. In this sermon based on Jeremiah 2:5 titled “Life Without God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps equip his listeners to know how to handle such criticism with grace and confidence. As he analyzes the position of the skeptic, he challenges their unbelief with his own questions regarding their unbelief and dismissal of God. Asking the unbeliever to consider their rejection of God, he focuses particularly on their rejection of the morality found in the Bible. What exactly is the unbeliever’s objection to morality? What rational foundation could there be for holding to such a belief? Biblical morality, he argues, seeks the flourishing of humanity and the world, so the rejection of morality is both foolish and irrational. It leads to worldwide chaos and tension. If the unbeliever were to turn in belief to the God who created them, they would realize the height of their foolishness. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches on countering the foolish unbelief of this world with the light and clarity of the gospel.

What is the source of suffering and misery in this world? In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:6 titled “A Ruined Mansion,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this question and more. Humanity is like a ruined mansion, a dark shadow of what it once was. People were made to be a friend of God, but now they live in sin and filth. Humanity has sinned and fallen from the original state of happiness and peace into despair because it has willingly rebelled against God. They are now an enemy of God and subject to the wrath of God. What then is humanity’s hope? It is certainly not in itself. Hundreds of years of human history has only shown that people cannot save themselves. This is why God had to send His own Son into the world to die in the place of sinners. Jesus Christ suffered and died a bloody death on the cross for all. All that trust in Him are saved and made children of God. God’s answer to the plight of humanity is to take their place. This sermon calls all to forsake their sins and flee to Christ. There is no guarantee that anyone will live another hour; for this reason all must come to Christ this day.

Is Christianity a joyless religion based on strict law keeping? Sadly, many people think that the teachings of Jesus Christ are just this. But in this sermon on Jeremiah 2:7 titled “A Depraved Nature,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows that this is wholly opposed to what the Bible actually teaches. In the Scriptures is found a God in whom people are to take joy. The Christian life is a call to follow Jesus and to love one another; it is a call to find peace in the salvation of Christ. This life is not about keeping commandments first and foremost, but it is about trusting in Jesus. All the sins that the Bible forbids are the sins that alienate people from God and make them slaves. Freedom and joy have the same source: Jesus Christ. Scripture presents a beautiful picture of life in Christ that allows Christians to really enjoy the gifts of God in creation rather than abuse them for fleeting pleasure. The message of this sermon and the Bible is to follow Jesus and find joy in Him. People are not only saved by faith in Jesus, but they also find their rest in this life in Him.

What does the prophet Jeremiah say to the church of today? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on Jeremiah 2:8 titled “The Only Authority,” the prophet Jeremiah reminds of the importance of God’s authority in one’s life. Jeremiah decried the corrupt and abusive priesthood of Israel that sacrificed to false gods and did not worship the only true God of Israel as they had been commanded to do. The leaders of Israel had also rejected God and His law. What does this mean for the church of modern times? Just as many in the time of Israel who were supposed to lead the people of God and teach them rightly had gone astray, the church of today has many who claim to be leaders but reject the truth of God’s Scriptures and teach against orthodox Christianity. Whether it is higher criticism of the Bible or attacks on the deity of Christ, many teachers in the church oppose the very teachings of God. The answer to this problem is always the same: the church of Jesus Christ must teach the true message of God’s word despite what the world says. Faithfulness to God requires that Christians believe not what is popular, but what is revealed in God’s word.

How bad is sin? While many look at sin as something trivial and light, God does not. In this sermon from Jeremiah 2:9, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on the great truth of God’s judgement against sin, but also God’s great love for sinners. The great truth of the Gospel is that though man is sinful and abominable before God, God is patient and slow to anger. This is seen in the history of Israel. They continually rebel against Him and spurned His love. Yet He still comes to them and offers grace and forgiveness. Though He has every right to condemn them, He extends grace and mercy. As Dr.Lloyd-Jones proclaims, Jesus Christ gives mercy to all, not only the people of Israel! For God has made a way of salvation for all who believe in Him and repent of their sins. Jesus is God’s ultimate display of mercy towards sinners. Do you know the grace of Jesus Christ? Are you forgiven of all your sins? In this sermon, you will hear the glorious truth of the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins.

What is the greatest contradiction about humanity? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon from Jeremiah 2:10–12 titled “The Condition of the Fallen Man,” it is the fact that people claim to be great rational thinkers, yet they reject God and die in sin. Humanity claims to be enlightened, yet they are slaves to sin. The explanation is that people have rejected God and pursued their own goals in life because they are sinners. A person is not the master of their own fate as they would like to believe, but they are a slave to sin. What then is the answer to humanity’s sinful condition? The answer is grace. People can only escape their sin and the judgment that follows it because God has acted in time and history in the person of Jesus Christ. The gospel breaks into a person’s foolishness and blindness and gives life. God gives glory and honor in and through Jesus Christ because all that repent of their sins and believe are made children of God, righteous and holy. The sermon calls all to forsake their sins and believe in Jesus who has died so that humanity might live forever.

What is humanity’s problem? What is it about people and the world that accounts for all the ills and trials of human life? The question is present all through human history, yet modern humanity has no answer. In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:14–17 titled “Man, A Slave,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches the biblical truth that each person’s problem is that they have fallen from original righteousness and purity into sin and despair. All are slaves to sin and twisted desires. Scripture tells us that no one is evolving toward a better future, but rather are getting worse. What then is the answer to this seemingly hopeless state? The answer is found in God’s infinite grace given in Jesus Christ. While it is true that humanity can do nothing to help themselves, the gospel is the message that God has acted for humanity. God has sent His Son to die upon the cross as the ultimate price for sin and peace. All who believe in Jesus are freed from sin and made children of God, righteous inheritors of the new heavens and earth. There is no other response to the gospel than to repent of all sins and come to Jesus who calls all to enteral life in His death.

What is the world’s greatest problem? Many would say war; others would say it is poverty. Some say that regardless of what the problem is, it can be solved by education alone. In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:18 titled “Ignorant of the Truth of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones goes on to show how all of these answers provide an unbiblical response to this most important question. According to Scripture, all the trouble in the world is only a result of humanity’s sinful and rebellious nature. Though people were created good and holy, they rejected God, and as a result of this fell into sin and condemnation. This fall brought the whole created order into a state of sin and despair. What was once created good by God has now become distorted and corrupted. Humanity now does not know God and does not seek to love or serve Him as they were created to do. If all the world’s problems stem from people not knowing God, what is the answer? God has made a way of salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died for all who believe in order that those who repent of their sins and believe upon His name are forgiven of their sins and made children of God. This is the world’s only hope.

What is the essence of sin? What is it that makes sin so destructive and alienating from God? In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:19 titled “A Fear of the Lord,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows that sin is not merely something that people do, but it is a state of the heart and mind. At the center of this state is the complete absence of the fear of the Lord. Just as the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the absence of this fear is the ground of sin and evil. But humanity does not see sin as the deadly thing that it is. To people, sin is a game and a source of fleeting worldly pleasure. But God tells that all those that sin will suffer for their sin in this life and the next. The truth of the gospel is that God comes to humanity not only in judgment, but also in grace. God has not left anyone without hope—He has sent His only Son into the world to die upon the cross so that sin would be vanquished. All those who repent and believe in Jesus are freed from sin and its curse, and they are made righteous children of God.

What do the people of Israel have to teach? Because all things in holy Scripture are for humanity’s benefit, Christians can learn much about the nature of humanity and themselves by looking at the ancient people of God. In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:20–22 titled “A Degenerate Vine,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells that according to the Bible, humanity is polluted by sin. Every desire and inclination are brought under the twisted subjugation of their sinful nature. In a fallen state, humans are not able to pursue the good and upright. They are not able to live lives of love and justice. Many try to escape their own sin by looking to works of righteousness. They think that if they try hard enough, they can erase their sin and earn God’s favor, but this is a hopeless task. What then is the hope? The answer is found not in what people can do, but in what God has done. God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die upon the cross and to shed His blood so that sinners can be saved. All who believe in Jesus are forgiven of their sins, adopted as children of God, and made truly righteous. There is nothing left for anyone to do but repent of their sin and believe.

What can cause people to fall into unutterable folly? God calls these people to think and consider. Compare and contrast religions—in what does the Christian trust and how do they prepare for eternity? A person’s religion is their working philosophy; the thing they rest upon and to which they give themselves up. In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:26–28 titled “Fake Religion,” Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the marks of false religion in regards to three questions. Look at the nature and character of the god(s) being worshipped. Take a look at contemporary history and the gods of this present age. Do not test one’s religion when everything is going well, but look at the day when the sun is not shining and there is in trouble. Can that God save? A false religion will always be found out. Find answers for the problem of guilt and death. Learn about what Christ did and those who opposed Him. Christ came to die so that all can live. Comfort will only come through Him. The Christian might be perplexed, but they do not need to despair. Lean on the promises of God and find abundant life. Absolutely nothing can separate the Christian from God. Realize the folly and turn to Him, and enter into His eternal glory.

In Dr. Martyn-Lloyd Jones sermon on Jeremiah 9:23-24, he explores the consistent nature of man throughout time. Our inherent nature, both in biblical times and now, is to live life for ourselves and enjoy ourselves however we see fit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones states, “man doesn’t change at all; human nature is consistent.” And just as human nature never changes the Bible never loses relevance. It is as relevant today as it was centuries ago. The verse at hand, Jeremiah 9:23- 24, provides a clear description of the ego of men. Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that man glories and puts his final confidence in himself. Man is inherently confident and believes he needs no help and is self-sufficient. Man certainly possesses good things such as wisdom, riches, and strength; however, once a man puts his final confidence in any things such as these, he is lost. Dr. Lloyd- Jones gives the example of fire. Fire can be a wonderful thing that provides warmth; however, if left unattended it can consume your house. Similarly anything a man possesses must be tempered, for there is only one person that we can place our faith and final confidence in and that is Jesus Christ. Many turn to philosophy for their final confidence and others turn to knowledge. But neither of these can truly supply an answer to mans purpose or real need. No, the only thing we can put our trust in is God. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones puts it, “many attack God but none succeed in ceasing his plans.” Why should we trust ourselves and our own abilities when everything is in the control of God? Instead, we should put our faith in him and we should glory in God’s might and ability to lift us up. If we do so, we will be given the infinite wealth and power of God. If God is for us who can be against us?

Why is it that in the modern day, with all the technological achievements, humanity still faces the same problems it did three thousand years ago? It is apparent that humankind is sick with a disease, with every generation promising a utopian future. All are still in a cycle of death, injustice, and social ills. In order to treat this disease, one must have a proper diagnosis of what it is. In this sermon on Isaiah 1:5–6 titled “Thus Saith the Lord,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones reveals through Scripture that the sickness is much worse than one thought. It is one that affects every capacity of every man, woman, and child. As a good doctor would, Dr. Lloyd-Jones does not leave the listener without hope and nor does the Bible. The listener will hear of this disease, but also will also hear of the great news that there is a cure, and it will remedy humanity’s greatest need.

Why has humanity strayed away from God? Many men and women go throughout their lives not caring about God, salvation, or eternity. They concern themselves with everything other than God and His ways, yet all were created by God and for God. In this sermon on Jeremiah 17:5–8 titled “God or Man?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that the reason for humanity’s refusal to love and serve God is found in the fact that people are sinners and rebels against God. Adam and Eve listened to the voice of the serpent rather than that of God Himself and fell into sin. However, people are still unwilling to accept that they are sinners; they claim that they do not believe in Christianity because it is intellectually ridiculous. What then is one to make of humanity in sin? How can they be saved? The answer is found in God’s great plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. God saves sinful and rebellious people by sending His only Son to die in their place that they might live as children of God. It is God incarnate in Jesus Christ that overcomes human sin and hatred for all that is good by living and dying as a person. Jesus was then raised from the grave and now reigns and intercedes for all those that trust in His gospel of grace.

What does it take to change sinful people? This is a question that everyone must ask at one point or another in their life because all live in a world of sin. Why is the world and humankind the way that they are? The Bible not only tells why people are sinners, but it also tells how they can change. In this sermon on Jeremiah 17:5–8 titled “The Nature of Man,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks to the prophet Jeremiah to see what God says about sinful people. Humanity is set in its own ways and does not submit to God’s rule. In this state, people are unable to seek God and love Him rightly. How then can they be saved? The answer is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners. Jesus died in the place of sinners that they might be justified in God’s sight. Jesus moves His people out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of righteousness. While sinful people are evil and wicked, Jesus alone has the power to give them a new heart that not only loves God but seeks to serve Him.