As Revealed by the Prophets
A Sermon on Isaiah 1:1-2
Originally preached Feb. 3, 1963
Scripture
1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and …
Sermon Description
Why should one listen to the message of the prophets and of holy Scripture? In an age of doubt and the rationalistic criticism of Scripture, this remains a vital question for the church and all believers. In this sermon on Isaiah 1:1–2 titled “As Revealed by the Prophets,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the nature of Scripture as the word of God given through the apostles and prophets. God gives His word to His people in times of need and guidance. This word from God is the only reason that the church has any authority to speak to the world and call it to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The message of the church is that Jesus Christ has died for sinners so that they might be righteous and children of God. All who repent and believe in Jesus are saved from sin and the wrath of God. This message of salvation confronts the world in its fallenness and brokenness and tells of the God who has died for the world. God’s revelation is the only reason that the church can stand and proclaim this great truth that Jesus has come and died for sinners. This sermon confronts all that they need to repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The prophet Isaiah wrote to show Judah and Jerusalem the cause of their troubles and the way out.
- Isaiah's message is summarized in the first chapter. The cause of trouble is sin, false ways of dealing with trouble, and the announcement of the true way of deliverance.
- Isaiah's message is still relevant today because it deals with man's relationship to God, which never changes.
- Isaiah asks us to listen to his message because it is a vision from God, not his own ideas. God spoke through Isaiah.
- The evidence that Isaiah's message is from God includes:
- The sublime and elevating character of the message
- The unity of message across prophets separated by time
- The historical accuracy of predictions
- The timeless relevance of the message
- The condition of man and the world is an astonishing phenomenon and monstrosity according to the message. Everything is obeying God's laws except man.
- Man's troubles are due to his own rebellion against God, not circumstances outside his control.
- The essence of man's trouble is sin, which is rebellion against God, not just individual sins. Sin is about man's relationship to God.
- Man was made to live for God's glory but rebelled. This is why the world is in trouble.
- God raised up prophets like Isaiah to show people their sin, call them to repentance, and offer mercy.
- God showed the greatest love by sending Jesus to save us from the punishment our sin deserves.
- We must realize we are a phenomenon and monstrosity because of our sin, repent, and believe in Jesus to be saved.
Old Testament
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.