Man in a State of Famine
A Sermon on Ezekiel 36:29-30
Originally preached June 17, 1956
Scripture
29I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 30And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach …
Sermon Description
“I come to a place of final satisfaction.” In this sermon on Ezekiel 36:29–30 titled “Man in a State of Famine,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones rejoices in the fullness of the Christian life and hope of the gospel. Christianity doesn’t call God’s people to scorn the luxuries and pleasures of life. The “laws of nature” that one discovers are simply rules God has put in place. God’s dealings with humanity and the delivery of His people from sin demonstrate His plan. God always works upon a plan. God will do nothing with His people until their guilt has been dealt with: forgiveness is first in salvation. God’s way is through Christ alone, then continues on in sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Humanity’s real need is to know God and to know how to come to Him. The tragedy of today is that people don’t know the cause of trouble because they are ignorant of God. A life not looking at God invariably leads to famine. God is what people were made for. The most terrible thing to happen to a human is to be abandoned by God. Intellectual and moral activity declines without God. The godless life starves the mind and the heart. The Christian life alone leads to fulfillment.
Sermon Breakdown
- The prophet Ezekiel speaks of God saving his people from famine and increasing their harvests. This points to spiritual blessings, not just material ones.
- Life without God leads to spiritual famine. It starves the mind, morals, emotions, and purpose.
- The sinful life leads to famine because we were made for God, and without him we lack what we need most. God also withholds blessings from those who reject him.
- The modern world shows signs of spiritual famine like decreasing attention spans, crumbling morals, and emotional instability. People turn to temporary fixes like drugs, alcohol, and casual sex to cope.
- In contrast, the Christian life leads to blessing, satisfaction, and abundance. It nourishes the mind, morals, emotions, and purpose.
- The Bible provides intellectual satisfaction with its comprehensive worldview and insights into human nature.
- The gospel cleanses us from sin and helps our moral development. The Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome sin.
- The Christian life provides emotional satisfaction through joy, peace, and comfort in suffering. Our emotions are anchored in Christ.
- Christians can face any circumstance with contentment through prayer and faith in God's sovereignty.
- Christians have hope in death through faith in eternity with Christ.
- If you lack satisfaction and purpose, you likely don't know God. Come to Christ, confess your sins, and receive new life and his Spirit.
- God will abundantly satisfy all who come to him through Christ.
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.