Out of Babylon into Canaan
A Sermon on Ezekiel 36:24
Originally preached May 13, 1956
Scripture
24For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
Sermon Description
What is the gospel and how does it reveal God’s glory? In this sermon on Ezekiel 36:24 titled “Out of Babylon into Canaan,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches how one’s blindness to the truth about sin is what enables them to continue in it. God’s punishment of sin is very clear. The gospel comes in where all hope seems lost. God set out to restore His own name that humanity profaned. This is not merely an act of morality and kindness, nor is it the choice of anyone; it is entirely the work of God. Learn of the immense distance between the depth of sin and the height of God’s glory. God deserves the praise of ten thousand tongues. Nothing less than the power of God can do such amazing work; all of humanity could not conjure up enough power to make one single person a Christian. All must stand in the power of God, rather than the wisdom of humanity. The first thing the world needs to be delivered from is their ignorance of God. Sin puts people in the wrong relationship with God, but salvation restores them to what ought to be as humanity was made for paradise.
Sermon Breakdown
- The power of God is necessary to achieve salvation. Nothing less than the power of God can make someone a Christian.
- The change that occurs in salvation is complete and profound. It is the greatest change that can happen to someone.
- Deliverance is needed from:
- Heathenism: Ignorance of God and godlessness. This includes fear, superstition, slavery to sin.
- Inability to know God. Man is incapable of arriving at a knowledge of God on his own.
- God delivers from heathenism and brings into "your own land" - a place of blessing and relationship with God.
- Salvation restores:
- Relationship with God as Father. Knowledge of God's love, mercy and compassion.
- Place of blessing. Receiving God's blessings.
- Holiness. Delivered from sin and its power. Hunger for righteousness. Victory over sin. Delight in God's will.
- Salvation reconciles to God and allows us to know Him. It is more than believing certain things about God.
- Salvation separates from the world and its pursuits and joins to God and heaven.
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.