The fool says in his heart, "There is no God"
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God" - A Sermon on Psalm 14:1
Originally preached Oct. 6, 1957
Scripture
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Sermon Description
What does it mean to be a fool? According to Scripture, to be a fool is not merely being ignorant of the truth, but it is opposing the wisdom of God. This is why all those that deny that God exists are called fools; they have rejected God’s revelation of Himself in His Word and in His creation. In this sermon “The Fool Says in His Heart, “There is No God,” from Psalm 14:1 Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the folly of rejecting God as Lord and Creator. Scripture tells that God has clearly revealed Himself, and it is only an act of foolish rebellion that leads men and women to deny that God exists and has created all things. God has given evidence that He exists in all of creation, from the stars above to human consciousness. The greatest tragedy of the fool is not only that they have rejected God as their creator, but that they have also rejected God as their savior. Jesus Christ is God’s only appointed means of salvation; to reject Him is to reject God’s love and grace. The ultimate answer to human rebellion is the sovereign electing grace of God for it is only God’s grace that can overcome sin.
Sermon Breakdown
- The psalmist makes a universal statement that anyone who says there is no God is a fool.
- The greatest matter confronting us is our relationship with God. It transcends all other questions and issues.
- There are many attitudes towards God but the psalmist focuses on those who say there is no God.
- The fool listens to his desires rather than understanding. He is superficial and lacks the ability to think clearly.
- There is a sense of God in all human beings. We all have a conscience that condemns wrongdoing. The fool ignores these senses within himself.
- Disbelief in God is not due to intelligence or learning. Both intelligent and unintelligent people deny God. Many learned people believe in God.
- People denied God in David's time as well. It is not due to recent knowledge or discoveries. There is nothing new about denying God.
- The fool draws momentous conclusions from insufficient evidence. He has not truly thought the matter through.
- The problem of pain or psychology or evolution or comparative religion are not adequate evidence to prove there is no God. They are just theories.
- The fool ignores massive evidence for God like creation, history, prophecy, archaeology, Jesus, the church, and Christian saints.
- No one can prove there is no life after death. The fool risks his eternal destiny on flimsy evidence.
- The godly life is superior to the life of the fool in this world and the next. The fool rejects great blessings and rewards.
- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. One must repent and believe in Christ to become truly wise.
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.