The Revelation from God
A Sermon on Ezekiel 36:16
Originally preached April 15, 1956
Scripture
16¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Sermon Description
With all the many voices in the world today, it is hard to determine which ones should be listened to. Between friends, family, media, and experts on various topics, there is an overflow of input. In this sermon on Ezekiel 36:16 titled “The Revelation from God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds of the importance of listening to Scripture above all other voices. Many of these inputs try and tell that nothing is desperately wrong with the world and that everyone should just go on and enjoy life. But that is not what Scripture says, and Dr. Lloyd-Jones urges the listener to see this difference. He states that nothing is more important than one’s approach to this book. But what is unique about it compared with the other supposed sources of wisdom? First, it is a revelation from God, who is all-knowing and all-powerful. This in and of itself is a reason to listen very closely to what the Bible teaches. Second, the Bible starts with the foundation that no one on their own can attain the truth about what really matters eternally—all are wholly dependent on God for this. Many will say that they do not like these truths, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones is quick to state that this attitude does not change the truth. Through Jesus, God has made a way for people to be reconciled to Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage being preached on is Ezekiel 36:16-38. The sermon begins by providing context for the passage, explaining that Ezekiel and the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon.
- The sermon then discusses how this passage provides hope for the Israelites in their captivity. The "word of the Lord came" to Ezekiel, revealing God's plan to deliver and restore them.
- The sermon argues that this passage demonstrates some key attributes of the Bible:
- It is a revelation from God, not man's ideas. The prophets claimed to speak God's words.
- It provides a contemporary message. Though old, it speaks to the human condition which remains the same. God and human nature do not change.
- It provides the truth about God, man, history, eternity, sin, and salvation.
- The sermon emphasizes that the message of the Bible must be accepted as a whole. One cannot pick and choose certain parts to believe and ignore others. It is a unified revelation from God.
- The sermon concludes by applying the passage to the listener. Like the Israelites, we may be in a state of shame, failure or captivity. But God comes to us in His word and offers deliverance and salvation through Jesus Christ. We must listen to and accept this word.
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.