Isaac's Removal of the Philistine Rubbish
A Sermon on Genesis 26:17-18
Scripture
17¶ And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and …
Sermon Description
In this powerful sermon on revival, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones draws from the story of Isaac re-digging his father Abraham's wells in Genesis 26. He argues that the church today is in desperate need of revival, facing a crisis of faith and vitality. Dr. Lloyd-Jones contends that the solution is not to seek new methods or adapt to modern times, but rather to rediscover the timeless truths and doctrines that have fueled revivals throughout church history. He emphasizes the importance of studying church history to understand how God has worked in the past and to gain wisdom for the present. Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several key doctrines that have been obscured or neglected in the modern church, including the sovereignty and active involvement of God, the authority of Scripture, the sinfulness of man, the centrality of Christ, and the person and work of the Holy Spirit. He argues that these foundational truths have been covered over by false teaching and worldly influences, like the Philistines filling in Abraham's wells. The task of the church today, Dr. Lloyd-Jones asserts, is to clear away these obstacles and rediscover the life-giving "water" of biblical truth. He calls believers to return to a robust, supernatural faith that expects God to work powerfully, rather than relying on human effort alone. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes with a stirring appeal for the church to humble itself, learn from the past, and earnestly seek God for a fresh outpouring of His Spirit in revival power.
Sermon Breakdown
- The desperate need of the church today is likened to Isaac's need for water - it is urgent and a matter of life or death.
- The problem is not just keeping things going, but fighting for the very life and essence of the Christian faith itself.
- Looking to the past history of revivals and reformations in the church is wisdom, not a hindrance.
- Isaac went back to the old wells dug by his father Abraham, knowing there was water there.
- The church has allowed vital truths to be concealed and obscured, like the Philistines filling the wells with rubbish.
- Rediscovering and clearing away the rubbish to reveal the life-giving doctrines leads to revival.
- The sovereign, transcendent God who actively intervenes has been replaced by abstractions.
- The authority of Scripture as God's revealed truth has been undermined.
- Sin, God's wrath, and man's rebellion against God have been downplayed.
- The centrality of Christ's person and work has been obscured.
- The substitutionary atonement through Christ's blood has been neglected.
- The person and work of the Holy Spirit has been forgotten or quenched.
- Revivals throughout history evidence the Holy Spirit being poured out in power.
- The church must rediscover and clear away the rubbish to find the life-giving water.
- What God has done before, He can do again, as He is the same unchanging God.
Other Sermons
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.