The Condition of Modern Man
A Sermon on James 4:13-16
Originally preached Dec. 8, 1957
Scripture
13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even …
Sermon Description
What does the Bible say about the world’s problems? The world gives many diagnostics to explain its many ills. The rationalist says that humanity’s biggest problem is that people do not use reason. Others say that people have yet to overcome their base desires. But what does the Bible say? According to God’s word, why do people kill one another and oppress each other? In this sermon on James 4:13–16 titled “The Condition of Modern Man,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on the passage to find answers to these questions. Here it is seen that humanity’s problem is that people are greedy and love themselves. It is out of this self-love that they fight and kill their fellow humans. But this is only symptomatic of the deeper problem of the fundamentally fallen nature. People not only sin, but they are sinful. What is the answer to this great dilemma? How can sinful people overcome this hatred of God and the word, and be saved? The answer is Jesus Christ. In spite of fallen humanity’s hatred towards God, God sent His only Son to die in the place of sinners. This sermon confronts all with the biblical command to repent and believe upon the name of Jesus.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Bible is the word of God because it always has the perfect word for any situation, it's description of human nature is always accurate, and it accurately diagnoses human pride as the root cause of human problems.
- Men views himself as intelligent, educated, and in control of his life. He makes boastful plans for the future without considering God or the uncertainty of life.
- The truth about men is that he is ignorant about the fundamental realities of life. He is ignorant about tomorrow, the nature of his own life, God's sovereignty, and true gain.
- Man's life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes. It is frail and uncertain.
- God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Men must humble himself before God, confess his sins, and draw near to God.
- True gain is knowing God, having fellowship with Him, and inheriting eternal life. Material gain is fleeting but God offers incorruptible riches.
- Men should consider life's uncertainty, humble himself before God, and settle his eternal destiny before it's too late. Life is short and uncertain so he should act now.
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.