The Glory of the Gospel
A Sermon on Acts 20:24
Originally preached Oct. 25, 1964
Scripture
24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Sermon Description
What is the only hope for the world? What is the only light that can pierce the darkness of sin and evil? In this sermon on Acts 20:24, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives the one answer found in Holy Scripture: the gospel. There is no hope for this world apart from the electing grace of God in Jesus Christ. God sent His only Son into the world to die upon the cross in the place of sinners and the very enemies of God so that all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus are saved. All who trust in Christ receive the grace of God. The Bible tells us that all salvation is wholly the result of God’s grace that He gives freely. There is nothing anyone can do to save themselves. God has given the ultimate gift of salvation to sinners who by nature hate God and all His ways. What grace! This sermon calls each and every man, woman, and child to repent of their sins and look to Jesus Christ as their only hope and comfort in this world. There is no other hope than Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
-
The passage being preached from is Acts 20:24. The verse reads "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."
-
The sermon examines the meaning and implications of "the gospel of the grace of God." Grace means unmerited favor shown to the undeserving.
-
The fact that there is any good news or hope in the world is solely due to the grace of God. God initiated the plan of redemption, not in response to anything from man.
-
The grace of God is shown in God sending His Son Jesus Christ into the world. Christ endured the humiliation of becoming a man and dying on the cross to atone for our sins. This demonstrates the exceeding riches of God's grace.
-
The way of salvation is by grace through faith, not of works. No one can be justified by the deeds of the law. Salvation is the free gift of God's grace.
-
The grace of God gives pardon, forgiveness, justification, new birth, the Holy Spirit, access to God, and union with Christ.
-
The grace of God reigns and triumphs. Where sin abounds, grace abounds more. Grace guarantees the eternal security of the believer. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.
-
We must see our need of the gospel of grace. We must see the glory of what God has done in His grace. We must realize that salvation is the free gift of God's grace, not of works.
-
The gospel of grace produces rejoicing and praise, as seen in hymns like "Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing." It has transformed countless lives.
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.