The True Nature of the Christian Church, Part 1
An Urgent Call to Understand the Church's Identity and Purpose
Originally preached Dec. 7, 1965
Scripture
Sermon Description
In this sermon, the first of two sermons preached at the opening of Zion Evangelical Baptist Church (Rippon, England) on December 7th 1965, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the critical importance of understanding the doctrine and true nature of the Christian church. He argues that many of the problems and divisions within the church stem from a lack of clarity about what the church really is and its function in the world. With the rise of the ecumenical movement and the increasing confusion in society about the church's message, Dr. Lloyd-Jones asserts that it is imperative for Christians to go back to the New Testament to rediscover the church's true identity and purpose. He warns against merely defending the status quo or attempting to modify existing structures, instead urging believers to faithfully study and apply the biblical teaching on the church.
Sermon Breakdown
- The study of the doctrine of the church is essential for all Christians, not just a matter of individual salvation.
- Many problems in the early church, as addressed in the New Testament epistles, were due to a misunderstanding of the nature of the church.
- The current confusion and decline in the church can be attributed to a lack of clarity about the church's identity and message.
- The ecumenical movement's emphasis on unity at the expense of doctrine necessitates a reexamination of the church's foundation.
- Christians must approach the study of the church with a spirit of humility, unity, and openness to biblical truth, rather than prejudice or divisiveness.
- Merely defending denominational structures or attempting to modify existing divisions is insufficient; Christians must return to the New Testament pattern for the church.
- The history of the church, while valuable, is not the ultimate authority; the New Testament must be the primary source for understanding the church's nature and purpose.
- Christians must be willing to sacrificially pursue a biblical understanding and expression of the church, even if it means challenging the status quo.
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.