Martyn Lloyd-jones Sermon Podcast

John 7:18 — Perhaps the greatest contrast in all of the Bible is the humility of Christ and the pride of humankind. In this sermon on pride from John 7:18 titled “Man and His Pride,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues teaching and preaching on the characteristics of unbelief and reaches the ultimate reason people do not believe the gospel: pride. In teaching on the fallen nature of humanity, the Lord Jesus Christ is not interested in an academic or psychological analysis of pride. Instead, His love for sinners drives His words. With the final fate of persisting unbelief being hell, Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks the listener to confront their own unbelief. Considering modern scientific hubris, one must consider if they will gamble their eternal destiny on the theories of people or will become like little children at the feet of Christ? Will they lean on intellect, learning, and the world’s philosophies or gladly receive the Word of God? Does the sin of pride, selfishness, and self-centeredness consume one’s life or do th

John 7:17 — In its deepest time of need, the world did not receive the Son of God. This is as true today as it was when the Gospel of John was written. But why does the world persist in its unbelief? In light of its desperation, how is it possible that the world continues to reject the extraordinary message of the gospel? In this sermon on John 7:17 titled “To Know God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his study of unbelief and says that unbelief is moral rather than merely intellectual. He then goes on to expound why this must be the case based upon an understanding of the nature of God and the truth of the Christian faith. In their prejudice, people want to make Christianity an intellectual or detached academic endeavor. Intellectualism allows exploration of religion in lab coats rather than coming face-to-face with the fact that all are sinners who cannot approach a holy God with feeble intellect. While the majority of the world rejects the gospel of Christ, Christians have eyes to understand the moral di

John 7:16 — There is a prevalent modern myth that great minds don’t believe in Christianity. While intellectuals look back and patronize Christianity, scholars ridicule Christian teaching as passé. But how does one judge the knowledge of the Christian faith? Can knowledge about God be attained in the same manner as secular knowledge? Is knowledge about God a matter of intellect or ability? In this sermon on John 7:16 titled “Given by God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers these kinds of question by showing how the vast majority of intellectuals today fall into the same position as the Pharisees. In other words, both judge the teaching about Christ from a mere human perspective. However, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows, Jesus Christ’s teaching is entirely different from every other teaching because it belongs to a different realm. His teaching is given by God. Christ claims to give revelation from above. In order to understand this revelation, the listener needs to discern things spiritually. Natural minds that are una

John 7:15 — Modern people like to think they are different from those of the past. Do technological and scientific advancements mean they can dispense with the past, especially the Christian past? Many in leading universities and intellectual centers around the world think Christianity is no longer relevant and say that science teaches differently now. The problem with this outlook, says Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, comes down to pride and prejudice, and this is nothing new. The Pharisees and scribes held this same kind of intellectual hubris against the Lord Jesus Christ. In this sermon on John 7:15 titled “Pride and Prejudice,” when Jesus began to teach, they quickly dismissed Him because He did not belong to their schools. Due to their pride, they were unwilling to face the “facts” of His message. What is the result of this intellectualism? How does the example of the scribes and Pharisees help modern people understand the human condition? How might they miss the vital questions of life because of spiritual bli

John 7:15 — Trimming Christianity to mere ethical teachings or to matters of political agitation may interest certain people. Christians may even gain the respect of others through their good deeds or for their dedication to Sunday morning service. But in neither case, argues Dr. Martyn-Lloyd Jones, will people marvel at the Christian gospel. The one thing that true Christianity leads to is wonder and amazement. In this sermon on John 7:15 titled “And the Jews Marveled,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the essence of the gospel always leads people to marvel and true Christianity will have this effect. In the sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones traces this theme of amazement, astonishment, and marvel through the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. He asks whether or not the church is causing people to marvel, and if not, why? The listener will be challenged if they think Christianity is a set of rules to follow or a political program; that Jesus Christ came to help people live a better life; or that Jesus was simply a good m

John 7:14 — The Bible is a wonderful, coherent narrative spanning centuries of God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. Biblical typology helps interpreters of the Bible understand how the Old Testament, with its laws concerning feasts, celebrations, sacrifices, and institutions, is fulfilled in Christ Jesus. In this sermon on the feast of tabernacles from John 7:14, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds the Bible’s teaching on the Feast of Tabernacles. He connects for his listeners its significance for ancient Israel and the lessons it taught the people of God as they dwelled in tents, celebrating their deliverance from the bondage of Egyptian slavery. Yet the law of Moses is not an end unto itself. Following the teaching of the New Testament, Dr. Lloyd-Jones connects the Feast of Tabernacles to the great anti-type, the Son of God who “tabernacled” among His people. Listen as he models how to relate the Old Testament to the New Testament and, more importantly, about the love of God, the message of hope, and the fi

John 7:8-13 — In this sermon on John 7:8–13 titled “Son of God, Saviour,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones grapples with the nature and condition of unbelief in the world but first encourages looking closely at the Savior Himself. Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on Scripture’s teaching concerning Christ’s loneliness, isolation, humility, wisdom, and the purpose for His suffering. In so doing, it is all the more perplexing that the world rejects such a blessed person. How could it be that the world rejects such a Savior? How could it be that the religious authorities, experts, kings, and common people all rejected the Son of God? What does this say about the human condition? What is the answer to such spiritual blindness? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores this important topic of the world’s rejection of Son of God, savior of the world.

John 7:7 — Unbelief in the gospel is the great tragedy. Christians believe that the rejection of the Son of God has eternal consequences and as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches in this sermon on John 7:7 titled “Christ, the Only Hope,” there is no more serious and sober subject in all of Scripture than the world’s unbelief. Some give intellectual arguments as the reason for their rejection of Christianity or claim not to have strong enough information about God to accept the gospel message. What is the true nature of unbelief? What about those closest to Jesus in His earthly ministry — did they receive Him when seeing with their own eyes His power, authority, and miracles? The Gospel of John has much to say about the world and its unbelief. Dr. Lloyd-Jones leads His listeners through the puzzling reality that the Son of God came to His own and His own did not receive Him. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the great divide of the world and asks the listener for their reaction to Jesus Christ, the only hope for

John 7:6 — “My time has not yet come.” This simple phrase uttered by Jesus describes the vast chasm that exists between the unbeliever and the follower of Christ. In this sermon on John 7:6 titled “The Unbeliever,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the depth of Jesus’s words. The context for this statement comes as Jesus’s brothers are preparing to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Booths. Jesus announces that he will not be going up to the feast and His brothers react to Jesus’s announcement with the typical unbelieving mindset. They thought that if Jesus in fact had a message that would change the world, the feast is the perfect opportunity to reveal Himself. However, this is worldly thinking. Jesus exposes their earthly ambitions by telling them that “for you any time will do.” A worldly message delivered to worldly fallen sinners is always available. But Jesus, His message, and His mission are under a divine timetable. The Triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is on a divine mission to reconcil

John 7:5 — Throughout the New Testament is found the call to believe and the warning to examine oneself, lest anyone be found destined for hell. Belief is the central message of the Gospel of John. In fact, the entire book is an apologetic to believe in Christ. In this sermon on John 7:5 titled “Look at Him,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones once again calls all to believe by illuminating the manifestations of unbelief. The backdrop is found in a scene with Jesus and His brothers where it is time to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Booths. Jesus announces that He is not going to the feast, and His brothers immediately criticize this decision. Their argument centers on worldly motivation. It is in their argument to Jesus that one finds manifestations of unbelief that apply to all sinners of all times. Through their words, Jesus’s brothers reveal their misunderstanding of Jesus and His mission, proving their focus on worldly problems. These carnal attitudes mark an unbeliever and will always be found in the unbelieving

John 5:45-47 — Those who will not believe in Jesus are awaiting condemnation. In this sermon on John 5:45–47 titled “The Message of the Bible,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones picks up his exposition on the passage and confronts the Jews with the authority of the Bible. Jesus is keeping the pressure on the Jews that their belief in God the Father is empty and void. The Jewish claim to believe in God was inaccurate and was not going to lead to salvation but instead condemnation. Beginning in verse 45, Jesus pulls the rug out from under the Jews when He confronts them concerning the words of Moses. In the end, Jesus would not condemn them, but in fact it was the words of Moses that accused them in the present and would again in the final judgment. If the Jews truly believed the words of Moses, then they would believe in Jesus as Moses had written of Him. Ultimately, the Jews were rejecting the supreme authority of the Bible. True belief that saves is found only by accepting the Bible as the authority, in being right and clear

John 5:44 — Why do people refuse to believe in Jesus? What stops someone from looking to Him for hope? In this sermon on John 5:44 titled “The Condition of Man,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes a third look at John 5:44 and unfolds the root cause of unbelief. Considering this verse and the whole of Scripture, the answer is sin. Like a festering cancer in the body, sin renders one spiritually dead and unable to believe. In the flow of John 5, the Jews become a perfect illustration of this destructive reality. Jesus has framed the condition of humanity in the context of the seeking of honor. No one can believe because they seek their own honor, not the honor that comes from God. The heart is blinded by sin. While affirming this truth, Scripture also declares that sin renders all as fools. They are fools in that they proclaim that there is no God. Sin corrupts the ability to reason, encourages longing for the hedonist experience, and causes the worship of self. In seeking their own honor, the Jews are made fools bl

John 5:44 — Salvation comes only through belief activated by seeking honor that comes from God. In this first sermon on John 5:44, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that true saving belief is impossible when humankind seeks its own honor. Though they professed to know God, the Jews were far from Him because they sought their own honor from people. The honor of people is ultimately the seeking of the same supreme position Satan offered Eve in the garden. Now, in this second installment titled “Seek Honour From God,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the belief that saves comes from seeking honor from God. The honor that comes from God is an honor that begins by giving Him the supreme position in the heart, mind, and life. This honor, in reality, is the essence of belief that humbles oneself to a lowly position and God to the supreme position. Possessing this saving belief means that one knows that God exists, accepts that God is holy, receives God’s word as the truth, and is convicted of his or her own sin and need

John 5:44 — Continuing his exposition of John 5 with this sermon on John 5:44 titled “How Can You Believe?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones now considers verse 44 and this question. This question was posed by Jesus as He again confronts the Jews and their rejection of Him. Belief in Him is the means of salvation and the path to truly knowing the Father. However, Jesus now presents a great theological difficulty. His question implies that belief in Him is impossible. In fact, belief exercised by the unbeliever is completely out of his or her control. As one famous preacher said, “You had nothing to do with your natural birth and you had nothing to do with your spiritual birth.” Belief in Jesus to receive salvation is impossible without the work of God in the life of the unbeliever. In John 5:44, Jesus confronts the Jews with this reality. Furthermore, His question points to the prior verses referring to their desire for honor among people. How does this desire relate to the inability to believe? In this sermon, Dr. Mar

John 5:43 — Sin blinds the unbeliever from believing in Jesus. In this sermon on John 5:43 titled “Blinded by Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his exposition of this chapter that is nestled in the context of divine healing and divine declarations made by Jesus. However, the Jews outright dismissed Jesus’s claims, refuse to receive Him as Lord and Savior, and ultimately begin plotting to kill Him. In their rejection, Jesus condemns them, saying they praise people for earthly glory and have no love of God. In this Scripture, Dr. Lloyd-Jones unfolds Jesus’s next condemning truth: they are blinded by sin. Jesus tells them that they will receive someone who arrogantly comes in their own name, but refuse to receive Him who comes in the name of the Father. The Jews, along with all unbelievers, are blinded by sin. Sin blinds the unbelieving, causing them to lose rationality and become a fool. Sin blinds. Unbelievers lose all sense of proper judgment because sin clouds judgment and restricts it to prejudice, sub

John 5:41 — Jesus does not want the praise of people. He makes this very statement in John 5:41 where he states, “I do not receive glory from people.” What are we to make of this statement of Jesus? In this sermon on John 5:41 titled “A Right Approach,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones carefully answers this question. This statement, set in the context of John 5 where Jesus had performed a powerful miracle, made powerful claims about His identity and proclaimed a powerful truth to confront the Jews’ unbelief. Now, in verse 41, Dr. Lloyd-Jones unpacks this statement of Jesus’s teaching: the Jews took the wrong approach to Jesus. The Jews only offered honor to a well-known teacher or political leader in an earthly sense. Jesus does not want this type honor from people as this is the wrong approach. Jesus desires the honor, worship, and praise that is compelled by His true identity as the Son of God, sent from the Father, fully God and fully divine. How can anyone give Him this praise? How can anyone take the right approa

John 5:42 — The fatal blow for the soul is to divide one’s belief in God and Jesus. In this sermon on John 5:42 titled “Love God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones now sets the stage to consider once again the Jews and their rejection of Jesus. A glorious miracle is the backdrop for the narrative of John 5. This miracle allows Jesus to come to the front of the scene and declare His equality with God. His opening lines in the story include the invitation to come to Him and believe in Him, because to know Him is to know God. The crowd of Jews scoff at His words. Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers reasons for the Jews’ rejection, and ultimately the sinners’ rejection of Christianity. He shows how the rejection goes deeper into the heart and soul. The Jews were entrenched in their belief only in God to the destruction of their own soul. Why were they, along with all sinners, so bound in rejection? Rejection of Jesus stems from a lack of love for God. The tender affections of the heart are cold towards Him. In this sermon, Dr. Martyn L

John 5:40 — In this sermon on John 5:40 titled “Why Is Christianity Rejected?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on Jesus now offering the practical application. He provides the invitation for the Jews and for all sinners to come to Him. Ultimately, the invitation to come is an invitation to believe in Him for salvation. Having defined what it means to truly believe in Jesus, now Dr. Lloyd-Jones considers why sinners do not come to Jesus and believe. In the context, Jesus invites the Jews to come, but they refuse to come. Many who reject Christ argue that their intellect moves them to reject Christianity. They are educated and imply that those who accept Christianity lack a mind, intelligence, and rationality. But intellect does not cause one to reject Christ. Looking again at the text, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that their will does not let them come. The Jews, and all sinners who reject Christianity, are unable to come because of their will. The wills and the minds of people are corrupt and in bondage to the dis

John 5:40 — What does it mean to “come to Jesus”? In this sermon on John 5:40 titled “Come Unto Me,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones now considers the command of Jesus, “come unto me.” This wonderful and compassionate command of Jesus comes in the context of the healing at Bethesda. Jesus has powerfully healed an invalid who has been in that condition for nearly four decades. This powerful healing gave Jesus the opportunity to declare His true identity as the Son of God, fully divine, fully equal with the Father. Having validated these claims by confronting the Jews with the testimony of multiple witnesses, Jesus now turns to the application of the entire scene. The Jewish people, as well as all sinners, are to come to him. The Son of God, the Sovereign Creator of all things who is equal with the Father, has come into the world to invite sinners to come to Him. At its core, the command is an invitation to believe in Jesus. In this message, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones confronts sinners with this powerful invitation to come,

John 5:39 — In his sermon on John 5:39 titled “Search for Scripture,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones unfolds the fourth witness to Jesus: the Scripture. The Jews thoroughly searched the Scripture and claimed to know the Scripture, and the leaders of the Jews thought themselves to be the teachers of the Scripture. In the Scripture, they thought they possessed eternal life. They even believed that just because they possessed the Scriptures, as opposed to the Gentiles, they were set apart to eternal life. The prejudice and misinterpretation of the Scripture by the Jews dripped with hypocrisy. In providing more testimony to validate His claims, Jesus stated that the Scriptures testified about Him. The entire Old Testament pointed to Jesus through either direct prediction or preparation. Scripture validated His person, work, and identity. The Jews possessed a knowledge of Scripture, but one that led ultimately to self-deception. They held the Scripture at arms-length and imported their own ideas into Scripture instead of