Martyn Lloyd-jones Sermon Podcast

Philippians 3:18-19 — In this sermon on Philippians 3:18–19 titled “Enemies of the Cross,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses two common lies: works are all that matter or that works don’t matter at all. Furthermore, he discusses the traits that an enemy of the cross possesses. These are excellent tests to apply while listening to this sermon and examining the soul: “is my mind set on earthly things? Am I interested in spiritual realities? Does my appetite for food, sex, or material goods rule what I do? Am I proud of things that Scripture says are shameful?” Paul describes enemies of the cross in these ways and says that their end is destruction. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that the enemies of Christ are short sighted; they think about temporary things. They are given to temporary and fleeting desires, and don't have enough foresight to see that these things will come to an end in wrath and destruction. In contrast, the Christian is concerned with eternal realities and pleasing God rather than their fleshly des

Philippians 3:12-17 — What sets the Christian apart from everyone else? In this sermon on Philippians 3:12–17 titled “Apprehended by Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares that it is the Christian’s knowledge and pursuit of Christ that separates them from all others. Christianity is not about external actions, nor is it about passionless religiosity, but Christianity is about Christ Jesus. It was the Apostle Paul who came to know Christ when Jesus appeared to him and transformed him. This was an immediate interaction with the risen Christ who called Paul to a life of service and suffering as a Christian. Jesus calls all believers to forsake their pride and arrogance, and to trust in Him. This sermon asks: “do you have a knowledge of Christ that transforms you? Are you trusting in Jesus or yourself?” In its fallen state, the world trusts in itself to solve all its problems, but the Christian is totally different. The Christian flees all vain worldly wisdom and trusts in God. Only Christianity shows all how the

Philippians 3:12-17 — In this sermon on Philippians 3:12–17 titled “A Man in Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the biblical view of Christianity—one that fills people with joy. More than just knowing facts about Jesus, Christianity is about personally knowing Jesus Himself. Part of the way this is seen is through the Holy Spirit, the helper God sent to live inside of believers to help them as they live in a world hostile to Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps to live and handle everything life throws, spiritually and otherwise. What does it mean to follow Christ in the midst of these struggles? Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates on the riches of the blessings that come along with pursuing Christ and choosing to follow Him instead of the fleeting pleasures of the world. Echoing the words of the Apostle Paul, he reminds that Christians are to count everything else as rubbish when compared to the glory of Christ. This, however, is not the joyless walk that some imagine it to be—rather, those who follow Christ like th

Philippians 3:8-9 — How does being a Christian change one’s life? In his sermon on Philippians 3:8–9 titled “Living in the Light of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that it changes everything about the Christian as it totally reorients and directs them to Christ. Before one sees Christ, they are lost in darkness and alienated from God and His love. They live according to the principle of sin and evil. But when the Holy Spirit gives the gift of salvation, the person is moved out of this kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God. Christians now are to leave the world and its sinful desires behind and pursue Christ and His kingdom. How does one know that they are a Christian? They are to test themselves and see if they are in the faith and truly believers. All Christians ought to know that they are truly saved and live knowing that they are loved by God because Christ has made Himself known. God gave His word in the Old and New Testaments and in these Scriptures is found God’s will for His

Philippians 3:8 — Christianity is to be central to one’s life and completely captivate thoughts, actions, and the way one lives. Unlike many other worldviews and religions, it is very experiential. Christians are called not only to know more about Christ, but they are called to experience the fullness of life that He provides. The gospel was intended to be woven into every aspect of the Christian’s being. In this sermon on Philippians 3:8 titled “An Experience of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points to the Apostle Paul, reminding of what this looks like when played out in reality. He gave up everything and suffered persecution because of the gospel. When one becomes a Christian, the whole person is involved. Christ takes over all of one’s being when they submit to Him. Another way that salvation changes the Christian is that it is always increasing in value. How is this seen in Scripture? Paul was very honest in saying that Christ had made everything else in the world seem like trash in comparison. When the

Philippians 3:7 — What lessons can finance teach about salvation? In this sermon on Philippians 3:7 titled “An Honest Audit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tackles this question and provides helpful insight into the steps that one must take in order to analyze the standing of their relationship to God. Paul writes that what he had previously counted as gain, he now counts as loss. Someone who receives Christ realizes that in the past they had deceived themselves, refusing to face the facts about how they were separated from God. Scriptures calls all to think carefully about eternal matters, and to adjust their lives accordingly. Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws a comparison between this and a financial audit. Just as companies are to take extreme measures to examine the state of their financial health, so Christians are called by God to take stock of where they are spiritually. All believers must take a spiritual audit. There are many reasons why people are hesitant to audit themselves, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps them understan

Philippians 3:12 — In this sermon on Philippians 3:12 titled “How One Becomes a Christian,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his series on core truths of Christianity. Perhaps one does not know Jesus Christ, but they are being convicted of their need to be forgiven of sin. Perhaps they are asking how to become a Christian. In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches on this and addresses related topics to help understand what one must do to be saved. To start, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains why all are in need of a savior. The answer is because everyone’s life is going the wrong direction. From the Apostle Paul’s example, he shows what else must happen to be saved. First, they must be arrested by Christ—that is, He must catch their attention and they must realize the eternal danger they are in without Him. Second, they must be convicted about personal sin and feel the weight of sins that have separated them from God. Third, they must be convicted of the truth that the charges Scriptures levels against them, and surren

Philippians 3:7-8 — How can Christians say that all loss is gain in Christ? This seems like an odd statement. Why is it good to lose things? In this sermon from Philippians 3:7–8 titled “The Loss of All Things,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches about the new life that comes by believing in Jesus Christ. He says that Christians must count all worldly greatness as nothing because now they have Christ who is infinitely better than everything else. All those who are now in Christ undergo a radical change that reorients their whole life. Believers have new desires and motives; they now love God and His ways. Christianity is not a mere addition to a person’s natural life, but it totally transforms them. It is a new way of living that calls Christians to new standards and values. It is a life of peace because all believers can truly know that they have been saved and are at peace with God in Jesus Christ. This is the most important message that any can hear because it tells that they can be saved and made new. It tell

Philippians 3:7 — Becoming a Christian always involves change. There can be no new life without a putting to death of the old life. There can be no new way of living without a stopping of the old way of living. In this sermon on Philippians 3:7 titled “Gain to Me…,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses the conversion of Paul and particular hindrances that were present for Paul, and can still hinder people from coming to the Lord. He shows that Paul could have boasted in his birth as a Jew, his ability and knowledge as a Pharisee, and his zeal and sincerity as a persecutor of the church. However, none of these things are sufficient to save anyone. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that many think that to be Christian is to be sincere, knowledgeable, and zealous about God and good things. However, none of these address their relationship with God or their sin. In fact, Paul counts all of these things as trash in comparison with knowing Christ. Furthermore, no one can seek out God by the strength of their own mind. If anyo

Philippians 3:3 — What does it mean to be a Christian? People who have been in church for any length of time may believe this question is something that doesn’t need to be addressed. But even Paul writes about this, saying that it is good for Christians to be reminded of the core truths of the gospel. In this sermon on Philippians 3:3 titled “The True Christian,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reviews one of the most central parts of Scripture—what it means to be a follower of Christ. First, to be a Christian, one must believe in God. This, too, can seem like an obvious statement, yet according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, it must be said. One can worship religion without worshipping God. True worship is worship in the Spirit. Second, the true Christian has no confidence in human effort, experience, or heritage in order to find justification before God. In and of themselves, they are hopeless to earn their way to a right relationship with God. All are entirely dependent on God’s free gift of salvation to be made right with Go

Ephesians 6:18-20 — Repenting from sin and trusting Christ for forgiveness is mandatory for salvation. In this sermon from Ephesians 6:18–20 titled “The Mystery of Salvation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says there is no other way. The mystery of salvation unfolds with regeneration, the giving of a new nature within the individual. Modern objections to this truth are numerous. There is the literal objection: don’t take things literally as people have just come into a new understanding. Then there is the psychological objection: there are two types of people—the religious type and the unreligious. One will have religious experiences, the other will not and should not be expected to. But the New Testament record does not substantiate either of these objections. Every kind of temperament is in the church, and yet all have had basically the same experience. Objection to the supernatural is not so much an objection to the miraculous, but that the teaching of being born again is insulting. If one is told, “You must be b

Ephesians 6:18-20 — In this sermon on Ephesians 6:18–20 titled “The Mystery of the Death of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the two natures of God and man in one person. Having considered the mystery of the person of Christ, he now considers the mystery of His death. This aspect of Christ’s person is central to the message of the gospel. Because of how crucial it is, this is another point at which the devil concentrates his attacks. False teachings about the death of Christ have plagued the church since the very beginning. Many evangelical teachings communicate misunderstandings about His death. Even the disciples were confused by His death as it didn’t fit well with their understanding or experience of His Messiahship. It seemed to contradict His power and purposes. They didn’t understand that Jesus’s purpose in coming was to die, even though He continually told them it was His great aim. This all had been planned by God before the foundations of the world. The only way to deal adequately with sin i

Ephesians 6:18-20, 1 Timothy 3:14-16 — What is the mystery of godliness? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:18–20 titled “The Mystery of the Person of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that God was “manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up to glory.” Christianity is all about the person of Christ Himself. The essential question is this: “what do you think about Christ?” Until one is clear about this, they cannot be clear about anything else. It’s no surprise that this is the very point where the devil has focused his greatest attacks. It is absolutely vital to be clear about who He is, because in Him is the only hope for the world. The gospel is not about humanity trying to arrive at an understanding, but God miraculously intervening, supernaturally entering in to the problems of humanity and doing His work through the person of Christ. In John’s Gospel, he made it clear in the purpose statement who Jesus was: “that you

Ephesians 6:18-20 — Some people believe that the world is advancing toward perfection. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:18–20 titled “The Mystery of the Gospel (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that this doesn’t fit the observable patterns of reality. The Bible’s storyline of creation, the fall of humankind, and the consequences are the only reasonable explanation for the human condition. People are baffled that if God is all powerful and good, why does He allow pain and suffering? The answer goes back to the first sin at the fall and the Bible goes further. God, in His eternal wisdom, has permitted it. God decided to allow freedom of will to the devil and to people in their initial perfection, giving freedom of the possibility of the broken world as it is known. Though He permits evil, God puts a limit to it. The world thinks God’s way of dealing with this broken world would of necessity be one of gradual improvement and reformation. But the Bible tells that this is not the case. God has chosen to redeem th

Ephesians 6:18-20 — Christians have all experienced that moment where the gospel all of a sudden makes sense. They did not know and could not understand the gospel but then they could. This is why the gospel is so mysterious. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:18–20 titled “The Mystery of the Gospel (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones unpacks the mystery of the gospel, and why a person in their natural state cannot comprehend it. Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by asking the questions, “What is the mystery of the gospel?” and “Why is the gospel a mystery?” After delving through the Scriptures, he comes to the conclusion that the mystery of the gospel is the mind of God. No one understands the mystery of the gospel on their own because it is the very wisdom and mind of God. One might consider themselves wise, but no one is wise enough to understand the mind of the eternal God. At this point, Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives hope by providing the only way that anyone might understand the gospel. They must repent and turn away from the foolish

Galatians 6:15 — In this sermon on Galatians 6:15 titled “What is Christianity?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones challenges Christians to regain a proper understanding of what the life of a follower of Jesus truly is. He asks a central question to help gauge spiritual health: “is Christianity central to everything in our lives, or is it small and narrow?” In the passage, Paul is addressing a false teaching in the church that did not hold Christianity up as a worldview around which the lives of people should revolve. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also shows how and why people need to come to Jesus in the first place. Before becoming followers of Jesus, anything that one has or has done avails to nothing. Good deeds, intellect, and even baptism does not secure an eternal future. In and of themselves, they are useless in bringing anyone closer to Christ. This relates to why all need to be born again. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, salvation is humanity’s most fundamental need. Listen as he preaches on the Christian life and why all are i

Galatians 6:14 — The cross is a symbolic picture that has universal recognition. But what is the meaning behind the cross and what does it represent? Does Scripture instruct how to view the cross today? In this sermon on Galatians 6:14 titled “Looking at the Cross,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points to the passage as a way to test (positively or negatively) one’s understanding of the cross. Here the apostle Paul points out two aspects of the cross that are important to understand: he glories (boasts) in the cross and he glories in nothing else. The cross is his boast because of what took place on the cross as Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice. In relation to Christ’s great demonstration of love, everything else in the world fades in comparison. There is nothing left that is worthy of boasting in. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws out the implications for today, he confronts with the question, “Why should I glory in the cross today?” The listener is encouraged to reflect anew on the meaning of the cross, as well as con

Galatians 6:14 — In this sermon on Galatians 6:14 titled “Made in the Likeness of Man,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the importance of the cross to the birth of Jesus. He argues that one cannot understand the birth and incarnation of Christ—the reason Christmas is celebrated—without the cross. First, the Messiah’s sufferings are prophesied throughout the entire Old Testament in passages such as Isaiah 53 and Genesis 3. Second, the cross was the real object of Jesus’s incarnation. Jesus was born for the express purpose of being the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. In this way He was born to die, and this makes Him unique among any other person who has been born. Third, only the cross explains some of the audacious things that Jesus claimed and were recorded in the gospels as being said about Him. Additionally, the cross was the lowest point for the Son of God. He was enthroned in Heaven, yet He left His rightful place to come to earth and live the life that no one else has—a perfect one. He d

Galatians 6:14 — The cross of Jesus Christ must be central to the Christian’s beliefs about God. In this sermon on Galatians 6:14 titled “A New Life,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps the listener understand how Paul’s view of the cross changed how he saw himself and how it applies to lives today. First, those who are not saved see themselves from the world’s perspective—their identity is in their power, pedigree, wealth, intellect, or other similar titles or possessions. Ironically, it is the Lord who ultimately gives those things. Second, a worldview without Christ is incredibly self-centered. Christianity is the polar opposite because it effectively levels the playing field, showing that every single person is just as deserving of God’s wrath as the next person. Third, the cross is a completely new way of life—it changed everything for Paul. Not only does it show people a new way of living, but it also shows how to suffer. For anyone daunted with the idea of trying to follow Christ, Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds the

Galatians 6:14 — Why do Christians preach the cross? Why is it that this cruel tool of murder stands at the heart of God’s gospel? The answer is found in the power of the cross for salvation. Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones unfolds the words of Paul that the cross is the means by which God has conquered sin, death, and the devil by dying a cruel death. In this sermon on Galatians 6:14 titled “Glorying Only in the Cross,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains not only the fact of the cross, but also the need. God the Father sent His only Son into the world to die for all because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All are in dire need of salvation and forgiveness and this salvation only comes through Jesus’s sacrificial death upon the cross. Now those that believe are freed from the curse of the law, sin, and death. This is the only way to salvation. This sermon calls each and every sinner to leave their evil ways behind and come to Jesus. Come to the cross and find salvation in God’s Son who has died fo