Faith and Joy

Sermons of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.8 • 603 Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What is the Christian’s reaction to the gospel? In this sermon from Romans 10:16–17 titled “Faith and Joy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares the first action of a Christian is to obey. There is a difference between people who merely hear the gospel and those who take action from it. Some listen and forget and some listen and do. He declares that this is the primary reaction to the gospel. The secondary reaction is joy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones raises a powerful question: if Christians are supposed to be lights in this world, why are so many caught up in their own problems and gloom? He says that Christians should be the happiest people on earth. He gives examples of some of the most joyous people in the New Testament: the Philippian jailor, the shepherd who found his sheep, and the woman who washed Christ’s feet. These are all people who, in different ways, heard the good news and responded appropriately. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that Christians have great cause to rejoice as they have been forgiven of much sin and are promised an eternal inheritance with God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that in light of those joyous New Testament believers, perhaps Christians today should reevaluate their reaction to the gospel and reconsider the life they’ve been given.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The words to which I should like to call attention this evening are to be found in Paul's
0:04.7	Epistle to the Romans in Chapter 10, verse 16 and 17.
0:09.9	But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah saith Lord, who hath believed our report.
0:18.2	So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But let me read also
0:24.5	to you verses 14 and 50. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
0:31.9	And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
0:36.4	a preacher? And how shall they preach
0:38.7	except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
0:45.2	gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things? But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
0:53.9	For Isaiah saith Lord, who hath believed our report, so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
1:02.8	Now, we have arrived at the point in our discussion of these four verses in which we are dealing with the second division in verses 16 and 17.
1:14.8	The gospel is to be preached and to be offered to all,
1:18.6	but it's quite clear that everybody doesn't believe it, everybody doesn't accept it.
1:23.7	We've seen that there is a hearing and a hearing.
1:27.2	There is a mechanical hearing, but the mechanical hearing is of no value.
1:32.3	The only hearing that is of any value is what the apostle calls the hearing of faith.
1:39.3	And therefore the problem that is raised here by the apostle is this. How can we tell whether
1:45.8	we have truly heard this gospel? You'll sometimes find people going out of services such
1:51.8	as this and saying, I've heard all that before. Well, that's all right. You probably have.
1:57.2	The preacher preaches the gospel, and the gospel has a certain content, and you must have
2:04.1	heard it, but that's not the question. The question is, have you truly heard it? I'm reminded
2:08.9	of the story of the old preacher, whom I actually knew, and who, as preachers will do, was preaching
	...

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