State of the Nation
In this sobering assessment of the moral and spiritual state of the nation, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones diagnoses the root causes of societal decay in Britain and the West. In this sermon, preached in 1971 to the British Evangelical Council, he argues that the problems go far deeper than mere disobedience or "sleeping sickness," as in the 18th century. Rather, he asserts that a moral "poison" has entered the very bloodstream of society, leading to a denial of God, moral law, and the supernatural. Tracing factors like Victorianism, the novelists, the World Wars, and the trivializing influence of the media, Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows how foundations have been steadily eroded. He emphasizes that the church alone truly understands the gravity of the predicament and its only remedy. The church's role is indirect but vital in determining the state of the nation. Dr. Lloyd-Jones cautions against superficial analysis and insists the root issue is theological - the abandonment of God and His moral law. Citing historians and thinkers, he argues the "morality gap" is greater than ever as man's rebellion reaches its climax. Yet he concludes that the church, armed with the gospel, remains the only hope to speak to the culture and see God's transforming work. Please note that the end of this sermon is missing from the original recording.