Preaching and Preachers

As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones finishes his lectures on preaching and preachers, he receives and answers student questions. In this first part, Dr. Lloyd-Jones responds to the following questions: If he is preaching God’s Word, why would a preacher ever cease to be gripped by his sermon? Why use illustrations from Scripture as opposed to modern-day situations? Is the preacher synonymous with Elder? Reflecting on these questions and more, he warns against the repetition of sermons becoming mechanical. Addressing illustrations, he emphasizes the benefits of using Scripture. On the question of preaching and elders, Dr. Lloyd-Jones appeals to the usof multiple preachers and multiple preaching opportunities within the church. This leads to a question on the modern day use of the term “spirit-filled” and charismatic gifts. The power for preaching, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, is the anointing of the Spirit on a man for service and preaching. Spirit-filled preaching, therefore, is preaching that is clear, pointed, and comes with the forcefulness of truth. Listen in as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones interacts with his students in a winsome and humorous manner, emphasizing and summarizing important points from his Preaching and Preachers lecture series.

What is the power in preaching? Is it in the preacher’s own preparation and scholarship? If it is, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that we are to be most miserable. In this teaching, Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds upon what he believes to be the most important ingredient in preaching: the unction, or power, of the Holy Spirit. Consider the apostles: they had all of the teaching and preparation, but this was not enough. The Holy Spirit must come and give these men power to preach the Gospel. In one’s own strength, the preacher is filled with only fear and trembling. He is a weak man; an “earthen vessel.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells of a minister who went to bed feeling utterly incapable, and awoke the next morning feeling like a lion ready to preach. What happened? This man was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. This power in preaching gives the preacher clarity of thought and speech. It gives assurance and confidence in their proclamation of God’s Word. This power, however, is not something the preacher can conjure up. It is a gift of God. Unction is something that comes upon, and takes hold of, the preacher. Listen as he encourages his students to pray for this power in their preaching.

Should a preacher repeat his sermon? What are the dangers in doing so? Is it ever appropriate for a preacher to preach another man’s sermon? These questions are handled as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones lectures under the topic of preaching and preachers. A sermon takes on a personality of its own. As the preacher comes to know his sermons, there are certain benefits in preaching them again and again. Yet there are pitfalls. The preacher who is no longer moved by his sermon turns the act into a mere performance. The same applies to preaching another man’s sermon. While it may be useful on occasion, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the dangers in this habit. He emphasizes, however, that there is nothing like waking into one’s own pulpit with a fresh sermon. There is an uncertainty to the service and the preacher doesn’t really know what’s going to happen. Referencing this as the “romance” of preaching, he talks of times when his first point became it’s own sermon in the pulpit and the remaining points became a series. While repeating sermons may be useful, what a great privilege for the preacher to remain for many years in the same pulpit preaching fresh sermons to a congregation!

In this teaching, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses matters facing the church today which threaten the preaching ministry. He begins with the topic of music, and moves to a discussion on altar calls. Regarding music, Dr. Lloyd-Jones is concerned that congregations are opting for more special singing, quartets, and choirs; focusing less on the preaching ministry. The more a church is focused on her building, ceremony, special singing and music, the less the church experiences a robust and Biblical spirituality. This leads, he believes, to an entertainment style of ministry. All instruments are to accompany congregational singing alone. Additionally, there is the danger of altar calls. He laments the rise of the altar call, rooting it in emotionalism which imposes a wrong pressure on the will. In contrast, Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents a Biblical case for appealing to the mind. Sinners do not have the inherent power of “making a decision” for Christ, rather they must be regenerated. The conversion of a soul is not produced by an emotionally-based, momentary decision––it is the work of God. What the preacher longs for is solely the work of the Holy Spirit and therein one finds power in preaching––not in the techniques of the preacher but in the movement of God.

As the proclamation of God’s Word is the task of every preacher, certain things must be avoided. These things creep into the preaching ministry and detract the man from his work. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his lectures on preaching and preachers, he begins with a few observations on radio preaching. As this grew in popularity during his day, the radio posed new problems for the preacher which led to a sense of professionalism in the pulpit. The preacher must not be bound by time, always watching himself, and tremendously interested in techniques. In contrast to this performance, he must forget himself as the the Spirit leads his preaching. Other things to avoid in the pulpit include intellectualism and an affinity for too much polemics in the pulpit––always preaching what one is against as opposed to what one is for. Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against an imbalance between exposition and exhortation. Some preachers expose the Scriptures with no exhortation to the people. Other preachers burden the people with exhortation with little exposition. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains what preachers must avoid, listen in and be challenged by his primary concern that the people of God receive the Word of God in a manner that is clear.

The preacher must freely preach the Word of God in a way that is natural, yet prepared. In this sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the preacher’s need for freedom in the pulpit. On one hand, some preachers are bound to a manuscript and never make eye contact with his people. On the other, the preacher is unprepared and forgets what he intended to say. He argues for a well-prepared outline. Additionally, as the man prepares his sermon, he must consider the use of illustrations. Many preachers focus heavily on stories as their sermon becomes nothing more than an exegesis of their own illustrations. The illustration in a sermon must never be an end to itself. They must be used carefully and minimally, only to illustrate the truth of Scripture. Dr. Lloyd-Jones continues his lecture with thoughts on eloquence and humor. While the Apostle Paul was eloquent, eloquence was never his goal. We should be wary of preachers who are more concerned with how something is said rather than what is said. The same applies to humor. A humorous individual will certainly, and naturally, use humor in the pulpit. But this should never become the goal in preaching.

The shape of the sermon should reflect the goal of any sermon. That is, to show the original context, the meaning of a passage, and apply it to life today. In this lecture, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses outlines, the main points of a sermon, the place and importance of headings, and the balance between the written and extemporaneous sermon. First, he warns against professionalism. Too many sermons have been ruined by one’s vain attempt to manipulate ideas to fit a clever sermon outline. Form is important, but it must never become more important than the sermon itself. Each point must inevitably arise out of the text. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then addresses the tradition of writing out a sermon, addressing its benefits and its dangers. Finally, he deals with the topic of using quotations in sermons. His concern lies in the motivation behind such a practice. Never should the preacher’s concern be an appearance of scholarship or intellectualism. The sermon must always be prepared for a mixed group of people, helping everyone in the congregation. Overly academic notions should, therefore, be avoided. Listen in, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones instructs his students on the importance of the sermon’s shape, content, and structure.

The importance of the 'freedom of the Spirit'; the use of special occasions; the need for constant assessment and re-adjustment.

The importance of regular Scripture reading; the importance of reading generally; and some suggested guidelines; know yourself.

Evangelistic preaching and its importance; the restoration of authority to the pulpit; the place and importance of buildings.

The relationship between the pew and the pulpit; modern ideas of preaching based on false thinking.

Who is to preach? The 'call' to preach examined and explained; the marks of a preacher; the training required.

The whole person is involved; the delivery of the sermon; the sermon and the act of preaching.

Preaching must be theological; the preacher's duty is to present the Gospel; the delivery in general; the relationship of exposition to the sermon.

What is preaching? This is the question in focus for Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as he begins this sermon. He says the preacher is the man to deliver the message from God to the people. The preacher is an ambassador for Christ. He’s not there to entertain people toward Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that preaching is a transaction where the people are given the mind of God through the written Word, explained by a faithful preacher. The danger arrives when preaching is replaced by digital versions, print versions, group discussions, and therapy sessions that foster opinion. The eternal, holy God is not up for debate! We are dealing with the living God and we must never approach the subject in the cavalier manner as if His very existence were up for debate. Since the heart of preaching addresses man’s eternal destiny and design, we cannot reduce this message to a trivial discussion. There is no neutral point where Christian and non-Christian can meet. There’s no morally neutral ground that they can agree on since one is of darkness and the other is of light. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians, God uses the foolish to expose the supposedly wise. Too much of the world today – and the church today – want to make a rebellious man look wise. Apart from humility, man will never understand revelation. Jesus Himself thanked God that He hid the Gospel from the “wise” and revealed it to "babies." As Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes, true preaching lifts up Christ so that He draws people to salvation.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones opens the Word of God and confronts the tendency to depreciate preaching at the expense of other forms of activity. As those who have the Good News, we must tell the truth. Other agencies, politicians, cults, false religions, and nonprofits can do their work, but they cannot preach the Gospel. They can ease the pain of the human condition, but they cannot change the heart. The primary task of the Church is not to make a man happy, good, or even well off. The primary task of the Church is to deliver the truth about man and the remedy in Christ. The danger is that the Church will tinker with the symptoms and bury the real trouble. To merely treat the symptoms without discovering the cause is a criminal act. In the end, everyone suffers. It takes a specialist to isolate the radical problem and deal with it in a radical manner. This is the work of every preacher, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones. Fashions, votes, and stones are nothing new to the Church. Be warned not to fall prey to them. When the Church takes care of her primary purpose, God works through it to provide relief to others. The Protestant Reformation birthed hospitals, schools, and many other property relief efforts, stimulus to science, literature, etc. The preaching of the Gospel from the pulpit, applied by the Holy Spirit, has been a means of dealing with personal problems that the preacher knows nothing about. Counseling has its place, but most counseling will be done from the pulpit. Anything else is a failure to folfill the great mandate given to the church.

After 42 years in ministry, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims the most urgent need in the church today is that of preaching. The world says it is outdated, but to Christians, it is the way God intended His Word to be taught through the ages. Without question, there are things in the church that are wrong, such as traditionalism and institutionalism. However, preaching is still its primary task. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the key reasons why preaching has suffered a serious downgrade in the church today. He begins recounting those who make light of the orator's ability, suggesting that if a man is a great speaker, he is not honest. Another reason preaching has suffered is that with all the availability of information through radio, TV, and books, there is less perceived need for preaching. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that it is one thing to be a master of fine phrases, but not the master of the sacred text. Essays are not sermons, and oratory eloquence can be the form replacing the substance. He further points out how the emphasis on entertainment has damaged the power of the pulpit saying, “So much time is spent creating the atmosphere that there’s no time to preach in the atmosphere." This downgrade impacts those outside the church. Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims that Jesus did not come into the world to heal the sick; He came to save sinners. Don't make primary what Jesus made secondary. We must do the one thing that the world wants to stop: preach. The world did not stop Christ from doing miracles, but they crucified Him for His preaching. The priority is not to serve tables, but to do the ministry of the Word and prayer. Those are the preacher's priorities. Renewed preaching always harrolds the dawn of reformation.