I could write about many writers which have influenced my life and ministry. I have a few favourite books which I would love to write about one day. But I have chosen to introduce you to someone you already know and may have read or even heard – Dr. David, Martyn Lloyd-Jones (abbreviated MLJ from now on).

Every century seems to have men who have risen above others, espe­cially blessed with the power of the Holy Spirit in their ministry. I think of George Whitfield as a great preacher of the 18^th century, Spurgeon a remarkable preacher of the 19^th century and Martyn Lloyd-Jones as a powerful preacher of the 20^th century. As MLJ regarded him­self primarily as a preacher, his writings are mainly sermons, many of which he edited after his retirement. What made this man so useful?

1. His Preaching came from a New Creation⤒🔗

MLJ was born in Wales in 1899; at twenty one years of age he had gradu­ated from medical school; a short time later he became an assistant to Lord Horder, the physician of the Royal fam­ily. Here was a young man with the promise to be a world, renowned doc­tor, who was not happy. MLJ has been raised in the tradition of the Calvinistic Welsh Methodist churches. A century before MLJ was born, these churches had gifted leaders and hymn-writers. William Williams wrote “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah”; these believers had indeed experienced the power of Jehovah’s guidance. But by the 20^th cen­tury MLJ’s family attended this church out of tradition; this denomination had lost its earlier fire.

As a young doctor MLJ was unhappy because he saw that, although medicine could heal the body, it could not heal the soul. He experienced the pride of life at the pinnacle of his profession, but could find no peace. The Lord used these ex­periences to bring MLJ under the authority of His Word where he came to experience his sin and inability to save himself. He experienced personally that salvation is what God does by a supernatural work. The medical establishment was shocked when he announced that he was going off to serve as a home missionary in a small Welsh port named Aberavon.

When MLJ died in 1981, he left his legacy as a powerful preacher. We are thankful that many of his sermons have been edited and published; many recordings are also available on CDs or on the Internet. I can well remember in my first church, coming home from preaching, sometimes feeling rather defeated and spiritually down, picking up MLJ’s first volume on Ephesians and always being strengthened. Since this time, I have read many of his sermons and also heard a few recordings. How has his preaching influenced me?

2. His Preaching Exalted Jesus Christ←⤒🔗

Recently, after preparing a sermon on Colossians 1:18-20, I read a sermon by MLJ on the same text called “The Pre-eminence”. He arrests attention by quoting the line from Christina Rossetti’s poem, “In the Bleak Midwinter”; the line is ‘What shall I give him?’

He then continues: “...the words of our text provide the answer: Give him the pre-eminence, because, as I am hoping to show you, it is his by right, and it is his and his alone”. To me this sets the theme for all of MLJ’s preaching. The preacher and the people are not really that important, but he preaches to glorify Christ and to make him known as a mighty Saviour. In the same sermon he speaks of the false teachers who “were detracting and derogating from the pre-eminence and the glory and the majesty and the wonder of the Son of God, our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”.

MLJ then concludes the sermon by emphasising the sufficiency of Christ.

We must also give him the pre-eminence because of his all-sufficiency. Paul says: Do not put anybody near him. Do not add anybody to him. He has done it all ... Mary his mother cannot add what to what he has done. She is no co-redeemer, he needs no co-redeemer; he and he alone is the Redeemer. You need not pray to Mary; go to him, he is all and all in himself. By going to Mary you are taking from his pre-eminence. Do not add the saints to him; do not pray to them; pray to him. He is everything; he is all-sufficient. He is the beginning, he is the end – the Alpha, the Omega – the all and in all.

Note how MLJ applies the truth to the heart: “So are you giving him the pre-eminence? ‘What can I give him? Says Christina Rosetti. What have I got to offer? All he wants is that you and I give him the pre-eminence in all things; that we look at him and say, ‘My Lord and my God’; that we say, ‘Yes, you are the eternal Son of God, the image of the invisible God and you were born miraculously of a virgin – “the Word was made flesh’.”

So go to him, fall at his feet and say, ‘I do not regard you as a man only, as only a great teacher or great exemplar. You are God who left the courts of heaven and came on earth, into this sinful, evil world for me.’ Give him the pre-eminence in his Godhead; give him the pre-eminence by saying you are a hopeless sinner and that you believe that he came into the world to save you. Say to him, ‘I cannot save myself. I thought I could, but now I see that it is impossible. I thought my good works would do it, but they cannot.

Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling.

Notice in the above quotation that when Christ is truly exalted, then man is put in his place as a sinner who must be reconciled to God. MLJ turned a lot of today’s evangelical preaching upside down – the gospel is never what man can do, but what God had done in Christ.

3. His Preaching was Logic on Fire←⤒🔗

MLJ influenced me to work harder at making every point I preach flow logically. If my sermon does not flow logically to me, then how can I ever expect the listener to hear it without getting lost somewhere? I believe MLJ said in his outstanding volume, Preaching and Preachers, that preaching is logic on fire. When I read a sermon by MLJ I can always follow the argument. He begins with a main thesis, and then supports this argument with his points. Often the points are logically developed rather than exegetically (directly from the flow of the text). His sermons are organised to get across a particular truth, like an arrow shot straight from the bow, always hitting the bull’s eye.

The logical method MLJ was taught to diagnose illness is applied to preaching. His logic diagnoses the central problem with men and then brings the powerful healing gospel. I cringe if I hear preaching without a clear outline. This is like using a wrongly programmed Navman which is bound to get me lost. I urge fellow preachers to study MLJ’s logical method; learn to be crystal clear in your method. I would also caution my colleagues with a bit of advice an old minister once gave to me. He told me never to read MLJ until I had already written my sermon. Otherwise, I would be tempted to copy MLJ’s method and divisions. I confess that I have not always stuck to that advice, but I can certainly vouch for the sound­ness of this advice!

4. His Preaching Applied to Spiritual Needs←⤒🔗

I do not recall ever reading an MLJ sermon without being helped spiritu­ally. One of MLJ’s repeated themes is that people often lack assurance and Christian joy because they do not fully grasp the truth of the gospel. For MLJ the truth of the gospel must form all Christian experience. An understanding of doctrine is paramount to Christian growth and joy. One of the most help­ful series of sermons was his volume called Spiritual Depression. The doctor is honest in his diagnosis; he deals with doubt, discouragement, anxiety and all the spiritual illnesses common to Chris­tians; and the balm of gospel healing is applied. I have often picked up this volume when discouraged in ministry, sometimes wondering how I could go on, only to be greatly encouraged.

Another series of sermons was his splendid exposition of Ephesians 6 on the armour of God. I have often reached for one of those volumes when feeling attacked by Satan. For the tempted believer there is no better help that I know of, than Ephesians 6 expounded by MLJ.

For practical Christian living in the Kingdom the volume Studies in the Sermon on the Mount is without equal. These sermons would serve as edifying private devotions and also as excellent material for a husband a wife to read together.

5. His Preaching was in Truth and Love←⤒🔗

In our reformed tradition we might think that those who are soundest in doctrine are also somewhat cold and distant in character. Sadly, this caricature has some truth to it. MLJ was a man whose character was molded by the doctrines of grace which he loved and preached. He was humble and kind. People could hear compassion in his preaching which appealed to them. I think this is the key – how can we preach the love of God without showing compassion or the grace of God without acting graciously? People knew Lloyd-Jones cared deeply about them and their salvation. He was ... affectionate in look, and tender in address, as well becomes a messenger of grace to guilty men In his writing, one always hears the truth clearly taught but taught in a winsome, loving way. Surely, we can all learn from his example.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

I have told the congregation that they have to taste what I am preaching about for themselves. I use the illustration of Canadian maple syrup. I could write a great deal about what pure, Canadian maple syrup looks and tastes like. But you are going to have to taste it for yourself. If I have described anything about Lloyd-Jones that has whetted your taste buds, please go to your church library and borrow or buy some of the recommended volumes. You will not be disappointed.