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  • The Spirit and The Power

    The Spirit and The Power
    2025/04/11
    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 they are to be most miserable. In this sermon titled “The Spirit and the Power,” 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.
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  • Pitfalls and Romance of Preaching

    Pitfalls and Romance of Preaching
    2025/04/10
    Should a preacher repeat his sermon? What are the dangers in doing so? Is it ever appropriate for a preacher to preach another person’s sermon? In this sermon titled “Pitfalls and Romance,” 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 person’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 its 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.
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  • Decisions

    Decisions
    2025/04/09
    In this lecture on church music and altar calls, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses matters facing the church today that threaten the preaching ministry. Regarding music, Dr. Lloyd-Jones is concerned that congregations are opting for more special singing, quartets, and choirs, and 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.
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  • What to Avoid in Preaching

    What to Avoid in Preaching
    2025/04/08
    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. In this sermon titled “What to Avoid,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his lectures on preaching and preachers and 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, tremendously interested in techniques. In contrast to this performance, he must forget himself as the Spirit leads his preaching. Other things to avoid in the pulpit include intellectualism and an affinity for too many 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.
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  • Illustrations, Eloquence, and Humor in Preaching

    Illustrations, Eloquence, and Humor in Preaching
    2025/04/07
    The preacher must freely preach the word of God in a way that is natural, yet prepared. In this sermon titled “Illustrations, Eloquence, and Humour,” 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.
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  • Shape of the Sermon

    Shape of the Sermon
    2025/04/06
    The shape of the sermon should reflect the goal of any sermon. The shape is to show the original context, the meaning of a passage, and apply it to life today. In this sermon titled “Shape of the Sermon,” 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.
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  • Preparation of the Sermon

    Preparation of the Sermon
    2025/04/05
    The charge to stand in front of God’s people and faithfully deliver God’s word is a serious calling. Congregations can understand and sympathize with the sheer weight of this task. Often, however, what is missed by Christian laypeople is the mental labor of sermon preparation from which faithful sermons emerge. The Christian minister is overwhelmed with decisions during this time that he may not be prepared for through theological education alone. And an honest minister might wonder if he is doing this part of his job correctly. In this lecture on preparing a sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones considers some of the mechanics of sermon preparation such as topical preaching, expository preaching, and tips for covering the whole counsel of God’s word. Working under the framework of Christian liberty and the freedom of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Lloyd-Jones talks about the pros and cons of other topics such as preaching through a catechism, the mechanics of sermon series, evangelistic opportunities through the church calendar, and holiday sermons.
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  • Preparation of the Preacher

    Preparation of the Preacher
    2025/04/04
    The vocation of a minister is unique. A minister does not leave his work behind, whether late at night or on vacation. A minister is a man who is always preparing; he never frees himself from his calling because everything he does finds relevance to his work. How then does a preacher organize his life in light of this reality? What are some practices that will aid the minster in his preparation for preaching? The key factor, says Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, is for the minister to know himself. In this lecture on the preparation of the preacher, from the “Preaching and Preachers” lecture series, Dr. Lloyd-Jones articulates several points for ministers to consider as they labor to prepare for weekly preaching. Under this guiding principle of knowing one’s own temperament and personality, he encourages pastors in the fundamentals of prayer and Bible reading. Also in this lecture, Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges pastors to other kinds of reading. Whether it is devotional reading of the Puritans, or more intellectual material such as theology, church history, or apologetics, the overarching goal is to prepare the minster for his pulpit ministry. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines a blueprint for personal preparation that will benefit the minister as well as the congregation.
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