Tags
Almighty God, atonement, biblical sermon, Book of Isaiah, Christian doctrine, Christianity, Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Glory of God, Holiness of God, Old Testament, salvation, sin
A midweek sermon…a much-needed message for Christians and those who believe they are but may not actually be. This sermon convicts, exhorts and encourages through the power of God’s word, addressing the fact that failing to understand God and his nature – especially His glory, His holiness, His righteousness and His sovereign power – is disastrous for mankind. Without this understanding, which God himself grants, man has no hope and cannot make sense of the Scriptures.
Dr Lloyd-Jones explores the reasons why man rejects the core doctrines of scripture – creation, atonement, sin and salvation. Truly, he speak to unbelievers and believers alike, and particularly to those who call themselves Christians yet in the same breath say things like ‘I can’t accept a God who would…” and in the end create their own false god to better suit their limitations. This message contains a challenge for all of us – to be awed and humbled by the God who created us, who sustains all things, and who has offered us salvation at the cost of his only Son, Jesus Christ. And to respond with appropriate reverence, worship, obedience and love.
Scripture:
Why the world does not accept the Gospel; unpopular doctrines; God the Creator; the greatness of God; why some have no conception of sin.
The Narrowing Path 
A great message. I’d never heard of this man. His manner of speech made me think it must be someone from the past. You don’t hear many men speak like this today.
Thanks for sharing, Sherryn.
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Hi Chris!
Dr Lloyd-Jones truly was an extraordinary man of God, and it is such a blessing that over 1,000 of his sermons are available at the MLJ Trust website. I discovered him through Chris Rosebrough’s Fighting For the Faith program, as Chris occasionally includes one of his sermons as an example of Christ-centered preaching…and rightly so!! One of the things I love about Dr Lloyd-Jones’ preaching is that he is so steeped in God’s word and so empowered by the Holy Spirit that his uncompromising reflections on society or humans in general, and his application of the Word, are drawn from other parts of the Scripture. So at the end of a sermon he has ranged far and wide in the Scriptures yet always in context, and using God’s own words. And we benefit by learning even more of the Word of God! (As for men preaching like this today, you are right…it is rare.)
Here is some biographical information from the MLJ Trust website:
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (20 December 1899 – 1 March 1981) was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London.
Early Life and ministry
Lloyd-Jones was born in Cardiff and raised in Llangeitho, Ceredigion. His father was a grocer, and he had two brothers: Harold died during the 1918 flu pandemic, while Vincent went on to become a High Court judge. Llangeitho is associated with the Welsh Methodist revival, as it was the location of Daniel Rowland’s ministry. Attending a London grammar school between 1914 and 1917 and then St Bartholomew’s Hospital as a medical student, in 1921 he started work as assistant to the Royal Physician, Sir Thomas Horder. Lloyd-Jones obtained an MD from London University, and became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians. After struggling for two years over what he sensed was a calling to preach, in 1927 Lloyd-Jones returned to Wales, having married Bethan Phillips (with whom he later had two children, Elizabeth and Ann), accepting an invitation to minister at a church in Aberavon (Port Talbot).
Westminster Chapel
After a decade ministering in Aberavon, in 1939 he went back to London, where he had been appointed as associate pastor of Westminster Chapel, working alongside G. Campbell Morgan. The day before he was officially to be accepted into his new position, World War II broke out in Europe. During the same year, he became the president of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Students (known today as the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UK)). During the war he and his family moved to Haslemere, Surrey. In 1943 Morgan retired, leaving Lloyd-Jones as the sole Pastor of Westminster Chapel.
Lloyd-Jones was well known for his style of expository preaching, and the Sunday morning and evening meetings at which he officiated drew crowds of several thousand, as did the Friday evening Bible studies, which were, in effect, sermons in the same style. He would take many months, even years, to expound a chapter of the Bible verse by verse. His sermons would often be around fifty minutes to an hour in length, attracting many students from universities and colleges in London. His sermons were also transcribed and printed (virtually verbatim) in the weekly Westminster Record, which was read avidly by those who enjoyed his preaching.
Later life
Lloyd-Jones retired from his ministry at Westminster Chapel in 1968, following a major operation. For the rest of his life, he concentrated on editing his sermons to be published, counselling other ministers, answering letters and attending conferences. Perhaps his most famous publication is a 14 volume series of commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans, the first volume of which was published in 1970.
Despite spending most of his life living and ministering in England, Lloyd-Jones was proud of his roots in Wales. He best expressed his concern for his home country through his support of the Evangelical Movement of Wales: he was a regular speaker at their conferences, preaching in both English and Welsh. Since his death, the movement has published various books, in English and Welsh, bringing together selections of his sermons and articles.
Lloyd-Jones preached for the last time on 8 June 1980 at Barcombe Baptist Chapel. After a lifetime of work, he died peacefully in his sleep at Ealing on 1 March 1981, St David’s Day. He was buried at Newcastle Emlyn, near Cardigan, west Wales. A well-attended thanksgiving service was held at Westminster Chapel on 6 April.
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Thanks for sharing, Sherryn.
“One of the things I love about Dr Lloyd-Jones’ preaching is that he is so steeped in God’s word and so empowered by the Holy Spirit that his uncompromising reflections on society or humans in general, and his application of the Word, are drawn from other parts of the Scripture.”
From this one sermon, I certainly got the same impression. Like C.H.S., the man had such depth that he could make many sermons from one verse it seems. I had read part of his bio., but thanks for prompting me to read the rest. The town of Cardiff rings a bell to me for some reason.
He was, truly, a great man of God. England (or the world for that matter) could use a few like him today.
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Absolutely! And just like CHS, his sermons are still ministering to us today which is yet another witness to how God has preserved his Word and has faithfully illuminated it to generation after generation of his elect. So much for the need to ‘reimagine’ Christianity or make it relevant…it is always relevant to those who God has graciously saved!
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