The Sermon and Preaching
Scripture
Sermon Description
What is preaching? In this sermon titled “The Sermon and Preaching,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones 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. People are dealing with the living God and they must never approach the subject in the cavalier manner as if His very existence were up for debate. Since the heart of preaching addresses humanity’s eternal destiny and design, one 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—wants to make a rebellious person look wise. Apart from humility, no one will ever 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.
Sermon Breakdown
- Preaching is the primary task of the church and minister. It has been established through scripture and church history.
- Objection: Haven't times changed? Can't preaching be replaced by other media like TV, radio or reading?
- Objection: Can preaching be replaced by group discussions and dialogue?
- Response: God is not to be debated or discussed casually. He is the living God.
- The matters of faith are extremely serious and solemn. They cannot be approached casually or as entertainment.
- Unbelievers are incapable of properly discussing or understanding spiritual matters. They must first be humbled.
- True preaching will draw people to listen. God's methods are unchanging.
- Definition of preaching: Delivering God's message to people. The preacher is God's mouthpiece and ambassador.
- The preacher aims to impact the whole person - mind, emotions and will. The goal is life change.
- Preaching is a transaction between God and people through the preacher. It should leave a lasting impact.
- The preacher's role is not merely to interest or entertain people but to produce results - to influence and change them.
- There is a difference between the sermon/message and the act of preaching/delivery. Both are important.
- The sermon has a content/message and a form. The content is determined by what the preacher has received from God to share.
- The message is not topical comments, moral essays, general uplift or speculative thoughts. It is the word of God.
- The biblical message can be divided into the message of salvation (for unbelievers) and teaching (for believers). Teaching includes experimental and instructional preaching.
Sermons: Preaching and Preachers
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.