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Sermon #Tribute 2

Tribute to Dr. Lloyd-Jones by his eldest daughter, Elizabeth Catherwood

Scripture

Various

Sermon Description

In this tribute to her father, delivered at the Evangelical Library in London, Lady Elizabeth Catherwood fondly recounts Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones's strong affinity to books and reading. She begins by recalling some of her memories of her father, who always had a book in his hand. She recalls a beach holiday, where all her family was playing and enjoying the sun, sand and water in beach attire, but her father was fully clothed in a suit, sitting quietly by a rock reading “The Divine Imperative”. “Everyone took reading as a part of him” she states. Lady Elizabeth then goes on to list some books and aspects of reading that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones disliked: paperbacks, digest and encyclopedias, over-concentration on “style” in books, agonizing over words, novels, and wrong intention for reading. Next, she lists the positive aspects of Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s reading such as his phenomenal memory, the amazing breadth and depth of his reading, his ability to point out dangers in books, and the variety in his reading (both basic and elaborate). She then expands on Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s favorite genres to read, that being Welsh hymns (as he was "a true Welshman"), church history, biographies, and of course, the Bible. To end her tribute, she speaks on how her father had confidence in his faith on his death bed. He had fought a good fight. He had finished his race.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by introducing the topic of the sermon which is about her father, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and his reading habits.
  2. She mentions that her father loved the Evangelical Library and the work they did. He was involved with it from the beginning.
  3. Her first memory of her father reading was when she was very young. He would read poems to her and discuss the characters in the stories.
  4. Her father would always read on holidays and in the mornings. He believed reading was important for relaxation and rest.
  5. Her father did not like paperbacks, digests or an overconcentration on style. He cared most about the content and truth.
  6. Her father read slowly but had an amazing memory. He could recall what he read in great detail.
  7. Her father read widely including biography, theology, apologetics, and more. He stayed up to date with current events and read reviews to get book recommendations.
  8. Her father believed in balance in reading and warned against reading becoming an escape or "drug." Reading should stimulate thinking.
  9. Her father gave book recommendations tailored to each person. He knew people's interests and what would benefit them.
  10. Her father read for information and to better understand topics. He researched thoroughly and didn't theorize without facts.
  11. Her father read medical journals and used the information to help diagnose a medical issue with his grandson. His wide reading proved useful in many areas of life.
  12. Her father read theology, devotional works, church history, and biographies. He especially enjoyed the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, and Welsh hymns.
  13. Her father was a Welshman and loved reading Welsh hymns, especially at the end of his life.
  14. Her father followed a Bible reading plan and read through the entire Bible regularly. He pointed to Bible verses even when he couldn't speak at the end of his life.
  15. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by quoting a passage about Thomas Scott that reminds her of her father and his life and ministry. Her father fought the good fight, finished his race, and kept the faith.

Tributes to Dr. Lloyd-Jones

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.