The Preachers Message (1)
A Sermon on Romans 10:14-17
Originally preached March 20, 1964
Scripture
14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How …
Sermon Description
In his sermon on Romans 10:14–17 titled “The Preacher’s Message (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tackles an important question: what are preachers supposed to preach? Drawing from Paul’s writing in this passage, he reminds that preaching is God’s primary purpose for delivering the gospel. How is a person supposed to judge if a pastor is exercising good preaching? Dr. Lloyd-Jones devises a test. If the message does not bring “glad tidings,” it should probably be reconsidered. The good news is called the good news for a reason, he says. The incredible salvation believers have through the grace of God is cause for celebration. Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives three common examples of people preaching without the gospel’s joy. He says to be wary of people saying Christians are supposed to bring the kingdom; the kingdom is already coming. He says to look out for people who preach strictly on Christ’s morals as morals are not God’s grace. He also says to beware of preachers who tell the congregation to put their faith in the church; the church is not the avenue to salvation. With that, Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes his sermon in stating that the one true faith believers have is in Jesus Christ and the joy that comes with it.
Sermon Breakdown
- The message of the preacher is not merely a message about morality and ethics.
- The message is not just answering people's questions and helping them live good lives.
- The message is not a series of discourses on political and social matters or a social program to improve the world.
- The message is not urging people to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ.
- The message is not a philosophical view of life and Christ.
- The message is not the message of Roman Catholicism to believe in the church and her teaching.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 10:14-17
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main characteristic of the true gospel message?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the essential characteristic of the true gospel message is that it is "glad tidings" or "good news." He emphasizes this repeatedly, stating that whatever else the gospel is, it must contain this element of joyful announcement. He cites the apostle Paul's quotation from Isaiah 52:7: "How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things." The gospel is fundamentally an announcement of what God has done for our salvation, not primarily what we must do.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest we can test whether a message is truly the gospel?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides a simple yet profound test: "Is this good news? Is this Glad tidings?" He states this is "the most wonderful test" that "will never fail you" in discriminating between true and false preaching. If the message lacks the element of joyful announcement, if it doesn't cause rejoicing and thanksgiving, it fails the test. True gospel preaching should make people respond with joy, as the shepherds did after hearing the angels' message about Christ's birth.
What are the six misconceptions of the gospel that Dr. Lloyd-Jones refutes?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies six false conceptions of the gospel: 1. A message merely about morality and ethics 2. A ministry focused on answering people's questions and problems 3. A series of discourses on political and social matters 4. Urging people to imitate Christ without theological foundation 5. A philosophical view of life and Christ 6. The Roman Catholic message of "believe in the church and her teaching"
He rejects all these because they lack the element of "glad tidings" and ultimately leave salvation up to human effort.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe the church is ineffective in modern society?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones attributes the ineffectiveness of the Christian church and declining attendance to "one thing only": the true message of the gospel is not being preached and hasn't been for many years. He believes people were "more or less driven out of the churches by false gospel, by false preaching." The lack of power comes from replacing the true gospel announcement with moralistic, philosophical, or politically focused messages that lack the transformative power of the real gospel.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the relationship between the gospel and its accessibility to ordinary people?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the true gospel can be understood by all people, including the poor and uneducated. He cites Jesus' statement, "unto the poor the gospel is preached" and notes "the common people heard him gladly." He contrasts this with Greek philosophy, which had nothing for the poor, and with modern intellectual theological concepts that ordinary people can't understand. He says if "the common people can't hear gladly the message of the preacher, he is not a preacher sent by God."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the essence of the gospel message?
The essence of the gospel message is "a proclamation and an announcement to us of what God has done about us men and our salvation." It is fundamentally about God's initiative, not man's. It is the announcement that "God hath visited and redeemed his people." He quotes Romans 8:3-4 and Ephesians 2:8-9 to emphasize that salvation is God's work, not ours. The gospel is "what God has done once and forever for us and our salvation in the person of his dearly begotten son."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect true gospel preaching with emotional response?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that true gospel preaching naturally produces emotional responses like joy, thanksgiving, and praise. He contrasts this with false teaching where "there's nothing to shout about." True gospel preaching produces "abandon," "liberty," "glory," "praise," "thanksgiving," and "rejoicing." He points to Charles Wesley being moved to write "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" as an example of the proper response to the real gospel.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe it's important to engage in controversy over the gospel?
While Dr. Lloyd-Jones states he dislikes being controversial and would prefer to just give positive expositions, he feels compelled to defend the true gospel. He cites his duty as being "set for the defense as well as the propagation of the gospel." He believes the moral condition of society and the ineffectiveness of the church demand clarity about what the gospel truly is. He says he would be "a very poor teacher" if he didn't warn against error and help people discriminate between truth and falsehood.
The Book of Romans
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.