The Congregation
Scripture
Sermon Description
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones stood at a significant turning point in the history of homiletics. While modern preachers often assume a fluid style of preaching for the sake of modern listeners, Dr. Lloyd-Jones warned against the rising tendency for the congregation to dictate from the pulpit. What is the relationship between the pew and the pulpit? How are preachers to understand their method of preaching in light of their congregation? In this sermon titled “The Congregation” from the “Preaching and Preaching” series, Dr. Lloyd-Jones cautions that ministers must not be swept away by objections to traditional pulpit ministry. He outlines the new arguments that were being promoted as the most effective way to reach modern listeners with the gospel. Responding point-by-point to these new homiletical methods, Dr. Lloyd-Jones counters them from a theological point of view by seeking to understand the nature of humanity, the unity of the church, and the role of the Holy Spirit in preaching. Always seeking to find balance, however, Dr. Lloyd-Jones also examines 1 Corinthians 9:19–23 and highlights the importance of flexibility within the pulpit. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps preachers discern a balanced approach to preaching to a modern congregation.
Sermon Breakdown
- The relationship between the pew and the pulpit is an important issue that needs to be addressed. There has been a shift towards emphasizing the pew which is controlling the pulpit.
- This new way of thinking is wrong and misguided. It goes against experience and the tradition of preaching over the centuries. Great preachers like Martin Luther and Charles Spurgeon preached to all people in the congregation.
- This modern idea is based on false thinking and bad theology. It wrongly assumes that people today can't understand theological terms like justification and sanctification or that they need the gospel presented in a particular way based on their circumstances. But the gospel has always used unique language and terms that need to be explained.
- The preacher does not need to know the specific sins and struggles of each person in the congregation. His job is to preach the gospel which addresses the common human problem of sin. The Holy Spirit then applies the message to each person.
- 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 does teach that preachers should be flexible in how they present the gospel. But the message itself should not change. The end does not justify the means. The method should not contradict the message.
- The world expects Christians to be different. Trying to win people by being just like them is misguided. Jesus attracted sinners because he was different.
- The subject matter of the gospel demands reverence and seriousness. Light entertainment and jocularity are incompatible with the weighty topics of sin, salvation, and eternity.
- These modern methods cannot properly convey the truth of the gospel. They may lead to decisions but not true conversion. They give the impression that minor adjustments are all that is needed rather than radical regeneration.
- The real issue is a failure to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Dividing up people into groups and saying the gospel needs to be presented differently to each is unbiblical. The gospel is for all people and all humanity is the same in sin and need for salvation.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones's Sermon on the Relationship Between Pulpit and Pew
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the new factor in the relationship between pulpit and pew?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the new factor is that "the great emphasis today is being placed upon the pew" whereas in the past "the pulpit [was] almost independent of the pew." He notes that now "the Pew is asserting itself, and I think more or less trying to dictate to the puppet." This represents a shift from the old attitude where people might have revered the preacher "almost to the point of idolatry."
What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones's criticism of the idea that preachers need to work in factories before preaching to factory workers?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticizes this idea as "monstrous" because if pushed to its logical conclusion, "your training will never have been finished." He argues that this approach would require preachers to spend six months in drinking saloons to preach to drunkards and continue through endless contexts. He explains this would lead to atomized congregations divided by profession, intellect, and age, destroying the New Testament principle that "we're all one" regardless of background or status.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the work of a physician with that of a preacher?
He explains that a physician must take detailed patient histories, family histories, and conduct examinations to understand the specific symptoms and conditions of each patient. In contrast, "the preacher does not need to know these personal facts concerning his congregation" because "all these people are suffering from the same disease, which is sin." The preacher's job is "not to medicate symptoms" but "to treat the disease" itself, regardless of how the symptoms manifest in different individuals.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe is the false assumption behind modern preaching approaches?
He believes the false assumption is "that the difficulty and the trouble with the modern man, the thing that prevents his believing the gospel, is almost entirely a problem of language and of terminology." He argues that unbelievers have never understood theological language throughout history, and it's the preacher's job to teach these terms: "Our business is to show that our gospel is essentially different...we are not talking about ordinary matters, we are talking about something unique and special and different."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones interpret 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 regarding Paul becoming "all things to all men"?
Lloyd-Jones interprets this passage as referring primarily to Paul's conduct and behavior rather than changing his message content. He believes Paul is teaching that preachers "must be flexible" and not "traditionalists" or "legalists" in presentation style, while maintaining the core message. However, he emphasizes there are limits: "the end does not justify the means" and "our methods must always be consistent and compatible with our message and not contradict the message."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe preachers should be different from their audience?
He argues that "the world expects us to be different" and "this notion that you're going to win people by showing them how similar you are to them is theologically and psychologically a real blunder." Using the example of Christ, he points out that "our Lord attracted sinners because he was different." He criticizes approaches like "Woodbine Willie" who adopted soldiers' language and habits, noting that despite initial popularity, history judged such methods "a complete failure."
What example does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about preaching to intellectual audiences?
He shares an experience preaching at Oxford University where a law student challenged him that his sermon could have been delivered to farm laborers. Lloyd-Jones responded that he regarded "the undergraduates, and indeed the graduates of Oxford University as just being ordinary, common human clay like everybody else, and that their needs were precisely the same as the agricultural laborer." This illustrates his belief that all people, regardless of education, have the same fundamental spiritual needs.
What surprising testimony did Dr. Lloyd-Jones receive from a ten-year-old child?
Despite being considered "not too easy a preacher to listen to" who tends to be long and doesn't tell many stories, Lloyd-Jones received a letter from a ten-year-old girl writing on behalf of herself and her brother saying they were praying for his recovery and wanted him back in the pulpit because "you are the only preacher that we understand." This contradicted his reputation in Great Britain as being too much of a teacher and too focused on reasoning.
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.