Regarding music, Dr. Lloyd-Jones is concerned that congregations are opting for more special singing, quartets, and choirs, and focusing less on the preaching ministry. The more a church is focused on her building, ceremony, special singing and music, the less the church experiences a robust and Biblical spirituality. This leads, he believes, to an entertainment style of ministry. All instruments are to accompany congregational singing alone. Additionally, there is the danger of altar calls. He laments the rise of the altar call, rooting it in emotionalism which imposes a wrong pressure on the will. In contrast, Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents a Biblical case for appealing to the mind. Sinners do not have the inherent power of “making a decision” for Christ; rather they must be regenerated. The conversion of a soul is not produced by an emotionally-based, momentary decision––it is the work of God. What the preacher longs for is solely the work of the Holy Spirit and therein one finds power in preaching––not in the techniques of the preacher but in the movement of God.
Up Next in Sermons: Preaching and Preachers
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Pifalls and Romance of Preaching
Is it ever appropriate for a preacher to preach another person’s sermon? In this sermon titled “Pitfalls and Romance,” these questions are handled as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones lectures under the topic of preaching and preachers. A sermon takes on a personality of its own. As the preacher comes to kn...
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The Spirit and The Power
If it is, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that they are to be most miserable. In this sermon titled “The Spirit and the Power,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds upon what he believes to be the most important ingredient in preaching: the unction, or power, of the Holy Spirit. Consider the apostles: they had...
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Questions and Answers 1
In this first part titled “Questions & Answers (1),” Dr. Lloyd-Jones responds to the following questions: If he is preaching God’s word, why would a preacher ever cease to be gripped by his sermon? Why use illustrations from Scripture as opposed to modern-day situations? Is the preacher synonymou...
