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 all of the teaching and preparation, but this was not enough. The Holy Spirit must come and give these men power to preach the gospel. In one’s own strength, the preacher is filled with only fear and trembling. He is a weak man; an “earthen vessel.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells of a minister who went to bed feeling utterly incapable, and awoke the next morning feeling like a lion ready to preach. What happened? This man was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. This power in preaching gives the preacher clarity of thought and speech. It gives assurance and confidence in their proclamation of God’s word. This power, however, is not something the preacher can conjure up. It is a gift of God. Unction is something that comes upon, and takes hold of, the preacher. Listen as he encourages his students to pray for this power in their preaching.
Up Next in Sermons: Preaching and Preachers
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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...
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Questions and Answers 2
The lecture contains a wide variety of topics such as hosting a Q&A after the sermon, Sunday school, multi-denominational meetings and societies, children sermons, professionalism, and announcements during the service. In this lecture titled “Questions & Answers (2),” listen to this dialogue as D...