D. Martin Lloyd Jones was a physician turned pastor in the middle of the Twentieth Century in England. He served in two churches during his forty years of ministry, most notably for thirty years as co-pastor and pastor of Westminster Chapel in Buckingham Gate. Jones wrote
Preaching and Preachers not as a treatise necessarily on what preaching should be, but merely as an example of what he has learned through his experiences and of what he believes preaching to be. In his own words, he preached for a long time and he “should have learned something as the result of that; and that is my sole title to attempt this task [Preaching and Preachers]” (p. 4). Of his own admittance, he is dogmatic in many of his assertions, but on the back flap of the book he is quoted as saying, and it aptly sums up the whole of the book, “Every preacher should believe strongly in his own method.” Jones believes strongly in his method and the book is a collection of wisdom that reflects his method of preaching.
SUMMARY OF THE BOOK
Dr. Lloyd-Jones has composed a book that is written specifically to preachers. He makes no apologies for that and makes no effort to address other aspects of the pastoral ministry. His volume is a collection of lectures delivered first to the students of Westminster Theological Seminary. In Preaching and Preachers he covers in great detail nearly every aspect of preaching of which one could conceive. He begins first by establishing the basis for preaching. In his first chapter, aptly entitled “The Primacy of Preaching,” Dr. Lloyd Jones establishes that the primary reason for keeping preaching first is not found in the wisdom of men, but rather in the Word of God. Using examples from the New Testament, he points out that Jesus commands his disciples to be witnesses. He also points to the apostles in the First Century who appointed others to serve tables so that they could give focus to the ministry of the word (p. 23).
Having established the biblical basis for preaching, he then moves to address all things and parties involved in preaching. The things he addresses include the sermon itself, the form of the sermon, and the act of preaching. The act of preaching, he correctly points out, is more than just the delivery of a speech. The act of preaching is the delivery of God’s word through a man. The parties involved in preaching include both the preacher and the congregation. Multiple times in the book, the author says that preaching is actually an interactive experience. It is necessary for the preacher to engage the congregation in the sermon, not merely preach at them.
In the last half of the book, Lloyd-Jones addresses the various activities that are a part of preaching. Preaching is much more than standing before an audience. The author addresses not only the construction and preparation of the sermon, but also the preparation of the preacher as well. Lloyd-Jones says that “The preacher’s first and most important task is to prepare himself, not his sermon” (p. 166). However, preparation of one’s self is not enough to ensure quality preaching. He goes further to speak about the details of a sermon; the introduction, conclusion, and even illustrations and the place of humor in the sermon. In short, the book is a survey on the total act of preaching, from prayer and study to delivery and the time of decision.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
The greatest strength of the book is an obvious one, and that is its author. Dr. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones was an amazing preacher and pastor. A book written about preaching to preachers has its greatest value when coming from a man with the gift of preaching, the acumen to preach well, and years of experience in the pulpit. The experience of this time-tested preacher gives validity to his work that no number of earned degrees could provide. In the preface, the author states that his purpose is to provide help to young preachers, he accomplishes his goal by giving insight through his experience, for experience is the greatest thing that a young pastor lacks.
A second strength of the book is the depth with which Lloyd-Jones addresses the subject of preaching. Not satisfied merely to set forth a set of rules by which preaching and preachers should be governed, the author points to examples in his life and the lives of others of what preaching should be and how preachers should prepare. Preaching, he says, is more than talking; it is the heralding of Truth with passion (p. 90). The preacher is more than a man, he is a man with an authority from God to deliver God’s message to his people. Lloyd-Jones speaks of the necessity of discipline in the life of the preacher, but he also writes about the importance of good acoustics within a sanctuary and proper attire in the pulpit. His treatment of the subject is nearly exhaustive, and this is a strength that cannot be denied.
Lastly, the book is original, and that is a strength all its own. Because Dr. Lloyd-Jones writes from his own experiences, his work does not run the risk of being confused with the work of another man. Preaching and Preachers is indeed the insight of one preacher to others. Further, the author almost seems to be engaging in conversation with the reader rather than writing a book on preaching. His insight flows freely into the lives of those who read this work, it is not forced and the reading is such that it is delightful and nearly devotional at times. A preaching text that can be enjoyed for its encouragement as well as cherished for its insight is rare, but Lloyd-Jones has created such a book in Preaching and Preachers. After finishing the book, one feels as though he has sat in the office of this great preacher and listened at length to his wisdom through a warm invitation. After all, the wise old preacher will often rebuke the novice with words such as, “I rebuke all these modern substitutes for preaching” (p. 51). But, the loving pastor will follow with encouragement for the long days and the tough times by saying, “There never has been a preacher that has not had to learn by experience. Do not be discouraged” (230). Dr. Lloyd-Jones has done more than written a book, he has become a mentor for young pastors in this book who may never otherwise have been blessed with a man who would have been willing to pour his life into their ministry.
Though the book is strong in many places, it certainly has its weak spots. I believe the greatest weakness of the book, and the issue that caused this writer the greatest difficulty in the reading of the book was the nearly obscene use of illustrative material contained within the pages of Preaching and Preachers. On page 239, concerning illustrations and imagination, Lloyd-Jones writes, “The moment that the point is reached you must stop.” However, in the writing of this book the author often belabored his point with three or even four illustrations to demonstrate a point that had already been made very clear. Though his stories and illustrations show the wisdom and insight he gained through experience, this reader found himself often frustrated and bored reading story after story illustrating the same point. Further, it seems a bit hypocritical to criticize the over-use of illustration, and yet depend upon it so much in his book.
Another weakness was the combative approach that Dr. Lloyd-Jones takes on many issues within the book. He is adamant about certain things and pulls no punches where he feels strongly. This has merit, but in places it is just somewhat out of line. For instance, he says on page 52 that people will come to hear true preaching of the gospel. However, the apostle Paul says that in the last days they will reject sound preaching. The author must reconcile the differences between his understanding of the response to true preaching and the words of the apostle Paul. In another place he says that many texts on preaching should be thrown into the fire (p. 119). Though his passion is well received, it is ludicrous to suggest that books written on sermon preparation are without merit and have no value. Even the greatest preacher has plenty to learn in response to the call of God on his life. It would have been valuable for Dr. Lloyd-Jones to have recognized the good found even in methods and practices that were not well suited to his style of ministry.
A final weakness of the book is its seeming lack of organization. Though broken up nicely into sixteen chapters, the text seemed often to veer away from the subject suggested within the chapter title. For this reason, the text was often difficult to follow. Compounded with the previously mentioned over-use of illustrations, and the book, though overall enjoyable, was nearly painful at times. Frustration comes when thoughts are not organized logically, and his jumping from subject to subject was akin to a ten year old child suffering with ADHD.
CONCLUSION
Dr. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones has written a very good book of wisdom for young and old preachers alike. The book was not always enticing, but it is full of insight, wisdom, and enough excitement to keep a reader interested. It is sad to note that the front flap of the book refers to Dr. Lloyd-Jones as “the last of the preachers.” Based on this book, it is very doubtful that he would have been satisfied with that title. In fact, if that is true, then Preaching and Preachers has indeed failed because it has not influenced men to embrace their calling as its author did. I would encourage this book to young preachers as a text to cuddle next to in bed or by a fire with a cup of coffee where they could be lovingly reprimanded and encouraged with the wisdom of an aged pastor who had experienced God’s greatness throughout the course of his lifetime. Dr. Lloyd-Jones serves as a role model for preachers, and this book is a blueprint for living and preaching as Dr. Lloyd-Jones saw fit.
