Preaching & Preachers (1971, 1997) by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Book Review

Preaching & Preachers (1971, 1997) by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

When I posted on my WhatsApp status after I finished reading this book, Dr. Thomas Chung, an itinerant preacher and a medical practitioner, texted me, "[This book] remain one of my most treasured books on the subject. From him, I learned the importance of 'diagnostic preaching' and tried using it every time I prepare a sermon. Glad you also like this man's writings." Dr. Thomas had sat on the preaching of Dr. Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel when he was studying medicine in London in the early 80s. "To watch the man preached stirs the spirit," he continues. "After listening to him one becomes consumed with the Majesty of God." I cannot say I feel the same since David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was born and died before God ever formed me in my mother's womb. But I trust that the testimony of Dr. Thomas - and few others who have witnessed the man and his preaching - is true. There are less than half a dozen of video interviews on YouTube available today that shows how soft-spoken, calm, and gentlemanly Dr. Lloyd-Jones was but there are hundreds of audio recording sermons at the MLJ Trust website that can give us a glimpse (although inadequate) of his passionate, piercing, and precise preaching.

This book is originally a transcript of his lecture series on the same title that he delivered to the students of the Westminster Theological Seminary. Besides reading the book, I also listened to the audio recordings of the 16 lectures available online (plus two question and answer sessions). I find that this practice of after reading a chapter, then listening to the session is very helpful for me to comprehend more, memorize important points, and capture the gems that I might miss along the way. Above all, I can somewhat imagine that I was sitting there in the lecture room with the other students to hear and interact with Dr. Lloyd-Jones. It is more lively, and I can hear his Welsh accent that is absent in the written pages. Also, you must understand that when he preached on the pulpit he is very serious but in the lecture room, you can hear his sense of humor. Try it! Knowing the man by reading his biography and listening to sermons on his life and ministry are very helpful too. I recommend watching Steven Lawson's The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Iain Murray's The Legacies of Martyn Lloyd-Jones on YouTube for a start (To get a hold of how God uses this man to influence other faithful preachers today, watch a documentary about him entitled, Logic on Fire).

It is hard to say which chapters are the most important but obviously, the first two are essentials, namely, on 1) The Primacy of Preaching, and 2) No Substitute, because here Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that preaching the Word of God or The Gospel or The Truth is not an optional but the very reason why the Church exists in the world. He observes from the Scriptures and history that: "The work of preaching is the highest and the greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called. If you want something in addition to that I would say without hesitation that the most urgent need in the Christian Church is true preaching; and if it is the greatest and the most urgent need in the Church, it is obviously the greatest need of the world also." When he comes to the question of what is preaching? His famous words are "Logic on fire! Eloquent reason!… It is theology on fire. And a theology which does not take fire, I maintain, is a defective theology; or at least the man's understanding of it is defective. Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire. A true understanding and experience of the Truth must lead to this. I say again that a man who can speak about these things dispassionately has no right whatever to be in a pulpit; and should never be allowed to enter one." And what is the chief end of preaching? He simply said, "It is to give men and women a sense of God and His presence." One sentence that I can describe the man who is often known as 'the Doctor' is this: he cares about the Truth!

Unlike his preaching, since this is his lecture series, he shared lots of relevant stories, personal examples, and anecdotes to help his students by way of illustration to explain the Biblical preaching principles. But when he wanted to state his personal opinions about what is not clearly taught in the Scriptures, he said so and I sometimes (very few) disagree or remain skeptical with his diagnosis. It's okay. We are human beings bound by our perceptions, biases, and time. Only God is perfect, immutable, and fallible! Praise Him! I fully recommend this book to every Christian minister regardless of either you're a preacher or not. Not all are called to be full-time preachers (I'm not!) but all are called to preach the Word. Stephen and Philip in Acts 6 were chosen specifically to "serve tables" not to the ministry of the Word but when the Holy Spirit filled them with power and wisdom, they preached the Word boldly with logic on fire! (read Acts 7 and 8).

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #MartynLloydJones #PreachingAndPreachers #LogicOnFire

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The Supremacy of God In Preaching (1990, 2004) by John Piper, Book Review

The Supremacy of God In Preaching (1990, 2004) by John Piper

 

“There are always two parts to true worship,” writes John Piper, one of the role models who taught me to delight in God, to love the Scriptures, and to proclaim the truth with passion, “There is seeing God, and there is savoring God. You can’t separate these. You must see him to savor him. And if you don’t savor him when you see him, you insult him. In true worship, there is always understanding with the mind, and there is always feeling in the heart. Understanding must always be the foundation of feeling, or all we have is baseless emotionalism. But the understanding of God that doesn’t give rise to feeling for God becomes mere intellectualism and deadness. This is why the Bible continually calls us to think and consider and meditate, on the other hand, and to rejoice and fear and mourn and delight and hope and be glad, on the other hand. Both are essential for worship.” This is one of the most critical passages in the book. If you get this - especially the preachers - you will see why the work of preaching is not just informing but also transforming the mind and the heart of the (listening) hearers to look Godward. Piper continues by saying that the reason that preaching is so essential is that “it is uniquely suited to waken seeing God and savoring God… with the exposition of the Word of God and exultation in the God of the Word.”

Few people like John Piper understand the real goal, purpose, and high calling of preaching today. Perhaps the other preacher is the late Martyn Lloyd-Jones (I’m currently reading Preaching & Preachers by Dr Lloyd), who said: “To me, the work of preaching is the highest and greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called.” It is always dangerous, in my opinion, to compare previous faithful preachers with contemporary preachers because times have changed. But if the truth is unchanged, then the means to declare the truth is unchanged too, namely, through preaching. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). But many of the so-called preachings nowadays is nothing more than just a motivational talk or an inspirational sharing or a psychological counselling session. Sprinkling Bible verses here and there, exciting the audiences with music and dramatic actions, delivering TED talks-style man-centred teachings, which people call preaching today. Far from the truth! As much as the judgment of God goes to the modern-day false preachers, the people also play the role and are held responsible for lifting them to celebrity status (read 2 Timothy 4:3). Preachers must teach the truth, and the people must hunger for the truth. How do you know if the preacher is teaching the truth? He will point you to SEE God. How do you know if you are hunger for the truth? You will be longing to SAVOR God.

Read what Pastor John said about the supremacy of God in preaching: “The dominant note of preaching be the freedom of God’s sovereign grace, that the unifying theme be the zeal that God has for his own glory, that the grand object of preaching be the infinite and inexhaustible being of God, and that the pervasive atmosphere of preaching be the holiness of God.” It is God from beginning to end. God reign! There are many gems in this book, and I highly recommend it to every pastor, teacher, preacher, and growing Christian. Although I’m not particularly called to be a preacher but a staff worker, I find this book helps me to remind myself that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. [Note: The Westminster Shorter Catechism summarizes the chief end of man by using the word “and” to connect the two statements, but John Piper has suggested that the word “by” would be more consistent]. I have read this book for the third time. The first time I was in the FES Penang office during my visit many years ago, the second time I moved back to FES Sarawak, and again this year. Read it!

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #JohnPiper #TheSupremacyOfGodInPreaching

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

 

Reading Christians Are Growing Christians #1Book1Week September 2021

“Reading Christians are growing Christians,” said John Wesley, “When Christians cease to read, they cease to grow.” How true! In the past, I used to give three books per month through my blog (this was before I entered the full-time ministry. Cash is king!). There were three main reasons why I giveaway books for free: 1) So that my readers can gain godly wisdom, get inspired, and be motivated to live a Christian life through Christian’s literature; 2) To give them a tool to stir, exercise, and polish the edge of their God-given mind; and 3) To cultivate their passion for reading. Although I’m not giving away books anymore, the reason number 3) is still part of my purpose why I write book reviews and this kind of post.

In my opinion, reading is essential for Christians to grow mentally and spiritually. I venture to say that today, reading is one of the main ways God effectively speaking to us on a daily basis (Have you ever wonder why God give us The Book - a.k.a. The Bible - as the medium for us to know His will, His works, and His sovereignty?). On reading, the apostle Paul’s counsel to young Timothy to “focus on reading the Scripture” (1 Timothy 4:13), which in context referred to the public reading of the Old Testament. J. Oswald Sanders, in his classic book Spiritual Leadership, comments on 2 Timothy 4:13: “Paul’s advice is appropriate for other areas of reading as well. Paul’s books – the one he wanted Timothy to bring along – were probably words of Jewish history, explanations of the law and prophets, and perhaps some of the heathen poets Paul quoted in his sermons and lectures. A student to the end, Paul wanted to spend time in study.” If Paul, who God used to write half of the New Testament and was in prison waiting for his death sentence when he wrote letters to Timothy, continues his study by [wanted to] reading books, do you think reading is not important for Christians?

Read to “fill the wells of inspiration,” advise Harold Ockenga, an evangelist and avid reader himself. I say read for spiritual benefit, read for intellectual growth, read to cultivate speaking and writing style, read to acquire new information and knowledge, read to keep current with the time and read to polishes the edge of your God-given mind. Aldous Huxley, an English writer and philosopher, reminds us: “Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting.”

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my previous #1Book1Week book reviews, CLICK HERE  

1) Unveiling the End Times In Our Time (2004) by Adrian Rogers, READ HERE

2) A Word to Fellow Pastors and Other Christian Leaders (1875, 2019) by Horatius Bonar, READ HERE

3) How To Think Like Einstein (2000, 2015) by Scott Thorpe, READ HERE

4) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy (1954) by Clive Staples Lewis, READ HERE

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Unveiling the End Times In Our Time: The Triumph of the Lamb In Revelation (2004) by Adrian Rogers, Somewhat Review

Unveiling the End Times In Our Time: The Triumph of the Lamb In Revelation (2004)

by Adrian Rogers

 Before I became a full-time staff worker, I used to listened to hours of the late Adrian Rogers' sermons when I was working in Kuala Lumpur on the way to work and back using public transportation. I was not a serious Christian, I didn't go to church regularly, and I lived a rebellious lifestyle. I was like sinful king Herod who loved to listen to John the Baptist even though he became greatly disturbed every time he heard him preach (Mark 6:20). But instead of beheading Adrian Rogers, I bought this book to learn more about the Book of Revelation that he passionately preached in a weekly series through the Love Worth Finding radio ministry. I cannot say I was convinced during that time (still skeptical and dabbling with the world philosophies), but it does spark my interest to read the 'weirdest' book of the Bible firsthand.

Fast forward 14 years later(?), I'm rereading this book. Now that I have more knowledge of the Bible, become matured in the faith, have more experience in life, and have a better understanding of our time, I can grasp much more truths taught in this book. Most importantly, the Holy Spirit uses it to open my spiritual eyes to understand the big picture of the Book of Revelation when I read it. I was blind, but now I see! Men of God like Adrian Rogers, David Pawson, Chuck Missler, Tim LaHaye, and John MacArthur have been a great help for me in deciphering the Book of Revelation (learn widely but weigh their teachings wisely). As I look back, I'm amazed how God led me to read this book and be interested in the subject all over again. There are three (3) main reasons: 1) I was researching for my exposition Bible study podcast on Matthew chapter 24 on the end times and suddenly remembered that I have this book somewhere inside a box in my library; 2) Currently, I'm doing an audio recording chapter by chapter on the Book of Revelation in Bahasa Iban, and along the way, questions arise, and so I need to find answers; and 3) When I watch the news of what is happening in the world today like the pandemic, wars, global warming, society breakdown, political chaos, restriction laws, the rise of technology, extreme narcissistic behavior in social media, etc. I cannot help but see signs of Biblical prophecies, particularly in the Book of Revelation, on the end times are being fulfilled before my eyes.

Although I'm concerned and curious about what will happen next, I'm not afraid of the future as a Christ-follower. I know for sure who holds it (the past and the present too!), namely, the sovereign God of the Bible. Some things in the Book of Revelation will remain a mystery to me and will not be known until they are unfolded. But as Adrian Rogers said, the bottom line is this: "Jesus is coming, and I am certain of that and very, very glad. I have resigned from the program committee, and have moved over to the welcoming committee. Even so, come Lord Jesus!" Pastor Rogers writes in straightforward language, clear exposition but not too details, from a devotional point of view, and the outlines - like his sermons - are easy to follow. (For serious study, I recommend reading classic commentaries from e-Sword or Logos Bible apps). At the beginning of the book, Pastor Rogers straightaway tells the reader that he is a "convinced pretribulation premillennialist." I like that. No more guesswork! I haven't decided either to subscribe to premillennialism or amillennialism. No rush. What's more urgent and important is this, our Lord Jesus Christ declares: "Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:12). Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.