Colin Adams has a great post on Lloyd-Jones and what he sought to do in a sermon — specifically to give sermons that attack. In my Wed PM class, we are reading Lloyd-Jones on the Sermon on the Mount. We have had some discussion in this class about the language that Lloyd-Jones employs in making his points. I think these comments from the doctor himself will help us understand what he is about (since the Sermons on the Sermon on the Mount are a collection of his preaching). Colin writes:
In Preaching and Preachers (p 73) Jones reminds us that true preaching has an ‘element of attack in it.’ Therefore it is utterly unlike an ‘essay.’ The quote below reminds me that preaching a sermon isn’t the same as giving a lecture. We are looking to capture the throne of men’s hearts for Christ!
Then, Colin gives the following quote…
“He proceeds to write an easy, and then enters a pulpit and either reads or recites this essay which he has so prepared. But I suggest that that is not preaching at all; that really has very little, if anything, to do with preaching.
This is so, very largely, because there is no element of attack in it. If there is an element of attack in an essay it is correspondingly a bad essay. The essential character of an essage is that it should play with the ideas, and on the whole handle them lightly. An essay should have charm and elegance. It is a form of literature which should make interesting, entertaining and enjoyable reading; but it is not preaching.”
Hopefully this helps us see the bloodearnest way in which Lloyd-Jones exercised his ministry and should encourage all of us in ministry to be bold and confident in our work.