Customer Reviews

The Sacred Anointing: The Preaching of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

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Pastor, are your sermons getting dull and self-centered? This book represents one of the finest studies of one of the greatest preachers of all time and how he prepared his sermons. My first copy was so marked up that I had to buy another new one. Sargent carefully and fairly examines Lloyd-Jones' Bible study methodology and gives today's overburdoned and distracted minister an opportunity to be refreshed and encouraged. A great treasure!

Anyone who has read my reviews of Ian Murray's two volume biography on Martyn Lloyd-Jones will no how important his preaching ministry is to me. What Tony Sargent does here is amazing in that he actually does a 'biography' of Lloyd-Jones' preaching as if ite were an entity itself. At least thats how it felt. And of course, it was an awesome read. As a preacher myself, this book resulted in much inward contemplation of my own methods and approaches to exposition. Most enlightening for me were Sargent's analyses of two aspects of the Doctor's preaching style. First, was the analytical, "Pauline" style of his logic as he unpacked doctrinal passages of Scripture. This aspect of the man's preaching captured me as a young Christian and pastor and has shaped much of how I handle the epistles.

The other is Sargent's investigation of the controversy involving Lloyd-Jones' doctrine of the Holy Spirit, both in the Christian life as well as in the pulpit. Truly inspiring. Let me say this: while I don't imagine that anyone unfamiliar with Lloyd-Jones would read this book, just in case, it will be crucial to have familiarized yourself with his sermons before seeing them analyzed in this book. I would recommend his volumes on Ephesians chapter 1, "God's Ultimate Purpose," (particularly the sermons on the sealing of the Spirit), Romans 3:21-4:25, "Atonement & Justifaction by Faith," and "Revival." Boy, it is hard not to continue that list.