It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve looked at Preaching and Preachers. I hope some of you are still following along. I know I’m benefiting from the exercise and hope you are as well. In chapter seven MLJ made the argument that the pew should not dictate the pulpit, in chapter eight he qualifies that a bit by reminding the preacher that he does need to “assess the condition of those in the pew” (156).

Lloyd-Jones begins by reminding the preacher that he is called to preach to the particular congregation that God has called him to preach to. Though you might be reading a bunch of Puritans your congregation does not live in the 16th or 17th century. The faithful preacher will consider his audience. But the preacher must accurately assess the congregation.

The Doctor goes to great lengths here to encourage preachers to never assume that those “who think they are Christians, and who are members of the Church, are therefore of necessity Christians.” (159) Such an assumption is detrimental to their souls. Don’t be fooled though by those who “have accepted the teaching of the Scriptures intellectually” but have “never come under the power of the Word”. (162) Lloyd-Jones spends a bit of time arguing that those who find preaching boring and those who are able to sit under preaching without stirring are likely not converted.

The argument is also made in this chapter that folks should be in the church as often as possible. This should be not only for their own benefit but also because numbers matter. Filling the house would be a great encouragement to those who are visiting. If they come to an empty house it might keep them from hearing the word, a packed house creates excitement.

There is also something to be said for the building in which a church meets. The great need of today is to restore authority to the pulpit, says Lloyd-Jones. One way to do this is to structure the building in such a way that the Word is central. The preacher should also be elevated above the congregation—”preaching down to them always” (174). Consideration should be made of the pew but so as to keep the authority of the preacher.

Tweet Note:

The preacher must be careful to make a true assessment of people’s condition. And his authority needs restored.

Quotables:

The chief fault of the young preacher is to preach to the people as we would like them to be, instead of as they are. (157)

There is something essentially wrong with a man who calls himself a Christian and who can listen to a truly evangelistic sermon without coming under conviction again, without feeling something of his own unworthiness, and rejoicing when he hears the Gospel remedy being presented. (163)

If our preaching is always expository and for edification and teaching it will produce church members who are hard and cold, and often harsh and self-satisfied. (165)

If the preacher always knows exactly what is going to happen, in my view he should not be in a pulpit at all. (166)

…a number of people seem to go to a place of worship and to a service in order to go home! (168)

The greatest need in the Church today is to restore this authority to the pulpit. (170)

Questions:

• Does your preaching tend to be more evangelistic or edifying? How have you attempted to strike a balance?
• Should Christians attend every service the church has? Should we be having more services or less?
• How is your church structured to show the authority of the pastor? Do you agree with Lloyd-Jones that we should be concerned with the preacher’s authority? What dangers might there be in this?
• Is it your experience that expository and edifying preaching produces those who are cold, harsh, and self-satisfied?