This book is described by J.I. Packer as ‘a landmark study,’ and this is undoubtedly the truth. Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones was probably the greatest expository preacher of the twentieth century and conducted his ministry in the famous Westminster Chapel for at least thirty years of his preaching career. His ministry was extraordinary, his influence far reaching into the whole world. Multitudes of pastors and ministers have been inspired to continue in his train. During his ministry he did much thinking about the goals, methods, and spirituality of preaching in the church. This book by Tony Sargent is a large-scale treatment of this subject. Ministers and preachers will find this book inspirational and fascinating and enriching. It is a searching book and will enable those involved in the ministry of God’s word to examine themselves and re-evaluate their preaching. This study penetrates deeply into the very essence of Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones life and ministry looking first at the place of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. How different from the book on this subject by Benny Hinn. Lloyd Jones called this anointing ‘the conscious smile of God’. There are sections dealing with the place of the scriptures, of attentive preparation, contrast between the ‘bible lecture style’ of Campbell Morgan and the more theological, microscopic approach of Lloyd Jones is helpfully employed. Throughout the book there is examination of the development of the preacher as a man, special attention being given to the ‘dark night of the soul’ through which the subject passed early in his ministry and its apparent subsequent effect upon his preaching. Did it in part account for the distinct and powerful anointing so evident later? So central to Lloyd Jones was the honoring of the Bible. His unhurried pursuit of the text, the use of the telescope to gain an overall picture of the book he was engaged in preaching from and then the use of the microscopic approach to exposit the meaning of the text under particular consideration. All this was buttressed by reasoning and argument intended to convince the hearer of the veracity of the theological truth under consideration. The use of mind and the involvement of the passions, the whole man engaged in the service of God. So this book looks in to the life of this servant of God and we are humbled and stirred to let loose the word of God in preaching in the power of the Spirit’s anointing. Finally, it is good to remind ourselves that Lloyd Jones felt that the goal of preaching was ‘to leave the listener with a sense of God’.
