I’ve read a number of good books over the past year, but this one has been, without a doubt, the most significant. I began reading this biography almost a year ago, finished it a few months later; it has continued to do its work.
You cannot read this book without appreciating Lloyd-Jones’ certainty. The man believed the gospel to an infectious degree, and that was certainly part of his effectiveness in the pulpit and in conversation. He was certain about doctrine. His beliefs weren’t fuzzy; they were clear; they had edges. No one could listen to Lloyd-Jones and walk away saying that doctrine doesn’t matter. You see his certainty in his decisions. When he walked away from medicine to pursue pulpit ministry, he did so because he was certain it was the call of God. He seemed as certain of his call as Moses or Paul and he was no more boastful of his calling as they were of theirs; he was certain but humble. That too was part of his effectiveness.
You cannot read this book without recognizing the primacy of preaching in the ministry of the church. Every age denigrates preaching in its own way and ours is no different. Why does today’s church think the preacher has the right to preach? Is it because he is willing to speak in public? Is it because he has read more books on religion than most of his listeners? Such confusion about the role of preaching might be one of the reasons we have and expect so little unction from our pulpits. If you are a preacher, read this book. It will remind you that preaching matters more than any of us think.
You cannot read this book without a sense that the church matters. We must remember that it matters because if a critical mass of a church is apathetic about God’s word and their role in their local church, that apathy will infect its pulpit. The good news is that if a critical mass of members take their role in the church and practical obedience to the word of God seriously, that will energize the pulpit. If a church hungers to hear from God and to obey what they hear, they will receive. “Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them,” Matthew 13:12.
This biography will hopefully remind men who have answered the call to ministry why they answered the call. It will remind them of what God can do through preaching. It will remind them of Christ’s great love for the church and the seriousness and joy with which this calling should be taken up. The history recounted in this book should drive all of us, preachers and congregations alike, to our knees in prayer for renewed zeal and for the work of the Spirit.