Lloyd-Jones and his Book "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount"

In an age where many people like to lay claim to the title 'reformed' but then they sometimes sadly feed on books which do not engage in solid biblical exposition, I would like to recommend a book that John Stott calls 'a spiritual classic'. This is 'Studies in the Sermon on the Mount' by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (IVP). Lloyd-Jones is of course no longer with us but his rich explanation of the beatitudes and the Lord's teachings on the Sermon on the Mount can still help many hungry and thristy pilgrims today!

This book really helped me in a time when I was searching for answers and I found little comfort from many. Sadly, I would observe much preaching and worship services where there was a manifest famine of preaching that was simply 'out of the Scripture'. This book unfolds the Scripture, it takes the biblical text seriously and this is what is needed for truly contemporary ministry. Sometimes, men from good traditions think that they can reinvent the wheel and they think that we need to be contemporary to win a lost world by singing contemporary songs and using contemporary approaches to evangelism. "This is what we need", they say. Sadly this philosophy is at best missing the point, and at worst it creates a form of Christianity alien to what our Lord presented as the pattern for ministry.

This book helpfully expounds man's need in every generation; searching, well prepared sermons that stick close to the Bible. May we have less internet illustrations, less internet jokes and less internet cliches in the pulpit and more solid, faithful, exegetical sermons.

Thus says the LORD:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’


The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Je 6:16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.