How many of you are familiar with Martyn Lloyd-Jones....born David Martyn Lloyd-Jones in Wales....eleven days before the beginning of the 20th century? How many are familiar with Inspector Jacques Clouseau....as played by Peter Sellers? Well the two of them have something in common....their voice....minus the French accent on the part of Martyn Lloyd-Jones of course.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones.....also sometimes referred to as....'The Doctor'....was a medical doctor at first....well-respected in the London medical profession....and a member of the Royal College of Physicians....with great things expected of him....but according to his own testimony he got tired of healing men only to see them return to a life of rebellion to God.....so he changed directions around 1927....to become a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.....to lead men to the soul healing waters of Jesus Christ.I mention the Inspector Clouseau voice just to prepare you. Where did Peter Sellers get that voice. He was born in England and moved to London....and would most definitely have been familiar with the famous pastor of Westminster Chapel.....Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones.
Going back in time a little bit....John Charles (J. C.) Ryle was born in England in 1816....and was educated at Eton and Oxford....and was headed towards a lifetime in Parliament....but money woes in his family changed all that....and he instead chose the pulpit. He died six months before Martyn Lloyd-Jones was born. Both men....J. C. Ryle and Martyn Lloyd-Jones....and you can add Charles Haddon Spurgeon to the mix....the ministries of these men kept Christianity in England afloat from roughly 1850 to 1980.
Lest you think that I was making fun of the preaching voice of Martyn Lloyd-Jones.....I could listen to his beautiful Welsh accent all day long....in fact I listened to two of his sermons today. Was I blessed by them? Yes as a matter of fact....one teaching of The Doctor's was concerning the sins of our past....and how Satan....uses our past to keep us from thinking about who we are in Christ today. I've been thinking about this wisdom since then....and believe it or not....feel a little freer already. You can easily listen to this sermon by Googling....Vain Regrets....and....Martyn Lloyd-Jones
By the way....Charles Haddon Spurgeon....the Prince of Preachers....spoke in a working class Cockney accent....where he pronunced....bible....as boible....and his ‘wifey’ humorously described his accent as more of an affliction.
I am not posting this because I have nothing better to do than give some anecdotes on Martyn Lloyd-Jones.....but rather for one reason....that I might encourage you to listen to some of the sermons of these....men of the past....that after tasting the power of these sermons....you might add a sermon or two a week into your schedule....and maybe also some sermons from....men of today....who preach like men of the past. Here are some names to consider....John Piper....Sinclair Ferguson....O. Palmer Robertson....Derek Thomas....Michael Reeves....Iain Murray....Steven Lawson....Alistair Begg....Michael Horton....and Ken Jones....just a few names off the top of my head.
