Charles Haddon Spurgeon....(1834-1892)....and Martyn Lloyd-Jones....(1899-1981)....were the two greatest preachers in the church in the past 170 years and probably much longer than that. Both were London preachers. As wonderful as Billy Graham and R. C. Sproul and John Piper and John MacArthur and other names that we all know from the past fifty years....none of them can compare to Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones in the effect that their preaching has had on the listeners of their day....and through various technologies....readers and hearers in all of evangelicalism compassing the whole world since they went on to be with their glorious Lord!
Now maybe you take issue with my assessment....in fact you might have some names to put up for nomination? I've been around a long time and have heard a lot of good preaching.....and I've heard a lot of terrible preaching that fills giant auditoriums. The issue is not....who might the greatest be....and however great any preacher might be it is because God's Holy Spirit not only prepared them but prepared their hearers.
So to the point of this post....you are a hearer....you heard a sermon today....probably....and maybe a half century of sermons....are you in need to hear Christ preached? Of course you are....we all are....but are you as Oliver Twist who was fed thin gruel every mealtime...."desperate with hunger....reckless with misery"....who dared go up to the master and say...."Please, sir, I want some more"....or as C. S. Lewis once postured.....would you....figuratively speaking....out of ignorance for not knowing what is out there....rather make...."mud pies in the slum because [you] cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea?"
Try this....Google....Martyn Lloyd-Jones sermon, The Only Way....and see if you still want to put up those other names for nomination?
Charles Dickens....Oliver Twist
C. S. Lewis....The Weight Of Glory, And Other Addresses
Maybe I should just say good-bye right now....for if you ever start listening to preachers such as Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones....you surely will never need to return here?
