As a very young Baptist Pastor I visited a gentlemen well into his 90s who, as a boy, had heard Spurgeon preach at his church in central London then known as the Metropolitan Tabernacle. For a few moments I felt as though I was touching history. Looking back on my life now I realise that I must be one of a rapidly diminishing number of people who heard Martyn Lloyd-Jones preach at Westminster Chapel, the church he led in central London for about 30 years. I was probably a teenager of about 15 when I first heard him preach there and then with some regularity until he retired in 1968.
The first impact, coming from an averaged sized Baptist Church, was the sight of what seemed a massive congregation. Yet we gathered in total silence! At exactly 11 am the rather diminutive figure of the the Doctor (as he was always called ) appeared in the very large pulpit, he bowed his head for a few seconds in prayer, then the organ struck up and we all stood to sing, 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow.' Apart from the preaching there were two surprises. At a time when virtually no-one arrived late for the start of a service (yes, that's really true) a considerable portion of the congregation arrived during the singing of the first 2 hymns, the only opportunity latecomers had to come through the doors. This reflected, I suppose, the fact that hundreds travelled from all over greater London to be there and also that many nurses in their uniforms were probably coming straight from a shift to be present at the morning meeting. And then there was the 'long prayer', a common feature in evangelical churches at the time and with the Doctor it really was long. I timed it on occasions and it could be at least 12 minutes; longer than some sermons in many churches at the time.
But it was of course the preaching that drew the crowds; in fact in a day when little attention was really given to congregational worship there was probably quite a strong desire with many of those present that we could just get on to the sermon. Some features often thought essential in preaching today were simply absent, perhaps most notably the lack of much illustration. Of course there were no visual aids in any form, the introduction was without humour or narrative and entirely predictable, 'I would like to call your attention this morning to the following verse of Scripture....' and then a recap of what had been preached the previous Sunday. It was like an aircraft beginning to move down a runway, gathering speed and then suddenly there was the moment of takeoff and you were gripped by the preaching and often there was the breathless stillness that sometimes you get when the congregation corporately knows God is here. The effect of the preaching was stunning and yet listening to the recordings of that preaching today to me they often sound quite laboured and somewhat old fashioned. But then preaching is always about what happens in the moment and at the time you were moved, thrilled, convicted and challenged as heaven seemed to touch earth and the glory of the gospel seemed almost too wonderful to handle. I have lived most of my life somewhat branded by the power of that preaching.
It so happened I was in Westminster Chapel the Sunday that the Doctor began his final year of ministry there although he, himself, didn't know that at the time. In the course of his sermon he remarked that he was beginning his 30th year of ministry at the Chapel and he said that people often asked how he could find fresh things to say to the same congregation after 30 years. Unforgettably he said, 'I've just been dabbling in the shallows...' A remarkable statement from such an incredible preacher and hardly the verdict of his hearers! But when I feel that I may have had a reasonable Sunday in preaching the word of God I always remember that and feel my little contribution, even though it may have helped and blessed a few people is an offering burnt away by the glory of Christ and the wonder of salvation.