PLS HELP ME UNDERSTAND DR MARTYN LLOYD-JONES !

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endlessjoe Oct 17, 2012

Please I'd like someone to help me understand the following comment of Dr Marty Lloyd-Jones.

"No revival that has ever been experienced in the long history of the Church has ever been an official movement in the Church."

He said this at about 23mins into his sermon designated SID14811 here on SI.

This is not aimed at criticising the Doctor. In fact, so far, I agree with him hook, line and sinker. So much that I took his word for it, the first time I heard him say that years ago and haven't stopped quoting him.

But I'd be addressing a more informed audience at the 3rd annual Revival Conference hosted by Ministers for Revival Network here in Calabar Nigeria next week. And chances are that I may not resist the temptation to quote MLJ.

My headache has been to ballance his assertions with the experience of the Moravians 1727. Bearing in mind that the Count took time to convince all the heads of the deeply divided sects to find common notes that resonated unity among them before they got prayin together and Revival broke out.

Woudn't their's be said to be an official movement?

Also by way of tickling my fancy, please I'd like anyone who had the privilege of meeting MLJ in person to tell me what it was like to sit under his ministry.

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones was of a higher caste of mind. Its sad his people at mljtrust.org wouldnt make it easier for me to get his mp3 files.

sermonindex Dec 8, 2013

Interesting post endlessjoe. I am listening to MLJ and in searching the internet I came across your post. I also love the account of the Moravians too.

So, did you ever quote from MLJ during the conference?

Thanks for sharing brother. Also, I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to be a Christian in Africa, especially near North Africa.

In Christ's name, Kenneth

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tbsounde2 Dec 8, 2013

Hi brother Joe,

I think what MLJ is saying is that true revival is not something willed by man but by God; that throughout history, people were not doing things so that revival could break out per se but were merely being faithful to whatever was set before them and God began to move. Which in my understanding was the case for Zinzendorf and the Moravians. The community was deeply divided and so Zinzendorf felt the conviction to move the members of the community to see their own sins and need of Christ and to seek Him with a pure and humble heart once again. They weren't thinking "let us have unity so that we can have revival" or "let us pray more so that we can have revival" but just began to seek God and repented of their lack of unity and God met them in a supernatural and incredible manner which we call revival. Just my thoughts on the matter :)

Will

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endlessjoe Dec 9, 2013

Thanks dear brothers for your comments. More than a year later, I've apparently lost every hope of getting a response.

Thanks for thoughts Brother Will... Quite helpful! Haven't approach it along those lines before.

Its great listening to MLJ Brother Kenneth. Especially now his people at mljtrust have made his sermons readily available. By d way, I wish I could beat my chest and proudly accept that I went ahead to make the said MLJ's quote at d conference but I had to avoid till I'm well informed to defend it.

Its really a challenge to be Christian in certain parts of d Islamic dominated north Africa as well as northern Nigeria. But I'm in South-Eastern Nigeria which is predominantly Christian. Due to d absence of threats,the churches in this part of my country are enjoying unprecedented financial prosperity, lukewarmness and worldliness at d same time.

Whereas the Churches in northern Nigeria though suffering severe persecution and reduced to d barest minimum, are said to be flourishing spiritual. Many of them know they could lose their while in Church on d Sunday morning so they are much more sincere in their worship than the christians in d area near me.

sermonindex Dec 9, 2013

Great to hear from you endlessjoe, I can relate to living in a land of financial prosperity, lukewarmness and worldliness. I have often wondered if I would be better off being in solitary confinement for Christ, in a poor nation for Christ, beaten for Christ, etc., then to live in such a prosperous nation as the U.S. It is much better for the inner man to live in the land of the living than to live in the land of the dead. As the scripture declares it is hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Yet maybe we are to remain faithful in the place we are called and to shine as lights in this perverse and wicked generation. Jesus has called us to be lights in the world. The Gospel of hope is for those who are perishing, both rich and poor. Nevertheless, a rich man I believe will have to forsake all his/her riches and yes even his own life to follow Christ.

I also have a book from MLJ titled "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount", but I have yet to read it. Ravenhill had a lot of respect for MLJ.

In the midst of this spiritual darkness in our country God has a holy remnant who has forsaken all to follow Him. As we cry out in the midst of the wilderness both day and night for revival, and we groan within our self to be free from all that remains of sin and this wicked and perverse generation, He is a merciful and faithful High Priest who will come to our aid to give us both mercy and grace in our time of need.

In the words of the beloved apostle Peter: "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way? When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life”” (Acts 11: 15-18).

I pray the Lord gives us utterance, that we may open our mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. I pray that He breaks us and brings us to the end of ourselves; and also that He gives us a purified heart and fills us afresh with His Holy Spirit, better yet that He fills us with all the fulness of God. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. He is able to preserve us blameless until the coming of the Lord and faithful is He that calls us, who also with do it (i.e., bring it to pass).

KM

sermonindex Dec 9, 2013

BTW brother, I just listened to "The Power of Pentecost," by MLJ at the http://www.mljtrust.org/collections/revival/?page=2
from the Revival collection of his sermons.

Great message and encouraging! :)