'Lost' Martyn Lloyd-Jones Tapes Recovered
Originally published by Evangelicals Now. Republished with permission.
Editor's Note from MLJ Trust: We're grateful to Evangelicals Now for allowing us to share this exciting news with our wider audience. The discovery of these recordings adds to our growing collection of recovered sermons. For a complete list of newly discovered MLJ sermons as we continue to uncover them, please visit our ongoing catalog of recently found recordings. We update this resource regularly as new tapes come to light.
Several recordings, currently not available anywhere in the world, have been obtained by the organisation committed to preserving and distributing the sermons of Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
The Martyn Lloyd-Jones Trust (MLJ Trust) wrote on X: "One recording in particular is of special interest, and as far as we know, this 'might be' one of the last surviving copies of that sermon from [the evening of Friday] 1st November 1974!"
Robert Stone, who heads up audio restoration for the MLJ Trust, told en: "The significance of this particular recording cannot be over-emphasised, as the Doctor in his authoritative way gives his damning verdict on the state of the Christian church at that time, and he pulls no punches!
"You can almost feel the electricity in the room as he hammers home his points. The way that the hearers react only gives the resulting audio even more gravitas." It had been assumed that with over 1,600 known [Martyn Lloyd-Jones] sermons in existence that at this point in time there were no more to be 'discovered'. However, the more we reach a new audience with the restored and enhanced versions of sermons, the more it seems people are going into their own cassette cupboards to see if they have any that may have slipped through the net," Stone added.
Stone reportedly travelled from Wales to Paddington Station in London to meet Mike Keeping – who had the recordings. Apparently Keeping didn't want to trust delivery to the postal service, instead preferring to hand over personally! The two were in contact for several months, trying to find the best time to meet up.
Celebrated preacher Dr David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) has been described as "one of the most influential figures in 20th-century Reformed evangelicalism." He is known for his expository sermons, and books such as Spiritual Depression.
He was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher, and medical doctor, and served as minister of Westminster Chapel in London for nearly three decades. His final sermon was delivered at Barcombe Baptist Chapel on 8 June 1980.
Greg Jones, President of the MLJ Trust, wrote: "The Lord is continuing to use the preaching of the gospel by Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones to impact souls worldwide, aided by the support of our generous donors."
The Trust's mission is "to make Dr Lloyd-Jones's Biblical teaching freely accessible across the globe." This newly obtained tape adds to a growing number of sermons available via the audio library of the MLJ Trust.
Stone told en: "Working on a 'lost' tape is the Christian equivalent of finding a lost recording of The Beatles that somehow fell down the back of the settee at Abbey Road. But we have something better than an old lost recording of the Beatles… we have the greatest preacher of his generation, with a message that is timeless and powerful."
The recording is now available to listen to, with the MLJ Trust having made a special effort so that en subscribers have access. Usually, there is an understandable delay from the procurement of a tape to its being made public.
Stone told en that there is always a sense of adventure and trepidation when a new tape is discovered. "Adventure [because] I have no idea what will be contained in the sermon or message. Trepidation, because most times I get the warning: 'It is thought to be the only one in existence'.
Now that phrase, I can assure you, makes every move I make to physically capture the audio appear fraught with danger! What if the tape snaps? What if it is just so bad that it is beyond repair? Thankfully I believe we have not yet lost one recording."
Excitingly, another individual has reportedly got "three open-reel tapes" of Lloyd-Jones preaching, that the MLJ Trust hopes to get its hands on in the not-too distant future.
About the MLJ Trust: The Martyn Lloyd-Jones Trust is dedicated to making Dr. Lloyd-Jones's biblical teaching freely accessible across the globe. We currently host over 1,600 sermons, with new discoveries being added regularly.
Have MLJ recordings? If you have any Martyn Lloyd-Jones recordings in your possession that you think might be rare or unique, please contact us. Every tape matters in our mission to preserve and share these timeless messages.
Stay Updated: Visit our newly discovered sermons page to see the latest additions to our audio library, including this November 1974 recording and others as they become available.