A Spiritual Classic – MLJ’s Sermon on the Mount Series

By Greg Jones
President, MLJ Trust

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) during the years of 1950-51 at his church, Westminster Chapel, London. Sadly, since the recording of his sermons did not commence until 1953, these sermons were not preserved for posterity. The transcripts of his sermons did, however, form the content of his first published book entitled “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount” first published in 1959-60. The book was met with widespread acclaim contrary to the expectations of some.

As Iain Murray notes in his authorized biography of Dr Lloyd-Jones, prior to the publication of this book, the literary genre of printed sermons had fallen out of favor with publishers. Furthermore, others believed that Dr Lloyd-Jones’s preaching style would not convert well to a written format. Such critics were silenced by the reception the book received. One reviewer remarked that the book would “thrill your soul.” Indeed, such praise was not confined to the British Isles. The book received considerable approbation in the United States also with Dr Lloyd-Jones remarking on one occasion, “I have had more communication from the United States about this book than anything else I have written.”

While the original sermons are not extant, Dr Lloyd-Jones did preach a handful of sermons from the Sermon on the Mount during his itinerant travels, including the sermon below on Matthew 7:13-14 entitled “The Strait Gate” mirroring the name of the chapter in his book.

Watch “The Strait Gate” by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones