A Spiritual Mars Bar!

The All-Sufficient God
Sermons on Isaiah 40
By Martyn Lloyd-Jones

A book by Martyn Lloyd-Jones is like a Mars bar: you may have heard they were great – and feared that they were a bit filling – but once you have eaten a whole one, you always look forward to the next!The All-Sufficient God started life as a series of sermons on Isaiah 40 preached by the author in his church (Westminster Chapel, London) in 1954 (as you read, imagine yourself as one of his listeners). 50 years on, they reveal the refreshingly robust biblical faithfulness of the author, the remarkable clarity and evangelistic passion of his preaching, and the amazing relevance and undiminished power of the eternal gospel, no punches pulled.

The first five chapters of the book demonstrate how verses 1-11 of Isaiah 40 provide a perfect account and description of the gospel found in the New Testament (God’s Message of Comfort; The Only Way; The Glory of God; A Sure Salvation, a Mighty Saviour; The Good Shepherd). The remaining four chapters show how the rest of Isaiah 40 tries to help us as we stand face to face with the gospel proclaimed in verses 1-11, addressing the difficulties people claim to have in believing in God (Behold Your God! The Wisdom of God; The Answer to Unbelief; The All-Sufficient God).

Lloyd-Jones’s razor-sharp, verse-by-verse exposition and relentless application are like taking a pin out of a grenade and planting it unbeknown in the pocket of a non-Christian (or sleepy Christian?) – and then waiting for the inevitable, devastating effects!

For the general reader, this book is a fantastic reminder of the untold benefits of Bible teaching clearly explained and applied, the awesome graciousness of God in Christ, and the power, authority and urgency of the gospel.

For the Bible study leader, this book could provide invaluable help in running a short series on this marvellous chapter. As for the hard-pressed minister, here is an excellent stimulus for a mini-series on Isaiah 40, presenting a superb model of how to preach the Old Testament evangelistically, moving effortlessly between the Testaments – plus fascinating nuggets (e.g. his interpretation of ‘double for all her sins’ in chapter 1, and exposition of Paul’s use of Isaiah 40 in chapter 7).

And remember, you cannot enjoy a Mars bar unless you actually eat it – so get cracking reading The All-Sufficient God – and giving it for Christmas!

-Richard John,
bookstall manager, Selhurst Evangelical Church (FIEC), South Norwood, London, for 14 years.

[This review is courtesy of Evanglicals Now, December 2005]

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This book (ISBN 085151 9083) retails for $9.00 (US), £5.75 (UK and ROW) and can be purchased from the website (go to the book catalogue).