Some thoughts on news of the death of John MacArthur

I heard this morning that John MacArthur, Lead Pastor of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles died. I'm praying for his family and the church he pastored

Quite early in our ministry at Covington Bible Church, where we served for more than forty years, Kathy and I attended an early version of the Shepherd's Conference, held by the staff of Grace Community Church. The conference was held in Kansas City. 

John MacArthur's ministry at that conference, as well as that of several members of the staff of GCC, confirmed and shaped our ministry for the rest of our careers. I still remember the humility with which Pastor MacArthur addressed fellow pastors. The congregation of Grace Community Church already numbered in the thousands, yet MacArthur belittled that in comparison to a church where a friend of his pastored. His friend served in a community of a few hundred — a tiny fraction of L.A. —yet his flock numbered in the hundreds. MacArthur commented with genuine admiration, "How do you do that?" I don't think I was the only small-town pastor who was affirmed by that simple comment. MacArthur modeled faithfulness, leaving the results to the Lord.

Under MacArthur's ministry, a thriving women's ministry was growing. The director of that ministry was one of the presenters at this conference. I wish I rembered that woman's name. Kathy took great interest in what she had to say. I'm confident this lady is with the Lord now. Kathy was impressed with the Bible-based, real-life, relevant women's ministry that was presented. Coffeebreak, a ministry that has impacted scores of women in Covington VA was the result. In turn, other wiomen's ministries sprang up in various places, inspired by Kathy, who had been inspired by a dedicated member of MacArthur's staff.

That is one example of how MacArthur and the church he led served as a model for ministry around the world. Pastor MacArthur, in keeping with Ephesians 4:12, wanted to equip others to serve the Lord. It isn't that we mindlessly followed what we heard and saw emanating from L.A. I don't believe Pastor MacArthur would have been pleased if we did. His devotion was preemently to the expostional  preaching of the Scripture. The big question is, "What does the Word of God say?" I didn't always agree with what MacArthur said. I did always find him to be passionate about anchoring what he said to the Word of God.

I hope I'm remembered for the same passion.

I didn't know John MacArthur personally. I do know some people who worked closely with him. I'm praying for them. To my fellow pastors, especially those younger than me I issue a challenge. I encourage you to follow the core principle that drove John MacArthur's ministry: You may do it in bigger chunks than "one verse at a time," but be devoted to "unleashing God's truth." Rest in Peace Pastor John. For the rest of us, our rest is coming. Right now, Sunday's coming. Folks need to hear the Word. Preach it.

Keep going, if you are going in the right direction, Proverbs 10

 In my Bible reading for 2025 (I'm not reading through the Bible this year. I'm taking a deeper dive into particular books.) I've arrived at Proverbs 10. Proverbs 1-9 is a series of meditations/exhortations/warnings about wisdom and folly. Most are addressed to the young. Beginning with Proverbs 10, we have what appears to be a reach in the hat and pull out nuggets of wisdom, each of which can nearly fit on a bumper sticker.

As I read through chapter 10, I was struck by the impression that most, if not all, the proverbs in the chapter have a long-term perspective in mind. Here are a few examples. These examples are quoted from the New Living Translation:

A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. (10:1)

People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray. (10:17)

"When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation." (10:25)

You can find other examples, both in Proverbs and elsewhere in Scripture. "The fleeting pleasures of sin," in Hebrews 11:25, is another example.

Here's my conclusion for the day. It's in two steps.

1. Make sure you're going in the right direction.
2. Keep going.

The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing. The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. (Proverbs 10:28–29, NLT)  

Let's Not Let the Tragedy Be Multiplied

Mark Galli, at Christianity Today, often does a good job of looking at a news item from several sides. He usually succeeds in not only reporting the news in Evangelicalism but in bringing the story back to the all-important question, "So What?" What should I do about this? What can I learn from this? Do I in some way, I hadn't thought of before, have a part in this?  I imagine that all of you are at least acquainted with recent reports of inappropriate behavior on the part of Bill Hybels, former pastor of the mega-influential Willow Creek Community Church. I've heard Hybels speak. I was challenged and helped by a lecture/sermon he gave a long time ago at a pastors' conference on "unchurched Harry and Mary." The lecture came at a time when most of us still had not met this pair. Like many others, I have been helped by his books. On at least three occasions I have I have been involved in classes based on the "Contagious Christian" series. Hybels didn't write or produce the series but were it not for him, the very useful material would never have seen daylight.  I fancied that I had some things in common with Pastor Hybels. We are about the same age. We both pastored one church for our entire career. Though Hybels was a mover and shaker in the Evangelical world, he came across with a sort of "Aw Shucks" plainness that I admired. While we disagreed on a number of issues, I like the man from a distance. More, I appreciated his contribution. For these reasons, among others, when the "me too" movement came to South Barrington, IL, my response was, "Oh, no. I hope not. I'm going to wait for more to come out." In the past couple of weeks, more did come out, and it isn't good. In his article, Galli doesn't go into detail about all the past news. One can easily find more than he wants to know about the story. Christianity Today, the magazine Galli leads, has been out front with coverage. Instead Galli focuses on, what do we do now?
"In light of the resignation of [Willow Creek's] pastoral staff and elder board, it’s time to rally around Willow Creek Community Church with support and prayers. With those resignations, and the repentance they suggest, Willow has an opportunity to enter into a new fruitful season of ministry." You probably ought to stop here and read Galli's article (if you can't open the link below, you might find it on another site).

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/august-web-only/willow-creek-bill-hybels-pray-for-healing.html

So, what should we do in the light of what appears to be a major failure on the part of a big-time pastor, and the corollary failure of those around him? For one thing, we can learn. I hear my late Father quietly saying, "Now, Son, let that be a lesson to you." Here are some lessons Galli suggests with one of my own added.

• "We tend to think that loyalty means always taking the side of the leader to whom we want to be faithful. Loyalty instead means doing everything in your power to make the leader not only a better one but a more faithful disciple of Jesus Christ."
  Wisely, and rightly, Galli points out that loyalty does not only run in the direction of fellow-staff, with whom we serve but to the constituents we do serve. Supremely, we must be loyal to God.
• Frequently, when commenting on incidents like what has taken place at Willow Creek, I find myself making statements that begin with, "They should just . . ." as if what needs to happen now is easy. It isn't. As Galli points out, "Repentance is a hard and fearsome thing." Doing right is often hard. Cleaning up a mess like the one at Willow Creek--whoever is telling the truth--is off-the-scale hard.
• The possibilities of redemption are greater than we tend to think. Ponder these words from Galli: After confirming that care and help must provided to the victims of abuse, he goes on to say, "[T]he gospel calls some of us to rally around the accused and guilty, as well. What loyalty and love looks like in each situation is different, but in the end it should be a combination of honesty and grace, tough love and tender mercy, that leads one and all into a deeper relationship with God." Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Peter, Paul, and John Mark, are all reminders of the reality that God may not be finished with someone just because we are. I'm in no way endorsing the express lane to restoration that has too often marked big-time Evangelicalism. I am saying that God's mercy is bigger than I know.
  For most of us, what this means is that we should pray.
• Here is mine: While I did see some parallels between my ministry and Pastor Hybels's there is one glaring difference, scale. I once attended a midweek service at Willow Creek. I was like a wide-eyed farm boy visiting the city for the first time, only more so. For those of us labor in relative obscurity, there is a powerful temptation to jealousy and envy. And, then when things go wrong in the mega-ministry, there is a powerful urge to say something like, "See, I told you." That temptation yaps in my heart like an aggravating little dog. So far I've succeeded in telling the annoying beast to "shut-up." I'm praying that it will go out for a walk and not come back. I pray that my ministry colleagues, those who serve faithfully in ministries big or small, will be delivered as well. At this point, I can hear Screwtape's infernal printer grinding out a memo to all junior demons tasked with the ruination of those who serve in leadership for "the enemy" (for those of you not familiar with the Screwtape Letters, that would be our Lord Jesus Christ).

 ". . . encourage their envy. Your goal is to make them self-righteous about the fact that they are faithful in a small hard place. From there it should be an easy step to temp them to pride. Those who serve the enemy are sad that we have won a victory concerning one of their esteemed leaders. For a moment contrast that sadness of the enemy with the shrieks of joy--if such is possible in the underworld--if we can leverage this small victory into the far greater advance that will come if we can get many of them to become proud. The silly vermin are going about spouting the phrase, 'Me too.' It should not be hard, even for incompentent tempters like you, to start a 'not me,' movement. Make sure to plant the thought that these silly pastors and such can resist the temptation on their own. At all costs keep them from the patently obvious observation that they are fundamentally no different than others who have fallen. The possibilities cause me to sink lower and lower with delight. . . .

With Ravenous Affection,Screwtape.