A giant sleeps, a servant rests, a man rejoices in the presence of his Saviour. John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, is now eternally rejoicing in the presence of Jesus Christ, whom he dedicated his life to serve. What a man, what a preacher, what a life lived for the glory of God. He is perhaps the greatest preacher of his generation.
It was in early 2018, deep in the frustrations of the prosperity gospel – unfortunately, most Ugandans start there – that I began questioning everything I had heard when I first encountered John MacArthur. In typical John MacArthur style, it wasn’t a very good one. He rocked my theology to the core. I was fresh out of a theologically unsound fellowship (more like a cult), and I didn’t trust any preachers because what they preached didn’t correspond to what I read in the scriptures. Even with my limited Bible reading skills at the time, I could tell they were twisting the scriptures. Yet, I yearned to hear the Bible taught with clarity and faithfulness to its message.
In God’s providence, while looking through YouTube, I landed on a sermon on Predestination (God’s sovereign right to choose whom to save) by John MacArthur. At the end of that sermon, this was my prayer: “Lord, keep me away from false teachers like this one.” Even though I knew that many of the preachers I had grown up listening to were not theologically sound, I didn’t expect their view on salvation to be unsound.
That year, I decided to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation (a practice I encourage every Christian to do every year). As God’s providence would have it (oh, the irony), all I could see turning the pages of scripture was predestination. Not long after that, this ‘false teacher’ became my favourite preacher.
The legacy of John MacArthur
John MacArthur’s influence on the Church today is great. You will hardly find a figure who has been as influential in the Church and at the forefront of defending the Gospel as he. Right from the battle over the Sufficiency of Scripture (ICBI) to the charismatic chaos that has invaded our churches (The Strange Fire Conferences), to defending the Gospel against social justice, MacArthur has been at the forefront, even in his old age.
He was unwavering in his defence of the Gospel, no matter the enemy. He stood against corporations (especially Hollywood), media (see his interviews on Larry King), governments (COVID Mandates), while also tackling cultural norms that were invading the Church like wokeness, LGBTQ, abortion, social justice, etc. Acts 4:19 seemed to be his driving factor. With him, it was the Gospel or nothing else.
But, MacArthur will be most remembered for his preaching. He was an exceptional Bible expositor whose sermons transcend generations. His sermons are listened to by a cross-section of people, all born from different generations. This is perhaps a testament to his preaching and his faithfulness to the Gospel.
The Gospel is relevant to all generations, and MacArthur ensured that his sermons reflected that. A sermon on Romans 8, delivered in 1981, applies to Gen Alpha today. His purpose in preaching was to help his congregation find the intended meaning of the text, and he excelled at that.
His Influence in the African Church
One of the most significant contributions of John MacArthur has been his equipping of young African Christians and empowering them through his unwavering faithfulness to the Gospel.
The African Church is plagued by African Traditional Religion (ATR), demonology, charismatic experiences, prosperity gospel teachings, and man-of-god theology. Its leaders have long departed from scripture to doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). Even the once reliable traditional churches have abandoned their theological positions and become seeker-sensitive, demon-chasing, prosperity-filled dumpsters.
Yet, through God’s providence, many have stood firm in their faithfulness to the Gospel through the preaching and example of John MacArthur. His Strange Fire conferences were eye-openers for many, revealing the dangers of charismatic expressions that have infiltrated churches in Africa.
His yearly Shepherds Conference has also been a stream of fresh water to countless souls seeking faithful biblical teaching. Very often, many young African Christians, surrounded by enchanters, diviners in pulpits, and peddlers of the Gospel, wondered whether they were on the right path, especially since so many around them seemed to be going in the opposite direction. To many like me, MacArthur was God’s providence in showing us that the road to heaven is narrow, difficult, and very few find it.
MacArthur was also a reminder that, if we are to fulfil the Great Commission, it will not be through conforming to the culture around us in an attempt to ‘win souls to Christ.’ The Gospel is the power of God to salvation. It was not his charm that captivated us. It was his faithfulness to the gospel message and his exposition of God’s word that the Lord used to reveal Himself to us.
His influence on me
John MacArthur has been a significant influence on me. I studied the book of Romans while listening to his sermons (and also reading Thomas Shreiner’s commentary). He helped me (like he did many others) understand the twin truths of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.
His church Q&As have been a valuable source of information. I was always amazed at his answers during those Q&As. They revealed a man who had devoted a great deal of time to studying God’s word.
His books are an excellent resource for anyone who reads them. The Gospel According to (Jesus, the Apostles, Paul) series are a fantastic read for all Christians. His book, Strange Fire, is a must-read for Christians, especially in an experience-driven, prophecy-seeking Church like the one we have in Africa.
But as I make my way through this fallen world, knowing, expecting, and looking forward to the day I will join my Saviour and the cloud of witnesses that MacArthur has now joined, his life leaves me with two valuable lessons.
- Our faithfulness to God’s word and the great commission goes far beyond what we can imagine. MacArthur has never heard of Mark Ssesanga (until now, when he knows in full – 1 Cor. 13:12), yet for 7 years his preaching has had a profound effect on me and many of my brothers in Christ in this small East African nation. His faithfulness to the Gospel has surpassed anything he could have ever imagined. It’s a lesson for all of us to learn: how God will use our faithfulness for His glory in saving, shaping, and sending out labourers to fulfil His commission.
- Our life lived to the glory of God is a source of great strength to others. God has built His Church in such a way that all parts need each other, and all parts are encouraged by one another. The failures of one affect all, while the successes of another are a source of joy to all within the body. A life lived in devotion to God is a great comfort to all God’s people and a means by which God stirs up His people. For centuries, we have sought strength and comfort from those who have gone before us through their writings e.g., John Calvin, Martin Luther, the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, John Bunyan, etc.) and now John MacArthur, both in life and death, is numbered among those.
John MacArthur was, by no means, a perfect man. He admitted to having errors in his theology and was open to changing if convinced from scripture. I personally disagreed with him on eschatology (end times – specifically his belief in dispensationalism) and his views on divorce and remarriage; yet, I can say that, as far as my human eyes can tell, he has been faithful to his master.
He leaves behind a rich legacy, one not measured in years but in the lives that were changed forever through his faithful preaching. And while I grieve his passing, I do not do so as one without hope (1 Thes. 4:13). I look forward to the day I will meet him in heaven and thank him for his faithful example to us.
Fare thee well, good and faithful servant. You fought the good fight. Now rest and rejoice with the one you lived to preach and honour with your life.
Glory to God for His grace towards us through the sending of faithful labourers.
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Brilliantly put my brother . I am curious though, what were his views on divorce and remarriage that you didn’t agree with.
Thank you for your kind words brother, this has been well put and it represents much of what all who loved him would say. Grateful to God for his providences that allowed our encounters with him.