In the list of people that God has used to influence my life, few have had the varied and enduring impact of John MacArthur. For me, he progressed from myth, to teacher, to pastor, to godly example. When I was around the age of ten, our church hired a pastor who was a graduate of The Master’s Seminary. He came from this place I mostly associated with movies and surfing called Los Angeles. He spoke often and enthusiastically of Grace Community Church and its pastor – John MacArthur. I grew up hearing sermons, reading books, and listening to anecdotes about this legendary defender of biblical inspiration, inerrancy, and authority. His name was on the cover of my MacArthur Study Bible, and it was hard not to think of him as bring an almost biblical figure of mythological proportions.

Yet, over time, he became my teacher. His confidence in God and in the power of God’s Word shaped my faith. His books were simple, clear, steeped in a careful examination of the Scriptures, and unapologetic about truth. At a time when the culture in the church was pointing people to their feelings, the messages and writing of John MacArthur pointed me to an unchanging Christ and His glorious gospel. He gave me categories for truth and theological tent poles to drape the text of Scripture over. The sixty-six sometimes confusing books of the Bible began to come together in my mind into a single narrative of a God who glorifies Himself in all things and demonstrates lovingkindness to sinners through the finished work of Jesus.

After graduating from High School, I made the journey myself to Los Angeles and attended the academic institutions associated with MacArthur. I did my undergraduate work at The Master’s College (now The Master’s University), and my graduate degree at The Master’s Seminary. The notions I had about Los Angeles gave way to the realities. Yes, they did make a lot of movies and television shows there. No, Los Angeles is not on the beach so you can’t surf without a drive to the ocean. Also – smog makes for spectacular sunsets if you can breathe long enough outdoors to enjoy them. Similarly, during these years of being surrounded by MacArthur’s influence, I came to see the man behind his name and institutional accomplishments. My wife and I, both before and after our marriage, were heavily involved at Grace Community Church and came to know John as a pastor. I was struck by the faithfulness of this brother in Christ who stood each week in his pulpit and crawled slowly through a few phrases (or even a few words!) of Scripture. Week after week, year after year. Line upon line, precept upon precept. There was very little about his ministry that seemed artificial or contrived. Thousands of church members, millions of dollars, and ministry undertakings that spanned the globe all swirled about this gifted man. Yet, for all that, in the center was a simple man who loved God and His Word. There was a confidence born of faith in the promises of God. There was a pastoral love, often overlooked by those who only knew MacArthur through the radio or books, that bound his heart to the church he served for over half a century, and bound their hearts to him.

In seminary I had the privilege of serving in a small way on the staff of Grace Community Church. My wife as well worked in the office of MacArthur’s secretary. I recall being struck by the fact that John was just a man, like any other. He had personality quirks.(1) He had an affectionate marriage and a family of two and then three generations. He made mistakes, and there were even a few times I found that I didn’t fully agree with his take on every issue. These realizations, however, only increased my respect for John. It made me realize that John MacArthur was not a testimony to some rare breed of super-saint. He was a testimony to the way God could use any vessel that was willing to be obedient and take His Word seriously.

In the years since I left both Los Angeles and direct involvement in the world of John MacArthur, he has remained a role model and example. Many men I have looked up to have not finished their race well. They have disqualified themselves through immorality, compromised the Gospel through doctrinal abandonment, damaged the flock of God through anger and hubris, or run from the fray in cowardice when faced with potentially costly battles in the larger culture. It has been such an encouragement and blessing to me to see John MacArthur remain true to his wedding vows, unflinching in his commitment to God’s truth, faithful to shepherd the local flock of God, and bold to take a stand on nearly every major issue the church has confronted since he began pastoring in 1969. Like any man, he has feet of clay, but those feet have been planted on the rock and God has graciously kept him from stumbling.

When news of his death reached me this past week, I felt sorrow for his family that mourn him. I grieve for his church and pray that God will bless them richly with a new shepherd who will love and be faithful to the flock. I wonder what the future of the institutions he helped found may be. For John himself, though, I feel only a mixture of gratitude of joy. I’m thankful for this brother who finished his race well, and I rejoice that he has entered into his eternal reward in the presence of the Savior he so faithfully proclaimed.

He has taken his place among the cloud of witnesses that endured by faith and spur us on to do the same. He challenged me to know and love Jesus more, and to serve Him faithfully until the upward call. For this blessing I join with so many others who express gratitude to God for the gift of John MacArthur.

(1) You can only boil your water once to make tea, never re-boil the same pot! Also, every hymn should end on a major chord and not a minor chord, regardless of the subject matter.