I must admit that I have a fond affection for the life and ministry of MacArthur. I attended Grace Community Church where MacArthur preaches as a child. In fact, I was saved by the grace of God at that church and was baptized there. I also know many who have attended or still do attend there. I have several friends who graduated from the Master's Seminary where he is president. I've been to a couple of Shepherd's Conferences and have listened to many of his sermons and read several of his books.
That being said, I also am not a blind MacArthur follower. I agree with him on many things, but I do have a few minor disagreements of substance and style. I know there are many who have strong disagreements with him as he is a very polarizing figure.But regardless of how you feel about him, I think his biography is a fascinating read because he is a fascinating person. His background, his family, his character and his ministry all attest to a man who loves God and loves His Word.
Here are a few gems:
- You cannot be faithful and popular, so take your pick.
- Success isn't measured in hours, or even centuries. Our focus is fixed on eternity.
- It was my father's preaching that made the greatest impact. You don't grow up a pastor's son without hearing a few thousand sermons - some more than once...What I found as I watched - and what has most profoundly influenced me - was that my father's life rang true. His actions and his attitudes didn't change according to where he was or whom he was with. He lived by the same standard he encouraged his family and congregation to embrace, and by doing so, refused to give us an excuse to compromise. In a word, what he taught me was the value of integrity.
- [Grandfather MacArthur] often said there were others who could preach it better, but they could never preach a better gospel.
- A congregation that evangelizes 365 days a year is better than church which has a week of 'revival' meetings once a year.
- Whether a woman works outside the home or not, God's primary calling for her is to manage the home. It is the most exalted place for a wife...far more crucial to the future of a woman's children than anything she might do in an outside job.
- If you have no opposition in the place you are serving, then you're serving in the wrong place. MacArthur quoting G. Campbell Morgan
- I needed to continue teaching the powerful Word, reiterating sound doctrines from all the rich texts of Scripture. Because God's Word is timeless, dynamic, and fundamental to godly living. No one ever outgrows it or exhausts its immeasurable death.
- Pastors should study to know God, not just to make sermons. For me, the greatest joy of preaching comes, not in the final step, proclamation, but in the transformation of my own life.
- I have learned to embrace failure and criticism as probably the most productive work of God in my life. I can exegete a passage, what I cannot do is to refine myself. I cannot crush my own pride. So there is a sense in which the best things that have happened to me have been the disappointments and misrepresentations.
- MacArthur was convinced that the best illustrations to use are those taken from the Bible itself. To stay close to Scripture in everything is to rely on the highest authority. 'Stories have emotional impact, but they are lightweight compared with Scripture.'
- The love between husband and wife is the real key to a thriving family. The properly situated family has marriage at the centre; families shouldn't revolve around the children.
- There is nothing to prohibit a man from seeking his wife's counsel about such matters as where the family should live, what job offer he should accept, whether the family should participate in this or that activity, or a host of other similar decisions. In fact, the man who is not interested in his wife's opinion in such matters is a foolish and uncaring husband.
I think Murray did a great job letting MacArthur, and those close to him, speak for him. I feel like a got a very good sense of who he is and the major events / controversies of his life. Personally, I think MacArthur is the greatest preacher of his generation. He can explain the meaning of a text better than anyone else I have ever heard. I also appreciate his emphasis on the church. My passion has always been to serve and be a part of God's church. Even though MacArthur is involved with many other para-church organizations, they all seem intentionally designed to support the ministry of the church.
I highly recommend this book and listening to John MacArthur preach.
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