I have a beef with church funerals. In many of them these days, the focus is more on the person who died than on the Lord who gave them their life. The services tend to become man-centered rather than God-centered occasions. By the time the Scripture is read and the Word proclaimed, the audience is worn out from all the personal sharing.
However, that was not the case this past Saturday for Pastor John MacArthur’s memorial service. I have officiated at and attended a lot of funerals in my life, but this was one to remember. Thousands flooded the church campus. The sanctuary was packed, and a large overflow tent was also filled. How many tuned in by live stream, I have no idea.
Why did this memorial service stand out? For several reasons. First, because of the remarkable ministry and life of John MacArthur. His pastoral ministry lasted over half a century. Not only did he serve in one church for 56 years, but he served in that church to the very end of his life, dying in his 86th year. It was a ministry where he modeled consistent, methodical biblical preaching. He was a champion for expository preaching and the authority and truthfulness of the Bible. John Piper said, “God made John MacArthur an extraordinary preacher.” Piper noted that he shared this passion with MacArthur even though these two friends had very different personalities — Piper, more emotional, while MacArthur, more matter-of-fact. This seems to confirm the definition of preaching once given by Phillips Brooks, that preaching is God’s truth mediated through human personality.
Out of his preaching discipline, he produced the MacArthur New Testament Commentary series and the MacArthur Study Bible, both of which will shape a generation of pastors. He also founded and led The Master’s Seminary and the Master’s University, which have trained thousands of pastors, missionaries, and leaders.
And who can forget the Grace to You Media Ministry, which gave his teaching a global reach. The English Version of Grace to You airs over 1,000 times daily around the English-speaking world. The Spanish version likewise airs nearly 1,000 times daily. Combined, they reach a massive number of people each day. MacArthur has often said that he never set out to or aspired to do all this. “This is God’s work … Our duty is to determine the depth of our ministry, God takes care of the breadth.”
Representing the family, MacArthur’s oldest son Matt said that behind all this public ministry, “his loudest and longest sermon was how he loved, led and lived behind closed doors.” That is always wonderful to hear from the family of a public person.
Despite all these things, the focus of this service was not on these details but on Christ and his Word. It was a celebration of the sovereign grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. The service included lament and rejoicing, beginning with the organ playing Samuel Barber’s haunting “Adagio for Strings.” The fantastic Grace Community choir sang “The Lord’s Prayer.” Keith and Kristyn Getty led us in songs of hope — “Christus Victor,” “He Will Hold Me Fast,” and “In Christ Alone.” We also sang “Is He Worthy?” Prayers were led by Alistair Begg, and messages from John Piper, Joni Eareckson Tada, and Sinclair Ferguson were shared throughout the evening.
John Piper reminded us that while John MacArthur loved the Bible, Christian doctrine, and was not shy about contending for the truth, his joy in contending for the truth was eclipsed by and driven by a joy in the God to whom he contended for.
When we sang “In Christ Alone,” one verse seemed to pop out. The lyrics read:
“No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand”
John MacArthur believed this to his dying breath.
What will be his legacy? We are too close to his passing to answer that question accurately. Some compare him to the British expositor Martyn Lloyd-Jones (a man whom John greatly admired). Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) was one of the most influential preachers of the 20th century in the English-speaking world. His influence spread through his preaching and his books. However, John MacArthur has an advantage that Lloyd-Jones lacked. John lived during the rise of mass media. He gained a global audience through radio, publishing and digital media. In that way, John MacArthur’s reach will be broader. Also, he not only built a church but also established enduring institutions (a seminary and university) that will carry on his mission.
Sinclair Ferguson said that because of the way that John MacArthur preached, he has had and will continue to have a “ministry for the ages.” Though he is dead, he will still speak. Furgeson said his preaching has a timelessness about it, coupled with a technology that will make it available for a long time. I predict that many people will still be learning from John MacArthur, should the Lord tarry, for generations from now.
Praise the Lord for John MacArthur. Let us pray that He raises up many more men like him.
Dr. Donald Sweeting is a noted educator, minister and author. He currently serves as Chancellor of Colorado Christian University. Previously he served as the president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and prior to that he served as a pastor for 22 years. He holds a BA from Lawrence University, BA and MA degrees from Oxford University, and a Ph.D. from Trinity International University. He is the author of several books. His writings have been widely published by Townhall, Fox News, The Washington Times, The Jerusalem Post, and many other outlets. Dr. Sweeting and Christina have three adult sons and a daughter. He regularly posts his thoughts at donsweeting.com and can be followed on Twitter @dsweeting.
