In
the concluding section of his first letter to the Corinthians, the
Apostle Paul challenges the brothers to "Be watchful, stand firm in the
faith, act like men, [and] be strong" (I Cor. 16:13),
not least of all those men who have been set apart as under-shepherds
of the flock. Sadly, in our increasingly effeminate culture, these
biblical marks of manhood appear to be diminishing amongst both laymen
and ministers. Dandified, progressive, culture-centric preachers (and
preaching) are becoming as ubiquitous as Starbucks and American Eagle.
Harder to find is Lionhearted, authoritative, expository, God-besotted,
Law/Gospel-filled preaching like that which characterized the preaching
of men like Calvin, Knox, Owen, Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones. It is, in
part, for this reason that John Fullerton MacArthur Jr.'s long and
steadfast ministry of the Word is a welcome and timely subject for
reflection.
It
never occurred to Iain Murray to write a biography on John MacArthur
until after he was invited to preach at MacArthur's fortieth anniversary
at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California on Sunday, February
1, 2009.
Rightly unwilling to set aside the preaching of God's Word
during Lord's Day worship, Murray chose rather to write "a biographical
sketch as a short tribute" to MacArthur's ministry. (xi) That
sixty-page biographical sketch, later included as part of an anniversary
volume of landmark MacArthur sermons, formed the basis of the present
volume. Keep Reading...
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