J Mac recently delivered a Message on God’s Goodness in 2020. The video is posted below. He discusses how God has rewarded faith and obedience, especially in the challenges Grace Community Church faced throughout 2020.
Some house cleaning first
Sadly, I only became aware of this message when an apologist referred to it on Twitter. The tweet began with the man saying he loved and honored MacArthur’s life and work and dedication to God’s work. Then came the “but” I’d sensed. He was miffed at MacArthur’s brief reference to postmillennialism and wondered if J Mac was connecting it to the prosperity gospel. From Mac’s transcript:
“…you thought we’re just going to go waltzing into the kingdom because you took over the world. No we lose here, get it? They killed Jesus. They killed all the apostles. We’re all going to be persecuted.”
The apologist is an amillennialist who serves in a postmil church (as I understand it). He admits to no pretence of having all the answers and refers to a blog where he discusses the importance between the escapist and endurantist mindset. It’s perfectly clear which mindset J Mac holds to!
The apologist rightly noted that we ought to be accurate in our representations of others. I’d like to remind our amil-postmil friends that it works both ways. For the record you can read an article by postmillennialist Keith Mathison HERE. I appreciate his concluding thoughts:
Regardless of our specific interpretation of Revelation 20, however, we believe that Christ is coming again. Whatever our millennial view is, we all agree that Jesus is ultimately victorious over all of His enemies. All of us, therefore, can confess an eschatology of hope.
Deify or Vilify?
Guess what? – No one’s perfect. We mustn’t deify MacArthur (or anyone else). He’s at the front lines of defending God’s Word and draws both fair and unfair criticism. J Mac is also vilified for his views on Lordship Salvation – some call it a “false gospel.” And he’s attacked for comments he once made regarding the Mark of the Beast.
One Christian Investigative Journalist has attempted to dig up dirt on the COVID situation in the church which J Mac pastors. This person has recently drawn attention to J Mac’s occasional absence from the pulpit. Note that the man is over 80 years old. I have little respect for this sort of journalism.
Finding a balance
We ought to find a balance where we can disagree with someone – e.g., baptism, eschatology or their position on Israel and the church, yet profit from them. I put the Puritans in this category. Then there are those I agree with in these things, yet disagree with in other areas. Yet they’re still profitable.
Hopefully you’ve made it this far and you’re not deterred from listening to John MacArthur’s message. It’s a message of courage and hope, and God’s remarkable providence and goodness in a trying year for Grace Community Church. You don’t have to agree with GCC’s response to the COVID restrictions to appreciate the message.
Maranatha!
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