During the Aug. 23 memorial service for John MacArthur, son Matt said his dad remained brave and faithful during his final days on earth. “His determination never wavered,” he told attendees. “The man who stood as a lion in this pulpit also stood at the edge of eternity with the same steadfast courage.”
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Matt MacArthur continued, “His last words to me were, ‘Son, be faithful.’ He didn’t say, ‘Write a book.’ He didn’t say, ‘Be the keynote speaker at a conference.’ He said, ‘Be faithful.’ What a model.”
When John MacArthur was once asked about his succession plan, he said, “Whatever happens to me, this church has so many great, gifted, dedicated, highly motivated, passionate preachers coming behind me. There will be plenty of them to take my place.”
During a Q&A at a previous event, the preacher and teacher quoted Charles Wesley: “The Lord buries his workers, but his work goes on.”
“Even after I’m dead, Grace to You will still be pumping messages out all over the planet,” said John MacArthur. “I will be speaking even after I’m gone.”
ChurchLeaders reached out to Matt MacArthur and Phil Johnson for comment and will update this article with any replies.
