Shepherds’ Conference 2010 – Thursday Q & A with John MacArthur

Rick Holland sat down with John MacArthur for a Q & A from the audience.  Below are some short excerpts and great comments from this interaction.

>>  When asked if he struggles with the tension involved in the issues of divine election, John said that he struggles with this as well.  He knows he can’t solve all the vast theological issues.  However he does not believe Jesus died for nobody, but for somebody, those elected and atoned for.  The issue is the nature of the atonement.  Why is there a hell and why are people going there?  This is the difficult question to ask.  Romans 9 – who are we to question how He gets glory.  No one goes to hell but that they are guilty of sin and unbelief.

>> Who lives your spiritual life?  
Some would say, the Holy Spirit…but you don’t want to blame Him.  If that is true than what are all the commands about?  “I don’t even know how my own spiritual life works”.

>>  What about disloyal staff members?
Their loyalty comes as a byproduct of my loyalty to them.  Look at The Twelve Ordinary Men.  We are all just a bunch of clay pots.  I take whomever God brings around me.  I’m the last guy that any member wants to come to and complain about a staff memeber.  You get trust when you give trust.

>> When asked about building the church, John’s answer is “No that is Jesus’ job and I don’t want to compete with Him”.

>> I believe in church membership.  This is not a vague issue.  At the day of Pentecost someone counted the number present.  They knew who these people were.  When they were added to the church they were baptized (believer’s baptism).  When you join a church you are coming under pastoral authority.  

>>  In the past, when a church member went from one church to another they went by letter of introduction.  Nowadays we have free-wheeling Christianity.  Many who claim to be Christian, have never been obedient through baptism and have never become members to come under the authority and shepherding of the church.  It is the nature of the Evangelical church today that people come to your church, they refer to them as ”non-member regular attenders”, they should be called “regular, disobedient non-members”.

>> John MacArthur has a new book coming out in January 2011 titled “Slave”.

>> How do you define “style”?
Just about everything the church does is “style”.  John MacArthur says, its “Ok” if people wear clothes somewhat up to date, makeup, various hairstyles.  Grace Church’s stance on music is that the words be God-honoring and that the style doesn’t detract from the words.

>> “Don’t import things that represent the baseness of the world.  I don’t want to look gothic – I don’t want to preach in a black t-shirt with a skull on it.“

>> What do you recommend for a bi-vocational pastor?
Find good resources you can trust and give it the best you can.  Don’t kick yourself if you haven’t read 25 commentaries.  Just give the best understanding that you can.  The best you have to give is in the pulpit.  Be sympathetic, accessible, touchable.  The battle for all of us is the same.

>> What does the Bible say about deaconesses?
“Deacon” means being a servant.  It isn’t an official group.  It is an unofficial designation.  The question really is what is the role women should have serving in the church?  See the book of Titus.

>>  If you are looking for a church (as a pastor), would you accept a position in a church that doesn’t hold the same doctrinal statement?
John said, I’m would not look for the church that doesn’t need me.  Take a challenge.  Teach the Word and see what God might do.  Be patient, love these people and see what God will do.  We can’t keep going around in churches that only believe what we believe.  What is greater than the church that says “we need help”.

>> Paul was the founder of many churches, but he had to go back and correct things all the time.  All people want is a pastor that will love them, embrace them and teach them.  Don’t hit them with limited atonement.  Let them trust you, earn their trust and then teach them.