made lots of money from selling them “Penny Pulpit”
gave most of that money away to university he founded, orphanage he founded, widows, etc.
Mary King - housekeeper at his boarding school
Spurgeon - the greatest influence on my theology
“I learned more from her than I would from any six doctors of theology we have nowadays.”
strong calvinist who loved the doctrines of grace
One of the elderly women Spurgeon supported her in her old age.
Spurgeon joined the same church as Mary King
relatively dead church
pastor was not pastoral
wanted to be baptized (even though Father and Grandfather taught infant baptism)
convinced from reading Baptist theology as a 14yo (before conversion)
found a pastor 8 miles away
wrote to parents for approval
granted, but a warning from his parents: don’t trust in your baptism.
Baptized May 3, 1850
became a bold witness to Christ from this point forward.
wrote that baptism loosened his tongue and he has not been quiet since.
partook of the Lord’s Supper for the first time that next week
committed to baptism but not to Baptist denomination
began teaching young boys in SS
This became a key influence on his teaching.
Spurgeon - learning to teach to young boys made him a good preacher and helped him to keep an audience engaged.
Spurgeon - a good illustration will stick in the mind and drive home the point long after the sermon is forgotten
tricked into his first sermon
Spurgeon - thankful to just get through the sermon
Ppl - sermon was very good and beneficial to us
Naturally gifted as a preacher
voice was never recorded - technology existed, but was never recorded
preaching was theologically rich
Waterbeach Chapel 1851
preached/pastored there for 2 years
first experience of preaching and pastoring
first convert here
Spurgeon - this is my most prized convert. God saved a soul through my ministry.
Decided he needed to go to college
President Angus of baptist college and cambridge met with Spurgeon
both waited in another room for another but never saw each other due to miscommunication
Spurgeon gave up thoughts of going to college and made plans to serve wherever God put him.
Preaching fame spread
New Park Street Chapel (Baptist Church)
John Gill, famous pastor there before Spurgeon
very good commentator but in theology a bit hyper-calvinist
set some baptists down a wrong path with hyper calvinism
pastor for 51 years there
died 1771 (cf Spurgeon dates 1834-1892)
Spurgeon - church building in a terrible location. This is an indictment on the wisdom and miserliness of the deacons who purchased the cheapest plot of land they could find.
Industrial area - breweries, vinegar factories and no residential area close
On other side of toll, so no cabs
Low spot on Thames, so always stunk and occasionally flooded
No public transport
Rippon
Pastor immediately before Spurgeon
pastor for 63 years
first to introduce a Baptist Hymnal - Rippon’s selections
, key source of some of our modern hymns
Church invited Spurgeon to come preach because they were looking for a pastor.
Deacon at Waterbeach encouraged Spurgeon to move to London due to his gifts. Don’t bury them in Waterbeach.
Asked to preach in the oldest and most venerable baptist church at 19 years old
Had never been to London
looked like a country bumpkin
church put him up in a boarding house 2 miles from the church in a bad area.
Spurgeon remembered the bad experience 25 years later
London at this point was a bleak place
the time of Dickens
extreme poverty
preached from James 1:17 - every good gift is from above
deacons impressed - “church will be full in three months if Spurgeon stays
people refused to leave the building until they promised Spurgeon would return
promised that he would return three times
on that final sunday asked him to stay as interim for 6 months, would be a probationary period
Spurgeon countered with 3 months and they accepted
Probationary period was not reached, offered and accepted before it was up.
welcomed by the church, but not by the Baptist denomination
GTY suprisingly similar. Everything the same. John was not essential to GTY.
GTY going to be the same regarding speaker (a la Martin Lloyd Jones)
Phil Johnson is 73.
has been at GTY for 43 years.
would like to make it to 45, but prob done then. If he gets pressed into retirement, fine.
GCC
Would take up to 2 years to find a replacement for John Macarthur. How is it going?
Assumed ppl that are driving 80+ miles for MacArthur would go to other local churches. Should let things settle before calling new guy so he is not blamed for decline.
Attendance has not declined.
Have started convo after Shepherd’s Conference with who to find.
Have had three 8 hour meetings
All of the elders surprised at how easily and unified the convos have gone. Not far from deciding who the next pastor is. Should be announced in next few months.
All elders submit nominees and work from there.
What was John MacArthur like in private?
John is great. Meet your heros is not true with this.
How to survive as John’s coworker: do not do small talk. He doesn’t care. Talk ministry, theology, and important stuff.
John not going to complain about physical ailments.
Went into surgery without anyone but his wife knowing.
PJ: You wouldn’t tell me if you had terminal cancer and were dying next week. JM: You are right.
Similarities between John MacArthur and Charles Spurgeon
Same birthday June 19
Both died of liver-related issues.
Both very prolific in preaching and writing.
Both very involved in surrounding ministries like college, seminary, and other institutions.
John MacArthur had more support staff than Spurgeon.
maybe JM a bit more prolific because of that
John and Spurgeon both very hard workers.
John MacArthur did not like modern technology and distrusted it. Spurgeon would have liked it and used it effectively.
John had no social media.
MacArthur scold PJ for being involved in it too much.
MacArhur would be informed about online controversies, but it was generally second hand.
Single greatest strength that the other did not have?
Macarthur - verse by verse exposition
Spurgeon not a verse by verse expositor
Spurgeon - his ability to know who could be trusted and who could not
John trusted everyone to a fault
Could spurgeon and macarthur pastor a church together?
no, they would have agreed that no one church needed two pastors like them. They should part ways and minister to more people.
Spurgeon well known for extemporanous preaching. Could JM do that?
John could have done that, but did not.
Wrote out full manuscripts in felt-tip pens. Highlighted important points in red felt tip pen.
Didn’t really look down at his notes. His wording was extemporaneous.
When JP editing books, would look at the notes for pieces left out of the sermon.
MacArthur dispensationalist. Spurgeon not.
Early in dispensationalism was tangled up a lot of bad theology (lots that would lead to the non-Lordship view.)
Spurgeon concerned about the hints to antinomianism.
Spurgeon concerned about Larkin
and the idea that God deals with people differently according to the different dispensations.
Gospel According to Jesus
Moody contract - dropped by Moody because it disagreed with Ryrie who was Moody’s best selling author
Zondervan called the next day and took the contract for two months and made it the basis of a marketing push.
Became a best selling book, only theological book to do that.
Was Spurgeon a charismatic?
prone to mysticism
eg. Spurgeon make an illustration about someone’s conscience is pricked from stealing gloves. Turns out someone had stolen gloves.