Simple and Profound – That Was R.C. Sproul

One of the reasons I prefer the “small church” to the “big church” is the opportunity both pastor and parishioner have to know each other on more than a casual level. It is healthy for members of a congregation to know their pastor well and for a pastor to know the “heartbeat” of his people. The best-case scenario is a pastor/parishioner relationship is when there is some kind of mutual knowledge.

But you don’t always have to know someone – or even have met someone – to consider them a pastor of your soul. Many of us read books from Christians authors we will never meet and, yet, we feel equipped, encouraged and guided by them. Many of us listen to preachers in other states or countries that we will never meet and, yet, we feel as if their messages address issues in our heart exactly when we need to hear them.

God is not limited in using men and women in our lives that we never have the privilege of knowing.

For me, R.C. Sproul has been a pastor of mine – even though I never met him.

My 1^st exposure to his ministry was at a 1997 Ligonier Conference in Pasadena, CA where Sproul and John MacArthur debated infant baptism.

Sproul takes the pedobaptism position; MacArthur rejects it.

And while I agree with MacArthur’s position and think he “won” the debate with ease, I remember hearing Sproul’s presentation and thinking, “Woah! This man can teach!”

In my lifetime, the most gifted teachers of doctrine are these 3 men: Wayne Grudem, William Barrick, and R.C. Sproul. Each of them have the rare ability to take complex truth and communicate it in simple terms.

Where Sproul sets himself apart from these men is he adds the profound element that most lack. Sproul will “flat out” get you thinking. He never has to say, “Now, as I close I want you to think about ______________.” The way he can communicate and draw implications of truth is so excellent that you are already mulling it all over before he says, “Amen.”

One great example of this – and I would encourage you to take a listen – was this sermon entitled “The Curse Motif of the Atonement”, given at the 2008 T4G Conference (I was privileged to be there as well.”

This man was used in profound ways in building a love for theology and church history in my heart.

Someone tweeted Thursday that it is ironic that in a year in which we are commemorating the 500-year anniversary of the Reformation, we have lost a man who was more of a modern-day reformer than anyone else. I could not agree more.

Sproul is now in heaven, and whatever theology needs to be corrected (and that probably isn’t much), has being corrected.

Can’t wait to finally meet him there!