This past weekend, John MacArthur celebrated his 50^th anniversary as Teaching Pastor of Grace Church. I was thinking that if I make it 45 more years at Wichita Bible Church (WBC), he and I will have something in common. But if I make it to 50 years at WBC, I still won’t be a prolific author, evangelical leader and tremendous expositor of Scripture – as John MacArthur is.

This week on this blog, I will post a series of my own tributes to this man.

I have had the joy of attending both schools where he has served as President: The Master’s College (now The Master’s University) and The Master’s Seminary (TMS). I have had the privilege of being a member and deacon of the church he helps shepherd for roughly 8 years, we have had the honor serving him the famous Heck lasagna in our house when I was a teenager growing up in Tulsa (another story for another time), and he personally led my Grandpa and Grandma Heck to faith in Christ.

It is that last reference that I wish to share on today’s blog post.

My father’s parents spent most of their life living in luxury. They were wealthy. They were the classic example of people who loved the world and the things of the world. They had several homes, memberships at country clubs, boats, fancy toys, etc. They did not lack…materially.

My father, who has pastored most of my 42 years of living, had always been burdened for his parents. In fact, my Grandpa Heck nicknamed him “the rock” because of my Dad’s stable character and consistent witness to both of his parents. When my Dad made the decision to attend TMS, we moved to Reseda, CA, which was only a few hours from Palm Springs, CA where my grandparents lived during the winter months.

During the time we lived in CA, my Grandpa was diagnosed with lung cancer. A lifetime of chain-smoking and alcoholism was finally catching up with him. Because we were living in CA, it was routine for us to visit with them during this time.

TMS in those days had just converted from being an extension campus from Talbot Theological Seminary. The class sizes were very small, and MacArthur was teaching a lot. And because the school had only a few dozen students, MacArthur was accessible to any student who wanted to get to know him.

My Dad has never been intimidated by such opportunities. ‘

With his own father dying of cancer and being unsaved, my Dad reached out to MacArthur and asked him if he wouldn’t mind sharing the Gospel with my Grandpa. And MacArthur did.

I don’t know how many weekends or days that MacArthur traveled to Palm Springs to play golf with my Grandpa Heck and share the Gospel with him, but I know it was enough, because eventually my Grandpa Heck came to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

And to this day, I have never seen a more dramatic life change than my Grandpa Heck. Gone were the days of womanizing, drinking and smoking. Now, my Grandpa would read his Bible all through the night, ask incessant Bible questions, etc. He even began supporting Grace to You (MacArthur’s radio ministry) and listen to countless sermons from MacArthur. My Grandpa was living his last days VERY well.

He died in 1987 and entered the presence of the Lord and I have MacArthur to thank for being a part of leading him to know Christ as Lord and Savior.

Fast-forward about 13 years and a similar story-line was occurring.

My Grandma Heck was dying in her home in Tulsa, OK – just a few miles from where we lived. MacArthur happened to be in town speaking at a conference at our home church. My Dad asked him if he wouldn’t mind visiting with my Grandma while he was there. MacArthur agreed.

He came over to her house, along with my Dad, and my Grandma asked if she could speak with MacArthur alone. My Dad left the room, and after some time, MacArthur retrieved my Dad, and my Grandma shared that she had made a profession of faith.

She died in 2000 and joined my Grandpa in heaven.

Most people who know me assume I appreciate John MacArthur because I went to the schools where he served as President, and while those are important chapters to my own life story, my appreciation for him is much more personal than that. I deeply appreciate MacArthur because he led 2 of my grandparents to Christ.

And there is greater gift to give someone than the Gospel.

I have no doubt that God MacArthur will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). And I am convinced there are countless individuals who can share the same kind of story I can.

Happy Anniversary, John MacArthur!

(On tomorrow’s blog, I will share a list of my Top 10 favorite books written by MacArthur and how they influenced me.)