Welcome to the For the Gospel podcast where we provide sound doctrine for everyday people.

I'm your host, Kosti Hind, and we're continuing with our summer sermon series this particular week with none other than Pastor John

MacArthur who just recently went to be in the presence of Christ. I know like many of you have

expressed, we are so thankful for his ministry, thankful for his life and his example. If you

haven't got a chance to check out the tribute video that I did, it's on the For the Gospel YouTube channel,

and I just shared three particular aspects of his life and ministry and some personal stories

that really impacted me and frame up just a snippet of how much Pastor John has meant to me,

and I know to so many of you. It's very fitting that he

makes two appearances in our summer sermon series. This one in particular is going to be pretty

special for you, and it is for me as a pastor. And the reason is the title is sanctification

and the pastor's passion. Pastor John unpacks from the book of Galatians the idea that the pastor's role

is to conform the congregation to the image of Christ through the preaching of the Word.

And I mean, who else did that better than Pastor John? And who else does that better and should do it than our own local pastors?

And as I listened to his message, I was so encouraged

and reminded that my job is not to be everybody's BFF at my church or just to be a kind of hangout

guy or some spiritual guru. But my job is to preach the word and to shepherd in such a way through

the truth that the congregation becomes more and more

like Jesus and grows in holiness. And I think the challenge for all of us is that type of preaching

and that type of ministry results in two things. People either run to the truth and they want it and love

it and the conviction feels good even though it's tough

or they run from it because holiness is just too high of a bar and it can become too much for people

to deal with or want to give up when it comes to living according to the flesh. And so Pastor

...