As one of the most gifted Christian teachers of the 20th century, Dr. R.C. Sproul possessed the incredible gift of making lofty, rich theology understandable. Always a visionary, Dr. Sproul taught at Ligonier Ministries with the goal of making the holiness of God known through Reformed theology for more than 40 years.

Dr. Sproul explained the heartbeat of his work as a preacher and teacher in one of his final published writings — feeding God’s sheep:

“The church of Christ is desperately in need of men who will not be jackanapes [eloquent scoundrels] in the pulpit. It needs laypeople who will not let their pastors become scoundrels who try to improve on the gospel. How do pastors keep themselves from becoming jackanapes, and how do laypeople keep scoundrels out of the pulpit? By knowing the content of the gospel clearly enough, they can spot counterfeits.

How, though, does a faithful undershepherd stay focused on the message? By believing it himself. In God’s good providence, Jesus’s command to Peter comes not just in the context of Peter’s betrayal but in our Lord’s promise at that time: “I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:32). Peter’s betrayal is why he must believe the gospel, which in turn is why he must preach the gospel, for undershepherds shepherd best as they remember that they too are sheep, rescued by the Great Shepherd. Undershepherds feed the sheep because they feed with them on the Great Shepherd, whose flesh is food indeed.”

– Sproul, R. C. (2016). A Pastoral Preeminence: Feed My Sheep. In D. Benge & J. R. Beeke (Eds.), Pulpit aflame: Essays in honor of Steven J. Lawson (p. 41). essay, Reformation Heritage Books.

May we, like Dr. Sproul, proclaim the truth that there is not one maverick molecule outside of the sovereign control of our sovereign, holy God.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Amen.