Shepherd’s Conference – Session #6, Al Mohler

Using Matt 7:28-28, Dr. Mohler expanded on the premise that authority is lacking in the preaching of the church today.

The text comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus, throughout the Sermon, never dilutes Scripture; He magnifies it and proclaims it with authority. The Scribes of the day were notorious for making the Scriptures say whatever they wanted them to say. Mohler observed that this practice is running rampant in the church today with most Pastors not wanting to offend or alienate anyone. He accused those types of preachers of refraining from teaching the whole truth of God. This tendency, he asserts, comes from man's rebellious nature and tracks all the way back to the garden where Adam and Eve rebelled against the authority of God. Man has always shied away from and even opposed authority. Because of this tendency, many preachers shy away from or oppose speaking with anything resembling authority for fear of offending, losing or alienating their listeners.

"We must preach with authority!" Mohler said. God is the Author of the Word. Any mode of preaching that resists the authority imbued in the Word is an offense to God. As in the text for the evening, Mohler pointed out, life and death hang in the balance. Jesus preached with such powerful authority, people began to ask, "Where does this wisdom come from!" They had never seen anything like it before.

Dr. Mohler warned that we are not Jesus. Jesus spoke with the full authority of the Father saying frequently, "These words of mine…" His words carried life and complete authority. Life or death was determined by acceptance or rejection of the words of Jesus. We, as preachers, can't speak with the same authority if we use our own words by giving advice, diluting the message, altering it or making it suit our own purposes. The preacher's only authority is based on his calling to preach the word of God….the words of Jesus. When a preacher speaks God's word….he speaks with God's authority. We have no authority in us; the authority is in God's word. When we succeed, it is by God's grace. We have been called by God's grace just as we have been saved by God's grace. Our responsibility is to declare God's word and then to allow the Holy Spirit to bring the application.

"In short," Mohler summarized, "It is not our word. It is God's word. It is not our authority. It is God's authority. Lean not away from that authority. When the word of God is preached, people will be amazed and astonished. The word of God is the word of life. It is a bomb that will do a lot of damage!"

Some scenes around the campus today and this evening: