[Darris McNeely] One of the mentors that I had in my early years as a minister would tell me, "Darris, when you are speaking from the Word of God in a message, in the pulpit, and giving a sermon," he always told me to preach from Scripture, stand behind the Word of God. He said, "If you ever got up from behind the Word of God and started to rely on your own opinion, then you're on your own and your authority is diminished." In other words, your authority is from the Word of God. I've always remembered that. And I've always understood that when it comes to teaching, explaining life, the words of this way of life, the way of the Gospel to people and helping them to understand, Scripture is the authority. And it's a very, very good lesson for all of us to remember, as we may be a minister, you might be teaching in some situation, explaining to your children, to somebody else, not only what you believe, but let's say a principle of morality, ethics, or whatever, base it in Scripture, first and foremost. And that's always going to be sound and stable.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had given basic instruction about the word, the law, how to deal with all types of relationships. And when he finished, it says it in Matthew 7:28, "So it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

He taught us having authority. And when you look at the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew Chapter 5, 6, and 7, He's quoting Scripture. He's quoting from the Old Testament, and He's explaining it, bringing it into a new covenant setting to show the spiritual meaning and intent of so much of His teaching. But it was authoritative because it was from the Word of God. And it's a very valuable lesson that can help us all stand firm in whatever we teach, say, or instruct at any point that we might have to do that in our own lives. Teach on the authority and stand on the authority of the Word of God.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.