And 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.
Matthew 7:28-29

Speaking of authority, all believers need to know and be reminded that even in the Church (and in local churches) there are voices that tend to inflate their authority. And there are believers who submit inappropriately to authoritative voices that do not have authority.

There was a popular tract in the 70s that began: “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” While that is true about God, sadly there is no shortage of well-meaning people who also “have a wonderful plan for your life.”

God’s Word has absolute authority. People who speak for God (whether pastors/elders or well-meaning friends) have no authority apart from the Word of God. (A limited exception is parents over children still in their homes.) When people speak the Word of God—accurately—the authority is God’s, not the speaker’s.

One of the surest marks that a group is “cultic,” (not necessarily a cult) is abuse of authority—dictating what people must do in matters about which God’s Word is not explicit. Let me give an example.

While God’s Word is explicit about honoring the Sabbath, not all believers are in agreement as to how to honor the Sabbath. We can say what God’s Word says about it, but we cannot do as the Pharisees did, adding our particular convictions about every detail of how others must honor the Sabbath. I use this as an example, but the lesson applies to a myriad of other matters.

Be careful about ordering your life based on what any preacher, teacher, or author says that goes beyond scripture, which alone is supremely authoritative.