Interview with Dr. Steven J. Lawson

We hope this interview with pastor and author Dr. Steven J. Lawson will encourage you as much as it did us:
Ligonier Ministries: Please tell us about your call to the ministry.

Steven Lawson: By the sovereign grace of God, I was called into the ministry when I was twenty-four years old. During my college years, I started a high school ministry, and I began to teach the Bible on a weekly basis. At that time, God also opened up opportunities for me to preach in various churches, which had a powerful effect of stirring up my heart to serve Him. After graduating from college, the strong preaching of my pastor, Dr. Adrian Rogers, was another powerful force in my life. It was then that God placed a burning desire within me to proclaim His Word. I suddenly had to preach. At this point, I knew God had called me into His ministry.
LM: What men, living or not, have influenced you most in your ministry?
SL: Among men who are living, those who have most shaped my ministry are Drs. R. C. Sproul and John MacArthur. While in seminary, Dr. Sproul was my most impactful professor, and he influenced me in a profound way. Subsequently, Dr. MacArthur has deeply forged my approach to expository preaching, and has shaped my own personal life. Of those men not living, several have especially moved me, most notably, the bold preaching of Charles Spurgeon, the relentless drive of George Whitefield, the fearless courage of Martin Luther, and the unwavering discipline of John Calvin.

LM: If you could communicate one thing to the average Christian today, what would it be?

SL: What I want most for every Christian is that they know who God is. This generation suffers from a low view of God. His glory has been obscured. I want to help correct this, and exhort believers to developing a transcendent view of God. The Lord is so much more holy and sovereign and righteous than we can imagine. I desperately want believers to know that it is only by His supreme mercy that He has saved us for Himself. Only then can they grow stronger in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Moreover, we must know that God is the architect of an eternal plan for us, and He is ushering forward His purposes on a grand scale by building up our faith and radically changing our lives.

LM: Why did you decide to write Foundations of Grace?
SL: As a pastor, I started meeting every Friday morning at six o’clock with a group of men in our church to teach them the doctrines of grace. Starting with the book of Genesis, I taught through the entire Bible, addressing virtually every verse that speaks to the doctrines of grace, until concluding with the book of Revelation. Each week, I wrote a detailed handout for our men, which became the basis for the book. During that time, I saw God revolutionize their lives, as well as my own. I felt strongly that these truths deserved, and even demanded, a larger audience.
LM: What is so important about the doctrines of grace?
SL: The effects of the doctrines of grace are vast in their influence upon the life of the believer. Ligon Duncan wrote an endorsement for Foundations of Grace, and he said it best. The doctrines of grace, Dr. Duncan wrote, are “joy-giving, life-changing, Christ-exalting, God-glorifying, missions-motivating, evangelism-encouraging, discipleship-promoting, soul-transforming, heart-animating, and life-altering.”

LM: Please tell us about your new book, The Expository Genius of John Calvin.
SL: My new book, The Expository Genius of John Calvin, is about the profound and prolific preaching of the great Genevan reformer. It gives an overview of his life, a survey of the distinctive features of his pulpit, and a challenge to follow his example. Calvin’s commentaries have long been admired, but unfortunately, his sermons have been often neglected. This present hour screams for more expositors, and I am convinced that examining Calvin’s preaching will be impactful in seeing raised up a new wave of biblical preachers. His expositions are full of energy, and life, and passion. I believe there is much to learn from the preaching of this supremely gifted man.

Dr. Steven J. Lawson is the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Lawson serves on the board of directors of The Master's College and Seminary and the ministerial board for Reformed Theological Seminary, and teaches with Dr. John MacArthur at the Expositor's Institute.