Dr. Abner Chou gave the opening sermon at last week’s Shepherds Conference, preaching on the glorious truth of the lordship of Christ.

Shepherds Conference 2026, titled “Servant of the Word: The Life and Ministry of John MacArthur,” looked at Dr. MacArthur’s faithful example of studying and proclaiming Scripture — marking a special moment for The Master’s University, where he provided 40 years of leadership as president and chancellor.

“Dr. MacArthur stood and, with James, reminded us that faith without works is dead,” Chou said in the opening session. “He reminded us, with the apostles of Acts, that the call to faith is always accompanied by the call to repentance. He stood up with the book of Acts and declared that Jesus is not just Savior, he is also Lord. He stood with the apostle Paul, who reminded and reiterated to us that we are slaves of righteousness and that we cannot sin that grace may abound. And he stood with the Lord Jesus Christ, who impressed upon us that the call to follow Him is not just a call of decision — it is one of discipleship.

“In an age where people had easy believism, Dr. MacArthur reinforced and defended the biblical call and command to respond rightly to the gospel and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Video recordings of the other sessions from this year’s conference are available here.