Moderator’s Challenge The Whole Counsel of God
REV. DAVID WALKUP Moderator
T
hroughout the year, I’ve had people say, “Hey, you’re going to be the
moderator, and I said, Well, there’s still time for Jesus to come back.” I appreciate the honor and ap- preciate your kind words, phone calls, cards of encouragement, and prayer. It’s with a bit of fear and trepidation that I’ll take on this service and ask for your contin- ued prayers.
The emphasis that I’ve chosen for the year is called the “Whole Counsel of God. This is from Acts 20:27, “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole coun- sel of God.” I think it plays right along with Moderator Broyles’ theme, taking the Gospel, “To it has to do with sticking to the Gospel. Paul, as you know, spoke - aging them to hold strong to the preaching of this incredible, true, and trustworthy work. We know through scriptures from whether it’s Paul or Peter or James, or even our Lord that we are not to waver from this indispensable word. We see so many denominations that have messed around with this
word. We were walking around Bonclarken campus before Synod, and I was overwhelmed with the sense of blessing that has come to our denomination in light of so many denominations that have turned away from God’s word. I kept thinking the blessing that we have is because we preach the whole counsel of God, and we don’t turn to a man-pleasing gos- pel. We have seen denominations that have done away with the gos- pel. A denomination that has done away with missionaries. In one sense, that saddens me, and in one sense, I am happy because if you aren’t going to send missionar- ies with the gospel to the nations, then don’t send them at all. A false gospel is no gospel; hence, the command for us to rightly handle this word of Truth to preach it in season and out of season. A gospel that we would die for. Some of you may remember years ago in the chapel when we were meeting, Doug Jones, who had attended a chaplain’s confer- ence, said that the gentleman who was speaking was announcing, of all the chaplains that were there, to introduce themselves and what denomination they were from. When they got to this name, Doug Jones said Associate Reformed Presbyterian. He paused and said, “Now there is a man who will die for the gospel. Let us be that way. Let us be brave and not cowards. You will see the emphasis in
the next ARP Magazine edition, the year. I’m going to write other articles based on the same em- phasis. Speaking of this at one of our Men’s breakfast Bible stud- ies recently was going through my emphasis and one of my Deacons said, “Wow this call from the Apostle Paul to not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God brought to his mind, Revelation 21: 8, ‘But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their por- tion will be in the lake that burns second death.’”
I thought, thank you, Peter, and I think that is the basis of my next article. We are called not to be cowards. To boldly, powerfully preach and live out faithfully the whole counsel of God. What a Christ and King. Well done, good and faithful servant. How hor- rible to stand before him and have him say, “Depart from me. I never knew you.”
So together let us recommit ourselves if we haven’t to preach- ing the whole counsel of God.
Acts 20:27 “The Whole Counsel of God” 6 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
