What does preaching "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) actually mean? Is there any contemporary issue (hint, hint: ‘politics’) outside its orb? Why does it require courage? What does it mean to “fully preach the gospel” (Romans 15:19)? Would America be on the brink of absolute despotism had America's pulpits rejected the Johnson Amendment in 1954? On the "Great and Terrible" Day of the Lord, will anything less pass Divine scrutiny?
In today's "woke" and "cancel" age, preaching the "whole counsel of God" can get you kicked off of social media, or worse. Preaching the Word of God as it relates to every contemporary issue requires courage and conviction. Thank God for a few good BRR pastors and others, those who place a higher premium on the approval of God than the praise of men.
Today, as we watch our cities burn, mayhem, and senseless violence, it is apparent that there is a famine in America--but not a famine of food, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD (Amos 8:11). What America desperately needs today is fearless pulpits committed to preaching the entirety of God's counsel.
But what is the "whole counsel of God" and how can we tell when a pastor is preaching it?
In his farewell address to the elders at Ephesus, Paul reminded them of his manner of life among them, how he "kept back nothing that was profitable unto [them]," and that he was pure from the blood of all men, for he had not "shunned to declare unto [them] "the whole counsel of God."
We hope to help our visitors understand the responsibility that comes with preaching, and that a pastor who truly cares for his flock will not hold back anything from them that might profit them, including things that might cause them to leave. One might also infer from Paul's message that preaching that never offends (i.e. "tickles itching ears"—2 Timothy 4:3) may imperil, not only the souls of listeners, but the soul of the preacher as well.
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD" (Psalm 33:12a).
Today, as we watch our cities burn--rife with mayhem, social disorder, and senseless violence--it's apparent that there's a famine in America; but it's not a famine for food, however, but a famine for hearing the words of the LORD (Amos 8:11). What America desperately needs today is a fearless Church committed to proclaiming and following the entirety of God's counsel, in order to properly fulfill its destiny to usher in Christ's Kingdom here on earth.
