Proclaim Every Part of It

The second devotion on a series on proclaiming the whole counsel of God. 

Introduction

Converted to Christ, the preaching of my local pastor shone like a bright light upon my soul. He was expounding Revelation, and for the first time, I could say that I was truly fed. He mined every passage, tying the Old and New Testaments together. It was a masterful feast, a banquet that moved me from baby milk to mature meat. There was an incredible power that flowed from clearly preaching the whole counsel of God. The famine of hearing was over. It was not the time of abundance.

Acts 20

Read Acts 20:13-38.

Paul is on a riveting, hurried adventure to Jerusalem (Acts 20:16). Landing at the ancient Greek city of Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of Ephesus, for he desired to meet with them (20:17). The preceding words have weight, for it is a final goodbye (20:25).

In this bittersweet meeting, Paul reminded the elders of his ministry (20:18-21), his future sufferings (20:22-23), his endurance in the mission (20:24), and finished with a final appeal (20:26-31). The exhortation is intense. He said, "men will arise" who will "distort the truth" (20:30). Like watchtower sentinels, the elders must "keep a watch" and "be on guard" to protect the sheep from the "wolves". The chief instrument of protection against is "God" and "the word of his grace" (20:32).

Paul thus says,

"I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God (Acts 20:27).

Lesson:

The most crucial task of a church leader is to build mature disciples, and we do this by proclaiming the whole counsel of God.

How do we do this? Let’s dig deep into verse 27:

Proclaim It Boldly

First, Paul proclaimed the Word without hesitation (Acts 20:27a). The NASB translation says that Paul "did not shrink" back from declaring the Word of God. He had the Word of God and he did not "withhold" or "conceal" it from the Ephesians. In the face of terrible persecutions and sufferings, he was resolute in his task to preach. He did not "cower” or "quiver” as he stood before his sceptics and his students. He moved from "house to house" with boldness and shined forth the Word (20:20).

Proclaim Its Fullness

Second, Paul proclaimed the Word in all its fullness (Acts 20:27b). The key word in verse 27 is "whole." Like the Apostles, Paul knew that every dot and dash of Scripture was about Jesus (Lk 24:27). He therefore taught from every part of it. He preached on the Law of Moses. He expounded the Former Prophets. He unpacked the Wisdom Writings. He applied the Latter Prophets. His Bible ministry was a whole Bible ministry. His preaching calendar covered every genre, every period, every part. To build disciples full of God, he fed them full of his Word.

Proclaim Its Counsel

Third, Paul proclaimed the Word as God's will (Acts 20:27c). The word for "will" is also translated as "plan, purpose, and counsel." He knew that the Ephesians' faith would not last unless they knew the story of salvation, the plan of God for their lives, and the counsels of his grace. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Paul had this at the forefront of his mind and, thus, mad great effort to make expound the purposes of God. He had a soaring, high view of Scripture and made it the pursuit of his life to mine every diamond of truth for his hearers. He was utterly compelled by the plans and purposes of God and lived to proclaim them.

Conclusion

As you look into the future, here is my encouragement: like Paul, don't shrink back from the full truth, but make it your mission to proclaim every part of it, and if you are doing that already, praise God. May the Lord give you all the resources, abilities, and time you need to excel as a proclaimer of the whole Bible. This is our goal: "I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27).

Previous
Previous

Becoming Straight Shooters

Next
Next

A Famine of the Word