By: Moderator Bill McKayThe synod theme and emphasis for the decade of 2020-29 is “
One God, One Mediator.” In 2020, Dr. McGregor challenged us with his theme of “
Preparing the Church for the Return of Jesus Christ.” Last year in 2021, our brother Patrick Malphrus challenged us with, “
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”In light of the previous themes for synod, a logical question to consider is, “
What exactly is the work ahead for the church?” To answer that question, I want to consider the text from Philippians 1:12, where the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Philippi from his Roman prison:
“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”Let us consider vs. 12 and, in particular the last three words, “
advance the gospel.” They are used to describe the result of what Paul has undergone in his imprisonment. But I want to look at those three words more closely at that phrase in the context of the Great Commission of Christ, as the disciples were directed to go out and share the gospel with the world. As well, throughout the Book of Acts, Paul is constantly working to advance the gospel in whichever locale and situation he felt God was leading him to. In that context, “
Advance the Gospel” becomes an imperative and serves as the “marching order” of the church. This is the theme for the next year and my challenge to the ARP General Synod.History has a distinct propensity to repeat itself, and throughout the past years, the world (as always) has continually moved from one crisis to another. The exact specifics of each crisis of any era may differ, but in the end, the basic essence driving these crises are the same – we live in a world that is corrupted by sin. We have seen the world occupied with the ravage of disease, as we are now into the third year of Covid. We have seen nations perpetrate war on other sovereign nations, with the unprovoked attack and invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the resulting refugee crisis. We see great confusion created by a godless world in discussions about sexual identity and transgenderism – seeking to change the definitions of our language and the concepts of society by which we live our lives. We live in a world that quickly embraces “Cancel Culture” instead of using critical and analytical thinking to engage in an intelligent and legitimate discourse and discussion. We observe the world embracing a condition that involves a long-term breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior. This breakdown further leads to a faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, along with withdrawal from reality and personal relationships. It moves into a realm of fantasy and delusion, and assumes a sense of mental fragmentation. The Oxford English Dictionary describes this behavior as “schizophrenia.” We know it more accurately as sin. We live in a sin-filled schizophrenic world that refuses to accept a truly biblical understanding of sin and salvation – a world consumed with the obsession of self before all else.False teachers cry out that “Black Lives Matter” and “Every Life Matters” and then challenges for the “right” to murder the unborn. The world at large condemns the rise of suicide rates (especially among young people) but then demands medically assisted death for elderly or ill people in their desire to take their own lives or others when they feel life has become inconvenient and/or untenable. Past historical and biblical positions on many social issues, which were widely accepted, have now become fodder for division, attack, and recrimination by the world. Each of those issues will eventually affect some part of our lives, either directly or indirectly. None of us in the world are immune to this. Neither is the church safe from these same sins as confusion, division, and anger have manifested themselves there. Our proximity to any issue or sin is not a measure as to how any of us will be affected. It is our acceptance of sin, our attitude towards sin, with no repentance of sin, that is the crux of the manifestation of turmoil we see. We embrace our sin and are reluctant to repent of our sin – “
To be sorry for our sin and to hate and forsake it because it is displeasing to God” (Q&A #56 – Children’s Catechism).Our experiences of the past few years are not unique to us as a group nor as individuals, nor to the overall life of the world or the church. Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us, “
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” There is nothing new. But, regardless of how we are affected, the everyday events and issues of the world have the capability to distract our thoughts and lives, so we focus on the wrong object. The world’s longing for “truth” has become totally subjective (emotions and feelings) rather than objective with the absolute truth of God’s Word. Satan’s lie “
Did God really say?” reverberates throughout history and is a constant refrain in our lives, but the church needs to respond as Christ did by relying solely on the truth of God’s Word to guide us each day.In the sinful world in which we live, it is guaranteed that there is always a certain amount of uncertainty to the eventual outcome of any plan or activity which man undertakes. Despite all of the preparation and training that the world undergoes in any avenue of life, there is always the distinct possibility that our plans may fail. The human response to any situation is, “
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” But scripture tells us in Isaiah 46:9-10 and 11(b), “
…for I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’…I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”All things work through God’s perfect and sovereign being and plan. And in God’s perfect sovereignty, the probability of His success is always perfectly 100% – never less. When our plans falter and fail, God continues faithfully in His glorious plan. But when situations in our daily lives go awry, it is most often from our resistance to God’s plan and purpose for our lives. Man is impatient, and we try to force our plans which are based on our lack of wisdom and an incomplete understanding of any particular situation. God knows the big picture, and we don’t. At best, our ideas and plans are second best, and they will often lead to sin as we try to use worldly principles to deal with the problems and issues we see before us.God’s Word clearly teaches that we are part of a great and united Church whose battle against the gates of Hell will be successful. Throughout the past years, I was often reminded of how the church is called daily in the battle against the forces of Satan in this world. But thanks be to God; this spiritual war is not a war with an inconclusive end. It is not a war devised by men. It is not a war that has stagnated into “trench warfare” where neither side is able to advance. It is a spiritual war with God’s perfect battle plan and has already been won by Jesus Christ. Through His death, His resurrection, and His ascension to sit at the right hand of God the Father, the war is finished. Jesus Christ is already victorious.Christ’s victory on the cross at Calvary was accomplished in three basic steps:
- God perfectly planned (Romans 8:28) – In His sovereignty, before time began, God counseled with Himself in His plan for creation and all that would flow from that.
- God perfectly prepared (John 1: 1-10) – God prepared and provided the means by which His plan would be put into action.
- God perfectly put His plan into action (Romans 5: 1-6) – The phrase “at the right time” denotes the schedule and plan God has put into place.
It is the Lord’s battle and not ours, but we are actively involved. Even though we are finite and limited in our resources, we must be faithful. God will take what we inadequately bring, and He will make it more than adequate to fulfill His Plan. “
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21)Through the power of His Holy Word by His Holy Spirit, God speaks for the salvation of sinners through the spoken word to His glory. God has won the war, but the daily trials which we endure in this life are still ongoing. That is for our sanctification. But what exactly is our role to advance the gospel in this war that God has already won? Three points:
- We are to come in worship and praise of God alone;
- We are to make use of God’s “Means of Grace,” which He has given the church through our reading and study of His Holy Word, our making proper use of the sacraments, and through prayer;
- We are to share the message of God’s grace in the fellowship of believers and to the communities around us.
At His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus quoted God’s Word from Deuteronomy 6:13 when He said to Satan, “
You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” We are to bow before our sovereign God in our worship and service to Him alone. And, we are to make use of God’s means of grace in order that we may be prepared to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with an unbelieving world. The Book of The Acts of the Apostles is the story of the early church working to advance the gospel. The apostles went out following the commission given to them directly by Jesus. They were engaged in the Lord’s work in order to advance the gospel throughout an unbelieving and sinful world – much like the world we live in today. Our work, and the role that is before us today, is the same as the saints in the past – share the gospel of Jesus Christ with an unbelieving and sinful world. We must boldly and faithfully proclaim to the world the precious name of Jesus Christ as the Most High Son of God who came to save sinners. Praise God for His grace and mercy as we prepare for battle, so on that day where we will all stand before His glorious throne, we will stand united in triumph with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, praising His name for all eternity in unity and peace for the war that He has already won for us.We have a blessed responsibility before us. Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 4:16 that “
as each of us has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s grace.” We are to be good stewards of the gifts God has given us for the glory of Jesus Christ – not to serve ourselves but instead to serve one another, and the church as the gospel is advanced in the world. Our calling and the task of the church is to “
Advance the Gospel!” Through our preparations, as we confess the gospel, believe the gospel, teach the gospel, preach the gospel, and as we daily share the gospel through our work as individuals and as the church, whether through missions, church planting or whatever program, the gospel is advanced to the glory of our Almighty God. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
By: Moderator Bill McKayThe synod theme and emphasis for the decade of 2020-29 is “One God, One Mediator.” In 2020, Dr. McGregor challenged us with his theme of “Preparing the Church for the Return of Jesus Christ.” Last year in 2021, our brother Patrick Malphrus challenged us with, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”In light of the previous themes for synod, a logical question to consider is, “What exactly is the work ahead for the church?” To answer that question, I want to consider the text from Philippians 1:12, where the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Philippi from his Roman prison: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”Let us consider vs. 12 and, in particular the last three words, “advance the gospel.” They are used to describe the result of what Paul has undergone in his imprisonment. But I want to look at those three words more closely at that phrase in the context of the Great Commission of Christ, as the disciples were directed to go out and share the gospel with the world. As well, throughout the Book of Acts, Paul is constantly working to advance the gospel in whichever locale and situation he felt God was leading him to. In that context, “Advance the Gospel” becomes an imperative and serves as the “marching order” of the church. This is the theme for the next year and my challenge to the ARP General Synod.History has a distinct propensity to repeat itself, and throughout the past years, the world (as always) has continually moved from one crisis to another. The exact specifics of each crisis of any era may differ, but in the end, the basic essence driving these crises are the same – we live in a world that is corrupted by sin. We have seen the world occupied with the ravage of disease, as we are now into the third year of Covid. We have seen nations perpetrate war on other sovereign nations, with the unprovoked attack and invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the resulting refugee crisis. We see great confusion created by a godless world in discussions about sexual identity and transgenderism – seeking to change the definitions of our language and the concepts of society by which we live our lives. We live in a world that quickly embraces “Cancel Culture” instead of using critical and analytical thinking to engage in an intelligent and legitimate discourse and discussion. We observe the world embracing a condition that involves a long-term breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior. This breakdown further leads to a faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, along with withdrawal from reality and personal relationships. It moves into a realm of fantasy and delusion, and assumes a sense of mental fragmentation. The Oxford English Dictionary describes this behavior as “schizophrenia.” We know it more accurately as sin. We live in a sin-filled schizophrenic world that refuses to accept a truly biblical understanding of sin and salvation – a world consumed with the obsession of self before all else.False teachers cry out that “Black Lives Matter” and “Every Life Matters” and then challenges for the “right” to murder the unborn. The world at large condemns the rise of suicide rates (especially among young people) but then demands medically assisted death for elderly or ill people in their desire to take their own lives or others when they feel life has become inconvenient and/or untenable. Past historical and biblical positions on many social issues, which were widely accepted, have now become fodder for division, attack, and recrimination by the world. Each of those issues will eventually affect some part of our lives, either directly or indirectly. None of us in the world are immune to this. Neither is the church safe from these same sins as confusion, division, and anger have manifested themselves there. Our proximity to any issue or sin is not a measure as to how any of us will be affected. It is our acceptance of sin, our attitude towards sin, with no repentance of sin, that is the crux of the manifestation of turmoil we see. We embrace our sin and are reluctant to repent of our sin – “To be sorry for our sin and to hate and forsake it because it is displeasing to God” (Q&A #56 – Children’s Catechism).Our experiences of the past few years are not unique to us as a group nor as individuals, nor to the overall life of the world or the church. Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” There is nothing new. But, regardless of how we are affected, the everyday events and issues of the world have the capability to distract our thoughts and lives, so we focus on the wrong object. The world’s longing for “truth” has become totally subjective (emotions and feelings) rather than objective with the absolute truth of God’s Word. Satan’s lie “Did God really say?” reverberates throughout history and is a constant refrain in our lives, but the church needs to respond as Christ did by relying solely on the truth of God’s Word to guide us each day.In the sinful world in which we live, it is guaranteed that there is always a certain amount of uncertainty to the eventual outcome of any plan or activity which man undertakes. Despite all of the preparation and training that the world undergoes in any avenue of life, there is always the distinct possibility that our plans may fail. The human response to any situation is, “Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” But scripture tells us in Isaiah 46:9-10 and 11(b), “…for I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’…I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”All things work through God’s perfect and sovereign being and plan. And in God’s perfect sovereignty, the probability of His success is always perfectly 100% – never less. When our plans falter and fail, God continues faithfully in His glorious plan. But when situations in our daily lives go awry, it is most often from our resistance to God’s plan and purpose for our lives. Man is impatient, and we try to force our plans which are based on our lack of wisdom and an incomplete understanding of any particular situation. God knows the big picture, and we don’t. At best, our ideas and plans are second best, and they will often lead to sin as we try to use worldly principles to deal with the problems and issues we see before us.God’s Word clearly teaches that we are part of a great and united Church whose battle against the gates of Hell will be successful. Throughout the past years, I was often reminded of how the church is called daily in the battle against the forces of Satan in this world. But thanks be to God; this spiritual war is not a war with an inconclusive end. It is not a war devised by men. It is not a war that has stagnated into “trench warfare” where neither side is able to advance. It is a spiritual war with God’s perfect battle plan and has already been won by Jesus Christ. Through His death, His resurrection, and His ascension to sit at the right hand of God the Father, the war is finished. Jesus Christ is already victorious.Christ’s victory on the cross at Calvary was accomplished in three basic steps: