The Tarkwa Area Head and Executive Council Member of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Daniel Okyere Walker, has underscored the need for Christians, especially Church leaders to exhibit the fear of God in discharging their leadership responsibilities.
He emphasised that if the leadership must be effective and spiritually led, then the leader must fear God, saying, “The spirituality of the local church is largely a reflection of its leadership. So, if we walk in the fear of God, the glory of the Church will be greater.”
According to him, the fear of God is non-negotiable and indispensable because it is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
“Do you want to know your duty as a pastor, as a man of God or as an Elder? Then your duty is to fear God,” he stressed.
Delivering a sermon on the topic: “The Local Church Walking In the Fear Of God,” at the 2nd Edition of the Global Elders’ Retreat, held recently at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) in Gomoa Fetteh, Apostle Dr. Walker noted that the local church is identified with so many characteristics and one of which is walking in the fear of the Lord.
Reading from Acts 9:31; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 2 Corinthians 7:1, among other texts, he mentioned that the early church witnessed tremendous growth in all spheres because they walked in the fear of God.
The Western and Western North Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) Chairman explained that walking in the fear of the Lord is to live before Him (God) in trust, reverence, awe, worship and obeying every word of God.
He continued: “Walking in the fear of the Lord is to live a life that witnesses to the glory of His love and grace.”
According to him, living in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit must produce holiness and righteousness, saying, “You cannot live in sin and be comfortable with the Holy Spirit.”
Touching on the leader and the fear of God, Apostle Dr. Walker urged church leaders to be sure of their calling and be devoted to it.
“As a leader, the first thing about serving in the fear of God is knowing who you are and your calling so that you devote yourself to God that you are serving,” he explained.
He further indicated that when one is called to lead, they must forgo one thing for another, stressing that “the call of God involves leaving and coming on board.”
The Tarkwa Area Head, among other things, mentioned records keeping and reporting, finances (2 Kings 12:15), shepherding (Acts 2:42-44), church programmes (2 Corinthians 5:11), as things that must be done in the fear of God.
“I pray that the fear of God will reign in the local church that will bring holy fear to the extent that we will run away from sin and all things that are not right before God,” he said.
He also admonished church leaders to work within their perimeters in order not to incur God’s wrath (Leviticus 10:1).
Concluding his presentation, Apostle Dr. Daniel Okyere Walker further charged church leaders to live exemplary life for the members to emulate as they consciously deal with sin, which he described as “canker” that destroys the Church.
