To answer the questions above let’s first examine a scripture highlighting what Jesus Christ said at the beginning of His public ministry. “Now after John [the Baptist] was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

The gospel, meaning “good news” or “glad tidings,” is about how the Father’s perfect, divine government that now rules in heaven, will be established on earth (Luke 11:2). Plus, it’s the means by which faithful, obedient people obtain the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ and enter God’s spiritual family to serve with Christ in governing the world at His second coming (Romans 1:16; Revelation 5:10).

Many scriptures reveal that the good news of God’s Kingdom was the centerpiece of Jesus Christ’s ministry and message. He said, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Luke 4:43, emphasis added throughout). Coupled with this, Jesus communicated through various parables that nothing was of greater significance or value than the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44). And this has everything to do with the Church He established and the mission He assigned to His faithful followers. Christ wants us to continue the work He began in preaching the gospel and making “ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

Fully dedicated to the mission

Examples of His disciples performing this critical assignment fill the pages of the New Testament (Acts 8:12; 15:7; Romans 15:19). Indeed, Jesus’ early apostles and disciples dedicated themselves completely to this great mission. And, throughout the ages since then, other steadfast servants of God did the same and are doing so today. In this respect, Jesus declared that one of the pivotal signs indicating the imminent time of His second coming was that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

But what is the purpose of preaching the gospel as a witness? It is not only to give people the opportunity to learn the truth about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, but also to respond to His divine calling if they so choose. For those who reply favorably, God’s Church is ready to offer marvelous spiritual and moral instruction and guidance (John 21:17; Luke 1:17). By doing so the Church fulfills its follow-on duty which is to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you...” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Spreading the gospel in today’s world

When considering all of the above, you and I, as brethren of God’s Church, have the obligation to support the spreading of the gospel to an entire world of deceived humanity. Bearing in mind today’s increasing lawlessness, hatred, corruption and violence, people need to hear and read the awesome truth about Jesus Christ and the wonderful age beyond today. As a part of its mission to preach this good news, the Church must also deliver a consistent and strong warning about the consequences of disobedience to God’s commandments—meaning the suffering and discord it brings to individuals, families and nations (Ezekiel 33:6; Isaiah 58:1).

When Jesus called His early disciples to follow Him (John 10:27) He also admonished them to be wary of false teachers who would arise and fill the world with so-called “Christian” doctrines that He had never taught (Matthew 24:4-5). But let’s be clear, God’s Church stands totally separate and apart from the world’s churches—which do not know or proclaim the true Jesus Christ or the genuine gospel of God’s Kingdom (2 Corinthians 6:17)! Therefore, we must hold firm to Christ’s teachings and follow His perfect example of focusing squarely on His mission (Matthew 4:19; 1 John 2:6). Indeed, He said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). What, therefore are some ways we can also make God’s work of spreading the gospel our nourishment?

Having our heart in God’s work

First, we can pray zealously for the media work of the Church in preaching, broadcasting and publishing the gospel. This includes the efforts of home office personnel and those of the operation directors and senior pastors and their assistants in the regional areas of the world. Their needs are published regularly in the Ministerial and Member eNews and in the United News. Moreover, we can pray for the many people who God is calling out of this world—asking Him to protect them from Satan’s deceptions and distractions as they unlearn spiritual error and learn biblical truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

In this regard, Ephesians 2:2 says that we “once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.” But God rescued us from that condition due to His tremendous love. He wants us to have the same deep love for others by our willingness to share His truth with them (John 13:34). As we enjoy the fellowship and social life of our local church and pray for each other, let’s also pray for the people in the world who God is calling! In Jesus’ model prayer of Matthew 6:13 He said, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” The word “deliver” means to rescue from danger or destruction. In Christ’s parable of the sower and the seed, He details various obstacles, including Satan’s dire influence, that people face as God opens their hearts to His truth (Mark 4:13-20). Therefore, it would be more than fitting for us to ask God to protect the people He is calling from “the evil one” so they can make steady progress in learning the truth of God.

While praying for those individuals we can also thank God for the Church’s generous coworkers and donors, requesting that He bless them for their willingness to financially support His work. Plus, we can pray that God will raise up more dedicated men and wives to serve in the ministry. Jesus said, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2). In all of these areas we can exercise our calling to fully back up the spreading of God’s glad tidings to a confused and hurting world. While we certainly need to be conscientious about our own godly behavior and personal spiritual development, we should also be keenly attentive to our key priority, which is to support the preaching of the gospel.

Why God called you

Finally, now more than ever, people in today’s confused, hopeless world need to learn about God’s coming Kingdom and the peace, hope and happiness it will bring. Plus, they need to discover how they can personally enter God’s spiritual family. As we individually grow in grace, knowledge and character as Christ’s disciples, let’s be highly diligent about our foremost mission, which is to support the preaching of the gospel and in helping make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Indeed, this is the reason He called you into His Church today! Therefore, let’s do all we can to live worthy of our calling.