Kingdom Ministry, Proclamation and Demonstration!
First, Jesus preached repentance and the good news of the kingdom of God. Then He cast out demons, healed the sick, raised the dead... all of which proved that He was the real deal. I've tried to look at ministry the way Jesus approached it. What was the message Jesus preached?
We have been commanded to carry on the ministry of Jesus until He returns! If that’s the case, then, I think it would be good to actually know what type of message and ministry Jesus had when here on earth.
The good news Jesus proclaimed was the gospel of the kingdom of God. You could summarize the message of Jesus in Mark 1:14-15:
"14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." " (ESV)
The heart of the Christ’s message was both the proclamation of God's action...
"the kingdom is near"... and the demands for a response...”repent and believe." This salvation was presented with the idea that the "kingdom of God" is close... I are you ready for the Kingdom? For the rest of His public ministry, Jesus demonstrated that the kingdom of God was nearby, by healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead. Every miraculous act had a purpose... to confront people with the message that the kingdom had come and that they had to decide to accept or reject it. This was the twofold pattern of Christ's ministry which was repeated wherever He went. Jesus presented His message with, first proclamation and then demonstration.
The people of God are very good at the first part (Proclamation) of this approach to ministry; however, we really need God to demonstrate His kingdom power through us! This can only happen through a true Encounter with the Holy Spirit!
