Proclamation To All Nations

“Jesus went to Nazareth… and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue… The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He [read]: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind… to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ He began by saying to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4: 16-21

In Jesus’ first recorded sermon, He revealed that the Spirit anointed Him “to preach good news to the poor” and “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.” When Jesus explained from His text of Isaiah 61:1-2 that this proclamation was not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles, “all the people in the synagogue were furious” and tried to kill Him. (Luke 4:28-29) From the very beginning of His controversial ministry, Jesus’ radical revolution centered on “proclamation” to the whole world – Jew and Gentile.

Of the first few months of Jesus’ ministry after His baptism – the Judean Period – only the temptations by Satan are recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. However, John 3:1-21 records that during this time, Jesus told Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom one “must be born again of the water and spirit.” Then immediately following in John 3:22 we read, “Jesus and His disciples went out into the Judean countryside where He spent some time with them and baptized.” From John 3, it is clear how Jesus began His ministry. He preached and baptized, while training His disciples to do the same. His dream of evangelizing the world was being multiplied into all of His disciples’ hearts! This is confirmed in the next few verses, “Now John [the Baptist] also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and the people were constantly coming to be baptized… The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized but His disciples.” (John 3:23, 4:1-2) Though John had people constantly coming to be baptized, it was obvious even to the Pharisees that Jesus was gaining more disciples, because though He did not baptize, all of His followers did! Daily proclamation by Jesus and His disciples produced countless baptisms!

After John was put in prison, Jesus returned to Galilee from Judea “proclaiming the good news of God.” (Mark 1:14) Then in Mark 3:13-14, Jesus’ plan to proclaim the good news to all nations becomes more apparent. After a night of prayer, from all of His disciples He chose twelve, “that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” Jesus focuses on a few with proclamation as their mission. Later, He appoints 72 others to go out “into His harvest field.” (Luke 10:1-3) Knowing the number 12 is purposeful in paralleling the 12 sons of Jacob of the old Kingdom to the 12 apostles of the new Kingdom, the number 72 must also have significance. We know Jesus paired the apostles for proclamation. (Mark 6:7) Therefore, I believe, since there are six pairings of apostles, then each pairing of apostles would have 12 disciples of the 72 under their charge. In this way, Jesus was teaching the Twelve to replicate His ministry.

After His resurrection, Jesus commanded the eleven faithful apostles to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” The Greek literally says, “baptize the nations.” Jesus commanded the apostles to “baptize the nations” through proclamation during their lifetime. This was foretold to the apostles in Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:9-14, “You will be… persecuted and put the death and… hated by all nations because of me… And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.” Almost every conservative Bible scholar agrees that “the end” in this verse refers to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Confirming Jesus’ prophecy and vision to evangelize the nations by 70 AD are Paul’s words written around 61 AD, “This gospel that you heard has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven!” (Colossians 1:23)

After Jesus’ return to heaven, to fulfill His charge to “evangelize the nations”, the apostles continued daily proclamation. In Acts 5 the apostles were arrested and flogged because of their preaching. Then “they left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is Christ.” (Acts 5:41-42) Proclamation was happening every day. Even after the martyrdom of Stephen, the Scriptures teach, “Those [disciples] who had been scattered preached the Word wherever they went.” (Acts 8:4) When a church stops its daily proclamation, all that is left is “a reputation of being alive, but [it is] dead.” (Revelation 3:1) Dying churches either must heed the words of Christ and repent, or new congregations must be planted to obey Jesus’ charge to “baptize the nations.” Let this be clear: the primary reason behind starting new congregations in the new discipling movement is proclamation.

Some have suggested that daily proclamation was only for Jesus and the apostles; yet if we are followers of Christ and His apostles is this not our call? Afterall, Paul wrote, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) In Acts 19:9-10 in the early days of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, “Paul took the disciples with him and had daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the Word of the Lord.” Here “nameless disciples” are daily proclaiming the Word. Also of interest, as with Jesus and the apostles, the proclamation is in a group, just like our methodology of “Bible Talks”. Lastly, it must be noted that in two years time, all Asia (what is today western Turkey) was evangelized! During this period the “seven churches of Asia” in Revelation must have been initiated! So encouraging is the thought that western Turkey is larger than most states in America and several nations around the world. This passage should give every disciple the faith that every state in America and every nation in the world can be evangelized by Jesus’ plan of daily proclamation by multiplying disciples!

This past week, the evangelists, sent out by the Spirit from the City of Angels Church to proclaim the gospel around the world, have all given encouraging reports. From Honolulu, Kyle Bartholomew shares that since the nine member mission team joined the 14 member remnant group in early June, 12 have been baptized, five restored and three placed membership! From New York City, DJ Comisford is fired-up about the efforts of the 20 member New York City Mission Team. Since the Empire City Church’s Inaugural Service in mid-September, six have been baptized into Christ! Financially supported by the City of Angels Church for $3,500 per month are Matt and Helen Sullivan in Santiago, Chile. Matt reports that since their arrival in Santiago in June, they have had 11 baptisms and have grown to 60 disciples! The Santiago Church is also rejoicing because Matt now preaches all of his sermons and leadership meetings in Spanish!

So encouraging to me this past weekend was my trip to Portland, Oregon. A little over three months ago the remnant group was formed in Portland to perpetuate the new discipling movement, which began there in October 2006. On November 1, 2008, Ron and Tracy Harding, accompanied by Gordo Esparza, arrived in Portland from Los Angeles. Others on the mission team will be moving there soon: Whitney DiLoreto and JB Firman from Eugene, Oregon, and Janelle Rushan and Marcel Turner from Phoenix, Arizona. On Friday evening of my visit, Ron, Tracy and I met with the parents and members of the campus and teen ministry, a group numbering about 25. So encouragingly at the end of the meeting, four dearly beloved campus brothers, who have fallen away, joined us! Truly, God is gathering His remnant. (Nehemiah 1:8-9) Saturday evening, I preached about the financial challenges facing the congregation in order to support the Hardings full-time. Then on Sunday, only Ron and Tracy’s second service in Portland, God blessed them with 129 in attendance, a sacrificial contribution of $1,700, three placing membership and one baptism – Tangela! Amazingly, even before most of the team moves in, the Portland Church has had six baptisms in the last eight weeks! Be praying for the Inaugural Service of the Portland International Christian Church on January 11, 2009 at the Tiffany Center in downtown Portland.

City of Angels Church, in the sending out of these mission efforts, we have sacrificed leadership, relationships and of course finances. Let us be assured that though many of us feel the pain of these sacrifices, when we get to heaven and see all of our new brothers and sisters, we will know that our “labor [was] not in vain!” (1 Corinthians 15:58) Therefore, let us continue to joyfully and wholeheartedly obey Jesus’ great commission by having the heart to go anywhere, do anything, and give up everything for the cause. Then, and only then, will the proclamation to all nations in this generation be fulfilled once again! And to God be the glory!

Kip McKean