The Message Jesus Preached

The Message Jesus Preached
Things were Different in the Church Jesus Started

We worship Jesus Christ. We sing songs to Him and about Him. We pray to Him daily, and some of us even tell others about Him. Yet, the overwhelming majority of people in the church today are clueless about the message Jesus Christ preached. How is it that His name can adorn t-shirts, websites, TV programs, bookshelves and social media posts, but those who love and follow Him be completely ignorant of what He said and what it means?

Many people know how to use their faith to get a new car or a house. Many people understand how to worship, pray for healing, get out of debt and become financially prosperous. Many have healthier relationships and more to the credit of the church, and this is wonderful. Yet, the overwhelming majority is clueless about the words spoken by the Son of God that we worship and serve. This is tragic. May we grow hungry to know Jesus’ message and be moved by no other message than His. May the object of our worship become the subject matter of our message again.

I invite you to examine the message of Christ in the Bible and the message of the church today. The message Jesus preached in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and in the books of Acts and Revelation, is the Kingdom of God.

I conducted two studies to assess what the Christian message is today. One study focused on Christian broadcast TV, categorizing the topics that were preached, taught and discussed. The second study concentrated on courses offered by leading Christian colleges and Universities. The aim was to assess what message is broadcast to the world and what message Christian leaders and ministers learn in school. Is the message what Jesus taught?

Christian TV Survey

This study covered two thousand hours of religious broadcasting, five hundred hours from each of the top four Christian networks. Each program was logged with the corresponding topics that were presented. The goal was to see what percentage of messages related to the message Jesus preached. The study showed these subjects were broadcast with greatest frequency:

• 34% Success, prosperity
• 26% Encouragement, fortitude
• 17% Salvation
• 11% Healing
• 6% Politics
• 4% Prophecy
• 2% Miscellaneous

Christian Colleges Survey
In surveying the top Christian colleges, the majority of which are accepted as “intentionally Christ-centered,” I found that they did not include a single course on the Kingdom of God. This does not mean, of course, that the Kingdom of God isn’t taught within the coursework of other courses. Perhaps it is, but on the surface it is not evident. The message of the church today is very different than the message of Jesus, the disciples and the first century church.

Walking the Ancient Path
Jesus preached the Kingdom of God to the masses, and those who heard were changed by it. He imparted it to His disciples and they were transformed from the inside out. They took it to the towns and villages first, then neighboring Judea and Samaria. It exploded out from Jerusalem to foreign lands like Asia Minor, the Middle East, Africa, Greece and Rome. It was a life altering message spoken by Jesus Himself, illustrated through miracles, and provided for at the cross and resurrection tomb – the Kingdom of God had come!

What is the Kingdom of God? Why is it so life changing? How can we better understand what it means, and how can we share it with those around us? The Bible prophesied of a time when people would arise to restore the ancient paths and rebuild the ancient ruins. This prophecy speaks of physical ruins, but symbolically, I believe we are called to rebuild the ancient foundations of the ministry of Christ. The first way to do this is to preach, teach, experience, and live the Kingdom message Jesus brought – the message He spread throughout the world through His disciples and their followers.

Picture it. The first members of churches in Asia Minor and Africa didn’t gather in big church buildings or temples of any kind. They met in homes or under the shade of cliffs or trees, and embraced Jesus as Savior and Lord with wholehearted, loving devotion. They hung on to every word His trusted followers said. They wanted to hear the stories, and then hear them again and again. When a disciple of Jesus from Galilee spoke of a new life here and an eternal life in heaven, they ate it up and shed tears. With the deepest passion known to mankind, they believed – and in believing they were changed. Their families were changed. Their communities were changed. First it was a handful, then dozens, until it finally spread throughout their lands. The Kingdom of God had come and was growing one life at a time.

To us, the parables can become the stuff of Sunday school. To us, the miracles can provide the drama for our Christmas pageants and resurrection plays. To us, the teachings are a great backdrop for a lively worship experience on the weekend before the game. To them it was good news, light in the darkness, hope in despair, promise in oppression and a new way of life. It consumed them. They had nothing else but their faith in Jesus, their small community of Jesus followers, overwhelming joy and the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, train and use them.

May we discover this same love for Jesus. May we find our excitement, passion, and significance in Him. May we step through the door and enter the Kingdom of God.

What is the Kingdom of God?