Jesus came to this earth as a human (John 1:1, 14) nearly 2000 years ago to:
- Qualify to replace Satan as the god of this world (Matthew 4:1-11; I Corinthians 15:44-49).
- Announce the good news of the coming Kingdom of God on this earth (Mark 1:14-14; Luke 8:1; Luke 4:43). This was a message He brought from His Father.
- Pay the ransom for a kidnapped world and to pay the penalty incurred by all humans for their sins (Mark 10:45; I Timothy 2:5-6).
- Be resurrected from the dead (I Corinthians 15:20-23), and to ascend to His Father to become our intercessor and High Priest (Hebrews 2:17-18; Hebrews 7:24-27; Hebrews 4:14-16). He is the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).
- To establish (John 7:37; Acts 2) and build His Church (Matthew 16:18). Christ is the head of His Church (Ephesians 1:22).
The Church of God has a responsibility to preach the gospel as a witness (Matthew 24:14) and feed the flock.
Jesus Christ came with a message from God the Father called the gospel. The word gospel means “good news.” That gospel message is the good news of the coming Kingdom of God to be established on earth (Zechariah 14:9, 14). Jesus was born to become a king! On trial for his life before Pilate, Jesus was asked, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world…” He also said in the preceding verse, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (verse 36). This shows that Satan is the god of this age (II Corinthians 4:4). God calls people out of this world to prepare to teach and rule under him when he becomes King and takes over the throne of the earth (Revelation 5:10; Daniel 7:27)! Those called into the Church are not called merely for salvation and eternal life, but to learn God’s law and His way of life, and to develop Godly character during this mortal life (Revelation 3:21; Revelation 2:26-27).
Along with the gospel message, God tells His servants to sound the alarm and give a warning message (Ezekiel 33:1-12). God’s servants are told to “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins (Isaiah 58:1).
The Church also has a duty to feed the flock. Christ told Peter to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17). The apostle Paul instructed the elders, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Paul wrote to Timothy, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.” The apostle Peter encouraged the elders to “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but becoming examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” We are to follow Christ’s example “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). God’s servants have the responsibility to serve the brethren and to prepare a people to rule with and under Christ. The Word of God is the instrumentation through which they fulfill these tasks. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17).
Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). He encourages His called-out ones to “not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” The Church today might look different than it did nearly two millennia ago when the apostles first received the commission to preach the gospel to the world; But some things would still be the same. The Church of God would be kept in God’s name (John 17:11) – the Church of God. It would be found keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days – an identifying sign between God and His people (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12, 20). They would be striving to keep all the commandments of God because they love Him (John 14:15). They would still be preaching the good news of the coming Kingdom of God (Matthew 28:19-20). They would be bright and shining lights in a dark world (Matthew 5:14-16). These things would be handed down through the centuries from the time of Christ to the time of the end.