Why is preaching the good news of God's Kingdom so important?

Question

Jesus directed his true followers to preach and teach others his commandments. (matthew 28:19-20) Why is this so important?

Answer 1

The comments of some others notwithstanding, Jehovah's Witnesses are known worldwide for their preaching and teaching. It is not just the witnesses themselves who make this assertion. I am aware of individual christians of other faiths who recognize their responsibility before God to do this work. Their religions and churches have not successfully organized their members to carry out this work. Part of the problem is with the the clergy class who feel such work is beneath them so they have a hard time admonishing their flocks to do so. The good news as preached by Jehovah's Witnesses is carried to everyone, not just those who ask to hear it.
This work is important because our own everlasting salvation and that of those we preach to is involved. (1Timothy 4:16, Ezekiel 3:18,19) We are spurred on by our love for God and love for our fellow humans. We are grateful that someone took the time to find us and teach us the good news. Think how much opposition, apathy and verbal and other abuse we endure before reaching 1 person hungering and thirsting for righteousness. And yet, it is a joyous work.

Answer 2

Several things.

All of us want to know what the future holds.
We all who follow the Christ truly, must obey his orders.
We should be grateful it has held off till now or else we would not be here. When did we learn? Was it automatic like a virus? Or did it take time for each of us to be taught and us to learn?

The darker side is our bloodguilt. If we keep our mouths shut, how many will we be responsible for killing? How many might have listened if we talked? Then too, how many would ignore the message but at least have chosen which path to follow? Someone is responsible for all those lives. Either us or they themselves. We would all prefer each themselves.

Also, the future is spectacular! Actual paradise over the whole earth better than any park we have ever seen! Lives in perfect health and never dying. Animals better than any zoo. I have always wanted to play with a leopard. don't know exactly why, but I do.

Imagine the new things we will know and learn. Our minds will be able to handle more in depth things Jehovah will reveal to us. Asking Moses and Noah about how to organize all those people. I would not mind spending a few hundred years in my workshop seeing what I could come up with.

Each of us have things like these we would like to do. It will be a reality under God's Kingdom as it solves the earth's problems.

Answer 3

Our love for God is demonstrated by our obedience to his commands. Jesus' great commission, to go into all the earth proclaiming the good news and making disciples, teaching them, etc is a command. It's not an optional extra. As the apostle John said, 'We have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us' (1 John 3:21-24).

So, those who are indwelt by the Spirit are empowered to obey God's commands, and gladly do so. There are amazing numbers of ways to preach the good news - even participating on this site can help others learn about the King of God's Kingdom - Jesus Christ.

Sadly, some people think that only they are preaching the gospel and that unless you join them, you cannot be saved. This judgmental attitude was expressed like this: '[After quoting Mat. 28:19-20 & Acts 1:8] Actually, without such witnessing there is no salvation for Christians... Actually, very few who profess to be Christians do this...' The group who say this have around 7 millions active, baptized members who have to report how much time they spend door knocking. They are frightened that if they let up on this compulsory activity, they might not survive Armageddon. Fortunately, God has his witnesses in EVERY Christian denomination, and billions of people are sharing the gospel by word and deed, every day, and all for God's glory.

Answer 4

Because it's the only way you're going to get out of here alive. Imagine that this world is the Titanic and it's going down. Christ has the only lifeboat, and there's more than enough room for everyone on this boat. There are people "spreading the good news" that there's still a good lifeboat left. There are a few other lifeboats, but they have holes in them and will sink once people get them in the water. The people who either refuse to get on the good lifeboat or are afraid to do so, will drown when the ship goes down. We're just trying to save as many people as possible.

Answer 5

True Christians have been known as the most loving of all religious people for over two thousand years.

Why is this so important?

The answer is given in two places (I will use the KJV for reason):

Mark 16:15-16
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

and

Matthew 24:44-53
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Note verse 52. Not the word "worship". I will give the breakdown for this verse by Strong's Greek manuscript numbers.

And 2532 they 846 worshipped 4352 him 846, and returned 5290 to 1519 Jerusalem 2419 with 3326 great 3173 joy 5479:

proskyneō = pros-kü-ne'-ō = to fall upon the knees as an expression of profound reverence, kneeling or prostration to make obeisance or supplication.

Answer 6

WOW!!!! Finally, a question Jehovah's Witnesses and Christians alike can both agree on! I am sure that both sides will fully agree with the response given by Faye, while, at the same time, we will all give thumbs down to YY4ME. LOL Gotta love this one!

I'm even giving some of the JWs a thumbs up, here! :)

Answer 7

Every brand of Christianity has their take on what is the gospel message. There are more then message aspects to Christianity. Who, Jesus was, What Jesus did , what was His message and What does it mean to me.
God is after changing you into the image of likeness of Jesus. This is not done for His sake but for yours. What He did on the cross gives you the power to become like Jesus. What He said tells you what the goals are.
The reason is this. You will be who you are inside in character for the next life and all eternity. He is working on you to make you into what you will want to be in the spiritual world. In that world you will be living with others who love the same things as you. If you love to steal you will be living with robbers who all together spend all their time robbing each other. Liars will be with liars etc. This is hell. Heaven is the same. People who love to help and serve others will be with others of like mind.
Who do you want to live with? The choice is now.

Answer 8

Think of it this way, if everyone followed the Commandments of God absolutely (I speak of the 10 big ones) we would live in utopia.

The more people that believe these ethics the better off the world will be in the long run, whether they believe in god's existence or not.

Answer 9

Everyone has the right to hear it. Jesus Commanded us to preach it. If my profile picture came up, you see that it is my calling and my job. No, my Salvation does not depend upon my preaching. (If it did, I would be in deep trouble for I am a terrible public speaker.) What we must do for Salvation is expressly stated by Jesus.

Answer 10

When Jesus was on earth, he told his followers to pray for God’s Kingdom: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” He also spoke constantly about “the good news of the kingdom.” In fact, he spoke more about the Kingdom than he did about anything else. Why? Because the Kingdom is the instrument that God will use to solve the problems that make life so difficult today. By means of the Kingdom, God will soon put an end to wars, hunger, disease, and crime, and he will bring about unity and peace.

IN HIS famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ taught his followers the prayer commonly called the Our Father or the Lord’s Prayer. Perhaps you have repeated it many times. Millions of people have. They have prayed to God: “Thy kingdom come.” When making that request, do you know what you are asking for?

Perhaps like most people you have said these words without giving much thought to their meaning. But since God’s Kingdom is a real government, what will happen to the present governments of the world when God’s Kingdom comes? Have you thought about that?

The Bible leaves us in no doubt as to the answer. In a prophecy that points forward to our day, the Bible says: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom [this is God’s Kingdom, for which Christians pray] that will never be brought to ruin, It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms [present governments of the world], and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” Daniel 2:44.

Think about that! God’s Kingdom is going to destroy all present governments of the world. And when you pray, “Thy kingdom come,” you are praying for this to happen. Yet surely such a change is needed. Never in history has a human government been completely satisfactory. So what could be better than to have a perfect government by God replace all human governments!

Because Jehovah God is almighty, his Kingdom will satisfy the desires of all righteously inclined persons. What desires do you wish to see fulfilled? The end of war, hunger, injustice, poor housing, crime, sickness and even death? All these problems and others will be eliminated by God’s Kingdom.

The Bible promises “the abundance of peace until the moon is no more.” “As regards the wicked,” it says, “they will be cut off from the very earth.” Yes, people then “will certainly build houses and have occupancy.” “God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more.”

This is why the preaching of the good news of God's Kingdom is so important, it's so everyone can hear about it and make their decision whether they want to be a subject of God’s Kingdom.