“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 His first recorded sermon, Jesus revealed that the Spirit anointed Him “to preach good news to the poor” and “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.” When He 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.

In Mark 3:13-14, Jesus’ plan to proclaim the good news to all nations becomes more apparent. In the first few months of His ministry Jesus preaches and makes many disciples, no different than John the Baptist. Then after a night of prayer, from all these disciples He chooses 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.

Shortly after the selection of the apostles, in John 3:1-21 Jesus tells 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 made disciples. He preached, called a select few, and trained them to do the same. His dream of evangelizing the world was being multiplied into twelve more 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 twelve of His followers did! Daily proclamation by Jesus and His disciples produced countless baptisms!

After His resurrection, Jesus commanded the eleven faithful disciples 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” by 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.” (The end meaning the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.) I am so encouraged by the disciples of Santiago, Chile. Less than two years ago there were few baptisms and no call to obey the great commission. They had lost the dream to evangelize Chile. Even though the Santiago Church was planted in 1991, they had never planted another church. Then when Raul and Lynda Moreno regained the vision by visiting Portland in early 2005, seven months later not only were there many baptisms in Santiago, but the Holy Spirit sent out their first church planting to Viña del Mar! Then just three weeks ago the Spirit sent out a second planting led by a non-full-time couple to Rancagua, Chile! Excitingly in March 2007 Santiago plans to send out a third planting to Concepción, Chile. Interestingly, Chile, a nation of 16 million, has three major cities: Santiago, Viña del Mar and Concepción. With the disciples daily proclaiming Christ in these three cities, which include all Chile’s major universities, disciples will be baptized from every small city in Chile! Rancagua is especially exciting since the Chilean churches have little money. Rancagua signals that churches in smaller cities can be led by well trained non-full-time people. Now every disciple in Chile believes that Chile will be evangelized!

After Jesus’ return to heaven, 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, like Santiago, or new congregations must be planted to obey Jesus’ charge to “baptize the nations.” Let this be clear, any existing congregation can repent if its leadership begins to call people to obey Jesus’ vision, for the sole reason behind starting new congregations is proclamation.

Kiev, Ukraine

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? (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 the methodology of our 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 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, Elena and I returned from a missionary trip that included Chicago and Kiev, Ukraine. Praise God at the inaugural service of the Chicago International Christian Church on July 2, with just one week’s work by 29 disciples daily proclaiming Christ, 122 attended their first service! The next day God blessed them with their first baptism! In Kiev, the newly formed Kiev International Christian Church which numbers 30 disciples, likewise had over 100 at their inaugural service in April! Today, at our Rose Garden Service, the Spirit is sending out 14 disciples from Portland to Phoenix, Arizona. Ten months ago four disciples started a new congregation of sold-out disciples in Phoenix. Now they number twenty! Recently they asked for a “Portland trained” evangelist. Matt and Helen Sullivan (and their three kids) will now spearhead the proclamation of Christ to the five million lost souls of Phoenix!

Chicago Mission Team

Over the past month, many I have shared my faith with in Portland had already either been invited to the Portland Church or had heard of it – “good report and bad.” (2 Corinthians 6:8) In just three years, the proclamation of Christ in Portland is becoming like the early Jerusalem disciples who in seven years, “filled Jerusalem with [Christ’s] teachings.” (Acts 5:28) Soon Chicago, Kiev and Phoenix will be filled with the good news of Jesus! Let all disciples, everywhere regain the faith that whole nations like Chile, in fact all nations, can be filled with the proclamation of Christ in this generation! And to God be the glory!

Kip McKean