The gospel of Jesus Christ has been being presented for nearly 2000 years. Since the first gospel sermon was preached to open the gates of the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:18, 19; Acts 2:41, 47; Colossians 1:13), it has been the same message that brings salvation in Christ (Galatians 1:6-9).

Jesus had told the apostles that they had a great commission to carry out (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15, 16). They carried on this misson of taking the gospel to the world by going out by whatever means they had. They walked, rode, sailed, and were carried all over the world to spread the soul saving gospel of Christ. But, no matter how they went, the message was always the same (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 4:15; 1 Peter 1:22-25; James 1:18).

The command to “go” comes down to us by virtue of it being a self-perpetuating command. Included in the great commission was Jesus command to teach the new disciples to “observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19). Paul exemplifies this with his words to Timothy, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). The apostles work of teaching people how to become disciples of Christ and how to live as disciples of Christ was continued through those they taught. That great work has continued through the generations to this very day; and it will continue until the last day (Acts 17:30, 31).

Though the message hasn’t changed, and cannot be changed, the means by which we obey the command to “go” has changed. Today, unlike the earliest Chrsitians, we can “go” by advanced means of travel and by advanced means of mass communication. Without a doubt, the Internet is the greatest resource we have at our disposal today to get the message of the gospel out to the masses.

At the Church of Christ, Northside, we take our resonsibility of sharing the gospel very seriously. We want to get the gospel out to our community in the most effective way possible. That is why you are reading this article today. Because the elders of the Northside congregation recognize our local paper as an effective means of “going.”

Norm Fields is the minister for the Church of Christ Northside meeting at 1101 Hogansville Road in LaGrange.