Have you ever entertained the thought of how wonderful it must have been to be alive when Jesus was on earth? You might think of the prospect of being healed by Jesus and thus spared the distress of some troublesome physical affliction. Or you might consider the sheer pleasure of being able to see and hear Jesus—to be able to learn from him or to see him perform some miracle. (Mark 4:1, 2; Luke 5:3-9; 9:11) What a great privilege it would have been to be present when Jesus did all those works! (Luke 19:37) No generation since then has witnessed such things, and what Jesus accomplished on earth “through the sacrifice of himself” will not be repeated. (Heb. 9:26; John 14:19) Our present era, though, is also momentous. It is during this time that we have the grand privilege of declaring the “good news of the kingdom” worldwide, telling people about the hope of the Paradise to come—a never-to-be-repeated work. w10 4/15 4:1, 2
Christian overseers promote unity by taking the lead in preaching. The spirit of companionship that unites those who work together in God’s service is far stronger than the spirit that unites others in the world who merely socialize together. The Christian congregation was founded, not to function as a social club, but to honor Jehovah and to get a job done—the work of preaching the good news, making disciples, and building up the congregation. (Rom. 1:11, 12; 1 Thess. 5:11; Heb. 10:24, 25) Accordingly, as Jehovah’s people, we are united because we accept Jehovah’s sovereignty, love our brothers, hope in God’s Kingdom, and respect the ones God uses to take the lead among us. Jehovah helps us to overcome certain attitudes that because of our imperfection could otherwise threaten our unity.—Rom. 12:2. w10 9/15 2:9, 10
Holy spirit empowers us to declare the good news. What else could explain how the good news has been preached earth wide? Think about it. You may be among those who, perhaps because of extreme shyness or apprehension, once thought, ‘I could never go preaching from house to house!’ Yet, you now have a zealous share in that work. Many faithful Witnesses of Jehovah have continued preaching in the face of opposition or persecution. Only God’s holy spirit can empower us to overcome daunting obstacles and to do things that would be impossible in our own strength. (Mic. 3:8; Matt. 17:20) By having a full share in the preaching work, you show that you are cooperating with that spirit. w10 4/15
When sharing the Kingdom message with others, we offer them spiritual refreshment and, at the same time, sound down precious Bible truths into our own minds and hearts. Could you increase the joy you find in praising Jehovah to your neighbors? Granted, in some territories people are more receptive to the good news than they are in others. (Acts 18:1, 5-8) If you live in an area where there is limited response to the Kingdom message, try to focus on the good that you are accomplishing in the ministry. Remember that your continued effort to proclaim Jehovah’s name is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58) Moreover, people’s response to the good news is not the measure of our success. We can rest assured that Jehovah will see to it that righthearted people will be given an opportunity to respond to the Kingdom message.—John 6:44. w10 6/15 5:9, 10
