The message
 

This might seem a strange request, but I need help working through something. I've heard teaching that the message is:
*The coming Kingdom
*The law of the Kingdom
*The culture of the Kingdom
*The gospel of the Kingdom

I've been thinking lately about "what is the essence of our message" And how to share our message

Jesus began with fulfillment of prophecy, the kingdom, repentance, and the gospel

Mark 1:14-15 ESV
Jesus Begins His Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Paul's focus was the cross

1 Corinthians 2:2 KJV
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Peter's message was that Jesus was the Messiah:

Acts 2:14-37 KJV
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

The people respond and then Peter continues:

Acts 2:38-39 KJV
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Re: The message
 

Everybody has the ministry of reconciliation

When witnessing, should one say

There is a coming kingdom
(millennial reign),
Repent and believe the gospel
(Eternal life or perish, John 3:16)

Sorry if I'm not explaining myself well.

Re: The message
 

Seems to me that we are to do this:

Matthew 28:18-20 KJV
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. [19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:15-16 KJV
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.

Luke 24:46-47 KJV
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.

So, we are to tell the world Who Jesus is, what He accomplished, why He did what he did, what He is doing now, and will be doing, so that people may believe and become His disciples and be the people of God with eternal life.

What are the basics of witnessing?

Hebrews 6:1-2 KJV
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, [2] Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Repentance, faith, cleansing, empowering, resurrection, and judgment, in the name of Christ, seem to be the basic "topics" of evangelism. But the main, central point would seem to me to be that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah, the One we are called to follow into eternal life.

Re: The message
 

The basic message is in Acts 2.

It is the proclamation that Jesus rose from the dead, and everything that means to us.

[Romans 10:9 KJV] 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus (or that Jesus is Lord), and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

You have to get people to believe that:

[Matthew 16:16 KJV] 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
[John 6:69 KJV] 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
[Acts 2:36 KJV] 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
[John 20:31 KJV] 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

The way the Gospel gave us to persuade people is only one, and it is in Acts 2: the signs, the resurrection of Christ, and the testimony of the prophets.

[Acts 4:33 KJV] 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.


Since we didn't see the risen Christ we cannot say like the Apostles "we saw him alive", we instead testify the testimony of the Apostles "they saw him" (the resurrection of Jesus) and Prophets (fulfilment), and expect signs confirming this Word; as those that didn't see the risen Christ did, like Philip, Steven, etc... Personal testimonies are not a replacement for the resurrection of Christ. Believing that God can heal, or can deliver from cigarettes won't save the person, ... but believe that Jesus rose from the dead thru the testimony of the Apostles, the prophets, and the signs, will.

Once they believe it, then what that means to us:

[Acts 2:37-38 NKJV] 37 Now when they heard [this], they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men [and] brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

[Acts 17:31 NKJV] 31 "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."

...and all the other things Esaias mentioned.