Jesus did not attempt to proclaim the gospel to the world singlehandedly. Instead, He recruited others to spread the message of salvation. In Mark 6:7-13, we read of the first time Jesus officially commissioned His disciples to go out and preach. Notice first how Jesus called and commissioned the twelve disciples to go out as His representatives. They went out by the authority of Jesus. In so doing, they went out in total reliance on God for provision and success. Note how the disciples responded with obedience. “They went out and preached….” Some would receive the message they were to deliver, and some would reject it, but they were not responsible for the actions of others. They obeyed and their obedience would honor God. The content of their message was simple. People needed to change their minds about sin and their need for a Savior and turn to Christ. That is the message of repentance. It is the message that John the Baptist preached, that Jesus preached, and that all followers of Jesus should preach. We also see how God worked through them to confirm their message. God gave them miraculous abilities that proved that the gospel they preached was of God. While we do not have the same miraculous abilities today, we do have the same Holy Spirit working through us to confirm God’s word in the hearts of those who hear. Believers today are in a similar position to those apostles. We have been commissioned to go forth and preach the message of the gospel. We are not responsible for how people respond, but we will answer to God for our obedience. We go out by the authority of Jesus and preach, relying on God to work through us.