Stewards of the Gospel: Calvary Cares
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2 Corinthians 5:16-21
I am very excited about today. I’ve been looking forward to it for a few weeks now, as God began to unfold in my heart and mind, what I believe is an exciting vision of the future: a vision of ministry and mission here at Calvary Baptist Church. As I have been studying Scripture, spending time on my knees before God, knowing that He wants to reveal the vision He has for our church, I have also been listening to and observing you. Some of you have shared your ideas for the future, your suggestions for this year’s theme that carries us through the year. Cindy and I have also been getting to know you and our church better, listening to stories and experiences, and watching to see what are our church’s strengths that can be put to use for God’s glory. So today, I’m going to share with you not just a theme for the year, but a vision — God’s vision, I believe, for ministry and mission at Calvary Baptist Church.
But first, allow me to share with you six principles from 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 that form the vision and plant it square in the heart of God and His Word.
1. We are concerned about the whole person: body and soul. (16).
1. We are concerned about the whole person: body and soul. (16).
From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way.
People are not only physical, they are spiritual. People have souls, as well as flesh and blood. God created people for eternity.
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.
We tend to focus merely on the surface, rather than the soul. Many words, actions and attitudes on the surface reveal a soul-deep brokenness and need. We need to learn to look deeper than the skin. We need to learn to observe the brokenness that lies beneath the surface. This requires of us a discerning awareness.
2. We live as new creatures in Christ (17).
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
We formerly had a soul-deep brokenness of our own; we were broken by sin. But when we confessed and repented our sin, Christ took away our sin, forgave and cleansed us. He not only healed us, but gave us a brand new soul (heart). We are no longer broken; we are whole in Christ. So, in response, we live as the new people we really are. We put away the old life and live in the newness of Christ. This requires of us a holy integrity.
3. We are commissioned by God as ministers of reconciliation (18).
Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
That soul-deep brokenness in the heart of every person is, in reality, a broken relationship with God. That used to be our problem, but God’s grace in Jesus Christ reconciled our relationship with God. Now, God, knowing that we can be powerful representatives and examples of His grace, has equipped, empowered, and mobilized us to be His reconcilers in the world. Of course, it’s God and His grace who actually does the reconciling, but we are His ministers, serving, interceding, praying, and sharing the truth about God’s reconciling love to the world. This requires of us a readiness to serve.
4. We believe that Jesus loves all people and desires to reconcile them, just as He did us (19).
That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
As new creatures in Christ, the old selfish and self-righteous hearts of broken people have been transformed to become like Christ. Since Jesus loves the world, we do too. Since Jesus deeply desires people to be reconciled to God, we do too. Since Jesus was willing to give Himself for others, we are too. Just as Jesus ministered with His whole heart to broken hearts, demonstrating the Father’s love, so do we. As Jesus cares for every person, we care. God committed that message of reconciliation to us. We now have the responsibility to carry the message of Christ’s love to others. This requires of us grace and mercy.
5. We are Christ’s ambassadors, representing Him and His love to the world (20).
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
An ambassador speaks and acts on behalf of his king, to another king and people of another kingdom. The purpose is peace and understanding between peoples. In the same way, we speak and act on behalf of our King: King Jesus. As Christ’s ambassadors, we make the appeal to be reconciled to God. This means that our lives are appealing, in that people see Jesus and His love for them, through and in us. They see mercy and grace in us. As Christ’s ambassadors, we speak the gospel — good news about reconciliation — spoken with passion and compassion. We plead with people because we care and because we believe the gospel to be true, real, and powerful; and that it is necessary for reconciliation. We know it because we experience it personally. This means our lives are persuasive. How can people be confident in a grace they haven’t yet received unless they observe it in us? This requires of us a life of persuasive compassion.
6. We live in such a manner that the world sees the righteousness of God in us (21).
He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
People cannot see our righteousness unless they experience us. So, we care enough to build relationships, to spend time with broken people, and look for opportunities to show our love for God and for them. Righteousness is an outcome of love and worship; it’s the position of right standing with God. It’s living by His standard and doing what Jesus did. As we live out our salvation before people in the world, they will witness our righteousness, which speaks for itself the power of the gospel. This requires of us a visible obedience of Jesus.
These six principles from 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 provide the biblical foundation of our 2023 theme and a new vision of ministry and mission at Calvary Baptist Church: Calvary Cares.
Calvary Cares points toward the cross. The English term Calvary is based on the Latin word calvaria, which is the Vulgate’s Latin translation of Greek κρανίον (kranion) “skull,” which in turn translates the Aramaic word Golgotha. The cross of Christ serves as our inspiration.
What happened at Calvary was an expression of God’s immeasurable love for us. And since at Calvary, Jesus cared for us, at Calvary Baptist Church, we carry the cross of God’s love to the world.
So, when we say, “Calvary Cares,” we’re expressing the love Jesus has for the world. We are drawing attention to Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are proclaiming the gospel that has the power to save, redeem, and transform. We’re saying God loves you. We’re declaring that every single person on this planet is loved by God, whether they seem lovable or not to us. We don’t decide who God loves. We believe he loves every person and desires for them to love him.
Calvary Cares points us toward each other. Reconciliation must take place in the church, as well as in the community. From Jesus’ very own mouth, we read,
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
So, when we cay, “Calvary Cares,” we’re saying that the love of Jesus permeates our family of faith. We’re saying to each other, I care. We’re promising to think of others before ourselves. We’re committing to loving each other in the same way that Jesus loves us. And we’re also saying to our community, “Love is spoken here.” Come and experience God’s love with us” That, my dear ones, is a powerful and much-needed message in our world. But it must be more than a message: it must be the way we live.
And of course, Calvary Cares points us to our community. I’m reading a book right now, by Eric Metaxas — Letter to the Church — in which he warns the church that we are approaching the same passive approach to the culture much in the same way that the German church did in the context of 1930s Nazism. While it’s true that the Truth needs to be preached and taught here, it cannot be done so without a large measure of love. And while I agree with him that the church in America must defend the Truth of God with confidence, faith and passion, we must do so compelled by love, not by a cause. Jesus does teach us to live out the truth, but he also commands us to love our enemies. Here it is:
“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
So, when we say, Calvary Cares, we are saying that we love the community in the same way that Jesus did: He died for them. This means that we respond to rejection with patience. This means that we respond to needs with active compassion. This means that we remember we are God’s fiduciary — remember the January 22nd sermon. Everything we have has been entrusted to us from God; and we are responsible to give it back to him interest. God’s interest is lost souls saved. “Making the most of every opportunity” means that we are looking for people to love and ways to love them. We do this because that’s what Jesus did. He came “to seek and to save the lost.” So how aggressively are we seeking those who need God’s love, need the gospel?
We want people in our church family and people in our community to know, understand and see that Calvary is a caring church.
Calvary Cares means that “Love is spoken here.” Our life speaks: our attitudes, our actions, our words, our character, everything about us speaks a language. And what we want to make sure of here is that the language of our lives, individually and corporately, is the love of Christ. Love is spoken here:
It’s spoken in worship, as we pour out ourselves and our praise to amazing, almighty God.
It’s spoken in discipleship, as we we love God and His Word enough to read it, study it, obey it, and model it.
It’s spoken in ministry, as we put our love into action in practical, humble service to each other.
It’s spoken in mission, as we reach out in love to a hurting world of broken people who need the redemption of Christ. But they often must see Christ’s love in us before their eyes will be open to truth of the gospel.
“Calvary Cares” points us and the community to the cross. Calvary is where blood was shed for love.
“Calvary Cares” points us to each other. It expresses the love of Jesus that permeates this family of faith, carried out in practical and selfless service to each other.
“Calvary Cares” points us to our community. It means that we love people in our community the same way that Jesus does.
Calvary Cares, and Love is spoken here. That’s God’s vision for our church in 2023, and very likely beyond this year. Let’s join our hearts together and love Jesus, love each other, and love our world like we’ve never loved before.
It’s going to be a great year.
A heart symbolizes our focus on four essentials:
love for God and His Word
love for God’s people
compassion for the hurting and the lost
humility to serve God and others
A cross symbolizes the gospel is at the center of all we are and all we do.
A letter C, shaped like a fish hook, symbolizes our commitment to be “fishers of people”, and our character: genuine, loving care for others.
A tag line expresses our desire to build relationships, and to speak God’s love to all people at all times and in various ways.