Desperate Mission

Bottom line

We need to be desperate about bringing people to Christ

Opening Line

Have you ever hoped for an opportunity to come, only for the door to be opened and you find yourself unprepared?

Introduction

This is how I felt recently with the Co-op building. I think most of you have heard this story, but it doesn’t hurt to retell it. When Co-op built the new grocery store on Railway Ave, Michelle and I started talking about what we would do with the old building if it ever became available. The reality was that it was a huge space, and the possibilities were endless. Along with all the space, the location could not be beat. The location offered a lot of possibilities.

However, all the discussion was always as a pipe dream. I also knew that Co-op tended to sit on their buildings for long periods of time, and was never really sure if the building would actually come available. Even if it did, there was no way we as a church could afford something that substantial.

Then all of a sudden, it happened. The building became available, and not only that, it was well within our price range. The catch was that we only had two weeks to get an offer in. All of a sudden, there were meetings, phone calls, emails, and discussions that had to be had in a very short amount of time because we had a short timeline to put it all together.

Let me ask you. When the pressure was on and urgency was at it’s all time high, what do you think consumed the vast majority of the conversation? The building. What dominated the prayers of the people? The building. In fact, I had more conversations with our district office in those two weeks than any other time since I stopped serving on the executive.

Main Point

My point is that when the pressure is on, when urgency and even a degree of desperation start to settle in, the source of the urgency becomes all consuming. It becomes all you can think about, all you can talk about. I would say this is especially true anytime you are purchasing a building, but it also applies when a work deadline is approaching, an assignment is due and it worth a high percentage of your final grade. I would also add that when the stakes are higher, the urgency and desperation get heightened.

Why it matters

So why do we not see the same factors at work when it comes to the idea of making disciples? I have said on a number of occasions that Jesus’ return is imminent. This morning, Paul is going to remind us that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of how we lived our lives. Not just believers, everyone. Your friends, your family, your co-workers, everyone, regardless if they believe in Jesus or not.

If you don’t believe that time is short, I need you to go read Matthew 24 sometime this week. Jesus himself gives the disciples a clear timeline of how the end will play out. He says that it will be like childbirth, where the signs will become more frequent and more intense as the end draws nearer. Look at everything that Jesus is describing and tell me that the signs of the end are not unfolding before our very eyes.

So if the end is near, then a desperation should awaken in us. But what are we to be desperate about? Paul is going to lay that out this morning too.

We are in 2 Corinthians 5 this morning if you want to turn there. It is in the app and on the screen as well. If you need a Bible, then let us know and we will get one to you.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:1–5 NLT

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

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This is just Paul rehashing everything he said in the last chapter. This is the hope, that you will receive new bodies. The sickness and pain that is in this one, with all of the temptations of the flesh, will die and a new better body will be given to you, designed by God himself as a gift.

The only thing I want to point out here is that Paul emphasizes that you will have a body, not just a spirit. This is the Greek influence that Paul is constantly try to combat. You will have an immortal body for the eternal heaven because you will still work and eat and most everything you do on earth. We don’t become little angels with overly revealing robes playing harps all day long. God has something signficantly better in store for you.

2 Corinthians 5:6–10 NLT

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

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Twice Paul writes that you should be confident in the promise of a new body, which helps you endure the hardships of the world, but also confident in life because of this great promise. I propose that when you are hesitant about sharing or living out your faith as you know you should, it is because of a worldly perspective and not an eternal one. You become distracted by the cares of this present life.

How do you combat this distraction? Paul says it so well in v.9, “Our goal is to please him.” In 1 Corinthians, Paul encouraged the church to do everything, whether eating, drinking, or whatever you do, to the glory of God. Here, Paul writes that whether it is this current body or the one to come, the goal in everything is to please God. Why? Because all of us must stand before Christ and be judged, receiving whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this body.

Important note, and this is why you should have a deep sense of urgency. This life is all you have. This life, because we serve a gracious and merciful God, is full of second chances, but once you die, that’s it. There are no second chances after death. If you didn’t make the most of the time you have, that’s on you. I say that because I have heard people in this church tell me they believe that there will be a second chance after death because God is gracious and merciful. The truth is, God is also just, and his justice is at times severe, but never contrary to his love. Jesus said that the end will not come until every nation on earth has heard the gospel, so that is God’s mercy. Everyone has a chance to hear and accept the gospel of Jesus. Once your time runs out, that’s it. Revelation says that in the end, the Book of Life will be opened, and only the names of those written in the book will enter heaven. Whose names are written in the book? Those who have declared Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Paul writes in Romans that on that day, people will be without excuse.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I starting a get a sense of urgency in my heart.

2 Corinthians 5:11–17 NLT

Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

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New Life

I’m going to circle back to the fearful responsibility, because I think it is a significant point Paul is making.

Christ died for all, so you also have died to your old life. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes upon you, like Paul said in verse 5, as the guarantee of the new body you will receive. But not only do you receive a new body after this one passes away, you receive a new life now that has a different drive than your old life. What drives you now? To serve Jesus, the one who died for you. In Galatians, Paul says that the old self has been crucified with Christ, and is gone. You’ve been made new. The desires and interests you have should look nothing like that desires and interests of those who are not saved. You should stand out in a crowd because of the change that the Holy Spirit has done in you, but also continues to accomplish in you. Your priorities are different. Your ambitions are different. The things that excite you are different. Why? Because Jesus is making you more like him, and as you read the gospels, Jesus saw the world differently.

So my question for you is this:

Are you still trying to hold on to your old life?

Are you still trying to do things the way everyone else does? Are you still putting the things of the world ahead of the things of God? Does your life look like the life of someone changed by the power of the Holy Spirit? Because the truth is that you have to choose to put the old self to death everyday. You have to choose to make every thought submit to Christ.

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See I would say there are two groups of people who are going to have a really bad day on judgment day. The first group are the ones who have rejected the free gift of eternal life that Jesus alone gives. The second group are those who claim to be followers of Jesus but don’t actually practice their faith. These are the people that Jesus describes in the parables of Matthew 24. Jesus talks about the servant who the master finds busy with the work of the master vs. the servant he finds being lazy. He talks about the 10 virgins in Matthew 25, but only 5 were ready when the groom arrived. He talks about the three servants, two who were good stewards with what their master entrusted to them, and the one who had been lazy about it. He talks about the followers being separated like sheep and goats, and the sheep being the faithful and welcomed into the kingdom of God.

This is the fearful responsibility that Paul is refering to. You will give an account of the life you lived in this body. You should be busy with the Master’s work because he has given you the new life to accomplish the work. Anyone starting to feel some of that urgency yet?

But what is the work you’ve been given?

2 Corinthians 5:18–21 NLT

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

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The Task of Reconciliation

You have been given the task of the reconciling people to God. Not me, not just the pastor, but each and everyone of us share in this mission. That is why the mission of OneChurch is to make, baptize, and teach disciples of Christ. This is the process of bringing people into the fold, the family of God. Reconciliation is restoring the relationship between God and man. Jesus died to restore the relationship that sin broke in the Garden of Eden. Since you now enjoy that reconciled relationship with God, now you are to share that same reconciliation with others.

But it’s not just sharing it or casually inviting somoene. Paul says that we plead with people, “Come back to God!” What image does pleading make in your mind? For me, it is on your knees, humbly asking someone. It is an image of urgency and desperation. It is what is missing in the life of the church. It is one thing to know that you need to reach out, it is another to be desperate in your reaching out. It is another to be desperate in sharing and inviting people to church. Pleading means you don’t stop asking until they come, until they give in. Look what Paul says in the next two verses:

2 Corinthians 6:1–2 NLT

As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

We Beg You...

What is Paul begging the church to do? Do not accept the marvelous gift of salvation and then ignore it. Do not claim to be a Christian but not live like one. Do not accept the freedom from sin that the new life in Christ gives you and then continue to live in sin. Do not accept the kindness of and then ignore it.

Today is the day of salvation!

Transition to Application

I have often said that you are not just saved from your sin, you are also saved for a purpose. This is the purpose that you are saved for, the purpose of bringing reconciliation to the people in your life. Your join with Jesus in the mission of reconciling people to our heavenly Father.

Main To Do

The last little bit, I’ve been encouraging you to pray in specific ways. I encouraged you to read your bible in a way that God can actually speak to you through it. I have challenged you to pray for opportunities to make it known that Jesus is the only way to the Father.

This morning, I want you to look around at everyone who is here, take a good look. Stand up if you have to.

Now I want you to close your eyes. Picture everyone in your life who isn’t here but could be. Obviously anyone who lives in another province or country, it just isn’t possible. But everyone who is driving distance away, think about them.

Ask God to point one or two people specifically. This week I want you to pray for them, that they would experience reconciliation to God. But don’t just pray flippantly. I want you to get desperate. I want you to plead with God to move in their life. Plead with God for an opportunity to share the love of Christ with them.

Why it matters

There are a few reasons I want you to start getting into the habit of pleading with God on behalf of others. The first is what I’m calling the OneChurch 100. In 2026, we are making it our goal to average 100 people at our Sunday morning gatherings. We are going to make some changes to accomplish this goal, but it starts with each of you. You are part of reaching this goal, and the most effective tool we have in our arsenal are the prayer of the saints. So start praying, inviting, and sharing with the people God has placed in your life.

The other reason is one that I have hinted at a couple times already. Let me read a passage from Matthew 24 to give you a sense of how short the time is.

Matthew 24:4–14 NLT

Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

should I put it up, or should I just read it?

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Closing Line

Does any of that sound familiar? The time is short, church. It is time to wake up and get about the Lord’s work. You have given a task, the reconciliation of people to God. So let’s get to it!

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

How can we cultivate a sense of urgency in our daily lives when it comes to sharing our faith with others?

What steps can you take this week to invite someone to church or to discuss faith?

In what ways can we better prepare ourselves to be ready when opportunities to evangelize arise?

What role does the Holy Spirit play in leading us to share the gospel with those around us?

How can we overcome distractions that prevent us from focusing on the task of reconciliation?

What actions can we take to actively plead with God for the salvation of those in our lives?

How do you feel about the responsibility of sharing your faith with friends or classmates?

What are some specific ways you can demonstrate your faith in everyday situations at school?

Have you ever felt desperate to help a friend who is struggling? How can that urgency translate to sharing your faith?

In what areas of your life do you think you might be holding onto your 'old self' instead of embracing your new life in Christ?