Seek the Lost
Walk of Faith • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsSince God reconciled us to Himself in Christ Jesus, He now calls us to be reconcilers.
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Intro:
Intro:
12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
TS: In this portion of 2 Cor., God through Paul tells us that what he did for us. Our relationship with God was broken… so God fixed it – He reconciled us to himself. Then, God says: NOW that He’s reconciled US to HIM… He wants US to be a RECONCILER with others:
Reconciliation means many things, but today we’re looking at this definition: “to fix broken relationships.”
In our text this morning, God tells us that that was what he did for us. Our relationship with God was broken… so God fixed it – He reconciled us to himself. What I find interesting about this passage is that God says: NOW that He’s reconciled US to HIM… He wants US to be a RECONCILER with others:
We won’t step up and do that if we aren’t firmly convinced of our own reconciliation.
Until our relationship with Christ reaches a point where it continually transforms our thinking and living, we will feel little motivation to share Him with others.
It is insufficient for us to say,
Jesus is the answer – I think.
Jesus can fill your empty soul – I hope.
Jesus is our only source of life – so I am told.
But, when we fully get a grasp of what God has done for us, as we surrender our lives, search the scriptures, satisfy the Spirit, & serve others, we get fired up about seeking the lost.
Hear the word of the Lord:
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Cor 5:18-
We have been reconciled:
We have been reconciled:
New Creation
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
In Christ
These two words comprise a profound statement of the inexhaustible significance of the believer’s redemption, which includes the following:
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
These two words comprise a brief but most profound statement of the inexhaustible significance of the believer’s redemption, which includes the following: 1) the believer’s security in Christ, who bore in His body God’s judgment against sin; 2) the believer’s acceptance in Him with whom God alone is well pleased; 3) the believer’s future assurance in Him who is the resurrection to eternal life and the sole guarantor of the believer’s inheritance in heaven; and 4) the believer’s participation in the divine nature of Christ, the everlasting Word (cf. 2Pe 1:4)
1) the believer’s security in Christ, who bore in His body God’s judgment against sin;
2) the believer’s acceptance in Him with whom God alone is well pleased;
3) the believer’s future assurance in Him who is the resurrection to eternal life and the sole guarantor of the believer’s inheritance in heaven; and
4) the believer’s participation in the divine nature of Christ, the everlasting Word (cf. )
-MacArthur Study Bible
New Creation
We are remade new in Christ
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
puts on display the profound change
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
New Relationship 2 Cor 5:18
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
Reconcile- restore friendly relations between
-cause to coexist in harmony; make or show
to be compatible.
cause to coexist in harmony; make or show to be compatible.
"a landscape in which inner and outer vision were reconciled"synonyms:make compatible, harmonize, square, make congruent, balance; raresyncretize
"he is trying to reconcile his religious beliefs with his career"make (one account) consistent with another, especially by allowing for transactions begun but not yet completed.
-make (one account) consistent with another, especially by allowing for transactions begun but not yet completed.
We see all of the nuances of those definitions at work
before we are saved, we have a hostile relationship with God.
Jesus brings us into a freiendly relationship
Our flesh and sin are by no means compatible with God’s holiness.
Through reconciliation, Jesus makes us compatible
Our accounts are out of balance. We owe a sin debt which is impossible to pay back.
Jesus adjusts the balance by paying it off
We are to be reconcilers:
We are to be reconcilers:
It is our position
Ambassadors
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
we are official representatives of the Kingdom of God.
Paul essentially begs them: be reconciled to God
Notice
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
We work together with God to urge people to receive the gift of salvation
It is our command
Great Commission:
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
1. The basis of the commission – the authority of Jesus
2. The Scope of the commission – make disciples of all peoples
Some focus on the “go” part of this verse. “Go” is not the main verb, it is a participle or “ing” word “going”. The main verb is “make disciples”. On the basis of the authority of Jesus in heaven and earth, make disciples as the natural course of your life on this earth.
“disciple” = student, follower
3. The process of the commission
a) Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
b) Teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded
The great commission does not stop with receiving Christ. The great commission includes obeying Christ. The Bible presents more instruction concerning our responsibility after someone becomes a Christian than before.
4. The power of the commission – I am with you always
5. The duration of the commission – to the end of the age
How do we do this?
Just do it!
Show what God has done in us
live a transformed life
Share what God has done for us.
Show the Scriptures:
It doesn’t have to be a polished presentaiton
It doesn’t have to be a cookie cutter approach
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Since God reconciled us to Himself in Christ Jesus, He now calls us to be reconcilers.