Being at peace with God and others

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as if God were imploring you through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him.

17 If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between us and himself, and God gave us the work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him. 19 God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. And he gave us this message of peace. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is as if God is calling to you through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 LEB

Opening prayer

Heavenly Father we thank you that you wanted to reveal Yourself to us through your creation, through your Word and in the most amazing way, through your Son Jesus Christ, Your Word became flesh. Please prepare our hearts and minds to be changed with the Power of your Word and your Holy Spirit, use your servant as an instrument to share faithfully your message, in Jesus Name, amen.

Introduction

Let me ask you two questions:

First question: What is the first thought, image or thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word NEW?

Time for listen answers from the students

According to the dictionary the word NEW is: an adjective that can be used for the meaning of something not existed before, something made, something introduced, or something discovered recently or known for the first time. Also, can be used to meaning as different, changed, unknown or strange.

By the way, if we change the word something to someone then we can say someone not existed before, someone made, someone introduced or someone known for the first time.

Second question: What do you understand for been an ambassador?

Time to listen some answers from students

One definition of ambassador is: an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country.

Other definition is: a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity.

It is important to understand these two concepts to understand in a better way the message of God trough the passage we read.

The letter to the Corinthians was written by apostle Paul around A.D. 60, 2 Corinthians is the second letter Paul´s wrote to this church. One of the reason he wrote a second letter was that he might commend their obedience in reference to the directions in his First Letter, and at the same time direct them now to forgive the offender, as having been punished sufficiently (2 Co 2:1–11; 7:6–16).

1. That he might commend their obedience in reference to the directions in his First Letter, and at the same time direct them now to forgive the offender, as having been punished sufficiently (; ).

The obedience to the Word of God always is going to bring us blessings from God, becaise obedience to God place Him. But it doesn´t mean that we are not have any trouble, a faith test, or difficult circunstances.

Sermon development

1. Made new in Christ (v. 17)

New Century Version

17 If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!

2 Corinthians 5:17 LEB

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

Paul the apostle, the one who wrote this letter was known by Saul before he was made new in Christ.

He was a jealous Jew.

He was a persecutor of the church of Christ.

He witnessed and approved the stoning of Esteban.

Lots of Christians were put into prison because of Saul, many others were killed during all this persecution led by Saul.

But some amazing day, during his trip to Damascus everything changes.

Please go with me to:

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Acts 9:1

1 In Jerusalem Saul was still threatening the followers of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So, he went to the high priest 2 and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Then if Saul found any followers of Christ’s Way, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.

3 So Saul headed toward Damascus. As he came near the city, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

Acts 9:1–4 LEB

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, both men and women, he could bring them tied up to Jerusalem. Now as he proceeded, it happened that when he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

It is so important to note that Jesus Christ told Saul that he was persecuting Him when he was persecuting the members of the church.

The reason of it is because as Christians we are the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12).

The principles in this Words of Christ are:

Every sin we make is against God,

If we are mad on someone, we are mad on God,

we are been mad with God,

If we are treating bad our parents, our friends, our siblings, our classmates, our teachers, we are doing that to God Himself.

But in the same way, if we are treating or doing something good to others, we are downing to God Himself also.

The response of Saul to Jesus question was:

Why? Because all human beings bear the image of God

Knowing this, should make us reflect on everything we do, everything we think and everything we feel about others.

Acts 9:5

But, what else happened with Saul´s encounter with Jesus Christ?

Acts 9:5–6 LEB

So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting! But get up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.”

NCV

5 Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?”

The voice answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 Get up now and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.”

Christ interrupt Saul´s life and changed everything for him.

At this time Saul obeyed the Word of Jesus and went to the city where a follower of Jesus named Ananias who will meet Saul and baptize him in obiedence to Jesus Christ.

After recovering his sight and had eating Paul recovered the strength and after he stayed a few days with the followers of Jesus in Damascus he began to preach about Jesus in the synagogues saying that “Jesus is the Son of God”.

What you thing happened with the one who was persecuting Jesus Christ a few days before?

Time for listen some answers from students

Christ made Saul a new creature, a new man, a new person, a person not existed before.

Paul the apostle became a peacemaker.

2. Been pacemakers (v.18-19)

Been pacemakers (v.18-19)

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18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between us and himself, and God gave us the work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him. 19 God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. And he gave us this message of peace.

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 LEB

And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

First of all, the Word of God is telling us that all this new creation comes from God.

It is through Christ that God made peace between Him and all new creatures whom recognize their sinful condition that make them been apart from the glory of God, and make them been enemies to God.

Can you imagine been in war against the most Powerful Person for all your life?

No matter what you do, you are never going to win.

Maybe you think that you never are going to live submitted to someone else because you were born to be a free person.

Let me tell you this:

If you are not sumitted to God then you are living submitted to Satan, and guess what? A life serving Satan has only one destination, Hell, eternal destruction, eternal sadness.

But in Christ we have Salvation from that, and through Him we are truly free persons. But with a pourpuse, as a messengers of God we are now peacemakers.

God tell us in:

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7 Bring to me all the people who are mine, whom I made for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Let see the plan and purpose of God with Saul transformation:

Please go with me to:

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15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen Saul for an important work. He must tell about me to those who are not Jews, to kings, and to the people of Israel.

The NIV says: This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim MY NAME to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.

The Lord told Ananias, the one who baptized the apostle Paul, that He choose Paul to be His instrument to announce others that they can also been at peace with God.

He, as all Christians, has the command from the Lord to announce the message of peace. TO BE A PEACEMAKERS.

But we can only be peacemakers just when we are at peace with God first, and with the His Holy Spirit’s help.

The Word of God says:

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1 Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 who through our faith has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory. 3 We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. 4 And patience produces character, and character produces hope. 5 And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

3. Representing Christ to others (v. 20-21)

6 When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. 8 But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

9 So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of Christ’s death. 10 While we were God’s enemies, he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he will save us through his Son’s life. 11 And not only that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we now God’s friend again.

Romans 5:1–11 NTV

Por lo tanto, ya que fuimos declarados justos a los ojos de Dios por medio de la fe, tenemos paz con Dios gracias a lo que Jesucristo nuestro Señor hizo por nosotros. Debido a nuestra fe, Cristo nos hizo entrar en este lugar de privilegio inmerecido en el cual ahora permanecemos, y esperamos con confianza y alegría participar de la gloria de Dios. También nos alegramos al enfrentar pruebas y dificultades porque sabemos que nos ayudan a desarrollar resistencia. Y la resistencia desarrolla firmeza de carácter, y el carácter fortalece nuestra esperanza segura de salvación. Y esa esperanza no acabará en desilusión. Pues sabemos con cuánta ternura nos ama Dios, porque nos ha dado el Espíritu Santo para llenar nuestro corazón con su amor. Cuando éramos totalmente incapaces de salvarnos, Cristo vino en el momento preciso y murió por nosotros, pecadores. Ahora bien, casi nadie se ofrecería a morir por una persona honrada, aunque tal vez alguien podría estar dispuesto a dar su vida por una persona extraordinariamente buena; pero Dios mostró el gran amor que nos tiene al enviar a Cristo a morir por nosotros cuando todavía éramos pecadores. Entonces, como se nos declaró justos a los ojos de Dios por la sangre de Cristo, con toda seguridad él nos salvará de la condenación de Dios. Pues, como nuestra amistad con Dios quedó restablecida por la muerte de su Hijo cuando todavía éramos sus enemigos, con toda seguridad seremos salvos por la vida de su Hijo. Así que ahora podemos alegrarnos por nuestra nueva y maravillosa relación con Dios gracias a que nuestro Señor Jesucristo nos hizo amigos de Dios.

The next part of this message for all of us is:

3. Ambassador of Christ (v. 20-21)

NCV

2 Corinthians 5:20–21 NTV

Así que somos embajadores de Cristo; Dios hace su llamado por medio de nosotros. Hablamos en nombre de Cristo cuando les rogamos: «¡Vuelvan a Dios!». Pues Dios hizo que Cristo, quien nunca pecó, fuera la ofrenda por nuestro pecado, para que nosotros pudiéramos estar en una relación correcta con Dios por medio de Cristo.

20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is as if God is calling to you through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God.

An ambassador is not authorized to give any message but the only authorized one is the one the Lord gives him.

Paul does not leave us with doubts about our proclamation. In these verses there are teachings regarding their origin, their basis and their success.

God had called us to be at peace with Him and now through us is calling others too.

Christ took our place, Christ was no guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring us to God.

His body was killed but he was made alive in the Spirit.

Some conclusions about this message:

Conclusion

God is the One who can make us new persons, the One who can make us reborn in the Spirit.

The initiative for the Salvation of men was taken by God Himself.

He sent his Son to die for us.

God accepted Jesus Christ sacrifice in our place.

Through this Sacrifice we can be at peace with God. There is no other way.

It is just by faith in Christ’s Dead and Resurrection that we can have eternal life and God’s peace.

If you has not recognize Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, today is the day of Salvation for you, repent for your sins, ask for forgiveness to God, and rejoice in what Jesus Christ did for you.

Application

Maybe you have the question of how you can apply this True into your life?

If you have not recognized Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, today is the day of Salvation for you.

Repent for your sins, ask for forgiveness to God, and rejoice in what Jesus Christ did for you.

Ask God for help so your heart can be changed, and for having the fruit of the Holy Spirit on it.

Remember that the way you treat others is the way you are treating the Lord.

Be hurry to repent any time you sin.

Treat others with kindness, in the way you want to be treated by others.

Love God and His Word.

Spend time reading the Bible and praying.

Love others, no matter if they are not so close to you.

Respect others.

Be patience with others.

Avoid gossiping.

Have a spirit of service.

Be a slave of God.

Let’s pray

Ending prayer

Heavenly father thank you for your Word, thank you for the Salvation you give us through our Lord Jesus Christ, we need you all the time, please help us to be a peacemakers, help us to be a good ambassadors of Christ and to speak His message to others.

we beg you for those whom still been your enemies, touch their heart so they can appreciate and receive your message. If here is someone who wants to repent of their sins and be a new person created by you, allow them to approach one of the teachers and talk with more confidence about this matter.

Thank you for MCCA, your School, thanks you for all the students and their families, thank you for the plans you have for us, thank you for the new students you are going to bring to MCCA, thanks for all the teachers and staff, thanks for our families, we love you Father, in Jesus Name we pray, amen.

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