The Ministry of Reconciliation

The Most Important Mission

Special message for the last message preached at Hope Baptist Church

I could not think of anything else better to encourage all of you than this passage.

Paul was writing to the church in Corinth that had several issues and struggles.

This is the second letter we have from Paul to the congregation there.

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Verse 11

Because we fear God, we tell others about him!

Fear of God is also a reverential awe for God

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Hebrews 10:31 ESV

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 12:29 ESV

29 for our God is a consuming fire.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God because he is not only all love but all wrath.

This falling into his hands is not the goof kind of way to be in the hands of God but the worst kind of way to be in his hands.

Jude 23 ESV

23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

“I hope it is also known to your conscience” (11b)

2 Meanings to this sentence:

Paul was confirming his divine calling from God and telling to the believers to be persuaded of this. Paul was a divine teacher and apostle—the believers in Corinth were being instructed to follow him and his teaching rather than turning to false doctrine.

Paul is saying that the believers must examine themselves and be sure their lives are being governed by the fear of the Lord.

Are you allowing your life to be governed by the fear of the Lord?

Verse 12-15

(v.12) Paul and the followers of the true teachings of Christ are the only ones who could truly boast.

(v.13) Believers do things that seem radical to the world

Everything Paul did was for God and for the believers.

Can we say the same?

I have seen this quality in all of you:

Staying open and trying to run a church.

dedication to the ministry.

(v.14) Christ’s Substitutionary death for believers

Controlled by the love of Christ (14a):

Christ’s loving substitutionary death motivated Paul’s service for Him.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We do not act according to what we want but by what Christ wants

Illustration: It would be easier to stay at home on a Sunday morning. It would be easier to not go to Bible studies. It would be easier to keep your tithe. But we do all these things for Christ and his mission.

“One has died for all, therefore all have died” (14b)

The love of Christ that controls us was displayed for believers at the cross.

Christ died in our place. He took the punishment of God for us!

“Therefore all have died”

The “all” is referring to believers, the ones who died.

This is referring to the believers. The ones who have “died” in Christ.

Romans 6:6 ESV

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Because of Christ’s death we live anew!

(v.15) We live for Christ because he died for us!

Illustration: Horrible deaths of the Apostles. Foxes book of Martyrs