2 Corinthians 2:12-17, 3:4-6 , 4:3-5, 5:14-21 What, Me a Missionary? Rethinking our role in missions

Pictures of missionaries

Lottie Moon - To China

Her converts numbered in the hundreds. Prolific writing campaign, Moon's letters and articles poignantly described the life of a missionary and pleaded the "desperate need" for more missionaries. She encouraged Southern Baptist women to organize mission societies in the local churches to help support additional missionary candidates, and to consider coming themselves. In 1887, Moon wrote to the Foreign Mission Journal and proposed that the week before Christmas be established as a time of giving to foreign missions.

William Carey - To India

"Shoemaker by trade, but scholar, linguist and missionary by God's training,"

"If it be the duty of all men to believe the Gospel ... then it be the duty of those who are entrusted with the Gospel to endeavor to make it known among all nations."

"EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD. ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD."

(no Indian convert for seven years), the Scriptures translated and printed into forty languages,

Father of the modern mission movement – mission boards

David Branierd - To American Indians in NY

First trip – ready to preach to the Indians the next day. A party had been sent out to kill him.

But when the braves drew closer to Brainerd's tent, they saw the paleface on his knees. And as he prayed, suddenly a rattlesnake slipped to his side, lifted up its ugly head to strike, flicked its forked tongue almost in his face, and then without any apparent reason, glided swiftly away into the brushwood. "The Great Spirit is with the paleface!" the Indians said; and thus they accorded him a prophet's welcome.

Died at 29 from tuberculosis – well known journal – Known for his intercessory praying

Hudson Taylor - To China

Known for his trust of God by faith

"He must move men through God -- by prayer,"

Created China inland mission – at his death

205 stations with 849 missionaries, and 125,000 Chinese Christians in the China Inland Mission.

And these can be great missionaries too.

We are missionaries. We represent Christ everyday.

What! Me a Missionary?

Various passages in 2 Corinthians

Rethinking our role in Missions – We are the missionaries

I. What, Me a Missionary? Representing Christ

A. Driven by love

(ESV) 2 Cor 5 14 For the love of Christ controls (compels) us, …

1. What we have received is so precious we are driven in gratitude

B. Not selling but sincere

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 2 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

1. Not like we are selling someone

2. Hiding the flaws / misleading

3. Looking for self gain or esteem

C. Reconciling others to God

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 5 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.

1. Restoring a relationship

2. Take two people who are at odds and making them one

D. Pleading on behalf of Christ

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 5 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal (pleading) through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

1. Ambassadors – represent Him / speak for Him

2. Deeply caring – begging / emotionally engaged

E. Giving the transformational message from God

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 5 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. The message

a) He had no sin

b) He took on sin

c) He enables us to receive His righteousness

d) By receiving Him

II. What, Me a Missionary? To people who cannot see

A. People perishing

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 4 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

1. Are dying

2. Terminal unless given the cure

B. People blinded

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 4 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1. Can’t see the truth

2. A spiritual issue beyond even themselves

3. Expect a spiritual battle

C. People needing God’s light

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 4 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1. Need the light that we have

2. Through the message

3. Exposes the truth

III. What, Me a Missionary? Enabled by God Himself

A. Sufficient in Him

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 3 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

1. Trusting Him

2. Insufficient in ourselves

3. Sufficiency comes from Him

4. Sufficient as ministers

B. Triumphant in sharing

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 2 12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, … 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

1. Opened doors by Him

2. Always triumphant in sharing

3. It is God at work – always accomplishes what He desires

4. Diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge – like a spray bottle

C. The sweet smell of God to all

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 2 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

1. No matter the response, all smell it

D. But the final choice is theirs

(NKJV) 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.

1. The impact is their responsibility

2. Aroma of life based on choice – wonderful in all eternity

3. Aroma of death based on choice – just condemnation