God delegates His passion to reach the world through believers

Here’s what I learned in Sunday’s sermon:

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We have been given reconciliation so we can give it to others by sharing the message of the Gospel. We aren’t saved for just our own pleasure! We are God’s ambassadors. If the Word is to be extended it’s on our backs and with our mouths!

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Romans 1:14-16 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Pastor Kurt said the ministry of reconciliation is the service. Service is passing it along. Faithfully passing on that which has been prepared by someone else. It’s not our job to mess with the message.

We should always be prepared and ready. While it’s important to speak with our lives (walk the talk) we must be able to tell people the good news.

Paul says in verse 20 that God is making His appeal through us. He’s begging us to be reconciled to Him!

If we don’t think we can go out into the mission field or even door-to-door, here are a couple ideas that each of us can do:

1. Care for people. Call them when they are hurting. Bring them food when they are ill.
2. Make every comment we make ring with God’s love: “Aren’t we blessed by God?” “Hasn’t God given us a beautiful day today?” “God bless you!”

The Psalmist wrote, “I will make mention of your righteousness.”

Praise God!

More About the Disciples

The disciples weren’t blamed when a listener rejected the message. Just as we are called to share the Gospel and plant the seed, it’s up to the receiver of the message what he does with it. We do have to present it faithfully and carefully though.

Their message when Jesus sent them out was pretty much: the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The new era prophesized by the prophets and longed for by the saints had begun. Jesus, the king, had now come to earth to call His subjects to Himself.

The people back then needed a loving Shepherd. They had plenty of false shepherds in the scribes and Pharisees. But, the scribes and Pharisees couldn’t bring them into relationship with the living God or forgive their sins.

The people were a harvest ready to be reaped. And Jesus needed people to do this.

People who walk closely with Jesus begin to see things the way He does. They see the need too and feel the call. The Harvest is still to this day in need of laborers! There are so many people getting false messages and being led astray.