The Ministry of Reconciliation
Text: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Core Idea: As recipients of the message of reconciliation, we must now go and declare the same message to the world for that is the mission that we have received. Then just as we experienced the joy of receiving this good news, may we have many opportunities to experience the joy of sharing this good news with others as well.
INTRODUCTION
Today, I want to start by doing something different – in that, I’ll be giving you a series of words and I want you to think about an emotion that’s associated with that specific word. So, for example, if I say the word, “exercise,” you might feel excited because you love working out, but others may feel frustrated because it’s hard or even discouraged because it reminds you of the times that you have failed to do so. Does that make sense? In fact, I’ll give you a little bit of time to quickly share your emotions with those around you. Ready? Here’s the first word – coffee; all-inclusive vacation; Christmas; politics; Lighthouse church (or church in general). Here’s the last one, evangelism. Now, what did you feel when I said the word, “Evangelism”? Excited? Stressful? Anxious? Scared? Guilty? Or maybe even apathetic? Listen to how Paul felt about evangelism. Romans 1:14-16, “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Or Acts 20:24, “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Unfortunately, many of us don’t feel this way – we don’t feel obligated, eager, and earnest for evangelism like Paul. Why is that? It’s not that our culture is more hostile towards Christians than the world that Paul was in. It’s not that we don’t have the opportunity. And it certainly is not that we don’t have the resources to equip ourselves. But the reality is that evangelism really is not a priority for many of us. Then what is it that we’re missing? And how can we change this?
When I thought about this question, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to 2 Corinthians 5. And this is how I’ve been praying for you – that this truth will ultimately inspire your hearts, that your love for God and passion for the lost will be rekindled as I remind you of the indescribable beauty of the gospel and the glorious privilege and responsibility of evangelism. More than anything else, this is what I desire for you because I firmly believe that the reason why evangelism has been found difficult and untried is not because we don’t know how to do it but because many of us have become too comfortable in life – we have found ways to settle down. We think that we have done enough and given enough of our time, energy, and money to God that we can just leave evangelism to others – those who are more mature, more relational, and more outgoing. The problem is not lack of knowledge or training – the problem is our hearts. Let me ask you a question, “What do you think God desires from you today? Regular church attendance? Passionate worship? Sacrificial serving? Generous giving?” Yes, to all of them but God ultimately desires everything – your whole life. He wants us to say, “This life is not mine. It’s Yours, Lord” – which means that we should most definitely take the gospel to the lost even if we’re ridiculed, even if we’re rejected, even if we’re unjustly treated because that’s exactly what Jesus commissioned us to do. Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Friends, these words are not just for pastors or super-gifted Christians – they are for you. Then with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 – and I will read this for us.
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 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.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things from this passage.
· WE RECEIVED THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
· WE ARE CALLED TO THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
· WE MUST ENGAGE IN THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
1) WE RECEIVED THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
Verse 17, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Brothers and sisters, if you’re truly in Christ, this is your reality – the old has gone, the new is here. We’re born again. We’re a new creation – which means that there will be this newness to every aspect of our lives. So, for example, we won’t see God the way we used to, in that, we’ll no longer see Him as this distant divine being who’s standing there with His arms crossed (waiting for us to prove our worth) but rather as our Father who’s looking at us with mercy and compassion (eager to do anything and everything to comfort and help us in all circumstances). Not just that, but we also won’t see ourselves or others the way we used to, we won’t respond to suffering or injustice the way we used to, we won’t approach work or school the way we used to, we won’t perceive marriage or parenting the way we used to, and we won’t use our money the way we used to. Success won’t lead us to pride but praise and thanksgiving. Failures and disappointments won’t lead us to bitterness or despair but greater faith in Christ. I mean, I could go on and on about different examples, but the point is this – if we are in Christ, we won’t remain the same because there has been a shift in our identity. Everything changes. Then let me ask those who have been truly born again in Christ, “Do you see these transformations in your life today? Even if they’re not drastic changes, are you seeing growing changes in your life? Are you uprooting more of your old life and re-planting this new life with Christ – or are you seeing more of your old self slowly seeping back into your life?” Brothers and sisters, I pray that you’ll be reminded of this gospel truth (that you are a new creation) every day because without being confident of this, you’ll continue to struggle in your walk with the Lord.
Now, one of the most amazing things about the gospel is that its impact is incredibly comprehensive, in that, we are justified, forgiven, adopted, sanctified, glorified – and here we see that we have also been reconciled. Verse 18, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” God reconciled us to Himself. The truth is that many of us don’t really use the word “reconciliation” too often in our lives – and as a result, we may not fully understand the power of this word. But there’s nothing we’ll desire more than reconciliation when we have broken relationships. Many years ago, when I was still living at home with my parents, I remember having a huge argument with my mom. It was so long ago that I don’t even remember all the details and why the argument started. But I do remember this – I yelled at my mom and blamed her for everything that went wrong. And my mom just stood there shocked. Now, I was waiting for her to yell back – but she just quietly said, “I’m sorry,” and went into her room. I was like, “Wait, what just happened?” And at that moment, I regretted everything I did and said, but it was too late. There was nothing I could do to turn back time or change the situation – and I was filled with guilt and sorrow. The next morning, when I was getting ready to go to school, my mom quietly prepared me breakfast and went back to her room. You don’t understand how much I wanted to make things right with my mom – I had this deep longing for reconciliation.” Have you ever been in a situation where the relationship was not right because you did or said something that hurt them? It could be your parents, your siblings, your spouse, your children, your friends, your co-workers, maybe even a church member – and it’s impacting you in every way. It’s impacting your mood, your perspective, your ability to concentrate, and your interactions with others. Then, at that moment, wouldn’t you be desperate for reconciliation?
The Bible shares that that’s how we were with God. Colossians 1:21, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies.” I want you to feel the weightiness of this truth. God saw you as His enemy – the One who created and sustains all things, the One who knows all things and is powerful to do all things, the One who will come to judge the dead and the living was hostile against you. What else would matter at that moment? Now, some of you may think that that’s not a big deal because you don’t really care for God – but the Bible tells us that it is a big deal. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” God is the source of every good and perfect gift. He’s the source of all wisdom and strength. He’s the source of light and life – which means that without Him, we would always be empty, incomplete, and hopeless. But more importantly, this alienation has left us destined for the just wrath of God – eternal condemnation. Then a broken relationship with God is not something we can just nonchalantly brush off – we cannot and should not take this lightly.
Now, the Bible clearly tells us that this great chasm between God and us has been created by our sins. Listen to what Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” We’ve been literally cut off from God because of our sins. And there was nothing we could’ve done to make things right. No apology, no good work, no money, no power or authority would’ve been enough to undo the things we’ve done – which means that even if we wanted reconciliation with God, we wouldn’t have been able to make it happen. We were helpless in this reality.
But listen to verse 18 again. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself.” Even though we didn’t deserve it, God initiated that reconciliation so that we may be brought back to Him. How? Verse 19, “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” What does this mean? Did God just choose to ignore our sins? Was God just saying, “It’s okay. I accept your apology. Let’s pretend like nothing happened”? No, that’s not what happened. Here’s how He did it – verse 21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus Christ became sin for us. There was an exchange that happened. God mysteriously worked in such a way that our sin was now on Jesus and His righteousness was put on us. In other words, God reconciled us to Himself not by forgetting our sin but by putting our sin on Jesus – and all of God’s wrath was poured out on Him as He hung upon the cross. There’s a strange verse in the Bible – Isaiah 53:10 says, “It was the Lord’s will [literally, God was pleased] to crush Him [referring to Jesus] and cause Him to suffer.” God was pleased to see Jesus, His one and only Son, suffer, be crushed, and die on the cross. Reading this you can’t help but wonder, “How can God be pleased?” But it makes sense when we realize that what God saw on the cross was not Jesus – what God saw was sin. Your sin and my sin were being crushed, crucified, and killed on the cross – and that pleased God. He hated sin that alienated His people from Himself. Brothers and sisters, when Christ became sin for us, you and I have been reconciled to God. Think about how liberating this truth is. Then my prayer for you is that you’ll experience an awakening of your hearts for the gospel today – that there will be this explosion of joy and gratitude that will now propel you out to share this amazing news with the world. Now, before we move on, let me quickly address those who are not yet Christians. First of all, I’m so thankful that you decided to join us today because this message is for you as well. If you’re not reconciled to God, what awaits you is this unavoidable, fearful, and just wrath of God for your sins. Now, I’m not trying to scare you into believing – I just don’t want you to be surprised later. The wages of sin is death – but the Bible tells us that you can be made right with God again through Jesus. Then don’t delay your response. Trust Him. Let today be the day you give your life to Jesus. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to speak to me after – I would love to share more.
2) WE ARE CALLED TO THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
When we are reconciled to God, we receive many new identities. The Bible tells us that we become children of God, friends of God, servants of God, saints of God, citizens of the heavenly kingdom, God’s special possession, and more. But here, Paul reminds us of another identity – namely, that we become Christ’s ambassadors. Verse 19, “He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.” Our reconciliation with God isn’t the end of the story – it’s the beginning of a new story. God doesn’t want us to be silent about it – He wants us to shout it from the mountain tops. Now, why is this necessary? Why can’t we just celebrate our reconciliation and end it there? Why do we have to engage in the ministry of reconciliation for others as well? Paul answers this in verse 15, “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” In other words, when we are reconciled to God, we now no longer live for ourselves but for Christ. We hand over the steering wheel to Him for Him to take control over our lives. So, if He calls us to be His ambassadors, then so be it.
Now, what are ambassadors? Ambassadors are those who represent one nation inside another nation – they declare their home nation’s interest to the host nation. In other words, it’s their job to represent the one who sent them – which also means that they don’t come up with their own message. They just communicate the message of the one who sent them – their responsibility is to simply deliver it. What does this mean for us as Christians? First, it means that this world is not our home. No wonder Jesus told us to store for ourselves treasures in heaven, not on earth. If we aim to be successful here, living for Christ and His Kingdom will be incredibly difficult. But if we remember that we’re ultimately citizens of God’s Kingdom, it’ll enable us to let go of many things here and truly live a life that is pleasing to the King. Second, it means that it is our responsibility to deliver to this world the message that Christ has entrusted us with. This is our job. Then let’s not neglect our duty. We’ve been called to do this – this is our new identity.
Now, what I love about this passage is that it doesn’t just end with this call to deliver the message – Paul actually gives us reasons to inspire and motivate us to engage in evangelism. Two things. First, it’s because we’ve been captured by His love. Verse 14, “For Christ’s love compels us.” The Greek word for “compels” actually has a stronger tone to its meaning, in that, it literally means “controls” or “constrains.” Christ’s love controls us. Now, that sounds really negative – but when it comes to love, it makes perfect sense. Let me explain. Love always comes with a delightful restriction. So, for example, in marriage, love becomes a boundary in determining how you live your life. You no longer have the freedom and right to date others. You may have to give up your personal privacy. You may have to give up certain hobbies or lifestyles that you once embraced. In other words, your love for your spouse controls the way you live. But (this is important) this is not forced upon you – you choose to be constrained because your heart has been captured by this love for your spouse. Then, in the same way, if we want to be effective in evangelism, we must first be captured by this love and be restricted by it – literally, be controlled. We must understand what Christ has done for us and let that message warm our hearts. If this is how Christ loved us (sinners) and if He is now inviting us to love others this way, how can we resist this call? Then let me ask you, “Is your heart captured by Christ’s love for you today? Is your life controlled by your love for Christ? If not, what is controlling your life?” We must engage in evangelism because Christ’s love compels us.
Second, it’s because we now have a new perspective on people. Verse 16, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” If we’re honest with ourselves, we often categorize people according to the size of their bank account, the school they attended, the choice of their career, the way they look, the way they dress, the car they drive, and so on. Without Christ, we will continue to see people with fear or judgment – causing us to take advantage of and manipulate them in order to advance ourselves. But Paul tells us that when we are reconciled to God, our perspective on people changes. We don’t see people through the eyes of the world, but we now see them through the eyes of God. We begin to see them as God sees them. Then think of the people in your life – especially those who may not know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Do you know how God sees them? As a reflection of His own image. Sure, that image may have been marred and distorted because of sin – but it’s still the image of God, nonetheless. Every one of us carries the mark of God. Is this how you view others today? We endeavor in evangelism because we begin to see people as God sees – if God saved us in love, we should love them too.
Now, how do we evangelize? That leads to our last point.
3) WE MUST ENGAGE IN THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
There are two key elements that Paul points out here. First, proclamation. Verse 20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.” God is using us like a speakerphone to declare His message to the world. In other words, evangelism must include sharing of the gospel with our non-believing family and friends. Sure, it can start with our loving care for them. But there’s no evangelism without the proclamation of the gospel. Then I want to ask you, “Can you articulate the gospel concisely and clearly?” Sometimes we know how things work – it may make perfect sense in our heads. But if we had to teach it to others, we sometimes have a difficult time putting it into words – the same goes for our knowledge of the gospel. We may know it, but we may not know how to say it. Then it’s vital that we learn how to effectively describe the gospel to others. Just as a starting point, reflect on these four words – God, sin, Christ, and repentance. I don’t have the time to explain but maybe you could discuss it with your friends or in your small group in the future so that you’ll learn to explain the gospel clearly.
Second, persuasion. Verse 11, “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.” And verse 20, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” The word “implore” in Greek literally means “to beg.” In other words, Paul’s literally saying to the world, “I beg you – be reconciled to God.” Some time ago, one pastor said to me, “We don’t have to beg people to believe. We’re just called to preach and move on. If they don’t accept the gospel, the onus is on them. That’s what Jesus did. He spoke and if people rejected the message, He just moved on to the next village.” Now, although I kind of understand what he was trying to say, it made me really uncomfortable. It bothered me so much – until I came to this verse. And I knew that what that pastor said was an incomplete picture of evangelism. Paul tells us to persuade and beg. Why? Because of our love for them – because we know that Christ loves them. I never want to see people I love face the wrath of God. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 9:2, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people.” He was basically saying that if he could, he would even give up his own salvation so that those he loves would be reconciled to God. Brothers and sisters, do you have this kind of earnestness for the lost?
But this has another important implication. Note that evangelism is persuasion, not conversion. We persuade, but we’re not the ones who are responsible for bringing about repentance in someone. True conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. This is so important to remember because it means that the success of evangelism is not when the person comes to Christ – obviously, that’s what we want to see. But sharing of the gospel in itself is successful evangelism. Think of a postal service. Their success is measured by the careful and accurate delivery of the package, not by the response of the recipient. Regardless of how happy or angry you may be to receive the package, they have done their job when the mail is in your hands. In the same way, regardless of people’s responses, every time we share the gospel, we’ve succeeded. Now, this doesn’t mean that we don’t care when people reject us. Pastor Charles Spurgeon once said, “If I never won souls, I would sigh till I did. I would break my heart over them if I could not break their hearts. Though I can understand the possibility of an earnest sower never reaping, I cannot understand the possibility of an earnest sower being content not to reap. I cannot comprehend any one of you Christian people trying to win souls and not having results, and being satisfied without results.” He was basically saying that although we can’t force conversion on someone, it should undoubtedly make us sad if they reject the gospel. And their rejection should ultimately motivate us to find other creative ways to communicate the gospel and persuade them. Their rejection should motivate us to pray even more for the Holy Spirit to open their minds and hearts to respond. Friends, is this how you respond to people’s rejection? I pray that you won’t give up on them for their sake but also for your sake because one of the greatest joys you can experience in life is to see your loved ones being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
Now, you could still find evangelism scary and difficult. If this is you, listen to what Mack Stiles said, “So why do something scary and difficult by yourself? Believers, band together. Evangelize with believing friends who will pull you along.” I wonder if this is what our church needs. We should do this together. Well, how do we do that practically? First of all, we could start by praying together – sharing with others the names of the people we want to reach and committing to praying for them. We could also help each other get equipped by reading a book together or thinking through the gospel together so that when an opportunity arises, we’ll be more than ready to proclaim and persuade. We could throw a party for our believing and unbelieving friends to get together and interact. Who knows? An opportunity might arise to talk about our faith. All that to say, there must be so many ways to do this together. But one thing’s for sure – it will take every single one of us to create a healthy culture of evangelism here at Lighthouse. This cannot be established by one person. Everyone must carefully and deliberately exemplify and share the gospel truth wherever they are. Then, friends, let’s not neglect our call. Let’s take the gospel to the world knowing that this is truly worth the effort.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, as recipients of the message of reconciliation, we must now go and declare the same message to the world for that is the mission that we have now received. Then just as you experienced the joy of receiving this good news, I pray that you’ll have many opportunities to experience the joy of sharing this good news with others as well.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) What emotions are aroused when you think of the word “evangelism”? Why?
2) In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul says that anyone in Christ is a new creation. What are some changes you’ve noticed in your life since becoming a Christian? What areas do you still struggle with?
3) What does it mean to you to be an ambassador for Christ? How can you practically live out this identity in your daily life?
4) How confident do you feel in articulating the gospel clearly and concisely? What are some areas where you need to grow in your understanding or communication of the gospel?