Ministry of Reconciliation

Ministry of Reconciliation
(2 Corinthians 5:11-21)
Rev. Dave Chang

 I. Proper Motivation (vv. 11-15)
Fear: We stand before a holy God with holy reverence (v. 11).
Faith: We act upon what is unseen rather than what is seen (v. 12).
Love: It is the love of Christ that compels us (vv. 14-15).

 II. Renewed Perspective (vv. 16-19)
The person of Jesus Christ: Our Savior and Lord (v. 16)
Our identity: A new creation (v. 17)
The world: A work in progress (vv. 18-19)  

 III. Persevering Commitment (vv. 19-21)
To the message (vv. 19, 21)
As the messenger (v. 20)

 IV. Application
What are practical ways of extending Christ’s love to those around us? Are we willing to extend Christ’s love even to the point that we may suffer ourselves (like Paul in 2 Cor. 11:23-27)?
We are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Who we believe we are affects how we live our lives. Are we still living with our past identity and our past actions? Are we like a bird in a cage with the door already opened?
This world is our “foreign soil,” and we are God’s ambassadors to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ for His glory. How are we living our lives and reaching the world? (Learn, Pray, Go, Send, Welcome, Mobilize)