One More Part 4

This Preaching in Shorts sermon series is called “One More” and is about the mission of our church based on 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

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We are talking about our mission statement in this series, which is called One More. One more lost child back to dad. One more to Jesus. One more in the Kingdom of God. A mission statement helps us to evaluate and stay on track with what God is calling us to. We have been looking at 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 as the foundation for our mission statement. We have talked about love being our motivation, we have talked about being a force (Frontline Operation Reconciling, Caring and Encouraging) we have talked about our radical message, radical hospitality and radical generosity. Today we are going to continue to build on these ideas as we look at:

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NIV)
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 men’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.

1.) The message of reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NIV)
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 men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

The message of reconciliation is the Good News, the Gospel, the Truth. We have all sinned and God made a way for us in Christ to be reconciled to Him. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and on the third day He rose, which was witnessed by hundreds of people.

His perfect sinless life was given in exchange for ours. He paid for our sins and we can now be reconciled to God.

And having accepted Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, this radical message of hope has been committed to us. We are to tell others so that they can be reconciled to God as well. Therefore

2.) We are His Ambassadors

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)
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.

God is using us to implore others to become reconciled to God. It is an outward focus. Loving people the way that God does so that they might come to know Him. “God so loves the world that He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” John 3:16

“ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” John 3:17

How do we do it? How do we get people to hear and receive this radical message of Good News. This radical message of reconciliation. We have to love them enough for hem to listen. How do we do that?

3.) 5 – 2 – 1 Becoming His righteousness

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Righteousness – Being right with God and doing what is right

We have to live this out before the world. We get right with God in Christ and then we try and live by doing what is right, by doing the next right thing. We are not perfect and therefore we do not need to run around pointing fingers of judgment. We recognize the fact that all of us desperately need God. We should always treat people in a way that incorporated the beauty of their potential.

Paul explains this idea of righteousness in 2 Corinthians 6:4-7

2 Corinthians 6:4-7 (NIV)
4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

Let’s unpack verse 7 quickly:

2 Corinthians 6:7 (NIV)
7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

In truthful speech and in the power of God – Radical Message

Our weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left – Radical Hospitality and Radical Generosity

Reaching out with radical generosity by encouraging two people every day and with outreaches that make people stop and think.

Welcoming people with radical hospitality to make them feel comfortable, breaking down religious barriers so that they can hear and receive the radical message of reconciliation.

We need your help.

The One More Offering

Will you pray about your part?

Related posts:

1. Being Part 7
2. One More Part 2
3. Being Part 9
4. One More Part 1
5. Being Part 3

Tags: encouragement, Jesus moment, ministry of encouragement, mission, Preaching in Shorts

Category: Preaching in Shorts