WEBVTT 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:06.799 Please turn in your Bibles or your mi iPhone or whatever. 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:24.079 Uh we'll be reading Second Corinthians five fourteen through twenty-one, talking through with Josh about what would be a good passage for your first missions kind of theme, gospel and missions. 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:27.359 Uh for the love of Christ controls us. 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:29.199 Uh it's a great text, I think. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:34.399 2 Corinthians 5, 14 through 21. 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:39.520 I go to so many different PCA churches. 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:42.079 Do you all stand up in this church for the reading of okay? 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.000 A lot of PCA churches do. 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:44.799 I should have asked. 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:46.479 It's in my note, always ask. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:48.640 So good to be with you all. 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:49.520 Thank you. 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:51.119 Hear God's word. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:55.039 2 Corinthians 5, 14 through 21. 00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:03.439 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this, that one has died for all. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:16.159 Therefore, all have died, and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:26.319 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:31.439 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:35.680 The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:44.719 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:58.239 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. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:01.200 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:09.199 God making his appeal through us, we implore you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:20.319 For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:21.759 Let's pray. 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:26.400 Lord, would you come, Holy Spirit, as we've already sung and prayed? 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:31.520 We pray you'll attend the preaching of your word that help me. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:35.919 I am weak, I am needy, I am the chief of sinners. 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:43.039 And we all need to say that and say, Jesus, show us your gospel and show us the implications of that gospel. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:44.000 We pray. 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:45.680 In Jesus' name. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:46.560 Amen. 00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:58.319 So the title that Josh and I worked out from this passage, In Christ, Loved, Made New, and Put on Mission. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:05.199 So maybe this is what's the most famous verse in this passage? 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:06.400 Maybe. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:08.719 I pretty probably one of the top 20. 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:10.080 I memorized it as a kid. 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:16.560 I didn't memorize 21 until later, but as a covenant child, which one, if it wasn't 21, which one do you think? 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:18.639 17, right? 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:22.400 If anyone is in Christ, they're a new creation. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:24.639 Old things are passed away. 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:25.680 The new have come. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:28.960 One of the verses we we met we memorize. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:36.639 I never thought about it as being about mission until about 10 years ago in my 60s. 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:39.680 And I'm a pastor, missionary, seminary-trained person. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:40.560 So let's look at that. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:47.120 Do you know the story of Commander Fachida who led the attack on Pearl Harbor? 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:49.599 I don't think I've told that to you guys before. 00:03:49.840 --> 00:04:03.919 So great man, this guy woke up on December 7th on his aircraft carrier, you know, praying to his 8 million Japanese gods that the ships would be in the harbor, that he could kill many Americans that day. 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:04.719 And he did. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:14.080 He was the leader of the 300 planes that attacked Hawaii and killed more than uh 2,000 people in Hawaii that day and out in Caliph. 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:16.079 Could God ever make someone new? 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:17.120 What does this verse? 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:20.240 Anyone in Christ is new? 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:22.000 Could that apply to him? 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:29.199 Well, Jake DeShazar was an airman before the days of the Air Force, the Army Air Corps. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:37.680 And in California, when he got that news that Sunday morning, he threw his coffee cup against the wall, broke it, was I want to go kill Japanese people. 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:40.319 And he volunteered for a secret mission. 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:56.319 Four months later, after Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle raid, you know, Army Air Corps, big airplane, stripped down enough gas to attack Japan, crash land in China to be rescued by the Chinese underground because Japan had occupied China. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:10.480 Jake volunteered for that mission and he went, he helped to kill many Japanese people, hated Japanese people, but he was captured by the Japanese and put in a prison camp in Nanking, China. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:11.759 And he hated Japanese. 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:25.759 Some of you have seen broken, unbroken, or read books, or you've seen, you know, the Nazis when they visited Japan threw up reportedly when they saw the torture way the Japanese tortured tortured people. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:34.639 And and uh and Jay, amazing that uh Jake that they let him have a Bible. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:40.639 And there in his prison POW cell, uh he read the Bible. 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:45.439 He read the whole, my wife just finished the book about this wounded tiger, tells this story. 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:48.000 The book Wounded Tiger, a new book. 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:51.120 And she told me, you know, he read the whole Bible in two weeks. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:52.800 Of course, he didn't have much to do. 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:57.439 You know, maybe being in jail would help us all with our Bible reading, you know, in the new year, you know. 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:05.360 But uh he read the whole Bible and he was moved, I remember, by hearing the story, particularly by the cross. 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:11.759 This when he got to the story of the cross, that Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:15.519 And he began to love it, to try to love his guards. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:20.480 And to to to to, you know, so anybody think he did it perfectly? 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:21.199 Of course not. 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:22.879 He's a sinner, but he's growing. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:24.800 The Holy Spirit's working in his heart. 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.680 He's new in Christ, he believed the gospel. 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:32.319 No evangelist, no evangelists, no, just the Holy Spirit and the Bible. 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:36.720 And as he was in his jail cell and God worked in his heart, he's the beginning of the war. 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:46.639 He was there the whole war, and he did, and he began to pray, Lord, if I ever get out of here, I want to tell this good news. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:53.120 I want to go be a missionary to anybody want to guess which country? 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:55.600 The country of his tortures. 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:57.759 Japan. 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:00.319 And he lived. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:02.079 And he went. 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.439 And one day, he was new in Christ. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:08.079 Point, new in Christ puts you on mission, right? 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:17.279 Okay, new in Christ, changed, went to Japan, and one day, guess who knocked on his door in Tokyo, Japan? 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:19.680 Commander Fachida. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:22.959 He had also lived through the war. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:30.079 And through a, it's amazing, a young American girl was part of his conversion. 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:31.920 The story I'll tell you at the end. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.800 Commander Fachida had came to Christ. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:38.399 He and Jake became close friends. 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:49.600 If I I was gonna try to show you a PowerPoint picture of the two of them together, he became a pastor, new in Christ, on mission for Jesus. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:57.839 Actually, as he began to see people telling the gospel, and Japanese people right there after the war not interested in a crowd. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:04.720 And he was, I can't tell you know, in Japan if if you are different, you know, you're looked down on. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:11.199 And when he saw they weren't listening, first time he did, he he took the microphone. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:15.920 He said, I am Commander of Fachida who led the attack on Pearl Harbor. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:17.839 You know, this is my story. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:19.439 Listen to my story. 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:20.399 He had to. 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:28.480 He became compelled to do that in Christ, loved, made new, and put on mission. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:30.720 That's what this passage talks about. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:32.320 People new in Christ. 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:44.399 He, yes, there we changes us in other ways, but we see in this passage, we see from new in Christ in verse 17, turns in to mission. 00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:46.960 In verse 18, 19, and 20. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:50.080 We believe what's the first rule of interpreting scripture? 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:50.879 Is what? 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:55.519 Let scripture interpret scripture. 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:56.879 What does the context say? 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:59.039 Okay, let's dig in in detail. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:01.759 First, gospel, okay, we'll do three things. 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:08.399 Gospel message, gospel mission, and gospel motivation. 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:09.919 Three M's. 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:10.480 Okay? 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:16.000 It was always fun in Japan trying to get M's or P's or something for sermons in Japanese. 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:17.919 Sometimes I would mix English and Japanese. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:19.600 Today, all English, okay? 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:20.639 Three M's. 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:21.600 What are they? 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:29.360 Gospel mission, gospel, I'm sorry, gospel message, gospel mission, and gospel motivation. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:32.720 All are in this passage for sure. 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:39.600 First, maybe the you know the best summary of the verse of the gospel, many say in one verse is verse 21. 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:48.240 He who knew no sin became sin for us, you know, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:51.919 But the whole text is the good news of the gospel. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:57.120 Verse 14, you know, that Jesus gave his life for me. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:02.320 You know, that the love of Christ controls this great love that we sing about today. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:04.879 Love so amazing, so divine, right? 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.519 We sang the songs, were great today about that. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:09.759 In verse 15, he died for all. 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:12.320 Those who live might no longer live for themselves. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.039 You know, that he Jesus gave his life for me. 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:16.879 Verse 17 is good news. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:25.840 I am new in Christ, whatever my idols, I think of mine, my achievement idols, my all the sin tendencies I have. 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:27.679 I still have them. 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:30.080 I still, it's a fight, but I am new. 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:30.879 I'm different. 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:38.320 Like uh when my wife came to Christ in college, she was, you know, her friends that Jesus, he changes your want to. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:43.120 And it's a battle the whole life, but we see he makes us new in Christ. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:48.720 We have a new identity, we have a new address in Christ that he gives us. 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:53.360 We see verse 18 and 19, he reconciled us to himself. 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:59.919 Yes, he has we're sinners, we deserve his wrath, but he reconciled us to himself. 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:02.080 In verse 20, it's a great good news. 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:03.600 He gives us an incredible position. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:04.240 What are we? 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:05.440 Ambassadors. 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:12.000 Sometime in Japan on a train or a bus or on an airplane. 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:14.080 People ask me, oh, you speak Japanese. 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:15.919 Uh what do you do in Japan? 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:18.480 I say, I'm an ambassador. 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:23.759 And uh and they, you know, in Japanese, oh, you're an ambassador, you know. 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:29.519 And uh kind of an entree to tell who I'm an ambassador for, you know, we're ambassadors. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:32.559 That's part of our position that we are. 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:33.759 An incredible position. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:38.399 And verse 21, yes, the best gospel summary maybe in the Bible. 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:47.200 He who knew no sin became a sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:51.600 This wonderful promise of what Christ has done. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:52.799 I deserve. 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:54.240 He who knew no sin. 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:54.879 How about us? 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:55.759 Do we know sin? 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:57.279 Yeah, we know lots of sin. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:03.360 Man, the more I'm 72, the longer I live, the more I see my sin. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:07.279 This last three weeks with my wife, I thought, I'm a good husband, man. 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:08.720 I'm in the top tier, you know. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:22.720 Man, I see ways that the mist, I've had a mistress of ministry, of achievement, and I've known this, but I've seen it in new, fresh ways. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:32.720 And my wife and I go just going back yesterday and and taking a two-hour date to go back and read some of the early things, seeing my sin as a husband, right? 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:52.399 I'm 72 and I'm a pastor, and and uh, you know, and we did we do marriage counseling and we taught marriage about marriage in Japan, and we're on national TV talking about marriage and family one time, you know, because the longer we live, the closer, you know, it's like the the with the closer you get to the light, the more you see your junk, right? 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:54.960 And how much we need Jesus. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:58.639 But it says Hugh Newno Sin became sin for us. 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:01.759 Our oldest son, Danny, we have nine, he's the oldest. 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:11.840 That one time he when he was a bad boy, and uh and he the penalty was a spanking, and he deserved a spanking. 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:13.279 It was really bad what he had done. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:34.240 Little, he was little, and uh, but he was sick, he had a had a fever, and uh, and but the the punishment due was that, and we had heard our pastor uh tell this story where one time he had taken the spanking for one of his sons, and uh and we we did that and uh said well let's try this we're new parents, you know. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:39.919 Here's Danny, he's our first, you know, and and uh probably had three kids then, and he's the oldest. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:52.799 And so uh after talking, praying, you know, but daddy is gonna take your spanking, and I bent over, and and uh, you know, some of you are glad the kids went out and didn't and didn't hear this story, you know. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:59.120 And uh, and he and Carol, you know, she seemed to do it harder than she should have, you know. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:07.600 She was really looking forward to this, and she gave me, I took the punishment Danny deserved. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.679 And I'm not here recommending that to anyone. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:12.559 Don't say that, Pastor Man, we shouldn't have him come back and preach. 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:13.840 He's asking, he's telling it. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:17.840 No, I'm not, I'm just telling you what we did, and we never did it again. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:29.600 Well, it hurt too much, and I'm not sure that's but the point is, Danny, it was vivid for Danny, and to this day, he's a PCA pastor to this day, 47 years old. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:37.679 That's part of his testimony of coming to understand that Jesus took the punishment that we deserve. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:42.879 But this verse is more than he took our punishment, it's he gives us his righteousness. 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:45.919 He who knew no sin became sin for us on the cross. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:47.279 And what did he do? 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:55.279 That we, he gives us his perfect, unchanging righteousness that we might become the righteousness of God in him because we're righteous? 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:59.759 No, but because of what he did. 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:07.360 Does this gospel not what Jesus has done for us, his rescue of us not? 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:09.519 Is there anything more wonderful? 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:28.159 Have I ever told you guys the story of Jessica Buchanan in Somalia volunteer worker there in her 20s, captured by Somalia pirates, and she was brutalized for 90 days. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:29.759 How many of you remember this story? 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:33.919 It's uh on 60 minutes, 20, 20 uh uh 20. 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.159 You can see the short version, 20 minutes. 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:46.639 You know, she was captured, moved every two days,$40 million ransom, demanded for her$40 million to get her back. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:52.480 They moved her, these bad guys, 10 or 20 of them with their rifles around, drug-crazed. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:16:00.399 Poor girl, oh man, she was you know increasingly getting close to death, the abuse, the no food, no care. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:06.240 She 90, over 90 days, she's there, she's ready to give up, she had lost all hope. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:08.639 Can this girl save herself? 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:09.519 No way. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:11.840 In the middle of the night, pitch black night. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:13.200 I was an old Recon Marine. 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:16.879 I'd like to love this story, pitch black, moonless night. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:21.679 Suddenly, all chaos breaks loose in the camp. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:51.440 And she thinks it's one of those other bad groups that wants the$40 million that's coming, because middle of the Somalia desert, you know, and she's she pins herself down to the to the camping mat, only possession she had in the world, as the bullets fly, and suddenly there's perfect silence, and she feels a man's hands on her back, and and she's fighting, you know, and and uh she thinks it's one of the other bad guys, and suddenly she hears in English, Jessica Buchanan, we're taking you home. 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:53.840 And it's American, perfect English. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:17:11.920 She looks up, SEAL Team Six guy, Navy, Navy, SEAL Team Six Guy, throws her on his shoulders, takes her off through the desert, rescue her that when it came, they thought there was danger. 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:14.079 She tells you can hear it on 60 minutes. 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:16.720 Look it up, Jessica Buchanan, rescue. 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:22.000 And and he uh this is left 12 years ago, and and uh put a perimeter around her. 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:33.759 She said, Those guys who didn't even know me, they put three of them, they put a perimeter around me, they put three of them put their bodies over me to take a bullet for me. 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:36.640 To take what was due me. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.319 Does anyone think she can ever forget that? 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:44.640 What did she think about the next day in the hospital in Italy? 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:46.400 What did she think about? 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:48.720 Every second she was awake. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:49.680 What? 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:51.599 Her rescue, right? 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:56.160 What these folks, she said, I man, they knew they even knew my name. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:59.519 I didn't didn't know who they are, still don't know who they are. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:05.599 You know, this gospel of of the but our rescue, anybody know a better rescue story here? 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:07.359 Please say yes. 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:12.960 Came not, didn't fly from, he didn't fly from America and parachute and come through the night. 00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:17.519 Jesus came from heaven for sinners, for enemies, Romans 5 says. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:18.960 That we are enemies of him. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:23.680 Came to put his, and he they none of those guys died on that. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:25.599 He died for us. 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:27.519 Enemies. 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:29.839 All our ups and downs. 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:36.960 My dad would always say, when you're up, the perfect righteousness that Jesus bought gives you, it's no better. 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:43.359 When you're down and struggling with that besetting sin you have, and we all have them, you're right, we all have them. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:48.319 Some we don't want anyone to know about for sure, especially here. 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:54.319 Yet those those two, Jesus, the righteousness he gives us, it's the same. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:55.519 It doesn't change. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:57.039 When we're up, it's the same. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:18:58.720 When we're down, it's the same. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:00.480 This wonderful gospel. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:01.119 Amen. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:02.000 This is taught. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:03.200 Great news. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:07.279 But there's an implication for this gospel that's in this passage. 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:10.480 He made us new to be on mission. 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:12.960 Verse 18, 19, and 20. 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:16.720 He gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:20.160 Can we read verse 18 together in ESV? 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:20.880 Okay? 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:21.920 Ready? 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:22.559 Now. 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:32.400 All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:33.839 Yes or no? 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:46.960 Am I, is it that this, hey, when I was in college, really came to faith, Covenant Child, baptized as a covenant child, knew it all, knew the gospel, knew the catechism, really came to faith my sophomore year in college. 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:51.440 Was made new in Christ and really, you know, man, I want to read my Bible. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:53.759 I want to, man, I know that I'm really proud. 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:54.720 I want to grow. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:56.480 I want to be sexually pure. 00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:59.599 There are all these new things that were happening to me. 00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:02.480 And those are all true, but those aren't the ones that are here. 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:03.680 The context is what? 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:04.799 It's mission. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:08.480 That he calls us, all those are true, all right? 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:11.440 Those other results of being new. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:12.799 We read the whole Bible. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:17.680 But here in verse 18, it's a missional identity. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:21.359 He gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:26.400 You might say, well, is that the right reconciliation helping Christians be reconciled? 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:30.240 Certainly, that's a true thing we're supposed to do. 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:37.200 But verse 19, where Paul repeats it, makes it really clear this is an evangelistic missional main point here. 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:38.799 That is in Christ. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:40.400 Read it with me slowly. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:43.279 You be silent until I ask you to come in, okay? 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:44.079 19. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:45.680 That is in Christ. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:53.680 God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. 00:20:53.759 --> 00:21:01.440 Now read with me, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation for the world. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.200 Are you convinced? 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:09.519 This is about us being a part of the world being reconciled to Christ. 00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:11.680 Our city, yes, for sure. 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:13.599 You know, he makes us witnesses. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:18.240 Acts 1.8, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and where? 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:20.960 Uttermost parts of the earth. 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:24.559 Jesus, and he didn't say pick two out of four, okay? 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:26.880 Alexandria Presbyterian Church. 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:30.960 He calls us to do, be a part of all of those concurrently. 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:32.319 We have to. 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:37.519 This is our missional identity as new creatures. 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:41.279 He puts us on mission with him. 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:46.559 Word and deed, you know, just not let which leg do you want? 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.079 The left or the right? 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:59.200 When after the big tsunami 13 years ago in Japan, uh, we found a little Baptist missionary from Canada had a little church bank called uh. 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:10.079 And there were like 10 people in their church plant, and there was no water in their town because of the tsunami, and everything was broken, and we started bringing them water every day. 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:17.440 Like, you know, like I think like 500 liters or something, a lot of water, and they became the water point for the community. 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:19.839 And uh I I joked with him. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:27.920 I think this is the first time in church history we had Presbyterians taking water to Baptists, you know, if some of you get that joke. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:36.319 And uh and he he said, You guys made us, you moved our church planning forward two years. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:49.680 But it wasn't word ministry, but the deed ministry moved the word ministry forward two years, because everyone started coming to their they just couldn't care less before. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:50.880 But they started coming. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:23:02.240 You see, and all over the world we see that, how rather than getting into some dichotomy, we we know it's true, people need to hear this message of the gospel to believe and be saved. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:05.039 We can't just do good things, but we gotta share. 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:09.599 We must share the good news that we see in verse 21 and in this whole passage. 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:13.839 But see, and back in Chiba, it helped it actually helped our church planning too. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:14.160 Mrs. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:27.759 Shigama, she had come to a few English classes and stopped coming, but then she saw all the trucks, all the people, the teams coming from America to help take food and gasoline and water and to go up and help up north. 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:30.960 And every morning, you know, we're leaving at 4 a.m. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:32.880 to send trucks up north and stuff. 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:34.880 And she saw that, and guess what? 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:35.680 It affected her. 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:36.559 She came. 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:41.519 And she came over time to understand the gospel, and three years later was baptized. 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:50.799 So you see the effect of, you know, we do all of it, whatever it takes to get God's word around people. 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:52.240 We this is what he calls us to do. 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:55.839 In verse 20, we're ambassadors for Christ. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:58.559 Ambassadors have to speak. 00:23:58.799 --> 00:23:59.920 Yes or no. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:03.279 There are other things they do, but we need to speak. 00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:08.000 Francis of Assisi said, preach the gospel at all times. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:09.759 When necessary, use words. 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:14.799 A good principle here, but it's necessary to use words. 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:22.240 We do lots of other things, but we need to tell this good news of Jesus Christ to people. 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:25.680 And third, gospel what? 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:35.359 Three M's, gospel message, gospel mission, and gospel motivation. 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:41.119 Does this passage not have a ton of motivating things? 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:48.319 Especially verse 14 and 15, for the love of Christ controls us. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:53.359 Anybody know the two other C's in our different translations in English? 00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:06.960 The love of Christ controls us, the love of Christ compels us, and the love of Christ, old King James, constrains us. 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:08.960 A good old word, constraint. 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:12.720 I can't do anything else. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:14.960 Those are three good words. 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:19.839 This is, you know, what what Jesus, we saw, I didn't know you're gonna read Acts 9 today. 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:22.000 Uh was that Amy reading that? 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:22.480 What? 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.079 Yes, wow. 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:27.440 Paul, he he said, I noticed, I had noticed it before. 00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:30.000 Immediately he goes on mission. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:35.519 The love of Christ was compelling him to go do this. 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:37.599 He can't help it. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:38.799 You know? 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:46.000 Like that's back to the story of Jessica began, and my wife always said, Don't use that story. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:48.160 I said, That's sorry, you tell that story too much. 00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:49.359 What a great story, though. 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:51.759 Don't tell her I used it, I'm gonna use it again here. 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:56.880 Could she she she could not help herself wanting to tell. 00:25:57.039 --> 00:25:58.720 Once she was healed, took a couple years. 00:25:58.880 --> 00:25:59.839 She wanted to write a book. 00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:01.599 I want to, you know, they knew my name. 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:07.519 I didn't know, didn't even know who they were, but I want to, she, I have to tell what these guys did for me. 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:16.480 How much more us moved to be a part of what Jesus is calling us to do. 00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:21.759 The missions converse at a church, the family I was staying with at the church, John Piper was the preacher. 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:30.880 He said, You can talk during the sermon because I'm gonna invite you to come down at the end and say, Lord, we're ready to do more serious business with you. 00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:36.000 And, you know, you think about verse 15, everyone, look at 15. 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:39.119 This is motivation. 00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:41.680 He died for all. 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:45.759 That those who live might live for who? 00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:54.559 That those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised again. 00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:59.200 Is that not a powerful message of motivation? 00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:05.920 That he he died for me, therefore I say, Jesus, here I am. 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:09.839 This this is what we're called to in the gospel. 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:12.000 Say, Jesus, what do you want me to do? 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:18.000 And this couple, this missions conference, the Holy Spirit worked, they were Christians, but the whole week was uh new. 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:22.559 They got up, one of the applications from John Piper was, you know, giving. 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:24.000 And they're very wealthy guys. 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:30.559 This couple, the house, 34 years old, uh, investment banker, had done a$4 billion deal. 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:32.480 I don't even know what that number means. 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:36.799 The the year before they had built this house, the biggest house I've ever been in. 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:42.799 And I used the the assistant pastor of the church, when he came to pick me up, said, Man, that's some house. 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:46.559 I think unreached people groups live in that house somewhere, you know. 00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:57.440 And uh they one of the applications John Piper had made was for our giving to downsize, you might, God might lead you to downsize your house because it's bigger than you need. 00:27:57.839 --> 00:28:04.640 And uh and during after the sermon, they made me move out of the pew and uh and they went forward. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:15.440 They downsized their house, took a couple years, left his job at a company, he was really glad because it was Bear Stearns, and you some of you know what happened to them a few years later. 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:26.319 Went to seminary, ended up going back into what he was good at to be radical givers, to give for the sake of the gospel. 00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:32.640 Came to visit us twice in Japan with his family to say, we wanna, this is what I'm good at. 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:34.559 This is what I want to give for. 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:38.559 How is God calling you to be apart? 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:44.319 Because what Jesus did for you, that he gave his life for you, does that move us? 00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:46.799 Say, Jesus, what do you want me to do? 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:57.599 How could I not in seminary that um that we went to seminary, gonna come back to Maryland, start a daughter church, and we were just affected deeply at a missions conference. 00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:06.240 Genesis to revelation, every tongue and tribe, yes, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, but the uttermost parts of the earth, there are all these places that have nothing. 00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:21.599 You know, yes, yesterday, driving up here, I went in the restroom at a stop about an hour away, coming here, and the guy on the back of his jacket walking into the restroom had uh about serving. 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:24.880 Something about serving, Matthew 20, 28. 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:27.440 And I said, You believe in serving? 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:31.200 And he thought I was provoking provoking him, and he turned around. 00:29:31.359 --> 00:29:33.119 I said, It's a good verse. 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:41.440 Uh I came not to, Son of Man came not to not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. 00:29:41.519 --> 00:30:07.519 And he realized I was friend, not foe, and uh and uh and then I met two of his other buddies in the bathroom, met three Christians, is the point of the story, in in all together in Japan, our country where you sent us, in 35 years in Japan, I met maybe 10 Christians like that, just in a place that's not my home, not my city, over 35 years. 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:08.079 10. 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:13.920 Yesterday I met three Christians with all the lostness of America, the need of the gospel in America. 00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:16.559 There's a lot of light in America. 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:18.319 That God calls us to be. 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:23.200 We, you know, Jesus says in Luke 15, leave the 99. 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:31.519 Go where after the one, many places is leave the 999 and go for the the one out of a thousand. 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:37.119 This is part of what he calls us to do, to be a part with our giving, with our going. 00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:41.119 What's he calling you to do, to be a part of this? 00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:42.720 What about going? 00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:46.079 Some of you might God be calling you to go. 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:50.160 The you know, consecration comes first. 00:30:50.319 --> 00:30:59.200 He he he gave his life for me, verse 15, that those who live might no longer live for themselves. 00:30:59.359 --> 00:31:00.079 We don't live for ourselves. 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:02.240 Hey, Jesus, today, what do you want me to do? 00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:03.039 It's uncomfortable. 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:16.720