Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville,FL 1/13/13

A Fool for Christ

2 Corinthians 11

INTRODUCTION: The passage of 2 Corinthians 11:21 – 12:10 is often called the “Discourse of a Fool.” The passage has three sections which include the word “boast” (2 Cor. 11:21, 30 and 12:1). The super-apostles (11:5) forced the Apostle of Christ to act like a Fool for Christ (11:1, 16-19). Their boasts pressured Paul to share his status and his work for the Lord. Hesitantly, he “boasts” about his work as an apostle in order to compare himself to the false apostles. He exposes their charade and challenges us to choose how we will live our lives. William Shakespeare said, “All the world's a stage, /And all the men and women merely players: / They have their exits and their entrances; /And one man in his time plays many parts…” (As You Like It). What kind of part do you play in this life?

IS YOUR LIFE A MASQUERADE?

*Paul said Satan and his false apostles transformed themselves into someone they really were not. They were like guests disguised with masks at a masquerade ball. The masqueraders tried to deceive others for their own ends.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

*Jesus showed compassion for the prostitutes and tax collectors of his day but denounced the Pharisees as religious hypocrites, or “actors.”

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean (Matthew 23:27).

*Are you real or do you hide yourself behind a mask?

DO YOU PLAY THE ROLE OF A MIME?

* Paul wrote: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

In classical Greek literature, mime was a representation of nature or character. The mime aimed to imitate the real world or person in his portrayal. We get our English word from the Greek word “mimeomai” which means to follow or imitate. The Christian life is a life of representing or demonstrating the life of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

*Paul was forced to play the fool. He takes on the role in order to show that his real life was a mime that honored Christ. Paul uses stock mimecharacters in theater to defend his role as an apostle of Christ.

·        The Leading Slave in 2 Cor. 11:21-23

·        The Braggart Warrior in 2 Cor. 11:24-27

·        The Anxious Old Man in 2 Cor. 11:28

·        The Bald Headed Fool in 2 Cor. 11:29

·        The Runaway in 2 Cor. 11:32-33

·        The Learned Imposter in 2 Cor. 12:1-4, 7-9.

*Paul was more than a character playing a role. His life was a representation of the power of the risen Christ.

*God’s Spirit reproduces the life of Christ in you and you represent the life of Christ in the world.

DOES YOUR LIFE HINDER OR HELP OTHERS?

*Your life can keep others from truly following Christ. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13).

*Paulinvited others to follow his example. He wanted others to mimic him and follow Christ. Therefore I urge you to imitate me (1 Corinthians 14:6).

*Is your life a masquerade or do you genuinely represent Christ?

 Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville,FL 1/06/13

Overcoming Darkness

2 Corinthians 10-11

INTRODUCTION: According to the website Statistics Brain, the top three New Year’s Resolutions are #1) lose weight, #2) get organized, and #3) spend less, save more. From another angle, the top ten resolutions fall into the following categories: self-improvement/ education resolutions; weight related resolutions; money related resolutions; and relationship related resolutions. The New Year invites us to consider change and improvement and make new goals. What about spiritual disciplines and spiritual growth goals? Are we concerned about our spiritual health? We have challenged Parkview Baptist to ask the question, “How can we be on mission with Jesus Christ in 2013?” We have established some objectives for Mission 2013 in the church newsletter. We can be sure that we will face spiritual opposition from within ourselves and from the world around us. How will we overcome the powers of darkness that keep us from serving Christ? In order to achieve these spiritual goals, we are going to need supernatural power. Paul gives us the spiritual guidance we will need to overcome darkness in 2 Corinthians 10-11.

WE MUST BE AWARE OF THE REAL OPPOSITION.

*Satan tries to keep us from following Jesus Christ by attacking our understanding of and our devotion to Christ. “I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:1-3).

*A wrong view of Jesus or a wrong view of sin will lead us into error.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way” (2 Cor. 11:4-5).

WE MUST FIGHT WITH SPIRITUAL WEAPONS.

*Our fight is not physical and worldly but rather spiritual and ideological. We need supernatural power to overcome demonic strongholds and ideas.“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).

*Our fight is against evil spirits and structures, not people. We need divine protection and power to defeat the enemy. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand”

WE MUST PRAY FOR DISCERNMENT OF THE SPIRITS.

 *Pray for wisdom to recognize false teachers and their lies. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

*Test the spirits in their doctrine and teaching. Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 Jn. 4:1-4).

 Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville,FL 12/30/12

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

Luke 2:20-36; Matthew 2:1-12

INTRODUCTION: Praising God adds meaning to a believer’s life. We have journeyed through the Advent season and talked about hope, peace, love and joy. The Christmas story shatters the mundane, the routine and the evil in this world. God has intervened into our affairs and we cannot escape it. God has sent his Son to bring new life and purpose to our lives. How do we implement these traits of Christmas into our daily routines? Praising God offers us a way to apply the elements of hope, peace, love and joy. The Christmas story evokes praise from the shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and the Magi. We too can praise God for the revelation of his Son Jesus Christ.

WE PRAISE GOD FOR HIS REVELATION TO HIS PEOPLE.

*God revealed Jesus to the shepherds, Simeon and Anna and they all praised him (Luke 2:20, 25-28, 36-38).

*God revealed himself to his chosen people Israel. Simeon said, 

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

    you now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation,

    which you have prepared in the sight of all people,

 a light for revelation to the Gentiles

    and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).

WE PRAISE GOD FOR HIS REVELATION TO NATIONS.

*God revealed Jesus to the Magi through the form of a star that drew them to Bethlehem. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matt. 2:1-2).

*God revealed himself to the nations as the light of salvation through his Son Jesus. Simeon said, “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have  prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles”(Luke 2:30-32).

WE PRAISE GOD FOR HIS REVELATION TO YOU AND ME.

* Jesus reveals our heart attitude. The coming of Jesus into this world means that we must make a choice to accept or reject him as Messiah.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (2:34-35).

*The Magi accepted Jesus as Messiah. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route (Matthew 2:10-12).

*Herod rejected Jesus as Messiah.When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi (Matthew 2:16).

We can praise God for the revelation of his Son Jesus Christ but we must accept him first as the Savior and Messiah. What will you do today?

 Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville,FL 12/23/12

                                        All I Want for Christmas Is…Joy                                            

Luke 2:8-20; John 15:11

INTRODUCTION: I have a friend who was once the pastor of Third Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY. I was amused and yet intrigued by their church slogan: Jesus First, Others Second, We’re Third! That is the spirit of Christmas too! The angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). Christmas is about Jesus, others and you. Christmas is about joy!  

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT…

JESUS

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8-12).

OTHERS

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” (Luke 2:13-15).

YOU

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told (Luke 2:16-20).

Like Mary and the Shepherds, we need to receive the Good News of Jesus with great joy!

Jesus was born to give his life for you and for me: I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:11-13).

God gave his Son so we could receive him as Savior. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The joy of Christmas is receiving Jesus as Savior!

 Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville,FL 12/16/12

                                       All I Want for Christmas Is…Love                                            

Luke 2:1-7; 1 John 3:16-24

INTRODUCTION: The vagaries of life stir a range of emotions that can overwhelm us. Luke 2:1-7 describes the simple details of the birth of Jesus Christ. The story of the birth of Christ touches our basic emotions and gives us hope in the midst of the assaults from a troubled world.

THE BIRTH OF JESUS TELLS THE STORY OF…

DOMINATION THAT GENERATES HELPLESSNESS.

 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register (Luke 2:1-3).

INTIMIDATION THAT CREATES FEAR.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child (Luke 2:4-5).

FRUSTRATION THAT TURNS TO ANGER.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7).

INCARNATION THAT EMBODIES LOVE.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son (Luke 2:6).

How do we respond to the world’s evil?

GENUINE LOVE IS THE ONLY VALID RESPONSE TO EVIL.

·        The definition of love - This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (1 John 3:16-17).

·        The duty of love - Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything (3:18-20).

·        The details of love - Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us (1 John 3:21-24).

The greatest expression of love:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

 Gregory C. Magruder  Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville, FL 12/09/12

All I Want for Christmas Is…………Hope

Luke 1:46-55; Romans 8:24-25

INTRODUCTION: Someone asked me this week during prayer meeting, “What are we going to do about our leaders in Washington? Don’t they realize that they are destroying our country? How are we going to get them to turn things around? Everything is going wrong.” I will tell you my response in a few minutes but you may identify with this concern. You look around the country and the world and you begin to worry and despair. Is there any hope for our country? Our world? For me? The world has always had perilous times and our time is no different. Mary lived in the time of Roman occupation and a corrupt Jewish king. The royal line of David was a distant memory and poverty was the norm. Mary could have despaired but she did not. She had reasons to hope. How can you have hope this Christmas? Let’s look at Mary’s song, the Magnificat, in Luke 1:46-55 to find reasons to hope. Ask yourself the following questions to understand Mary’s hope.

WHERE HAS GOD BLESSED MY LIFE?

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed…” (46-48).

HOW HAS GOD BLESSED THE LIVES OF OTHERS?

“For the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those fear him, from generation to generation” (49-50).

WHERE DO I SEE GOD AT WORK IN THE WORLD?

“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (51-53).

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES JESUS MAKE?

“He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors” (54-55).

HOW CAN YOU HAVE HOPE THIS CHRISTMAS?

“But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:24-25).

My response to the questions during prayer meeting:Keep doing what you are doing. We cannot control Washington but we can make a difference right where we are. Keep showing up to pray. Continue to worship each week. Live like Jesus every day. God will honor the prayers and witness of his people.

My statement of hope:

I can hope this Christmas because I have experienced the grace of God in my life. I have seen God bless the lives of others in the past and the present. I have seen God work in remarkable ways in the most difficult circumstances. Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord and he is coming again. Therefore, I wait patiently in hope knowing that God is in control.

 Gregory C. Magruder  Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville, FL 11/18/12

A Guaranteed Return

2 Corinthians 9

INTRODUCTION: We would all like to find a way to invest our money and get a guaranteed return. The stock market has been popular because over its history it has proven to earn more than it loses. But no one would ever say that you are guaranteed to earn money in the stock market. The last decade has shown that to be a false statement. The reason why scam artists are so successful is that they promise a return on investments that are well above what everyone else is promising. An investor is sucked into the scheme and may lose every penny that was invested in the scam. Yet people still look for a guaranteed return on their money. There is a place you can get a guaranteed return on what you invest. God guarantees a return on your financial investments. It just may not be the type of return you are expecting. Paul continues his discussion of generosity in 2 Corinthians 9. He shows us a way to invest our money that benefits God, others and us.

PLAN IT (9:1-5).

·       * Plan the time and spirit of giving – “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income” (1 Corinthians 16:2).

·       * Plan the place of giving – “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10).

·        *Plan how you will give – “So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given” (2 Cor. 9:5).

Choose to give.

ENJOY IT (9:6-7).

·        *Your return will be as much as your investment. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (9:6).

·        *God blesses a joyful giver. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (9:7).

Rejoice in giving.

GIVE THANKS (9:8-15).

·       * God supplies every need when giving is done in faith.  “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God (8-10).

·        *Planned, cheerful giving meets needs and expresses thanksgiving to God. “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you (11-14)..

·        *Giving is an act of gratitude. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (15).

Be amazed with the results of giving.

 Gregory C. Magruder  Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville, FL 11/11/12

Generosity

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

INTRODUCTION: A lady I know told me that she no longer comes to church because the church was always asking for money. Attitudes like this often make pastors and churches afraid to ask for money. Why should it? The church does what no other institution or group does. The church meets the physical and spiritual needs of all people. The church connects heaven’s resources with earth’s needs. We do not need to apologize for that. In fact, Paul says that generosity is central to the joy of knowing Jesus as Savior. In chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corinthians, Paul discusses the essentials of Christian giving.

JOY OVERFLOWS INTO GENEROSITY (1-5).

·        Giving is a privilege based upon gratitude not upon resources. And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints (1-4).

·        Love for God leads to love for neighbor . And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will (5).

We give because we are grateful to God for the joy of our salvation.

JESUS’ EXAMPLE GENERATES EXCELLENCE IN GIVING (6-9).

·        We are called to excel in giving as an essential part of our faith.  So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving (6-7).

·        Jesus and others should motivate us to give.  I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich(8-9).

We give because Jesus demonstrates that giving is basic to God’s nature.

GENEROSITY MEETS NEEDS AND SERVES OTHERS (10-15).

·        Desire to give.  And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so (10).

·        Decide how you will do it.  Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have (11-12).

·        Do the deed with a charitable spirit. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little” (13-15).

Give because God’s work must go on and people’s needs must be met.

 Gregory C. Magruder  Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville, FL 11/04/12

Getting Our Priorities Straight

2 Corinthians 6:3– 7:1

INTRODUCTION:Today is All Saints Day in the Christian calendar. We are all familiar with the expression “Above and beyond the call of duty.” The origins of the phrase are unclear but it was first used about police officers, fire fighters, or soldiers who were injured or killed while doing their jobs. They went the extra mile and did more than their duty required. A history on the Medal of Honor has this to say: "After the war, it was commonplace for veterans to lobby their congressmen for the medal. Combat veterans, however, resented the easy way the medal was given out to men 'who were only doing their duty' and pressed the War Department to make changes. Finally, in 1916, (U.S.) President Woodrow Wilson signed a law requiring the War Department to set up a commission of distinguished generals and admirals to review all previous medal awards. At the same time, the services created a series of lesser medals to honor acts of courage. The Medal of Honor would only be awarded for actions 'above and beyond the call of duty' and in actual combat..."[1]The elder son in the Parable of the Two Sons was upset that the prodigal son was forgiven by his father. The Elder Son had done his duty and had not been rewarded. The father reminded him that an obedient heart goes beyond mere duty. It also requires a loving heart. Christians are called to live above and beyond the norm. In order to do that, we need to get our priorities straight. Paul clearly defines what it means to live above and beyond the call of duty in 2 Corinthians 6:3 -7:1.

FOLLOW JESUS NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.

·        Be faithful in ministry (6:3-4).

·        Be faithful in the difficult times (6:4-5).

·        Be faithful with God’s gifts (6:6-7).

·        Be faithful in all circumstances (6:8-10).

·        Beopen and loving to others (11-13).

LIVE A HOLY LIFE SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD.

·        Break all relationships and ties that keep you from following Jesus (6:14-18).

·        Confess all impurity and filthiness (7:1).

·        Love God and obey his commands (7:1).

 Gregory C. Magruder  Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville, FL 10/28/12

New Life in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:11 – 6:2

INTRODUCTION: We have reasons to hope in the midst of life’s circumstances. Paul did not lose heart over darkness, difficulties or death. The power of Jesus Christ gave him the victory over circumstances without and fears within. Paul could boldly say, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus Christ brings us new life! Jesus gives us new passion, a fresh start, and new purpose!

JESUS CHRIST GIVES US A NEW MOTIVATION.

*Love for Jesus compels our actions, not pride or financial gain. “If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died” (5:13-14).

*True love expresses itself in obedient service. “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” (15).

The love of Christ motivates us to serve in love.

JESUS CHRIST GIVES US A NEW MINDSET.

*We no longer have to blame or judge others or live with shame. “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” (16).

*Jesus Christ forgives the past and gives us a fresh beginning every day. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (17).

Jesus makes me a new person inside and gives me a new way to live.

JESUS CHRIST GIVES US A NEW MINISTRY.

*Since God has reconciled with us through Jesus, we now have the ministry of letting others know they can have peace with God. “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 men’s sins against them” (18-19).

*We represent God and deliver his message. “And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 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” (19-20).

*The Good News is that Jesus exchanged our sin for his righteousness at the Cross. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (21).

How should we respond to this great truth?

As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,

    and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

- (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)