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As a church, we have been going through the book of Second Corinthians. It's one of the books in the New Testament. And today we come to Chapter 5 and verses 16 to 21.

I begin with a story. A hillbilly came to the city for the first time in his life. He was curious about everything he sees in the urban city. He stood in front of the lift, because he was curious what this was all about.

He observed that the door would swing wide open. And then he saw a, an old lady just walk into this box as it were, the doors closed. And he notices that the numbers on top of the door begins to change, from 1 to 2 to 3, all the way to 10. And then, all the way back down, from 3, 2 to 1.

The door opens and out comes a beautiful young lady. The man's eyes began to grow wide and big. And he exclaimed, Son, go get Mom. This is amazing, she needs to get into the box too.
Okay, you may not get it, alright. But what an amazing transformation that looked like to this man.

Today we are talking about the subject of change, or of transformation. Because the apostle Paul, as we learned last week, spoke about how when we are in Christ, we are dead and now come alive, we have a new life. And he follows that up with a description of the new creation in verses 16 to 21.

What is the new creation in God? What is the new creation, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ? What does that look like?
Well, Paul is going to give us a glimpse of what the new creation is about, using his own life.

Three things I hope you would see in verses 16 to 21.

[1] A New Perspective

First of all, the new creation receives a new perspective. The new creation in Christ sees things very differently. He has a fresh pair of eyes. He has a new perspective. He has a new world view.

Maybe you will be familiar with this lady. Not a member of our church. Her name is Marie Kondo. And she is well known, she's a Japanese lady, well known today because she teaches people to organize their minds and their homes, according to her method - the Konmari method.

She, she's the one who writes about sparking joy, in tidying things up, I'm not sure how that works. But she talks about sparking, sparking joy er in tidying things up. And she's a writer of many books. Some of them are bestsellers and there is even a Netflix series on her.

Well, last year, actually in 2021, two years ago, she had her third child. And this is what she said after she had her third child. Up until now I was a professional tidier. I'm not sure if there's such a word, but okay, there is. So I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times.

I've kind of given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realize what is important to me is enjoying spending my time with my children at home. In other words, I'm not sure about the KonMari followers what they think. But she's kind of saying, I'm, I've given up on my methodology, that is not what is most important anymore.

Well, this came up in the news, I thought it was fascinating. With the arrival of the third child, her perspective of life changed.
In a way that is far more profound than this, the Bible tells us, that when one comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ, his or her perspective, radically changes.

The apostle Paul says, 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.

The first regard here is a Greek word that means to see, to know, to regard. I don't think you need to memorize this as at all, I'm just helping you see that Paul uses two Greek words: one is eidō, the other one is the word ginōskō, which is to know, to perceive, to understand, they are pretty much I think, synonyms.

I don't think there's a lot of material differences in the two words, he's probably writing this in a stylistic way so that synonyms avoid a sense of repetition and it kind of grabs our attention, but I think it's quite clear he's talking about one's perspective, one's view, one's understanding of things.

He says this has all changed, because from now on, our perspectives have changed. Our perspective with regards to the Lord Jesus Christ has changed. From now on, we regard Him thus no longer. We used to regard Him in one way, but now we see Jesus in a totally different way.

I think amongst all people, Paul would be very suited to say something like this because he was someone who viewed Jesus Christ very differently in the past. At best, I think he thinks that Jesus Christ is a carpenter's son, a poor man's son.
But more likely, I think he thinks of Jesus as a fraud, as a pretender, because Jesus said that He is the Messiah, Jesus said that He is the Son of God.

And according to Paul, Jesus was found wanting, because Jesus was sentenced to crucifixion. He was a hoax, according to Paul. He was a scammer, he was a cheat, he was not the real deal,

And that is probably what Paul thought because he went about persecuting the followers of Jesus Christ. He wanted to haul them and throw them into prison and for them to be executed. He absolutely despises and rejects Jesus, isn't it?

But one day on the road to Damascus, God had a hold of him. And the apostle Paul saw Jesus for the first time in his life in a glorious light. And now Paul sees Jesus totally differently, no more a pretender, no more a charlatan, no more a fake, but the Lord and Saviour of his life. He now sees Jesus in the proper light, and now Jesus becomes the centre of Paul's life, everything changed. His perspective changed.

I was in the States, as I was saying last week, and we went to many areas in the States, but we camped out quite a bit. We went to a lot of canyons, it was like a canyon trip. So you have beautiful, marvelous creation there of God that we could see; this is one of the canyons, super cold. You can see the snow out there. But we saw a lot of canyons and we saw it from different angles, different locations, different heights, until I think my kids have a kind of overdose. Hah, still need to get out of the car, no need lah, I think I've seen enough lah.

So we went quite a bit. And then we went to, after these high peaks and so, we went to another canyon called the Antelope Canyon. Eh.., is a, this is a little bit different in that you go close up, you walk through the canyons instead of observing them from the top. But in my mind, I say wah, another canyon, jin juey canyon, what, how special can this be?

So and any way, this is how it looked like near the entrance, we got in, this is what it looked like.
And you know, I was figuring this is going to be just a quick zip around this place. We travelled so far just to walk through this thing. Well, but thankfully, we had a good guide.

This is our tour guide and she was a total expert with phone cams. Super! I mean, she was like tut tut tut tut tut tana tut tut tut, wow, all of us was watching her in amazement, whether it's Samsung or iPhone or Xiaomi. She is so good at utilizing and maximizing the functions of the phone cam.

In any case, she helped us and helped us appreciate Antelope Canyon in a different light. She said this is the, this is the centre of the Antelope Canyon, this is the most important picture you would take.
Hah, why ah?

Well, to many people, you look at this hah, why ah? You know there are lots of possible angles, right? And there are lots of locations but she chose this one. She chose this particular angle. She chose this particular perspective, why? Some who are smarter here already, not smarter lah, some who are.. maybe more attuned to such things. What do you see? Canyon lor? The bodohs like me will be canyon lor. Stones lor, rocks lor, what is there lor?

What do you see? You see, an antelope. The nose, the eye, the horn, the neck, hah? Okay lah, you like me, cannot make it lah. Okay. Besides the antelope, you also see a man. The brow, the eye, the nose, the mouth. The man is looking at the antelope, wah, you say like that also can ah.

But you know after a while it looks correct, it is true. I do see that. And you don't get this without having to adjust the brightness, the intensity, well I do not know what she did lah. But she did it for us and we then take as if we took the photo ourselves.

Another view in the Antelope Canyon is something like this. Si mi lai eh? What do you see? Shark, very good! This is Jaws, da duh, da duh, da duh, da, this is Jaws. And you don't get that without adjusting the light intensity.

So in other words, we can walk through and I know that there were tour groups in front of us, which literally just walked in and zipped out without I think, pausing to see these things.

And and she said it is such a pity because the tour guide has done it so many times, he's sick and tired of explaining it, so they just walk out. But the canyon becomes a lot, I mean, there are other pictures, I don't want to bore you. But there are just beauty, there's just beauty to be observed when people point to you the right perspective.

Again, when we look at the Bible, and we see the life of Jesus, to many people, He's just an ordinary man. He's just a prophet. He's just a Jew who walked on the face of the earth.

But when we have a great tour guide and the tour guide is not me by the way. The tour guide is God by His Spirit. Only when the Holy Spirit shows you the light, and the perspective of the Lord Jesus Christ, will we then say, Wow, Jesus is majestic, Jesus is glorious.

I think this is a little bit like what Paul said earlier, For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

There are many people who read the Bible, many, but very few get to appreciate the Central Figure of the Bible, because they are not pointed to the right perspective. They read it and see all kinds of things- business tips, how to be a better this, how to be a better that, but they don't get to see Jesus Christ. And God has to be the One who's the expert at tuning the light in our hearts, so that we may see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

So when one comes to know Jesus Christ, when one is a new creation, God gives you a new perspective, in particular, of Jesus. So, it is therefore why the Bible says, no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Spirit. Now, I'm sure you understand, anyone today who can speak English can say three words here, Jesus is Lord. But I'm sure you will also appreciate that Paul is not saying anyone can mouth those words. But that anyone who genuinely believes and says and confesses, Jesus is Lord, this person must be worked on by the Spirit of God.

I grew up with this particular worldview, believing that I'm the center of the universe. Amazing! I, I really grew up my whole life believing I'm the center of the universe. In other words, I believed that if I did not exist, you do not need to exist. You exist because I exist; because if I don't exist, there's no real need for your existence. I am the ultimate reference point. Wah, this guy really jialat man you say.

But I, I've, I've since found out that I'm not the only one, huh. There are people who think that way too. So the whole world revolves around me and I in effect think that I am lord.

But at 18 years old, upon hearing God's Word preached, God shone that light into my heart. And since then, I genuinely believe I am not the lord. Now, I still struggle with that, because the old flesh wants to be king in this life. But I do think at the depth of my heart, I acknowledge and I know and I want to live my life, reflecting Jesus is Lord in me.

I used to think Jesus was a hoax. I used to think that Jesus is a joke. I used to think Christians are stupid. But today my view has completely turned around. I think that's what Paul says, when you are a new creation, like Paul, we, though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, though we saw Him as just an ordinary man, a carpenter, maybe a prophet, miracle worker, we regard him thus, no longer, not anymore. God has shone that light in my heart.

The new creation has a new perspective, not only to Jesus with regards to, to Jesus but, according to men. We regard no one according to the flesh. In other words, we don't look at people the same way we used to see them anymore. We see them now not as rich or poor, male or female. I'm not saying that we don't see gender, we don't see these things. But we don't think that these are the ultimate things anymore.

We see them with res.., with regards to their relationship with God, and with relationship to Jesus Christ. Are they people of God? Or are they not people of God? We, we see them in that light, are they in the kingdom, or are they out of the kingdom? We see them as people who we need to serve and to love.

We see Christians in a very different way now. We see Christians as our brothers and sisters who we are to love.
That's why the Bible tells us especially in First John, if you are really born again, if you are a Christian, you will love the brethren, you will not hate one another, because God has given you a new perspective. That's what it means to be born again. That's what it means to be a new creation. God's, God's grace enables you to see Christ in the right light, and to see one another in the right light and to see the world in the right light. You are given a fresh pair of spiritual eyes.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. Old, the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.
Now I, I think in this context, I know that a lot of people say oh, when you become a Christian, everything changes. Well, in a sense, I, I think it's not literally everything changes. My, my looks still same.

At 18 years old, when I came to Christ, I still looked the same. Some of you may say, I mean, at 18 years old lah, at that time, after I got saved, I looked the same. I'm not saying I look the same now as 18 years old. Some change lah, some a bit lah.

But when you came to Christ, not everything changed. Your looks remained the same. Your citizenship remains the same, in a sense. A lot of things remain the same. But what has changed, your perspective has changed. The old has passed away, the way you regard Christ, the way you regard people has changed, the new has come.

So it's interesting, Paul here uses creation language, right? A new creation. And perhaps it's very fitting, especially when you consider how he mentioned Second Corinthians 4, verse 6 - God has shone His light in our hearts, a little like what Genesis Chapter 1 is about.

So, the new creation, one who is dead and now alive in Jesus Christ, is someone who has a new perspective, a new view of things, a new way to judge and assess a new worldview, a pair of fresh eye.

[2] A New Position

Secondly, a new creation is someone who now has a new position in Christ.
You all didn't quite get the first joke, let me try a second one. This one I've shared before, I think. A, a man bought a parrot as a pet. But the parrot was a very naughty one, he didn't realize it, only when he brought it home, then he realized.

The parrot knows how to talk. And the parrot has learned all the bad language and the parrot is very rude, so when he got the parrot home, the parrot began to scold the man.

Just incessant scolding, and the man was so angry, so upset, he opened the freezer door and stuffed the parrot into the freezer. There was squawking in the beginning, but after a while, there was a dead silence. No sound at all.

Curious as to what's happened, he opened the door and the parrot, freezing, came out and say, I am so sorry I scolded you. Please forgive me. To which the man says, alright, I forgive you, no problem at all. Can I ask you a question, the parrot says. Sure. What did the chicken do? Okay, if you still don't get it, it's okay.

The great joy of the Christian, the new creation, is that we will never need to face the fierce wrath of God in judgment or punishment in hell. Because the Bible tells us we now have a new position in Christ. All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to Himself.

In other words, we are now no more enemies of God. We are at peace with God, we are reconciled with Him. We are on the right standing with God, we do not need to fear hell and fiery judgment anymore.

Well, when we talk about reconciliation, it means that prior to that reconciliation, man is at war with God. God is at war with men. God is angry with sinners. God will judge sinners.

Now I want you to realize that God's wrath is not that kind of, aiyah, I didn't have my breakfast so I'm very angry with you kind of anger. But it's a holy and righteous anger against rebels, against sinners. God is so holy and pure, He hates sin, and rightly so, hates sinners because we are so totally corrupt and depraved in sin.

But the new creation not only receives a brand new perspective, his eyes are different, his mind is different, but he also receives a new position. Now he's right with God, he's reconciled with God and all this is possible through the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's the central message of the Bible. The only way man can be right with God is not when we are good, not when we earn our way, not when we are charitable, because none of our works is good enough for God.

But in Jesus Christ because of His finished work on the cross, how He sacrificed for us, we can now be made right with God.
There's an interesting little, I wouldn't, I'm not sure what they call this...a poster, no, but a signboard in the States where it says, Sin burn prevented by Son screen. Orrh, wah today you all..ss a bit, ss.. not so (finger snap sound) like that lah ah.

Okay, but I, I guess you can get it now, right? Sin burn, hellfire prevented, because Jesus stood in my place. In essence, that what, that's what it means. I think very suitable for Singapore ah, whole day got very hot weather.

The reason, is because in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, not counting their wrongs against them. We did wrong. But God will not deal with us according to the wrong, according to the sins we have done.

Now some of you may say, huh, can like that ah. You mean God can suka, suka just say, oh, you have done something wrong, but forgive it lah, never mind lah, no, don't need to pay, can like that ah? And if you ask that question, then you have asked a very profound and good question, which the Bible seeks to answer. It is actually not right.

Let me say this, it is actually not right, for God to look at a sinner and say, though you have sinned, I just sweep it underneath the carpet and forget about it. It's not right. It is not righteous, because there is a debt to be paid, and no one has paid that debt. And if that is all God does, sweep the sin underneath the carpet, then for all eternity, there will be this scandal that says, Oh, yes, God wants to forgive sinners, but He's not a righteous God, because He doesn't deal with sin. The debt of sin is not paid for.
And it is precisely for that reason that Jesus had to die.

The Bible tells us for our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin. Jesus was sinless but He was treated as if He was a sinner. All the punishment that is due to those who would believe upon Him, is placed on Him as He suffered and died, so that in Christ, we might become the righteousness of God.

So there was a great exchange. We exchange our sins for His righteousness.
And so, that's why the Bible tells us over and over again about the ministry of the coming Messiah.

In Isaiah we are told, He that is Christ was pierced, not for His transgressions, but for ours; He was crushed for our iniquities or our sins; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, reconciliation with God. The Bible tells us, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

All this, so that in Romans Chapter 3, it is said, that's God, that is the He here, God might be just, and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. For those who believe in Jesus, those who have faith in Jesus, God can be now your Justifier, He forgives you.

But if He only sweeps it underneath the carpet, He will not be just.
So in order for God to be both just and the Justifier, He's got to punish that sin on His Son - payment must be made. And all this is from God. This is the amazing message of love in the Bible.

Who would have thought that the only way man can be right with God is that God would have to send His Son to die on our behalf. Did we deserve this? No. Did we initiate this? No. Did we come up with this plan or suggestion? No, all this is from God; the cost, the sacrifice that is needed to set you free from sin is from God.
This is an amazing message of God's love.

The new creation is given a fresh pair of eyes and the new creation is so blessed because he's so forgiven, he's reconciled with God at the cost of God's Son.

So my friends today we have a new position. We can be secure in this position. Because we got into this position, not because we earned it or secured it with our hard efforts but Jesus paid it all. So we can be absolutely secure in God's love. We can go to a passage like Romans Chapter 8 and says, Wow, if God be for us, who can be against us? Nothing, absolutely nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Today, you may be someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ, and you sinned against God, you blew it, you did something wrong, and you're wondering, Will God ever love me still? I tell you, nothing shall separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.

Today in our warts and scars and our ugliness, we can still come to the throne of grace, because we have a new position in Christ. We are at peace with God, we are reconciled, and nothing shall set us apart from Him.

[3] A New Purpose

The new creation is extremely blessed. New perspective, new position. But let's come to the last point with regards to Paul himself, he says, as a new Christian, I, new creation, I have a new purpose.

This week, I received a call from someone in church. She had just come back to Singapore with her husband. And her husband has a good job here. She used to have a good job back where she came from. But now obviously she has no job. She called because she wanted to ask, should she take up a new job? Is it biblical for her to take up a new job?

Because for her, taking up a new job is not so much for economic viability, it's not that they were financially strapped, the husband has a good job, well paying job. For her it is a kind of status. She doesn't want to be seen as useless. She doesn't want to be seen as maybe someone irrelevant in society. So she asks, should she take up a job because even though she knows that, status, having that status, that position in society is not exactly a biblical or godly consideration at this point of time.

I thought it's a good question. Should I take up a job? Because many people automatically follow what everybody in the world does. When I'm able to, I'm just going to get a job, earn my keeps, even though we have enough, I'm just going to keep earning and I, I want to be seen as someone very useful in society.

But I'd like to maybe offer a point of view. I'm not here, answering whether you should take up a job or not. But I'm reminding all of us here, that for the apostle Paul, the why, or the what I am supposed to do is very clear.
Paul says, All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

So to Paul, he understands the reconciled, will now become reconcilers - that is his ministry. Now, I want to be very precise here. The us here, alright, the us here in the context is really referring to Paul and his apostolic band. So in a specific way, the ministry of reconciliation, I think he's talking about is, the ministry that the apostolic band is entrusted with.

But I also understand that it is not limited to the apostles in an indirect way, in that, because we are called to follow the footsteps of the apostle Paul, because we are to carry on the work of the Great Commission. Elsewhere, the Bible does tell us to be witnesses, to make disciples. I think by indirect reference, we are also given the ministry of reconciliation.

That's what church is for. That's what we are for, we are here to be the salt and the light, the witnesses to tell people about Jesus, that they will be forgiven, and brought back to God. That, I think that is true, although contextually I want to label that again, it's about the apostles.

He says that God has given us the ministry of reconciliation, we are to tell sinful, rebellious human beings, that the King is coming, and you better reconcile with Him. He goes on to describe this role as being an ambassador for Christ.

An ambassador is a representative. He's an ambassador of the kingdom of heaven, and his Lord and King is Jesus Christ. Paul understands that his real citizenship is in heaven. He's no more a Jew, nor Roman. But he's a, if I say this again, heavenian, alright, he's a citizen of heaven, and is sent by God to be in a foreign land, in a foreign culture, to tell them about His Kingdom, that his King is coming soon. And if you do not repent, if you do not humble yourself and make peace with this King, you will be judged.

That's what an ambassador is supposed to. He represents his monarch, he represents his king. His mission is to bring about reconciliation. His mission is to tell people, humble yourself, repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
And his message is that his King has paid for your forgiveness. His King has sacrificed Himself so that you may be received into the Kingdom - that's his message.

And I hope the church today, we all will be clear, this is what God wants us to do.
In our series, Know, Grow, Go, I hope you will walk away with an understanding that Great Commission is the KPI for the church. Are we making disciples of Jesus Christ? Are we faithful, to bring out and to bring to others the message of reconciliation?

I like what John MacArthur says here, Evangelical Christianity today, that is those who believe the Gospel. Because there are many kinds of Christians people know of. Evangelical means those who believe the Gospel. Evangelical Christianity today is spending too much time, too much money and too much effort trying to change the culture rather than preach the ministry of reconciliation. The Sovereign has given us the message, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now, I, I hope you will read this in context. I don't think it is saying that Christians cannot be a blessing in the world, in social, political arenas. I don't think it rules that out. But it does set us in the right perspective, that our ultimate goal is not to reform a nation. Our ultimate goal is not to change some political structure. Our, our main goal is not to correct some social abnormalities. Our main goal is a kingdom goal. A Gospel Kingdom goal, the Heavenly Kingdom goal, to bring people to a reconciled relationship with God.

In other words, we must centre ourselves in the Gospel.
The apostle Paul says, I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus and Him crucified. I pray Gospel Light, will never be distracted to peripheral, social, political reforms and neglect the centrality of the Gospel in our lives. So the apostle Paul says, this is my new purpose. I used to persecute the church of Jesus Christ. Now I will go around telling people the message of reconciliation, you can be forgiven.

I think I could stop here but I feel a little bit dissatisfied if I should stop here, because when I read this passage, there's a little question that I have, which I want to just show and maybe add to the understanding of this ministry of reconciliation, and is this tricky verse in verse 20, which he says, We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Now, this is strange. Because Paul is writing to the Corinthian church, right? He's not writing to unsaved people in general, he's writing to the church. So if the ministry of reconciliation is preaching the Gospel so that sinners can repent and believe in Jesus Christ, why does he now say we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God, I thought you're all Christians. I thought you're all believers. I thought you're already reconciled to God, then why does Paul says, now be reconciled, since they are already reconciled?

So this is interesting. And this, I think, is the beginning of how Paul is going to introduce the idea, not only about his defense of his apostleship, which is the main theme in the book of Second Corinthians, but also to go on the offensive and say to the Corinthians, I'm not just defending myself, I'm also telling you that you guys are living in sin.

You guys are believing false teachers. You're in danger of being led astray from a sincere devotion to Christ. You are actually in danger of drifting from your God. Be reconciled to God, humble yourself, repent of your sinful ways. Shut your ears from the false teachers who are leading you away from Jesus - be reconciled to God!
Now that's why, how do I come to this conclusion? Because if you read on in Second Corinthians, he goes on to say, Chapter 6 verse 1, which is the next verse, next verse. We appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. You are recipients of God's grace. But you're dangerously close to being far away from God if you continue your ways.

And what are their ways? Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers; you are mingling yourself with unbelievers, you're cooperating with them, you're being influenced by them, do not do that. He says to them, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement. You're, perhaps as a result of their associations, too close associations with false teachers, and with unbelieving people, they are beginning to live sinful lives. You're not pleasing God.

So Paul says, we implore you, be reconciled to God, repent of your sin, cleanse yourself from these sins. I'm afraid that there are false teachers who are leading you astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. I warn those who sin, I will not spare them when I come. So Paul is saying, be reconciled to God, not in the terms of justification, but in the terms of sanctification. You're straying from Him, come back to Him.

And the ministry of reconciliation, therefore, is not just a message to the unsaved out there, but the message of reconciliation is also to be given in the church.
Brethren, if you see another overtaken in a sin, be gentle, be meek and restore such a one. I think that's what the bible calls the apostles and calls fellow Christians also to do. I think that's what the ministry of reconciliation is. It's a message to the outside and it's a message also for our inside.

So, a new creation - what an amazing reality for those in Christ, for those who believe in Jesus, a miracle has taken place. You were dead, the old Jason was crucified with Jesus on the cross, and a new man is formed. He's now alive, but the life which he lives, he lives by the faith of the Son of God.
And he is now properly known as a new creation.

How do you know he's a new creation? He now has a new perspective of things. He sees Jesus very differently. He sees people very differently. And as a result of that, he lives his life very differently.

He has now a new position. He is secure in the Gospel grace. He does not fear judgment and hell. But he knows that he's beloved of the Father. He has a new position, reconciled with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

And the new creation takes on a new purpose. He lives with this goal. I'm here on this earth, not to earn my pile. I'm here on this earth not to look good before man. I'm an ambassador sent by my King. I live in a foreign country actually, I'm not very interested to buy a property here. I'm here just for a short while because I'm going back to my Father, to my King.

Of course, I need some place to stay. Of course, I need some food to eat and that's why perhaps I would work. But ultimately what I live for is not in this foreign land. What I live for is in a Kingdom to come. My ministry here, to tell this people, to tell this world, my King is coming, He will judge sinners. But my King has given His life on the cross. Repent, humble yourself, believe in Him, and you can be reconciled. That is what the new creation is all about.

May you take on these beautiful truths, examine your lives, live out these beauty, beautiful teachings of Scripture. And if you today are not yet a Christian, not yet part of the Kingdom, allow me today to say, my King is coming soon. I know that is true. Will you be ready for that day? Will you humble yourself and be reconciled to Him?

Let's bow for a word of prayer together.
Father, we thank You so much for Your grace, in sending Your Son Jesus Christ. We are entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, not that we earned reconciliation, but that we can preach reconciliation, we can tell, we can proclaim, we can share. What a beautiful message this is.

And I pray this morning, if there'll be some here who do not know Jesus as yet, oh Lord, humble them. And I pray that You will shine the light of the gospel in their hearts. That they may now see, see Jesus for who He is, that they may turn from sin and believe upon Him.

I pray for those today who are going through discouragements, some who may be living in sin and, and perhaps because of that they are living in sin, they are living in guilt and shame and fear and hiding from You. Oh God, I pray that You'll grant to them a humble heart to repent. But at the same time, help them to rejoice in the position that Christ has earned for us. May they be comforted, may they find great assurance that if You are for us, who can be against us, that nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ.

And then I pray as a church, we will be a people very intentional in the ministry of reconciliation, or may we not all blindly just plunge ourselves, all into our careers and lose sight that we are actually ambassadors sent from heaven. May we be a church that will know, grow and go well. Thank You. We pray all this in Jesus' Name, Amen.


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