Evangelism in Context of Election

Transcript

GR 358
5/4/1980
Evangelism in the Context of Election
John 6 – Election 3
Gil Rugh

For our last couple of studies together we've been considering the subject of the sovereignty of God. Particularly the sovereignty of God as pertains to our salvation or the doctrine of election. I want to pursue that study a little bit further this morning, many of you have raised questions, have indicated comments on your cards and so on about various areas, particularly as it pertains to our responsibility. I thought that perhaps it would be helpful if we pursued this a little bit this morning, particularly as it pertains to the subject of evangelism, and our responsibility in the proclamation of the Gospel to the lost.

Alvin J. McClain, was the President of Grace Seminary for a number of years. He made the comment that Romans chapter 9 ought never to be studied separated from Romans chapter 10. Because Romans chapter 9 tells you why some people are saved but Romans chapter 10 tells you why some people are lost. And so I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 10, this morning. We're just going to pick out some of the highlights of Romans chapter 10 and then look over into II Corinthians chapter 5 to pull out some of the highlights there. Focus attention on our responsibility in the proclamation of the Gospel in light of the sovereignty of God. As we've noted in our studies already Romans chapter 9 is the key chapter in the Scripture on the subject of the sovereignty of God. There it's made clear that God sovereignly determines and sets out the destiny of men. That this is done before we are even born, in fact it was done before the foundation of the earth. This causes many questions to come up in our mind.

In verse 16 Paul summarizes, "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." So you see that chapter 9 is emphasizing the fact that God is in charge, not man. That God determines not man. And verse 19 raises a question that is the natural one and I think that many of us have it, many have already expressed it. "You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"' God is sovereignly determining the course of events and the destiny of mankind. Then why does He find fault with those who function in a way contrary to the Scriptures? Who can resist His will, everything is happening according to His determination? Now that's a question that we would desire to have answered, but no answer is given in Scripture. Paul acknowledges that the question is there, that the question is logical but He concludes with the statement that we are not in a position to ask such a question. That God is the potter, we are the clay, and God does just as He chooses with us, the clay. Now that is encouraging to me, I would have liked to have an answer to that question but it does tell me that I have gone as far as the Scripture takes me. God has not chosen to reveal additional matters, though it helped to resolve the seeming conflict between His sovereignty and my responsibility. I go so far to know that He is sovereignly in control of everything. My next question is, 'Then how can He find fault with anyone since everything happens according to His will?'. And that question is logical, but it's not Biblical because when I come to that point I step beyond my rights in asking the question. And so the answer is, 'You're not in a position to ask the question. 'So we know that we have come as far as the Scripture takes us and I am to understand that much but I cannot understand more because God's not chosen to resolve the conflict for me.

Now having talked about the complete sovereignty of God in determining the destiny of men. Paul moves on to talk about the salvation of men and mankind. He talks about the Jews and the Gentiles as chapter 9 moves along and in verse 30 he says, "What shall we say them? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law." In other words the Gentiles were never interested in keeping the law of God as given in the Old Testament to Moses, they never attempted to keep that law. But you know what? The Gentiles have ended up with righteousness That's what verse 30 says, 'they attained righteousness', they attained or I acquired that which they weren't even looking for, because they attained it by faith. They have believed in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection and they have righteousness. -In contrast, the Jews who were so meticulous in trying to keep all the little details of the law, have not attained the righteousness the law offered. The law did offer righteousness, but only to those who would keep the law perfectly all the time, and lest you think that you might do that, you ought to know that there are 613 commandments. I dare say no one in this auditorium can stand up and recite all 613, let alone know for sure that you've kept every one of them perfectly every day of your life. So what happened was no one attained the righteousness that the law offered because no one kept the law perfectly, except Jesus Christ, and He didn't need righteousness, He had it by virtue of who He was.

Going on then and talking about their salvation, the issue of their salvation has come up. The Gentiles are experiencing salvation by believing the Jews are not. Because why? They have stumbled over Jesus Christ in verse 32 and 33. Jesus Christ was an obstacle to them, they stumbled over Him. And so chapter 10 Paul begins, "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them (Israel) is for their salvation." Now that's an interesting statement, in light of the fact that he has just talked about the fact that God sovereignly determines the destiny of all, Paul says now, 'I have a burden to pray for the salvation of Israel.' You say, 'Paul what good is it to pray for Israel? If God is determined to save any Jews, He'll save those Jews. And if He is not, all the praying in the world won't change that.' Isn't it interesting that the one who has written the material on the sovereignty and election from which we draw our knowledge and understanding is the one speaking in chapter 10. Having just talked about that absolute sovereignty and total control, he says, 'My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they would be saved.’ I think that helps put things in balance. We begin to say things like, ’Why should I pray if God has elected some for salvation?' or ’Why should I witness if God has elected some for salvation?' or ’Why should I be burdened for the lost if God has sovereignly determined their destiny?’ And yet here I find the Apostle Paul who gave us our teaching on the subject saying, ’I am burdened for them, I am praying for their salvation.’ And that’s consistent with Scripture, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth. So Paul is praying according to the Scripture for the salvation of these people. And he’s praying according to the burden God has given him. That ought to be the guidelines for your prayer life. Is it Scriptural and has God given you a burden for it? It is Scriptural to pray for the salvation of the lost- Paul does it, Christ did it. We’re told that God is concerned for their salvation and particularly He gives us certain burdens about certain ones. Everyone in this auditorium has certain ones they are burdened about and some of us are praying about the same people, some of us are praying about different ones. You have family and friends for whom you are praying, God has given you a burden to pray for them. I take you ought to do like Paul has done for Israel. You ought to take those people to the Lord in prayer, you ought to express to Him the desire of your heart, because it may well be that the Spirit has burdened you for them, because God’s going to answer your prayer and save them. So no contradiction between Paul being burdened and praying for the salvation of Israel and the fact that God has sovereignly determined the destiny and salvation of those that He has selected.

Note verses 2 and 3, ”1 bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” Typical religious people, they're trying to be righteous by what they do. Paul says, 'I want to testify on behalf of the Jews, they are zealous for God’. There are no more religious people on the face of the earth. The problem is they’re ignorant, they don’t have the understanding that there is nothing you can do to acquire righteousness. It can only be had by believing in Jesus Christ. They’re going about trying to establish their own righteousness and in doing that they are rejecting the righteousness God has provided for them. Paul says, ’That’s tragic, oh I'd like them to come to realize that by all their religious activity they can’t come to righteousness, it's only by what Jesus Christ has done.’ Same error that religious people today make. They are so busy in being religious in trying to be acceptable before God that they neglect the righteousness that God has provided for them at no cost. The only righteousness that is of any value, the righteousness which is through faith in Jesus Christ.

Skip down to verse 8 after talking about the matter of revelation and how you find out about God and you go to heaven to get it, and you go to the grave to bring Christ back. No, the revelation has already been given in verse 8, "But what does it say?' The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching". This is what you need for righteousness, it's the word of faith which we are proclaiming, it’s a word of faith because it's a word which must be believed. It's the message that Jesus Christ, God’s Son died for your sins and when you believe that message, you experience the salvation that God has provided and the righteousness which He has provided. Now what does this message contain? Verse 9, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." Very simply this is the message that results in righteousness, ’confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in you heart that He died for your sins'. It interests me as I reviewed this matter again this week how often confession and faith are brought together. And I really see no contradiction here. I John, I believe 4 times equates confession with salvation. Jesus did it when He said, ’If you do no confess Me before men I will no confess you before My Father which is in heaven.' Confession means to say the same thing. Now we’re told by Christ that it’s out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. So a person who agrees with God concerning Jesus Christ is indicating His faith in Jesus Christ, they go hand in hand. And a person who does not agree with God about Jesus Christ has not believed concerning Jesus Christ. I see no problem with confession and faith linked together here, it’s consistent with Scripture. Now I realize a person can say something and not believe it, we're dealing with the general pattern here; a person has believed in his heart acknowledges that with his mouth and recognizes Jesus as the person He is. I John says, ’The person who does not confess Jesus is not saved.’ Period. Now that’s not saying there are two things that bring about salvation, faith in Jesus Christ results in righteousness and inseparably linked with that is acknowledgement of who Jesus Christ is. You cannot be saved if you don’t acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, as the One who’s died and been raised from the dead. Lordship is always concerning Christ linked with His resurrection in the New Testament, that’s an essential ingredient.in our salvation.

Now you'll note what he has done, we've talked in chapter 9 about the sovereignty of God in determining the destiny of man. Now in chapter 10 we're talking about man and his responsibility and why are men lost? We saw in chapter 9 they are saved because of the gracious work of God in electing them? Why are they lost? Because they will not believe in Jesus Christ, Chapter 10. If you will believe what I am preaching to you today, you will be saved. It's just that simple, Jesus Christ died for your sins, you believe in Him, you will be saved. Now if you're not saved it's because of your own decision, you won't believe in Him and that is your responsibility, not God's. The Scripture says in verse 11, quoting the Old Testament, the book of Isaiah, chapter 28 ’’Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” In other words there is no on who believes in Christ who is disappointed, everyone gets what is promised, righteousness, salvation. "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for ’Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be save.’" You note that, there is only one source of salvation, Jew and Gentile alike, whoever calls upon Him is saved. Now the process begins,”How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach if they are not sent?" God sends a preacher, someone hears the message proclaimed, they believe it and call upon the name of the Lord. Calling upon the name of the Lord becomes almost synonymous with believing. In other words, when you believe the message concerning Christ is true, you turn to God for your salvation, you call upon Him. This is used as Paul wrote to the Corinthians as well, they are saints who have called upon the name of the Lord, and they are saved because of calling on Him. So if you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins you will turn to Him for your salvation, in effect you call upon Him. You seek your salvation from Him, not from your own good works or keeping of the law any longer. I think the process here is important, you note he does not say here, ’How shall they call upon Him if they have not been elected?’ or ’How shall they believe in Him if they have not been elected?’. It’s, ’How shall they believe if they have not heard? And how shall they hear without someone to tell them?’ You ought not to think of the word preacher here in the technical sense like I am a preacher. The word for a herald, and a herald was one who went and spoke or proclaimed an appointed message. He has a message given and he is to go and tell that message. And I take it that is true of every single believer, we are those who herald Jesus Christ. We have an appointed message which we go and proclaim. Now it’s only those who are sent who can do that and that refers to the fact that only those who are believers in Jesus Christ can go and tell people about salvation in Christ that seems to be obvious.

So verse 17, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Important, what is my responsibility? My responsibility as one who is sent by God is go and present the message that God has told me. You know the simplicity of this boggles your mind, if I can say that. God hasn’t told us to come up with a good convincing message. If He told you to sit down and write a story of salvation to tell your friends, where would you begin? And when you got done, it would be so complicated no one would understand it. He hasn't asked us to originate a message, that's not a herald’s responsibility. A herald is to take the message he has been given and pass it on to those that he is told to communicate it to. So God has given us the message, Jesus Christ God's Son died for sin. If you will believe in His death on your behalf you will be saved. That's the message He has given us to proclaim, so that men might hear it and believe it and call upon the name of the Lord and experience His salvation. You know Paul sees no conflict here, 'Well, why should I proclaim it, if He has elected it?' I do it because that's God's pattern in calling out the elect. That's God's purposes for me, to be one who makes Jesus Christ known. You know it's amazing how the simplicity of this message goes beyond us. There's not a 4 year old who can't take that message and pass it on to someone else. Do you ever think, 'Why is it so difficult for us as adults to pass it on? Why do we get so tongue tied?' It's very simply, we are sinners, Jesus Christ the Son of God died to pay the penalty for sin, if you will believe in Him you will have forgiveness and righteousness for eternity. Now you can't say that that's overly complicated but why do we get so tongue tied in trying to pass it on? I wonder how many people have we heralded this message to this week. How many people heard and had opportunity to believe because they heard from us the message of Christ, even this past week? That’s the responsibility given. I'm so boggled up in trying to figure out God’s responsibility in election that I lose sight of the fact that He has given me a message to proclaim. Now in His sovereignty He’ll use that message according to His plan, my responsibility is to pass on the message. I wonder have you passed it on. You’re a herald, a herald is to go and proclaim the message he has been given. Who heard the message from you this week? Who heard the message from me this week? You know they couldn’t be saved if they didn't hear the message. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Even the elect cannot be saved if they don’t hear the Gospel. Now in God’s plan it is ordained that they will and from you and I in many cases. Amazing the simplicity of this message and how tongue tied we get as adults. When I first came to Indian Hills, I taught some classes on personal evangelism and you know I was always amazed, you go through the Gospel everybody says yes, jot it down, no problem, nothing to it. All right, sit down and explain to me the Gospel. Um, Urn, you know how it is, this week, tomorrow morning, first thing you do when you go to work look to the person you work with and tell them, ’I’ve got something to tell you that has an impact for eternity.’ ’You know God says that you are a sinner for whom Jesus Christ died and if you’ll believe in Him, you can have life forever. And see how your tongue goes, amazing the things we can talk about fluently and yet the very message we've been given to herald, ’Oh, well I don’t have the gift of evangelism.’ I don’t see that here. You know so many of us are hiding behind that with the result those that have the gift of evangelism may see more results coming. It doesn't change the fact that I’m a herald, to make the message known. All right so the responsibility to me seems clear, in Romans chapter 10, you ought to study Romans chapter 10 with Romans chapter 9.

Now turn over to II Corinthians, you see the same thing going on here. Stop at chapter 2, since it’s my favorite passage I stop here every time I come through this way. II Corinthians chapter 2, beginning with verse 14, this passage has probably had a greater impact on my ministry than any other portion of the Word of God so it's one of my favorites. "Thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." That’s saying the same thing as Romans chapter 10, 'we are heralds to make Jesus Christ known’. Here Paul uses the analogy of a pleasing fragrance given off and so we give off the knowledge of Christ, which to God that is a pleasing fragrance. He is pleased when I make Jesus Christ known, that is a sweet aroma to Him. So we make known the knowledge of Him in every place. Is there any place you have been this week where Jesus Christ is still unknown? You say, ’Well let's be practical'. Yes, let's be practical; is there any place you've been this week where Jesus Christ is still unknown? We are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are perishing and among those who are being saved. That statement revolutionized my ministry. I used to think when I preached, God was pleased when people got saved and I read that and find out God was pleased when Christ was made known. He's pleased when Jesus Christ is being made known. Whether the people are believing it or not, God is pleased when His Son is being made known. Now that says something, what is important to me, what God thinks or what men think? I had a chance to put this into practice when I would fly back and forth to California each week. And you sit on the plane and you're cramped into this little seat with someone right next to you and you can’t do anything but fight for the arm rest. And you know you sit there and you think, 'Oh, I ought to talk to them.’ 'No, I ought to relax, take it easy, they don't want to listen.' Why is it so hard to talk to that person about Jesus Christ? Now if I don't make Jesus Christ known to them, who will? You know and you can talk to them. You say, 'Well I don't like to talk to strangers.' But you know you’ll sit there and say, 'Boy, isn't this a bumpy plane ride?' Now, what kind of a dummy do you think they are? Their plane seat is bumping just like yours is. But we talk about things which have no significance in light of eternity at all. ’Isn't the food terrible?' 'Yeh, oh good.' And here we have as heralds, as those who are to make Jesus Christ known in every place the opportunity. Now I'd sit there and I'd think, 'Now, if I don't tell them about Jesus Christ, who will?' 'And besides, why should I not tell them, they're not going anyplace until we land.' And I think, 'Now here I've got x amount of time, shoulder to shoulder with a person to tell them a matter that has eternal significance and I'm wonder whether I ought to do it.' Who's the dummy? You know it's amazing what reasons and excuses we have and besides if I make Jesus Christ known to him, God is pleased with that. What do I care whether he thinks I'm a nut of not. You know I'm more concerned with what he thinks of me than I am what God thinks of me. The Scripture tells me if I make Jesus Christ known to him that will be pleasing to God, but he might not like it and so I make a decision on the basis of what he would like not what God would like. You tell me I don't have a problem with my spiritual life and walk with the Lord? Paul says, 'I make Jesus Christ known in every place.'
I wonder how embarrassed we'd be if we'd stand up and say, 'Well we've charted out your life this week and here's what you do and here's who you talked to, then we saw.' And I wonder how many of those places it would turn up that Jesus Christ was made known, or if it had been just like a person of the world who had walked through there who didn't know anything about Jesus Christ. Somehow we'd never gotten around to matters that were important for eternity.

Skip over to chapter 5. You know one of the things that will help you in keeping the proper perspective is to remind yourself of the reality of death. We live in a society and culture that tries to hide death as much as possible to remove death and dying from view. We have people die where we don't have to be around to mute some of the reality of it. You know one of the things if you remind yourself of the reality of death it will help put life in perspective. And Paul does this beginning at the end of chapter 4, he is reminded that he is in the process of dying, his body is getting older, it is deteriorating and it's only a matter of time. Short or long it’s only a matter of time if Jesus Christ doesn't come in 50 years, the majority of this audience will probably be gone. You say, 'Yeh, that’s right,’ But are we living in light of that fact? And so in chapter 5 through the first 10 verses, Paul goes into an in-depth discussion of the death of a believer. Now this puts things into perspective. What is going to happen when you die? Well, he says, ’You’re going to leave your body and you’re going to go into the presence of the Lord.’ And Paul says, ‘Boy, I’d rather be in the presence of the Lord any day.’ So verse 8, ”we are of good courage", and you know if you're going to die you need courage, and he says, 'my courage, I'd rather be with the Lord than be here'. Note verse 9, that affects the way you use your life, "Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." Paul says, 'the determining factor in my life is to be pleasing to God, in light of the fact that I'm going to spend eternity with Him, I have as my ambition'. I like the word, our English word ambition comes from a Latin word that means two, means a double minded kind of person or a person who will do two things, you know they'll do anything to get ahead, even two different things, say one thing over here and one thing over here if they think it will help them get ahead. The Greek word is a little more honorable it means a lover of honor. But the idea of ambition, I think conveys a meaning, a lover of honor, gives you the idea, ambition gives you the idea. That desire, what is your ambition in life? Stop and think about that just a moment. What is your ambition in life? What makes you go? What do you live for? What determines the activities of your life, day after day after day? Paul says, 'My ambition is to be pleasing to God.' Now that's everything else is seen in subjection to that. Most of us as Christians mouth it but don't live it. Paul say, 'I have as my ambition to be pleasing to Him.' You know we need to be motivated, and Paul had a motivation and it was fear. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may be recompensed for his deeds in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men". Note that, Paul says, 'You know someday I am going to stand in the presence of Jesus Christ and He is going to evaluate my life and what I have done while living in this body, whether it has been good or bad.' Now we're talking here about the Bema Seat of Christ. The word judgment there is the word Bema, refers to the judgment seat of believers, only believers are in view here. Now we are not there to be judged for our sin because Christ bore all our penalty for all our sins on the cross. We are judged according to what we have done with our body, whether good or bad. And the word bad there does not denote sinful, but denotes worthlessness. We are judged at this judgment in light of what was profitable and what was worthless. And all those neutral things that we've done with our life are classified here as worthless. They're not necessarily good, they're not necessarily bad they just have no value in light of eternity. One of the greatest concerns I have for us as believers is that we've filled our lives with trivia as believers we do so little which has eternal significance. We fill our lives with trivial matters just like the unbeliever does. With the activities and the recreation and the mundane things which will all be lumped in a pile of worthless. These things aren't sinful, they just have no value in the light of eternity, they're not good for anything. Paul says, 'You know, knowing the fear of the Lord, I persuade men.' I think the connection here is interesting, it starts out, 'My ambition is to be pleasing to Him, I want to be pleasing to Him because I'm going to stand before Him and be evaluated and judged by Him and that causes me fear.' I don't mean scared kind of fear that means 'awe', 'reverence'.
And if you don't stand in awe of the fact that someday you as a believer are going to stand in the presence of Christ and be exposed for exactly what you are and what you’ve done, you don't have any conception of what we're talking about. That's awesome, that ought to cause a reverence and an awe and a fear Someday I am going to stand in the presence of Jesus Christ and He is going to evaluate what I have done, in light of eternity. Paul says, 'that causes me fear, I stand in awe of that and that motivates me'. Now remember this comes out of talking about death. When I talk about death that reminds me I'm going to stand in His presence following death or if the Lord comes it will sooner at the rapture. That motivates how I live, knowing the fear of the Lord, what? We persuade men. Now important here, I mentioned back in chapter 2 that God is pleased when Jesus Christ has been made known. But you know we've got professionals who think that all they've got to do is walk around and say, 'Jesus Christ died for your sins, believe in Him and you'll be saved, it's up to you what you do, let's pray.' and it's just that hard and cold. 'You know it doesn't make any difference to me what you do I can't save you anyway all I can do is tell you and I've told you, so the responsibility is yours.' You know it you're doing that, you can expect that those kind of witnesses, quote, those kinds of presentations on the worthless pile when you stand in the presence of Jesus Christ. I don't find that that's the way Jesus Christ confronted men, I don't find that's the way the Apostle Paul confronted men. Note what he says here, "We persuade men", you say,
'Wait a minute didn't Paul understand about the doctrine of election? I mean doesn't he understand about the sovereignty of God? You can't persuade anybody to be saved, only God can save men.' And isn't it interesting how arrogant we become, pretty soon we're ready to be the Apostle Paul's teacher. You know it always amazes me how quickly people grow passively. It's just like our kids, isn't it amazing how quickly they come to the conclusion that you don't understand very much, that you really don't know. That happens spiritually too. I'll go home and sit down and say, 'Marilyn you know it just seems like yesterday that we shared the Gospel with them and they trusted Christ. Now here we can't teach them anything, they're sure they know everything. Well Paul had the same kinds of thing, and here we are telling Paul, ’Paul you don't persuade anyone'. 'But where did we learn about election? Romans chapter 9. Who wrote that? Paul. Oh, well I learned about it in Ephesians chapter 1. Who wrote Ephesians chapter 1? Paul. Oh, ah.' He knew both, that didn't change it, he persuaded men. When I present the Gospel, I present it what? With the desire that you would believe it. I'm persuading you, you ought to trust Christ, it's not a matter of indifference to me, and it’s a matter of upmost importance. I'm presenting it, not just to present it, I'm presenting it so that you might believe it. My greatest desire in telling you that Christ died to pay the penalty for your sins is that you might believe it, and that's a controlling, motivating factor.

Move on in chapter 5, we can pick up a couple of ideas quickly. Verse 14, "The love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that One died for all, therefore all died." You know that word 'controls' is interesting. A word that means to have in the grip. It's used of Peter's mother in' law when she had a fever, she was in the grip of the fever. It means to be pressed in. You can take your concordance and do a study of this word, you'll find to be in the grip of something to be pressed in between something. I wonder, can we really say that the love of Christ, talking about Christ's love for us now, not our love for Him. His love for us is what controls us, we are in the grips of the love of Christ. Is that really true of us? As Paul goes on, "We've concluded One died for all therefore all died, therefore those who live should not live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."

Verse 17, "Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." The tragedy is, we as Christians don't look any different than the world. Yet I am to be totally new and totally different. I am to be living in the grip of the love of Jesus Christ, living with my ambition to be pleasing to Him. Would to God if every ambition Christian was ambitious to please God. But that isn't the case. But to be in the grip of His love, to recognize to really recognize His love manifested in the fact, He died for me so that I would live for Him, I'd be about persuading men.

Verse 18, "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ", I'll say Amen. But you note what He has done, He has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. That ties to what we talked about back in Romans chapter 10, about being a herald. We have a message to proclaim the ministry of reconciliation is committed to us. "Namely, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself", that's the ministry of reconciliation, "not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." What's the result of that? The result of that is "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us". If you're elected, believe. What does he say? "We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled". There's no cold indifference, there's no distance between those that Paul ministers to. Ambassadors aren't thought of as begging, Paul says, "I beg you, I stand in the presence of Christ, I beseech you, be reconciled to God". What is the ministry of reconciliation? Christ died for your sins, He was raised from the dead, you must believe in Him. Now, He's committed that ministry to us. That tells you something about, what is your ambition? Are you ambitious to be pleasing Him? Do you really understand that you're going to stand in the presence of Christ and be evaluated for what you've done? Are you in the grip of the love of Christ? The manifestation of that is; you are about proclaiming the ministry of reconciliation, the message of reconciliation, Christ died for your sins. Now on that basis, I wonder how many of us could go back and say, 'Yes I'm ambitious to be pleasing to Him.' 'Yes, I stand in awe of the fact that I'm going to be evaluated by Him, judged by Him.' 'Yes, I'm in the grip of the reality of the love of Christ. I realize in love He died for me.' Well if so we'll be about that ministry, it's been committed to us and the awful thing about it is, we back up and say, 'Am I really not in the grip of love? Do I really not really appreciate the fact that He died for me? I'm not really living in light of the fact that He's going to evaluate what I'm doing.' What have you done of eternal significance this week? What have we done in light of eternity this week? You know we look at people and we say, 'My they're wasting their lives.' The days turn to weeks, the weeks to months, the months to years and we say, 'Life's going by and they're wasting it.' I wonder if God doesn't look at us as His children and say, 'My I've given them all the potential of eternity and life's going by and they're wasting it, for whatever reason.'

The chapter closes with a summary, verse 21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." That's the message, there's not a person here who is a believer in Jesus Christ who can't share it with someone else. And if I am convinced of its reality, if I am convinced of its importance, and if I am ambitious to be pleasing to Him then I will be sharing it. And this is what burdens me, what we've talked about with Mission Imperative- to reach the city of Lincoln. You know Hebrews chapter 13 says that, "You are to submit to those and obey them that have the rule over you, for they shall give an account to God." You know that hangs over me as I think about that God has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. And I think that now as a leader I am to give an account for you. And I would think, 'Now God has placed us in this city and I have been here for years, and there are people in this city who still do not know about the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for their sins.' And I should stand before God and give an account today. He'd say, 'I put you in that city with thousands of people at your disposal and still not everyone heard of Jesus Christ?' You know that's an awesome thought that we are a couple of thousand people here, we have a city before us and yet there are people in this city who have not heard, to whom the fragrance of Jesus Christ has not reached. To whom I have not heralded the message, that you must be reconciled to God through the work of Christ, That’s why I believe it's imperative that we take it upon ourselves as a burden from God to reach every person in this city. It's a responsibility He's committed to us, with the ministry of reconciliation. That's why you're going to see this material in the mail regarding prayer. Would that we had the same burden as Paul in Romans 10 where he'd say, 'The prayer and desire of my heart is that Israel might be saved.', that we should say, 'The desire and prayer of our heart is that Lincoln might be saved.' and thus act accordingly. Paul didn't sit in his rocking chair and hope Israel would be saved, he went out and spread to them the message of Christ so that they might hear and believe. I believe that that's the privilege and responsibility and obligation God's given us. And I don't know of what else is of the same value in light of eternity. I believe Jesus Christ is coming, I believe in may be today, I believe it may be tomorrow, I don't know when it is, but I know it's imperative that men and women hear of the work of Jesus Christ, so the Spirit might use that message to draw them to salvation by faith in Christ. And I know that we'd better be about it, so that we are ready to stand before Him and not find out that we've filled our lives with worthless things. Let the days pass, the weeks, the months, the years and pretty soon life is past and it's filled with trivia and we stand before Him with worthless things. What an opportunity, who else but you and I as the Sons of God have the privilege to do the things which matter for eternity. God help us to devote our lives to these kind of things.