Division 2 Statement: You/We are called to be a missionary because you have been commissioned.

(vs18--20) Please look with me at verses 18--20 (read aloud).... Explanation: Jesus Christ is the in! o" in!s -- #e is our in!$ %ut as Creator &od' Christ is the in! o" all creation and one day every knee shall bow and tongue confess that He is king, to the glory of God the Father. #e is the utmost authority in our universe because #e alone deserves to be in that (osition. )nd this in! -- the in! who has con*uered death and hell' has ado(ted you into His "amily$ +ou are a child o" in! Jesus$ +ou didn,t choose #im -- because #e "irst loved us' #e chose you to wear #is name (i" you call yoursel" a Christian) and has sealed you with #is #oly -(irit so that you will inherit all the blessin!s o" heaven. .his in! has commissioned you and me to be #is ambassadors' to re(resent #im on this earth. Christ is not o" this earth' and there"ore we re(resent a &od that is in so many ways foreign to the (eo(le o" this world. .hat means you and / are foreign ambassadors' stran!ers in a stran!e land. .he (eo(le o" this world do not understand our worldview' customs' and habits. .he de"initely do not understand our in! and #is ways$ )s both sin"ul (eo(le and royal ambassadors' you and / must somehow brid!e the !a(' hel(in! the (eo(le down here understand our in!. .hat is not an easy task' but a necessary one' nonetheless. Illustration: 0ur in! has commissioned us with a messa!e "or the (eo(le o" this earth. .he messa!e #e has !iven us has the headin! that says 12&34.$ /t does not say .0P -3C23.$ 5e are not s(ies in a "orei!n land' we are ambassadors$ 6o you understand the di""erence7 -ometimes / wonder.... /" we "ail to deliver this messa!e to every tribe on the (lanet then we are sim(ly not doin! our 8ob. /t would be as i" the &overnment o" Canada sent you to be an ambassador to 9rance' but you s(ent the whole time !ol"in!' sho((in!' si((in! lattes' and loa"in! around. .he (rime minister o" Canada is sendin! you ur!ent emails every day' e:(ectin! you to deliver those messa!es to others' but you don,t do anythin!. Perha(s you won,t even check your email. +ou sim(ly wear the title ;)mbassador; and collect a bi! (ay che*ue' but you do nothin! else. #ow many o" us are like that7

5e are children o" the in!. 5e are #is ambassadors in a "orei!n land. #e has !iven us an ur!ent messa!e to share with the multitudes on this (lanet. /t is a messa!e that will save their lives. Argumentation: 5hy doesn,t Christ' #imsel"' come down here and tell everyone7 5hy is #e askin! you to do this7 5ell' let me ask you somethin!< 6id #e not do enough by leavin! #is throne in heaven' embodyin! human "lesh' livin! amon! us and bein! tem(ted in every way we have (yet without sin)' and then dyin! a humiliatin! and (ain"ul death on our behal"7 5as it not enough that #e !ave #is li"e a sacri"ice "or your sins7 5hat it not enough that #e (aid a (rice we could never (ay in order "or us to become #is children -- citi=ens o" heaven7 5e did absolutely nothing to save ourselves "rom our sins$ >et me say that a!ain< 5e did absolutely nothing to save ourselves -- because we could not$ +ou cannot live a (er"ect li"e as Christ did. +ou cannot be the (er"ect sacri"ice Christ was. +ou cannot raise yoursel" "rom the !rave as Christ did. #owever' you can o(en your mouth and testi"y to what #e has done$ Christ has done everything -- all you are re*uired to do is testi"y to that "act. .hat is not askin! too much' is it7 /t says He has given us the ministry of reconciliation (vs 18). 5e did nothin! to earn this (osition -- it was a !i"t. 3verythin! you have is "rom &od -- it says that ri!ht here< ow everything is from God (vs 18). #e didn,t have to do that "or us' but #e did it because we are his ado(ted children and he loves us. .his !i"t is not a burden$ /t is not a 8ob$ /t is a (rivile!e$ #e is not askin! you to bear bad news to anyone -- #e,s askin! you to share &ood 4ews$ >ook at verse 1?< God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them -- .#/is the messa!e #e has committed to us$ .he messa!e is the &os(el$ .he &os(el says Jesus (aid it all -- you can be "ree$ +ou can now be "or!iven$ +ou can have eternal li"e$ 5hy would we ever see such a messa!e as a burden7 5hy would we ever shrink away "rom sharin! this messa!e o" ho(e and love with those around us7 @erse 20 says< !herefore, we are ambassadors for "hrist, certain that God is a##ealing through us, we #lead on "hrist$s behalf, $%e reconciled to God.$& 4ow' / reali=e that Paul was literally

s(eakin! o" himsel" and the other a(ostles' e:(lainin! what a(ostles do. 0nce a!ain' he is de"endin! his a(ostleshi( here. #owever' i" you see this as only descri(tive and (rescri(tive' you would be mistaken. #e is includin! you and me$ 9or e:am(le' when Paul says in this (assa!e "hrist died for all so that we mi!ht live' was he only s(eakin! o" himsel"7 /s only Paul a new creation7 0" course not -- everythin! he says has universal im(lications that a((ly to every believer. .he ;"alse a(ostles; were tryin! to trick the Corinthian believers into becomin! enslaved to a ;reli!ious system; and Paul was remindin! them that they should not be tem(ted to !o backwards' but "orwards. @erse 20 says we '()*+ on "hrist$s behalf, &%e reconciled to God.& +ou see' the lost (eo(le in our lives were created in &od,s ima!e. &od loves them$ 5hen &od created the world it was (er"ect. /t was our sin that se(arated us "rom &od. 5e can be ;reconnected; to &od a!ain in a (er"ect relationshi( because o" what Christ has done. .his is our messa!e< Come back to &od$ .he (eo(le around us are distracted and sel"ish and blind. Aost o" them have never heard this messa!e. .hey are unaware that &od loves them that much. .hey are unaware that #e made them "or a #ur#ose and that there is ho(e$ .hey don,t know that they can (ray to &od and see #im intervene in their lives' brin!in! salvation' healin!' and (eace. You know this' but they don,t$ Application: >et me challen!e you once a!ain.... / challenge you to say this to &od in (rayer at some (oint today< ;/ understand that +ou saved me' &od. / understand that you did everything and / have done nothin! to earn my salvation. %ut / will not tell my "riends' "amily' nei!hbors' and coworkers the &ood 4ews. / a((reciate the "act that you saved me' but / don,t really care i" the other (eo(le you (laced in my li"e !o to hell. )men.; 4ow' / understand that most o" you would never say somethin! like that to &od. #owever' many o" you will im(ly it by sim(ly sayin! nothin! o" it in your (rayers to &od. /t,s 8ust the bi! ele(hant in our (rayer closet that we (retend is not there. Please' re-commit yoursel" to &od today$ 2enew your commitment to be #is ambassador where you live' work' and !o to school. Transition (Div. 2 to Div. 3): 4ot only has &od trans"ormed your li"e by makin! you a com(letely 435 (erson. 4ot only has &od !iven you the awesome res(onsibility o"

re(resentin! #im and sharin! #is messa!e in this "orei!n land. #e has also !iven you the (ower you need to accom(lish the task.... Division 3 Statement< You/We are called to be a missionary because you have been em#owered. (vs. 21) &od maintains #is 8ustice and 8usti"ies those who believe in Jesus' 8usti"ies the un!odly' verse 21' ;#e...bein! &od...made #im who knew no sin...; 5ho,s that7 +ou,ve only !ot one (erson on the list. 0ne sinless one. ;#e made the s(otless sinless -on o" &od' holy' harmless' unde"iled' se(arate "rom sinners....#ebrews says...the one o" whom &od #imsel" said' / am well (leased with #im.; #e made Christ...the &reek says...sin on our behal"' in our (lace "or us. 5hat a statement. &od made #im who knew no sin' the >ord Jesus' the >amb without blemish and without s(ot' #e made #im sin. 4o one was *uali"ied but #im. 2evelation B' #e,s the only one *uali"ied to come and take the scroll out o" the hands o" &od and take back the earth as the ri!ht"ul heir. #e is the holy one. #e is the (er"ect >amb' sinless. &od made #im sin. 5hat does that mean7 6oes it mean #e became a sinner7 0n the cross #e is the >amb without blemish and without s(ot. 0n the cross #e says' ;Ay &od' Ay &od' why7; .here,s no sin' that,s why the why. /" there,s sin' there,s no why' it,s becomin! a 8ust (unishment. 5hat is this !oin! on then i" Jesus isn,t actually a sinner7 (>isten to this). 0n the cross &od treated Jesus as i" #e were a sinner. #e brou!ht #im' the sinless one' to be the substitute "or sinners' de(icted in all the sacri"ices in the 0ld .estament' a substitute !ivin! #is li"e "or the sinner. Put it another way' &od killed Jesus with #is wrath over your sin instead o" doin! it to you. .o (ut it another way' on the cross &od treated Jesus as i" #e lived your li"e' as i" #e lived my li"e. .hat,s ri!ht. 0n the cross &od treated Jesus as i" #e lived' listen' your li"e and my li"e. .o (ut it another way' on the cross &od treated Jesus as i" #e had (ersonally committed every sin ever committed by every (erson who would ever believe throu!h all o" human history' thou!h #e committed none. &od treated #im as i" #e had committed them all. )nd you ask the *uestion then' ;#ow is it that i" it,s !oin! to take an eternity o" (unishment "or one sinner and still the (unishment is not enou!h' how could Jesus bear the (unishment o" all the sinners who belon! to &od and bear it all "rom 9riday to -unday7; )nd the answer is only this' that #e could take an in"inite amount o" (unishment summed u( in a brie" amount o" time because #e is an in"inite (erson. -o &od treated Jesus as i" #e lived your li"e and unleashed the "ull "ury o" #is wrath. )nd a!ain / say' #e bore the (unishment o" &od "or every sin ever

committed by every (erson who throu!h all human history would ever believe in the true and livin! &od. %ut that,s not all. .he back side o" this substitution is e*ually startlin!. >ook at the rest o" verse 21' ;.hat we mi!ht become the ri!hteousness o" &od in #im;. #e was wounded "or our trans!ressions. #e was bruised "or our ini*uities. .he chastisement "or our (eace and reconciliation was laid on #im. &od caused the ini*uity o" us all to "all on #im. )ll o" that is in /saiah BC. #e became sin "or us who knew no sin. %ut here,s the other side o" that. .hat we mi!ht become the ri!hteousness o" &od in #im. .his is so thrillin!. #e was made accursed "or us' so says &alatians cha(ter C. #e bore our (unishment by becomin! a curse in our (lace. Peter (uts it this way' ;#e #imsel" bore our sins in #is body on the cross that we mi!ht die to sin and live to ri!hteousness' by #is wounds you were healed.; /t,s the same idea. -ubstitution' our sins im(uted to #im. %ut the other side o" all that is #is ri!hteousness then credited to us. .hat last statement' ;.hat we mi!ht become the ri!hteousness o" &od in #im.; /,m not ri!hteous. +ou,re not ri!hteous. 5e know that' don,t we7 5e all live in 2omans D' don,t do what we ou!ht to do and do what we ou!ht not to do. )nd we all say with Paul' ;5retched man that / am' who will deliver me "rom the body o" this death.; 5e all lon! to !o to heaven so we can !et rid o" this crabby "lesh that kee(s sub8ectin! us to sin"ul thin!s. /,m not ri!hteous. %ut then a!ain' Christ was not a sinner' but &od treated #im as a sinner and thou!h /,m not ri!hteous' &od treats me as i" / am ri!hteous. 0n the cross &od treated Jesus as i" #e lived my li"e' and now #e treats me as / live...as i" / lived Jesus li"e. /s that a startlin! thou!ht7 Peo(le say' ;5hy did Jesus have to live thirty-three years7; /" / were &od / mi!ht have said' / need you to !o down and redeem sinners' so !o down on a 9riday' you can die and be raised on -unday and be back -unday ni!ht. &et it done. 5hat,s CC years7 #e had to live a (er"ect li"e. #e had to be in all (oints tem(ted like as we are. #e had to "ul"ill all ri!hteousness' Aatthew C<1B. 5hy7 -o that a (er"ect li"e would e:ist that could be credited to the account o" those who belon! to &od. #e dies a (er"ect death' the death that we should have died' so that we could be credited with livin! a (er"ect li"e. .hat,s why there,s no condemnation. &od looks at the cross' sees Jesus. >ooks at the cross rather and sees us bearin! #is "ury. >ooks at us and sees #is -on. .hat,s what it means to be in Christ. .his is the !os(el. .his is the messa!e' the word o" reconciliation that we are to dischar!e in the ministry o" reconciliation as ambassadors. 2econciliation is by the will

o" &od' by the act o" "or!iveness' by the obedience o" "aith and by the mi!hty work o" substitution.