Bible Guys Classics: 2 Corinthians 5 Part 2

Well, Jeff, I don't know about you, but when I hear the word ambassador, because I'm such a movie guy, the first thing I think of, unfortunately, is ambassador Spock from Star Trek. Oh wow, yeah, yeah, so today that's what we're talking about. He's Christ and I'm Jeff, and we're the Bible guys. Well, hey, listen, Jeff, today is the first week of a new year. Yes, and it says this. This segment that was handed to us says this. It's actually great. We're calling it what made Jeff happy this week? Oh, it's a new year, So we're gonna flip one of our favorite segments. Instead of asking Chris what made him mad this week, we're asking Jeff what. Made him happy this week? Okay, yeah, so off top of your head, what made you happy? Wow? That's a special question. So are they trying to differentiate between the two of us as to what we're famous for? Maybe so maybe? So. My only my only question is are you going to go like self righteous and say like, oh my my quiet. Time with Jesus? And then second to that would be you know, my what any any moment. With my wife? It's glorious, It's funny. Those are the obvious answers. What made Chris mad this week? What made Jeff happy this week? Actually, over the last couple of weeks, I think it's been the other way around. You've been the really happy guy, and I've been kind of out of sorts, kind of grumpy guy. I don't know why. Let me think what made me happy? Though? So through this holiday season, I've had a lot of opportunity to grill and smoke a lot of meats. Oh yeah, so I like that, did some ribs, did made some sausage, some venison sausage, and smoked that. Yeah, all kinds of things. I have a new smoker that I can control from my phone, Like I could fire it up right now, sitting right here, I could get that bad boy going. So it's amazing and gets the smoke just right, gets the charge just right, just delicious. Yeah, that's it's pretty incredible. So I've been working on a new recipe for barbecue sauce, and let me just tell you, I'm almost there. Glorious because all the all the good barbecue sauces haven't been invented yet. I don't think so. This this one is really, really, really really good man. Yeah, so I have some apricot preserves in there and a little bit of Frank's Hot sauce and some other good based stuff. It's based off of open Pit, but I got all these things to mix it together. Pit open Pit is one of my favorites. Yeah. Yeah, so that's just the base. That's the beginning, okay, and yeah, because you're gonna get that vinegary taste in there too, and then from there build off all these layers of flavors. So it's really sweet. I just made these for our oversight team, the elders at our church, because we needed the budget get passed, and I figured i'd get them, you know, mostly passed out on a meat coma and then and then we talked about the budget. So I did that and kind of starts sweet on the front end and then gets really full and middle and then gets just a bite of heat at the end. It's perfect, man. So yeah, that's what makes me happy. And I think one of the I love to cook, and one of the reasons is it's just so different from everything else I do, right that you just kind of turn the brain off and make things happen. It's fun. Well, I mean I think it's because you're good at it. So and not only is it interesting, you know, because it's fascinating and we all appreciate good food. I think there's there's people like me right where like I just I don't for some reason, they don't have any interested in cooking. But I sure do want to go to the places that have the best food in the world. Right So I love food, as evidenced by myself. And you know, but but you're the kind of person that says, hey, I can actually do this, I can create this, and and you have total pleasure in doing it, and I watch you do it. For those of you who don't know, if you're if you're a pastor out there, you got to step up your game. Because Jeff actually makes food for our entire staff. Will have a staff meeting and he'll say, what should I make a planked salmon? You know? Yeah, and it's like forty something people. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so you're out there and he actually enjoys it. And I've never been to a church. I told my staff this because I only came on staff with you two years ago. I told the staff, I'm like, I've never even heard of this. I've even heard of a lead pastor like serving this way for his for his staff. This is the closest thing I'm going to get to watching people's. Feet, because it sure ain't going. To be watching exactly. So, you know, people come together around food, and good food is fun to do anyways, And like I said, it's just so different from everything else I do that it's it's a nice diversion and it brings delight to me. So but I am almost never satisfied with it. So I'm always like, you know what I could have done? Well, you know what I should have done. It's always make it better, make it better, make it better. And Bonnie mocks me. My wife mocks me over that all the time time, Like everybody at the table take a bite, and then body goes, you know what you should have done? And she's just mocking me. But that's my thing, all right. So we are in this passage in second contens chapter five, right. Yep, and we're going to read through chapter six, verse number two, because remember chapters came later. This is one long letter, that's right. So chapter six point two sort of ends the thought. Yes, so he's been talking. You know, we're all going to stand before Christ to be judged. And then he says, because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we're sincere, and I hope you know this too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? Know we're giving you a reason to be proud of us, so that you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we're crazy, it is to bring glory to God, and if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we all believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone, so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. However, how differently we now know him. This means that everyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone and a new life has begun. And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them, and he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors. God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead come back to God. For God made Christ to never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ. Yeah. So Paul is just once again he's using the world six two. Yeah, I have two more versus three. You sure do, go ahead and life. As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. For God says, at just the right time I heard you on the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the right time is now today is the day of salvation. Oh you almost a minute that Yeah, that's a really good that's a big one, I know. So Paul there is quoting Isaiah chapter forty nine or verse number eight. Yes, and it's the Greek version of that, and so yeah, it's it's just a great completion of that thought. And so anyway Paul is talking about once again he's making this comparison. You know this he's a visual aid teacher, especially in these last five chapters where you know, he's making comparisons all over the place. And he says, hey, just like an ambassador who represents a country and visits another country and speaks on behalf of that country, we are ambassadors of Christ. So we represent Christ, which which represents God's kingdom. And so wherever we go, we are Christ's ambassadors, which which you know, think about the behavior of an ambassador. Whatever that ambassador does, whatever he says or she says, is going to be a direct reflection of that country, because they're the spokesman or the representative. And so again Paul just has this great way of helping us learn by using these comparisons or these metaphors. And I love that. And then also he talks about how, you know, at the very beginning, he actually talks about how, hey, we don't brag about having a great ministry. We brag about actually having sincere. Hearts, you know. So again he's just sort of weaving in, uh, this idea that like, uh, you know, we're not like those that have. To do these things. Remember remember before in the. Last few days he talked about, we don't have to give letters of recommendation, we don't have to brag on our own power, because it's the power of God in us. Paul is, you know, sort of defending himself, and he's comparing what a false preacher or somebody who you know is a huckster, you know, who's in it for their own selfish reasons. He says, no, no, no, these are the. Traits of somebody who is sincere. And so in this case. He's talking about, hey man, it's not about the ministry, it's about the heart. That's right, which is great. This idea of being an ambassador. I love the idea because an ambassador doesn't speak his own words or her own words. The ambassador speaks on behalf of the king or the president. Right, So the ambassador doesn't develop their own policies and their own strategies. The ambassador executes on the strategies and policies of the king, right, the ambassador doesn't think how do I represent myself the best the or how do I express my own individuality the best? Instead, the ambassador's thinking how do I represent my king? Right? So that's going to affect how they talk, how they carry themselves, how they dress, how they communicate. It's going to talk. It's going to affect how they behave publicly and privately. It's going to affect if they're going to be a good ambassador. It literally affects everything in life. They begin to mold their life to the will and the desire of the king they represent. And that really is is I think what Paul has been writing about through this whole thing, and then to have a kingdom perspective, and what he's been trying to tell us is the kingdom is on the other side of eternity, not just on this side. We have a message now to reconcile people to our king, but his kingdom is on the other side. And that that's a pretty cool way to look at that. You know, the application of that is pretty clear. But let's just take it one step further and say, you know, if you're a person who's walking into a place that doesn't feel very godly. You know, maybe your work environment is just void of all things Christian or Jesus or things of God. View yourself as an ambassador. And so the question is are you doing those things? Are you representing you know, the voice and the policies and the intentions and the desire of your king and his country. So set up an embassy at your work, right, set up an embassy in your neighborhood or on the team that you're on, or in your school. Yeah, that's great, yea. And so and then by the way, just just I know that we're skipping over the whole dyed old life new life thing, but because we're talking about ambassadors. But then he says this, He says that we have the Ministry of Reconciliation, right, And you know what's interesting is that and I've said this, I think several months ago, but theologically, even though it's not, I don't I'm not going to condemn anybody for praying to Jesus. And they say, oh Jesus, you know, it's like, well, we understand the Trinity, so we understand that. You know, if you Jesus said, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. I and the Father are one. So if you pray to Jesus, technically you're praying to God right all the way through the scriptures. It's I think it's important to realize that the roles of the members of the trinity play a different you know, they play a very specific role. And so it's really clear that we pray to God the Father because Jesus Christ came to reconcile us to the Father, and so that's why it says it says so that we could be made right with God through Christ. And so you know, that's why whenever Jesus prayed, he prays to the Father. And so again it's it's it's it's fine if you're going to pray to Jesus, but just thinking about it, like other parts of the scripture say that we were made, we were separated from God, and then Jesus came so that we can be reconciled and brought together again to God the Father, which is cool. Yeah, I think it's appropriate to pray to all three. You know, I think it depends on what the prayer is, but the engagement is with God and God is a trinity, right, so so Jesus taught us to pray to our Father. The Bible says we're supposed to pray in Jesus' name, right, The Bible says that we have an advocate, the Holy Spirit we also have. Is our intercessor, yes, and works with us in prayers. And Jesus is our intermediary. Right, He's the one between God and man. So they work hand in hand in hand. And it's not inappropriate to pray to the Holy Spirit and say, Holy Spirit, give me your power today, or empower me as a go or you know, give me clarity of thought as I share this word with somebody or whatever. It's not inappropriate to talk to Jesus about, you know, your needs. On a personal level. It's not wrong to go to the heavenly Father, and and he's the king of the universe kind of thing, and all those are appropriate. But theologically, prayer seems to be directed at the Father in the name of Jesus through the intercessor of the Holy Spirit. That's that's the theological flow of prayer. I was once told that the roles of the of the Trinity seem to have just they're sort of leaning toward a certain role. And somebody described the role of the Father, as the Father is the one who has the will, So whenever it talks about the will, he's the big picture God in our lives that has a will for our lives. And and and he's the one that determines that and and that's always connected to the person of the Father of the Trinity. And then Jesus is the foreman on the scene, the one who shows up and initiates the work. He's the one that comes, and he's the guy on the ground and the trenches that executes and puts forth the will of the Father. And then and then the Holy Spirit seems to be the one who's the completer of the work. The Holy Spirit is the one who is, you know, always the finisher or the completer of these things in our lives. And if you think about the members of the Trinity and the roles that seem to lean towards those, you know, members of the Trinity, it really does make more sense than you know how it's how it's given to us when we've it that way. Yeah, and so then this is why Jesus said, I came to fulfill your will right and nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. Jesus was fulfilling the mission and the will of God the Father. And so then now he came as an ambassador to reconcile us to God. And by the way, the way he did that was no longer counting people's sins against them. That is almost an incomprehensible concept. We have a hard time not holding people's sins against them, and we're not as offended by sin as God. Right, but it's heard, but the idea that we owe God this unpayable debt. But the way that Jesus reconciled the world to God, or that God was reconciling in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. The way he did that was by no longer counting people's sins against them. That's amazing. You go, wow, that's fantastic. I just got off free. No, you didn't. You didn't get off for free. Here's what happens. It says in verse twenty one, for God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for your sin. So it's not free. We didn't get get out of our penalty for free. It was that somebody paid the incredible penalty. Not only that, you know, in the original languages, it says the Greek, it says, became sin itself, not just the payment for sin. He became that sin, and then God punished that sin. That's what happened there, right, And that's how He was able to pay for us. He became the offering for sin. He took on the consequences of sin, and then God then said, all right, that is the sufficient offering. And so it was the wrath of God, the judgment of God on Christ. And that's an incomprehensible idea that this holy, perfect God would become, you know, the results of sin for us and then take on that penalty for us, and so that we could be made bless you thank so that we could be made right with God through Christ. So God did it for the purpose of us being able to have a right relationship with Him. Yeah, and on all of that is actually a great connector to what he also says is he says, we believe that we have all died to our old life, and then he says He died for everyone so that for the purpose of those who receive his new life would no longer live for themselves. Instead the live for Christ who died and was raised for them. So it's interesting because he connects that entire concept of what you just said, which is, you know, the price has been paid Jesus sacrifice has been made, He's died for our sins. And he says, so therefore, one of the applications, not the only one, but one of them is we believe that we. Have to our old life. It reminds me that old song in Sunday School? Did you ever sing the song? Things I used to do? Well, I don't do them any more. Things I used to do, I don't do them anymore. And and uh and uh. And by the way, there's been. A great great change change since I've been boring, there's been a great great So anyway, all that to say, uh. Be careful. My toet started tapping. No oh no, that's. So funny, so u uh you know, by the way, it's it's a it's a you know, I was always poke fun at Baptists because I was one. I'm allowed to. It's like my mother and it's my stepmother, who was a redknex is only rednecks can call me rednecks, right right, But there's there's no joke that says why why are Baptists against premarital sex because they're afraid it may lead to dancing. Well, there you go, so so, but the idea of tapping your toe right, that's right. That's right. I got you on a tangent there. I'll ever get that back. So anyway, the point is is that dying to our old life is something that I think that a lot of us aren't willing to do. You know. It's like, hey, I just want I just want the things of my old life and sort of to sprinkle God on top, right, so I can do what I want to do. I could behave like I used to behave. I can still you know, even though these things are wrong and I now know they're wrong, it's okay because God loves me, and I'm just going to sprinkle little bit of God in my old life. And what Paul is saying is it's like, no, no, you've died your old life, which means the person you were once Just like that song I just sang, you're no longer that person, which, by the way, is also connected to baptism. Sure, because he says that's the symbol of baptism. He says, you are buried in the likeness of Jesus death, you know. And then you're raised to walk in newness in a. Brand new life. That's right, And so yeah, I was joking a lot there, but the bottom line is is that is a mass truth. Well, so this is that it's so countercultural right now in our culture. It's my body, it's my feelings, it's my attitude, it's my life. And he says in verse fifteen, he died for everyone so that so that those who receive this new life will no longer live for themselves. So he's saying, it's not your body anymore, it's my body. It's not your life anymore. It's my life. It's not your decisions anymore. It's my decisions. You're my ambassador. Now you represent me. That's the whole message here. And so now your whole job from today until the day you retire and go to heaven is to be a person who's trying to reconcile everybody you know to Jesus. And that's why we have this mission of come back to God. Because God made Christ, you never sin, to be the offering for sin for us, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. And then as God's partners. We're supposed to begging others to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness. I love how Paul sort of ends that thought, which is why we bled into chapter six, verses one and two, because he says, we beg of you to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then don't ignore it, for God says, and he quotes Isaiah and then he sort of, you know, sort of capitalizes on that verse and he says, indeed, the right. Time is now. That's right. Isn't that amazing that verse? So what is the right time? Because Isaiah says, seven hundred years ago, at just the right time, I heard you on the day of salvation. I helped you. And he says, you want to know what that right time is? Paul says, today is the day of salvation. That's correct. So Isaiah was seven hundred years before this passage was written. Oh so it's twenty seven hundred years. And that's what I meant to say. Yep, yep, I knew that. I knew that's what you're saying. Just clarity. So today's the day of salvation, and so we need to not be thinking you know what, I'm going to be an ambassador for Jesus tomorrow, or I'm going to share the gospel with my friends six months from now, or when it's convenient. He says, it's never going to be convenient. Right now is the right time. So be my ambassador today. And then if you're kind of on the fence of whether or not you're gonna accept Christ, right now is the right time. My father in law loves the saying, he says, it reminds me of my father in law loves the saying that says, when is the most ideal time. To plant a tree? It's either twenty years ago or today. Yes, that's right. It's a great saying, isn't it. That's great. So well, hey, I think that that's a good break, and we will see you on Monday, hopefully. As we continue to pick up in Second Corinthians on the Bible, guys,