All Things New

Transcript

Rob McFarlane: 0:58

The title of my sermon today is All Things New. Please would you find 2 Corinthians chapter 5 in your Bible, and we'll be spending our time together in this chapter today. Listen to 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 17, which says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, the Bible says that all things become new. How do we receive this new life in Christ? Well, let's look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 18 and verse 21. Verse 18. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself. And verse 21, for our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. God took the initiative and has made it possible for us to be reconciled to him through faith in Jesus Christ. God sent his son to pay the price for our sin on the cross, so we can be redeemed and restored into a right relationship with Him. This reminds me of one of the most loved verses in the Bible, John 3 and verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Today we're going to look at four new things that we can experience found in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. They are a new master, a new motive, a new measure, and a new mandate. We make it our aim to please him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. When we give our lives to Jesus, we have a new master. Remember, to experience salvation, we must surrender our lives to Jesus Christ as Lord. The word Lord means total owner, master or leader. As Christians, we no longer live for ourselves, but we live to please God, to hear our master say, Well done, good and faithful servant. The first Bible verse I was ever given was Galatians chapter 2, verse 20. In fact, it was handwritten in the front of my first Bible, given to me by a friend when I was a new Christian. It says, I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I've tried to live according to this verse since that day. One thing I have struggled with in life is falling into the trap of trying to please people. We can never please everyone. Listen to this helpful verse. For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. I have found that if I live to please God, that my life is simple. I experience joy and peace. And I found that I tend to treat others with great love and respect because I'm trying to please Jesus. Like everyone, I enjoy receiving encouragement, but I always remind myself that I don't do this for people or for their approval. I do it for Jesus and his approval. And I found this particularly helpful when as a leader I've had to make difficult and unpopular decisions. So friends, let's remember we have a new master, Jesus Christ. Let's live our lives to please him. Let's live for his reward and to hear our master say, Well done, good and faithful servant. Number two, a new motive. Let's look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 14. We are going to look at this verse in two versions of the Bible. First the English Standard Version and then the Passion Translation. For the love of Christ controls us. And in the Passion Translation, for it's Christ's love that fuels our passion and motivates us. We tell others about Jesus because we're motivated by his love. We're recipients of his love and we want others to experience it too. It's important that when we tell others about Jesus, it's motivated by love. We're not out to argue with people or Bible bash them. Yes, people need to hear the truth, but it should be from a heart full of love for God and for people. As disciples of Jesus, our relationship with one another should be motivated by the new commandment given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ and recorded for us in John 13, verse 34 and 35. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you. So you are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. Remember, church family, this is not a suggestion but a commandment. They will know we are Christians by our love for one another. We have a new motive, and that is love. Number three, a new measure. Let's look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 16, and again in two different versions of the Bible, first the English Standard Version, and then the message. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. And in the message it says, we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. Let's be those who treat others with love and respect. Let's be those who see the potential that God has placed in others and encourage them to be all that God has called them to be in Christ Jesus. And it's important for us to protect the unity and the love that exists in our church family. So we need to see people as precious to God and treat them with love and respect. Let's look at my final point together, and it's point number four, and it's a new mandate. Let's look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 18 to 20. And as we read it, notice the words ministry and message. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. Our ministry as followers of Jesus is to take this message of reconciliation to everyone. We have been called to be ambassadors for Christ. What an awesome privilege to go and tell others about the love and the goodness of God. Our mandate is the Great Commission. We've been called to be disciples of Christ, who in turn make disciples for Christ. Let's read the Great Commission in Matthew 28, verse 18 to verse 20. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you, and behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. Our primary purpose as the Church is to fulfill the Great Commission, to go and share the good news of Jesus Christ with the whole world. This is not a task that's been given to a selected few, but to each and every follower of Jesus. Our mandate and our ministry is to share the gospel message with everyone. You are an ambassador for Jesus. You have a ministry and a message. So, in summary today, we've been talking about all things new. We've seen that we have a new master, a new motive, a new measure, and a new mandate. Let's bow our heads and let's pray together. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you have made all things new, that you have given us the honor and the joy of calling you our master. That as we surrender our lives to you, that you have given us so much. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your faithfulness in our lives. We thank you, Lord, that you have given us a new motive to love one another, to love you and to love people. Thank you that you've given us a new measure that we can see other people as valuable and precious in your sight and encourage them to be all they can in Christ Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for this mandate that you've given us. You've given us a ministry and a message to go and tell others about your goodness and your love. We ask, Lord Jesus, that today you would speak to us and highlight to us, each one listening today, what you want to say to us. Holy Spirit, use us for your glory, for your purposes. We ask this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.