What do you think the Christian life in this world should look like? Because there's times where it's like, our values and the world values don't line up. So how are we to live in this world? And there can be a temptation as a Christian just kind of bunker in, kind of protect ourselves from the world, just kind of isolate ourselves from the world. And that temptation is understandable because the world can be a crazy place. And we can see a lot of entanglement of sin and lies coming at us. So this kind of idea to separate. In fact, the call to the Christian is to be holy. And to be holy means to be set apart. So there's an aspect of the Christian life where we are to be set apart from the world. We're to be different. But if you understand scripture and that call, we're to be different for a purpose. We're to be different from the world to show the glory of God to the world. We're to be different from the world to represent our God to the world. We're to be different from the world, to bring a message to the world to bear. So there's purpose in our difference. Maybe you've heard the saying for Christians to be in the world, but not of the world. How many have ever heard that before? We be in the world, but not of the world. Now, that phrase is nowhere in the Bible, but you can make a biblical case for it. And when people do, they go to this passage. This is in John. And he says this, I have given them. He's talking about his disciples, your word. And the world has hated them because they are not what of the world. Just as I am not of the world. Like, I'm not a product of this world. This isn't my home. I do not ask that you take them out of the world. So there's that idea of that we're not to be taken out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. And then he says this. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. So we are in the world. Like, this is where you're at. You're in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in this year, in this time. Like, this is where you at. You are in the world. Like it or not. This is where you find yourself. But we're not to be of the world. We're not to be like the world. But what Jesus is Saying here in John is, and you're sent into the world. You're sent to the world. Now, the word that kind of gets put on that endeavor often is evangelism, that we're to evangelize the world. And that has been a driving passion behind Christianity from the beginning, when Jesus was with now 11 disciples before he ascended into heaven, and he gave them the great commission that they are to go into all the world and make decisions. Disciples saying, everything that I taught you, you teach other people. And you're a Christian today because people have been faithful to that call, and people have moved to different countries and learned different languages to spread the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like, it has been a driving passion of Christianity to spread the gospel. But in our culture, it can be seen as something that's not appropriate. In fact, I shared a statistic with you a few weeks ago that 47% of millennials who would call themselves Christians think it's wrong to try to evangelize somebody, that it's not right to try to make somebody or lead somebody to believe what you believe, to embrace your beliefs. But that has been a driving thing behind Christianity. Maybe some of you are here today and you're like, that's ridiculous. And some of you are in this room and you're thinking, yeah, I get that that seems offensive, that we would kind of push our views onto other people. But why is that important? And how do we recapture a spirit or a passion to sharing the gospel with people that need it? And who are the people that need it? Everybody. So how do we kind of recapture. And it's in our mission statement that we're going to make mature disciples, raise up mature disciples and send out what everyday missionaries that we want. If you're a part of this church, we want you to see your life as a mission for Jesus Christ, that wherever you go to work, wherever you live, whatever organizations you interact with, you're doing so as a Christian, that has good news to bring into that place, but we need to recapture a sense of that as part of our life. So Second Corinthians, chapter five is where we're going to be. And I want to talk a bit about why we need to be about evangelism. We're going to talk a little bit about how we should go about the work of evangelism. And then there is an easily overlooked challenge in this text that we have to see. And chances are you're familiar with this text that you might have missed it. It's important for us to get so. Second Corinthians, chapter five. I believe this is like our fifth week in this chapter. We're going to close it out today, and this could be a mistake, But I got 11 points today, so buckle up. We're going to go fast. We got 11 points. We're going to spend a lot on them, but I want us to see it in the text and hopefully it guide us. We got three reasons why when it comes to evangelism, we've got seven kind of guides on how and then one loving slap in the face. So let's do this. We're going to go back to verse 11 and we'll read through the chapter. And you guys are familiar with these verses because we've been in them for a while. So when I'm going to read them all and then we'll go back and look at them. But anytime that I read something that you think sounds like good news, go ahead and let people know. Okay, little exercise. Here we go. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you cause to boast about us so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. If we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us. Because we've concluded this, that one has died for all. Okay, I had to help you with that one. It was a really easy one and you needed help. I'm just saying, therefore all have died. And he died for all. That those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. You guys are getting it 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. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ, reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconcil reconciliation that is in Christ. God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting 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, be reconciled to God for our sake. He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteous of God. All right, that's good news. And some. You scared some of the visitors. Okay? But that's all right. We're glad that you're here. Now, let's get into this a little bit, and let's look at three reasons why we should be about the business of evangelism. What's kind of a main theme here is being this. An ambassador for Christ. We want to kind of better understand that. And then we'll look at seven reasons why, and then one loving slap in the face. All right, first reason why. Go back to the beginning here. In fact, we're going to reach in even further behind that. Here's the reason. The stakes are high. The stakes are high. Let's go back to verse 10. Because verse 11 started with a therefore. And you guys are good Bible students. You need to know what the therefore is there for, right? So verse 10 says this. 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. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. So what's behind persuading others is the fear of the Lord, and specifically the Lord as judge. That judgment is real. Judgment is coming. We will be accountable for whatever we've done in this life, good or bad. Therefore, that's a motivation to persuade others towards the gospel of Jesus Christ. So listen, coming judgment is a motivator behind evangelism. That's not a very popular thing to say because we can tend to be turned off by these, like, hellfire and brimstone messages. Like, it's just like. That doesn't seem very loving. That doesn't seem very kind. It seems to turn people off. But it ain't wrong, right? There's a truth to it. And we don't do anybody any favors by not communicating the truth of what's coming and the reality that. That God is a judge. He's a just judge. We're accountable for our sins. And there should be a motivator towards evangelism because the stakes are high. We can try to take off the rough edges, but in the rough edges, there's power. Because you don't really know how good the good news is until you know how bad the bad news is. In fact, my middle child, Johnny, she came home, she was in high school one time and was taking a history class and came home and she says, dad, you wouldn't believe it. We read a sermon today. It was the worst sermon Ever. I couldn't believe he said these things. I said, was it called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards? He's like, yes. I was like, john, that's one of the greatest sermons of all time. Come to find out, they didn't have them read the whole sermon. They just took a few parts out to read it. I said, here's your new assignment. Go read the whole thing. She read the whole thing. She's like, this is amazing. I know it's amazing. And it's called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. You might feel like, how does that go? But. But this was the sermon that was the catalyst to the first great Awakening. In fact, when Jonathan Edwards gave this sermon, he had to stop often because the weeping got too loud, because people understood the fear of the Lord, the consequences of sin, the reality of judgment that awoken people to the reality of God in a way that they gave their lives to God in an appropriate worshipful way. So the stakes are high. I'm gonna keep going. I went too long last service. We gotta keep going. Second reason why the call is clear. The call is clear. Look at verse 19. That is in Christ. God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So this is the Great Commission, right? The assignment that Jesus gave his followers. Go, go into the world. Make disciples. Teach them what I taught you. And then Paul's using this language here as well. Like, you've been entrusted with this message of reconciliation. And when you talk about being entrusted, you also talk about being accountable. Like you've been given a message to give. If you don't give it, you'll be held accountable to do it. And guess what the context of that statement is. Verse 10. Judgment's coming, and you will be judged, whether good or bad. So there's an opportunity to be faithful to what you've been entrusted with. And what have you been entrusted with? This message of the good news of Jesus Christ. And you've been commanded to share it, and you will be held accountable in doing it. Like the call is clear. Third reason why the news is good. Go back to verse 19. That is in Christ. God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. So, yeah, judgment's real. Sin has consequences. Judgment's coming, but the news is good church. We're not bearers of bad news, bearers of bold news. God is a just judge. Bearers of Big news. You'll be held accountable for your sins. Bearers of absolute news that in Christ, not in other ways, but in Christ, God is not counting our sins against us, but it's good. All right, Acts 4:12. It says, there's no other name given unto men under heaven in which you must be saved. There's no other name. There's no other way of salvation, but there's a name. There's a way to not be held accountable for our sins. There's a way for forgiveness. There's a way to be the righteousness of Christ, which we talked about last week. Guys, the news is good. That's why we need to share it. It's unbelievably good. So when we talk about some reasons why behind evangelism, because it's not a very popular thing in our world. But we're in our world, but we're not of our world. So why would we kind of press against our world and say, you may not want to hear this, but we need to talk about it? Well, because the stakes are high, the call is clear, and the news is good. Okay, so how should we go about doing it? Because I'm going to guess that there might be some in here that are against the idea of evangelism, but I'm going to guess the majority of you are like, yeah, I'm with you. Like, we need to do this. Okay, how should we go about doing this? Let's look at some guiding words when it comes to how we should go about the work of evangelism. Let's go back to verse 11. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we. What? What's that word? Persuade. We are to persuade, be persuasive. Now, in Greek, the word persuade means to kindly make people feel comfortable. No, I'm kidding. It doesn't mean you're like, oh, I wish it did. Like, you know what persuade means? You gotta be persuasive. You gotta persuade people. It means to cause somebody to do or to think something through reasoning and argument. Like, you make your case for Christ, you make your case for the validity of Scripture. You make your case for the validity of Jesus Christ, for the empty tomb like that happened that's rooted in history. You make your case for Christ, and to do that, you have to know the Bible, you have to know truth. And too many Christians just feel ill equipped to make the case for Christ. Their faith gets wrecked by whatever next. You know, show on the History Channel talking about the authentic Jesus, and we're not able to, like, point out the lies in that. You got to be equipped. Now when you hear, persuade, kind of gets this idea of to argue, to make a case. And somebody might understandably say, you never argue anybody into the kingdom of God. Which is true. But I would say you never anything somebody into the kingdom of God. Like, if you have access to the kingdom of God, it's because of Jesus Christ and he did a work in you. So you don't love somebody into the kingdom of God either. And you don't persuade somebody into the kingdom of God. But we're commanded to love and we're commanded to persuade that we're commanded to be faithful. So here's the thing. If we're to be. If we're to persuade others, then we should care about being persuasive. And it's not just yelling the truth at people on a street corner. Now, their way of doing that is better than our way of not doing anything. But my argument is like, I don't think that's that persuasive. And to be persuasive, we have to actually care about effectiveness. Like, I want you to get it, I want you to hear it, I want you to understand it. That's part of being persuasive. Second guiding word to how we should go about evangelism is relate. Or maybe a better word is connect. I'll let you decide when we make the point. But look at verse 13. It says, if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. And if we were in our right mind, it is for you. Now what we've talked about this. It's like, if we're beside ourselves, you look at our lifestyle. You're like, you guys are crazy. Paul, you're crazy. How do you live like that? He's like, I know it's for God, right? I'm living for God. And when you look at my life and it's for God, you think my life looks crazy. But when I'm ministering to you, I'm trying to be in my right mind. Now, here's what he's. Here's what he's saying in that to be in your right mind. He's like, I'm trying to relate. I'm trying to connect. I want you to understand. The word in our right mind means sober minded, complete control, moderate, restrained. He's talking about coming down to our level and being patient and clear. So in our right mind is to be thoughtful and measured in our ministry, which wasn't what was going on in Corinth. If you look back At First Corinthians, one of the problems they were having is when it comes to spiritual gifts and how they were being exercised in the church. And you got people talking over each other, talking out of order, getting up and speaking in tongues. It's like, nobody understands what you just said. Other people giving prophecy, it's just kind of chaotic. And it was done in a way to impress people. Look how spiritual I am. Look, this gives me a higher status. Because what did people in Corinth love? Status, power, image. Now you bring that into the church, it's like, who's the most spiritual? Who's the most impressive? And Paul's saying, like, we didn't come minister to you like that. That's not how we came. We came clear, orderly, and understandable. So listen, guys, relatable does not mean impressive. Like, we're not here to impress you. Cause this is in contrast, that lifestyle contrast between people, these super apostles that are trying to put too much stock in outward appearance. He's like, when it comes to evangelism, we're not trying to impress you with outward appearance. Like, our evangelism isn't about entertaining you with the speaker or with music or with facilities just kind of so that you're impressed by us. So don't believe the lie that somebody has to like you before they follow Jesus. The power is not in you. The power is in the gospel. That's why Paul says in Romans 1:16 that, I'm not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for all who believe. So as a church, we can't be wrapped up and trying to impress people. We need to be wrapped up in being faithful to preach the gospel. And as you as a Christian, you don't need to be overwhelmed with trying to be liked and fit in. You just need to be clear. So there's a tension that you see in this text between relating and not relating. And you even see when Paul talks about it, it's like, hey, if I look crazy to you, it's because of God. But I'm trying to be in my right mind to minister to you. So it's like, what is it, Paul? Are you crazy or are you in your right mind? I'm trying. I'm so moved by God. Like, it's just totally wrecked my life in some amazing ways. But I'm still trying to connect with you. I still trying to minister to you. I'm still trying to help you get it. He's saying, like, be different, but be understandable. Or almost like, hey, Be weird, but don't be weird. Do you guys get that? Like, he's like, be weird, but don't be weird. I heard a pastor recently say that our oddity, not our similarity, is the power of our witness. Like that we're. We're different and people need to see our difference, but we need to be in our right mind enough to help them clearly understand why we're different. Here's the third guiding word to how we should go about evangelism. Display. Display. Look at verse 14 of 15. For the love of Christ controls us. Because we've concluded this, that one has died for all. Therefore all have died. And he died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him, for their sake, died and was raised. When it comes to evangelism, there is nothing more persuasive than a life that's been captivated by Christ. So when Paul's talking about, we're trying to persuade you. Do you know what's really persuasive about Paul? He's legitimate. Like, you look at his life, and the conclusion that people would make about Paul is, oh, he really believes this. Would people make the same conclusion about you? Would they look at your life and think, oh, he really believes this. She really believes this. Like, is there an authenticity to that? Because our life is part of our evangelism. You see this in Matthew, chapter 5. Jesus is talking on the Sermon on the Mount. He says, you're the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. That would be foolish. Like, you don't claim to be a follower of Christ and then just try to fit in with the world. That would be foolish, right? But you put it on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who's in heaven. That they would look at you and they would see you, and. And it would lead them to look at Christ. We need to display a changed life as part of sharing the gospel. Fourth guiding word to how we should go about evangelism is treat, treat. Look at verse 16, 17. 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. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. In evangelism, when it comes to sharing the message that you can be a new creation in Christ and that Christ is a greater savior than you are a sinner. And there's not any sin that is beyond his saving power that he can redeem and you can be given the righteous of Christ. It should change how you see people. It should change how you see people. In fact, he says, from now on, you notice that he's saying, we didn't used to look at people this way. We used to look at people and judge them for other reasons. But because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we see people differently. When we look at people, we see. We see people that are. Are a potential new creation. We see people that are never too far gone. And the impact of the gospel it has on a person is part of the gospel they share with others. So you gotta actually care about people. I mean, you see this in Paul's life. In Romans 9:3, he says, I wish I could be accursed so that my people could be saved. He's talking about the Jewish people. He's like, I would rather me be damned and them be saved. Like, he had a heart for people. When it comes to evangelism, like, is what you believe about the gospel's power to change people? Does it come across when you interact with people? Like, you gotta care. You gotta genuinely care for people. Fifth guiding word for how, when it comes to going about evangelism is in form. In form, verse 19. Again, that is in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. We just talked about the importance of displaying new life in Christ when it comes to sharing the gospel. We just talked about the importance of how you treat other people when it comes to sharing the gospel. And here's the temptation. The temptation then is to think, well, I just need to live a good life and be nice to people. But you actually have to drop some J bombs. You got to talk about sin, you got to talk about God, you got to talk about Christ. You have to inform people of the gospel. Nobody is going to interact with a nice person who is kind and be like, I think I have a sin problem. I think God put on flesh, was born of a virgin and hung on a cross. Like, they're not just going to reach that conclusion. Like, you have to articulate the gospel. You have to inform them of the truth of the gospel. It's necessary. Ever hear that phrase, preach the gospel, and when necessary, use words. It's necessary all the time. This is what Paul says in Romans 10 for everyone who Calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him whom they've not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they've never heard? And how are they to hear without somebody preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news. It's like, how are they going to know this information unless somebody tells them? And we have to tell them. We have to bring it up. We have to talk about those things. Six guiding words to how we should go about evangelism. Passion. Passion. Look at verse 20. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Now, that word implore, maybe your translation says beg. Like, we beg you. We implore you. There's an urgency behind Paul's request. Like, I am begging you, be reconciled to God. There's passion behind this deliverance, and it comes from understanding what's at stake and what's available. God is a just judge and judgment's coming. You will be held accountable for your sins. But in Christ, God is not holding you accountable to your sins. This is amazing news. And you see it in his passion, like, he's begging, he's imploring. Now remember, there is tension in this, in trying to be in your right mind. So Paul's, like, so driven. Like, I'm just. I get it. And I just. I'm begging you, please take the deal. Like, be reconciled to God now. I'm trying to be in my right mind. I'm trying to help you get this. And there's this kind of tension in between here. Now, our. My concern, at least, is not that we would come off overzealous, is that we would be too concerned about appearing to be in our right mind and fit in that we show no passion for the gospel at all. Let's. Let's deal the other way around. Let's go after Paul here, because Paul's passion was just kind of oozing out of him. He's like, I'm so moved by God now. I'm trying to relate. I'm trying to connect. But I've been so moved by the gospel. Let's let that be our posture. 7th guiding word on how to go about evangelism is represent. Go back to verse 20. Therefore, we are what, ambassadors for Christ. Now, this is really the theme. Trying to understand what it means to be an ambassador. And we get this. The language is still used today. And it's pretty similar. An ambassador is an accredited diplomat sent by a country to another country as its official representative. So the first thing to understand about being an ambassador is this is not your home. If you're an ambassador, it means you're a citizen somewhere else. You're just sent here, and you're sent here to represent. And Paul's using this language on purpose, and I think it'll be clear in a bit here. But we are here to represent our king and his kingdom. And that plays out in how we live, that we don't live for ourselves, but we live for him, who for our sake, died and was raised again. It plays out in how we treat people, that we no longer regard people according to the flesh. It plays out in the message we've been given to deliver. Like, these are all ways that we represent Christ. Now in doing this, we need to remember we are representing or advocating for our king and his kingdom, not the foreign land in which we temporary live. Okay, track with me here for a little bit because this is going to be a bit controversial, but I think it's important to understand. Don't get lost in culture changing, that you forget about kingdom coming. Let me say that again. When it comes to being a Christian, don't get lost in culture changing that you forget about kingdom Coming. And what I mean by that is sometimes the appealing message that can come out is we need to change our community. We need to change our city, we need to change our world. We need to improve the marriages, we need to fix the schools. We need to kind of benefit, like make this world a better place. And I would say yes and amen to that. And the more Christians we put in this world, the better it's going to be. But this world does not last forever. Our community does not last forever. Our nation does not last forever. It will go away. And we are here to represent not our community, but our kingdom, the kingdom that's coming. So when Jesus prays, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as is in heaven. That's not just metaphorically. That's not just like, hey, help earth look more like heaven. That is a literal prayer request that will be fulfilled when the kingdom of God descends on a new heavens and a new earth where we established forever. So don't get too lost in culture changing and forget about kingdom coming. Remember, this world doesn't last forever. And until that day comes, we're ambassadors here temporarily given a specific message to communicate and deliver. And we're called to be faithful, to deliver that message, no matter what happens or how it's received, that's what we'll be judged on when judgment comes to see what did you do with the time that I've been given you, whether good or bad, because I entrusted to you what a message of reconciliation. So this is how it might play out in the first century. Let's say one kingdom is going to invade another kingdom, and you're sent to the other kingdom as an ambassador, and you go to that kingdom and say, we're going to invade you. My king's army is bigger than your king's army. We're going to win. Here's the terms of surrender, right? Are you going to surrender or not? Because either way, the kingdom's coming. But here's the good news. Our king is a good king. You're going to want to serve my king. He is a benevolent king. He is the creator king, and here's his terms. And there is a way to be reconciled to this king. But no matter what, you respond to my message as ambassador doesn't stop my king from coming. And when he comes, it can be your day of judgment or it can be your homecoming, like you give the terms. Now, notice this. This is what I think is important to see. Paul says, we are ambassadors for Christ. You get that? This is not about an activity we do. This is about an identity we have. We are ambassadors for Christ. This is about purpose. Like, everybody's wondering about purpose. What's the purpose of my life? What's the. What am I here for? What should I be doing? This is it. Like, this is it. You are an ambassador for Christ. You have been entrusted with a message of reconciliation, and you are to persuade others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's purpose. It's purpose. You can't. You can't miss this. You think this is a message about evangelism. This is a message about purpose. This is a description of what the Christian life should look like in this world. The call to be a Christian is the call to be an ambassador for Christ. It's the same thing. You put different words on it. But that's what Paul's trying to get through. He's saying, if you are not an ambassador for Christ, you're not a Christian. How's that hit home? An ambassador is not a role for certain elite Christians to kind of elevate to. It's for all Christians. If you are a Christian, you represent Christ in this world. And Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that Christians in this world are to be ambassadors for Christ. Listen, as opposed to being a Christian that is at home in this world. Like, that's why he uses the word ambassador. What's the problem in the Corinthian church? They're in love with Corinth. The values of Corinth to be popular and have status and wealth and influence. That's kind of leaked into the church. And they're a church that's more influenced by the culture than they are influencing the culture. So he's saying, you're not a citizen of Corinth. You're a citizen of heaven, and you are ambassador of that kingdom to Corinth. So don't make your home in Corinth. Stop looking like Corinth. Stop embracing the values of Corinth. Embrace the values of the kingdom. He's calling them to something greater. Guys, this isn't just a call to start sharing your faith more. This is a call to church people to repent, to be real Christians. Now, I want you to get this, okay? Because I think this is what's often overlooked when this text is read. Who is Paul talking to when he says, we implore you to be reconciled to God? Because it sounds like that would be a great message for my unbelieving neighbor. But who's he talking to? Church people. He's talking to church people. He's saying, hey, Christians, be reconciled to God. What does he mean by that? Like, be in a right relationship with God. Well, what's a right relationship with God when he's king and your ambassador, like, receive the grace of God in a way that completely changes your life, where you live for him, where you're not just going through the motions. In fact, he reinforces this. Let's reach into chapter six a little bit. This is what he says is, I think, an unfortunate chapter break. This is what he says, working together with him, with God. Then we appeal to you. Same languages, like, we implore you. We appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. What does that mean? To receive the grace of God in vain? Oh, yeah. You call yourself a Christian. You come to the gatherings, you throw around the name of Jesus, but it means nothing. It has changed your life in no way. You look like everyone else in Corinth. You act like everyone else in Corinth. You live like everyone else in America made the connection, right? Like, you just kind of blend in. You're a citizen of this world. Like, you receiving what you have is like grace. Yep. I need it. Jesus Christ, I need it. But it's in vain. It means nothing. Are you in danger of that? Paul is calling on them to escape the influence of these super apostles, these people that put far too much stock in outward appearance. It would be like him challenging us to stop being so influenced by the American dream, to stop being so influenced by influencers, to stop being so influenced by celebrities and nice retirements and promotions and status, to stop putting so much stock in outward appearances. It doesn't line up with being a new creation in Christ. That's not what an ambassador looks like. Or if you want to get a little heavier, you get to the end of the book in chapter 13. It's not what passes the test when he says, examine yourself. See if you're in the faith. Test yourself. Do you not know that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test? What test? Do you look more like Corinth or more like the kingdom of God? Do you look more like America or do you look more like Christ? So to be an ambassador for Christ, you got to know that this isn't your home. This isn't your home. You're not here to make as much money as possible, to get as much fame or status as possible, to have as much pleasure or comfort as possible. Can you imagine if a king sent an ambassador to another kingdom that he's going to invade? And you know your king has a bigger, better army and he will successfully invade, but that ambassador gets to that place and just starts to really love it. And he never communicates the message to that other kingdom. In fact, he just says, I think I'm going to live here. Then I'm going to make this my home. I'm going to try to be mayor here someday. I'm going to try to be the best version of me here someday. How ridiculous is that? But is that a threat for you to make this place your home when you know the king is coming? So, church people, I implore you, I beg you, do not receive the grace of God in vain. Stop going through the motions of Christianity. Stop just playing church. Stop caring so much about fitting in this world. When you've been called to be an ambassador for Christ. Don't receive the grace of God in vain. Receive it in a way that completely transforms your life. And you need to understand what life is about. You are an ambassador for Christ, and you have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation. And you are to persuade others while you still have time. Because there's going to come a time when time's up and judgment is here. And our dream is that we have a church full of ambassadors for Christ. That you are not just a teacher or a nurse or an engineer or an accountant or a mom or a dad. You are an ambassador wherever you go and you are pleading with people. Take the deal. Take the deal. There's a way to be reconciled back to God. Amen. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you would wake us up from a love affair with this world where we've tried to make this our home and we've lost sight of our citizenship in heaven and your coming kingdom. I pray that you would fill us with a passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ, that you would overwhelm us with the good news that we have the righteousness of Christ and our sins are not counted against us anymore. We would have a passion to communicate that message and a clarity of the purpose of our life. We pray this in your name. Amen.