Greetings Church,
This week we launch our new sermon series leading up to Grace Gives: Reconciled. We are called to be ambassadors of Christ for reconciliation.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:10-21.
Questions for Small Groups:
To start your group, have everyone share one way they have seen God at work in their life this week.
Read the Fighter Verse:
2 Corinthians 5:20. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
1. What is an ambassador? What is an ambassador for Christ? In what ways does an ambassador have to function within two kingdoms? (A couple OT examples might be Daniel or Joseph).
2. What does it mean to be reconciled to God? Why do we need reconciliation?
3. “God making His appeal through us”- Does this idea motivate you? Scare you? Surprise you?
I. The Motivation of Ambassadors.
4. Paul gives us two motivations for ambassadors in this passage. The first one is fear or respect. Read 2 Corinthians 5:10-11. Paul brings up the Judgment Seat of Christ. A universal Christian truth is that Jesus will judge all of mankind. However, those that are in Christ have already had their sins judged (see 2 Cor. 5:21). In verse 11 Paul says that the fear of the Lord is therefore, a motivator for him.
Are you motivated by a healthy fear of the Lord?
5. What we do today matters for all of eternity. Do you believe this? How can this truth motivate you to represent Christ in this world?
6. The second motivator that Paul describes is love (see v.14). Does the love of Christ control your life? (Remember: “Control” here means to squeeze with pressure until it bursts). Is it your controlling reality?
7. Before we can love like Christ, we must believe that we are loved by Christ. IS this hard for you to believe in Christ’s love for you? Do you believe 2 Cor. 5:17?
II. The Mission of Ambassadors.
8. Re-read 2 Cor. 5:17-18. How do these verses explain the gospel? Have you seen the gospel the way it is described here- new creation, old gone, reconciled to God, ministry of reconciliation? Which of these truths stand out to you?
9. Paul says that we have both the ministry of reconciliation (v.18) and the message of reconciliation (v.19). We are called to both word ministry and deed ministry. How does your life measure up in both of these areas?
10. How does this idea of being an ambassador for Christ connect to what we have been learning in Mark’s gospel- true greatness is servanthood, being like a child to enter the Kingdom, taking up your cross to follow, losing your life to find it?
11. Pastor Mark gave us “3 Essentials for Ambassadors.”
- Pray for those who need Christ.
- Love in such a way that shows Jesus.
- Share your story and the gospel story.
What can you do this week to grow in these areas?
