Hi, I am Pastor Nathan
Renner, the pastor of the
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Troy Seventh day Adventist
Church in Troy, Michigan
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and welcome to Faith Chapel.
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Today we're going
to be talking about the
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Apostle Paul's
motivation for his mission.
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What was it that motivated
the Apostle Paul to get up
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and preach the gospel everyday?
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You know Paul's life
wasn't easy. He was beaten,
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he was stoned, he was tortured,
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he traveled the
world and was persecuted
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and ultimately gave
his life as a martyr.
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What was it that motivated
the Apostle Paul to share
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the Gospel in the face of such
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tremendous difficulties?
This is what we are going
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to explore today from
the book of II Corinthians
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and we're going to
be looking in chapter 5.
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Before we do that
though it would be well for us
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to take just a
moment to pray and invite
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God's Spirit to be
with us today. Let's pray.
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Our Father, as
we look at the word,
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we ask that your
Spirit would be with us today
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that you would teach us,
that you would impress us
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with the truth of your
word and more than that Father
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that you would motivate
us like you've motivated Paul
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to share the good
news of Jesus Christ.
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So Father send your Spirit,
to speak and to motivate us
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that we might become men
like Paul, women like Paul,
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people that are zealous
to preach. So be with us now
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as we look at your
word in Jesus name. Amen.
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In II Corinthians chapter
5, verse 9, the Apostle Paul
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makes a very
simple statement. He says,
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so whether we
are at home or away,
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we make it our
aim to please Him.
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Paul says whether I
am at home with the Lord,
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whether I am in the
direct presence of God
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or whether I am not in
the direct presence of God
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He makes it His aim to
please Him. In verse 10
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he then follows it
up. Why is Paul so eager
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to please God?
Verse 10, For we must all
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appear before the
judgment seat of Christ,
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so that each one
may receive what is due
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for what he has done in
the body, whether good or evil.
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Here in II Corinthians
chapter 5 verses 9&10
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what is Paul simply
saying? Paul is saying,
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I am doing
everything I can to please God
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because I understand
that every human being
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must appear before the
judgment seat of Christ.
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Every human being will be judged
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and that every human
being will receive in their body
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for what they have
done, whether it is good
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or whether it is
evil. The Apostle Paul
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was absolutely
unequivocally convinced
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that every human
being would stand before
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the judgment seat of
Christ and because of that Paul
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said in my life, in my
life, I am doing everything
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I can do to please
God. Now out of this concept
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of the judgment
that every human being
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is going to be
judged, out of the truth
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that every human
being will stand before
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the judgment seat of
Christ. The Apostle Paul
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now moves in
verse 11 to speak about
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his motivation for
mission. In verse 11, Therefore,
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knowing the fear of the
Lord we persuade others.
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Knowing the fear of
the Lord, Paul says,
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I persuade others. What is
Paul saying? Paul is saying
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I try to please
God, because I know that
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I will stand before
the judgment seat of Christ
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and more than just
what I do with my own life,
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more than just the fact
that I try to please God
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I am busy
persuading others and we'll see
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in the text later. He
is busy persuading them
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to be reconciled to God
so that they too can stand
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before the judgment
seat of Christ in peace.
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It says knowing the fear of
the Lord we persuade others.
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In the Old King James,
I'll just reference it,
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he says knowing
the terror of the Lord.
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My friend standing before
the judgment seat of Christ
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without
forgiveness, without Holiness,
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without righteousness
is a terrifying experience.
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And Paul says that he
is busy doing everything
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in his power to please
God and to persuade others
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to be reconciled to
God. Because he understands
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that it's a
terrifying experience,
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it's a fearful
experience to stand before
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the judgment seat of
Christ without forgiveness,
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without holiness,
without being reconciled to God.
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So we could say from
II Corinthians chapter 5
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verse 11, Paul's
first motivator for mission
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is the fear of the
Lord, that is the terrifying
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experience that the
judgment will be for those
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who do not know
Christ. Now in II Corinthians
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chapter 5 verse 11,
Paul again I'll read
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the whole verse this
time. He says, therefore,
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knowing the fear of the
Lord, we persuade others,
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we persuade them to
be reconciled to God
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he is saying. But what
we are is known to God,
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and I hope it is also
known to your conscience.
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Verse 12, we are not
commending ourselves to you
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again but giving you
cause to boast about us,
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so that you may be able
to answer those who boast
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about outward
appearances and not
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about what is in
the heart. Verse 13,
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for if we are beside
ourselves it is for God;
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if we are in our
right mind, it is for you.
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Now I want you to
follow Paul's line
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of reasoning
here. Paul has said,
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I do my best to please
God. Because I will be judged
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my God and not just
me, every human being
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and so I also try to
persuade others to fear
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and know and love God
because it's a terrifying
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experience to be
judged by God. Now Paul then,
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he digresses a little
bit and he talks a little bit
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about the situation that
is going on there in Corinth
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and evidently
some people had said
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some things about
Paul. Evidently some things
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about how he did ministry,
didn't make everyone happy.
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And so in verse
13, Paul says something
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that I find to
be very fascinating,
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we just read it but he
says if we are beside ourselves,
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it is for God. And what
does it mean when someone says
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that they're beside themselves?
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What's that mean? Well it means
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they're a little
crazy. It means that
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they are a little
not in their right mind
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and so really what Paul
is saying is if when I am
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trying to persuade you
to be reconciled to God,
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and if I, when I am
trying to persuade you
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to be reconciled to
God and I look a little
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beside myself it is for
God. You probably know what
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I am talking and I am
a minister of the Gospel,
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I am a preacher and
I am deeply concerned
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that people will
find God and be saved.
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And in my passion
for God, in my zeal
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to see people
converted. I may be like the
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Apostle Paul at
times, I may look
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a little beside
myself. What Paul is saying is?
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When I am because of
the terror of the Lord
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persuading you to
be reconciled to God?
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Paul says I may look
a little beside myself.
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I may look a little crazy.
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And then Paul on the other
hand says in Verse 13 there,
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he says If we are in our
right mind it is for you.
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You follow
Paul's train of thought,
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Paul says every human
being is going to be judged.
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Every single one of
them, and its going to be
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a terrifying experience
if the don't know God,
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they don't know Jesus
Christ. So I am persuading
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people to know God,
to be reconciled to God.
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And if in the
process of persuading people,
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because of my understanding
of the fear of the Lord,
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if in that process I
look a little out of my mind,
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if I look a little
crazy it is just because
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I am so zealous for God
and if on the other hand
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if I look like I am in my
right mind, well of course
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it's for you, I am
trying to make a good impression
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on you, so that you believe.
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Paul's first motivator
for mission was an absolute
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understanding of
the terror of the Lord.
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Paul's first
motivator for mission was an
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understanding of
the fearful experience,
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that the lost will
experience in the judgment.
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His second motivator
is found now in verse 14.
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His first motivator
is the fear of the Lord,
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the terror of the
Lord, that the lost
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will experience. In
verse 14 he gets the second
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motivator and
that is simply this,
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For the love of
Christ controls us,
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because we have concluded thus;
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that one has died for
all, therefore all have died.
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Paul's second
motivator for mission
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is the love of Christ. His
first motivator for mission
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is an understanding
of the lostness of those
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who are without
Christ, the fear of the Lord
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that is the horrible experience,
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they will
experience in the judgment.
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His second motivator
is much more positive
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and that is the love of Christ.
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Now here in verse 14
Paul doesn't get Sappy
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about the love of
Christ. Paul gives us
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what I would like to
call divine arithmetic.
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In verse 14, Paul
tells us what the love Christ
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looks like for
humanity? For the love of Christ
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controls us. Okay, this
is his second motivator.
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He is pleading with
people to be reconciled to God,
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not only because of
the fear of the Lord
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but because of
the love of Christ.
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The love of Christ controls
us because we have concluded
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this that one has died for
all therefore all have died.
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Now here is Paul's
gospel arithmetic that motivates
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him to share. It's very
simple, it goes something
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like this just like Paul says.
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One died for all
therefore all died,
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we'll follow it
again, one died for all
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therefore all died.
Now just go to a reference
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Romans chapter 6:23.
In Romans 6:23 the Bible
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says that the
wages of sin is death.
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The wages of sin is death.
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My friend, my sin
has earned for me death.
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You know when I was
an unbeliever I always
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kind of had it in my mind
that God was the big meanie
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who said, if you don't
believe in me I'll kill you.
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Well it's doesn't
work like that at all.
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The Bible says that by
our sin, we have earned
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for ourselves the death penalty.
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The wages of sin is death;
the wages of sin is death.
00:12:36.95\00:12:42.15
Now if you look in
II Corinthians chapter 5
00:12:42.18\00:12:44.62
verse 14 again look
what it says, it says
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that love of Christ controls us,
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because we have concluded this,
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that one has died for
all, therefore all have died.
00:12:50.38\00:12:55.96
Now follow again, if
the wages of sin is death
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and Bible says
Christ has died for you,
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what that text is
saying is essentially
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that the wages of
sin have been paid
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for every single human being.
00:13:07.51\00:13:10.29
Now that message is a
remarkably amazing message.
00:13:10.32\00:13:16.75
What that
message is saying is that
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there is no human
being that needs to die
00:13:19.23\00:13:23.23
because they have
already been killed in Christ.
00:13:23.26\00:13:27.73
Now what is Paul saying here,
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Paul is saying number
one that every human being
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will stand before the
Judgment seat of Christ
00:13:33.34\00:13:35.32
and that is a fearful
thing. If they don't know God,
00:13:35.35\00:13:38.62
if they are not
reconciled to God,
00:13:38.65\00:13:40.61
if they have not been
saved, and so Paul says
00:13:40.64\00:13:44.37
I am persuading them
to be reconciled to God,
00:13:44.40\00:13:46.51
I am persuading
them to know Christ.
00:13:46.54\00:13:49.18
I am persuading
them to finding in him
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their righteousness,
and their holiness
00:13:52.96\00:13:54.60
but then he says that he
is also motivated not just
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by the fearful experience
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that the lost will experience.
00:14:00.43\00:14:01.91
But he is motivated
by the love of Christ,
00:14:01.94\00:14:05.54
he is motivated by
the love of Christ,
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that love that he is seen
by the fact that Jesus died
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for everyone,
that the wages of sin
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have been paid for everyone.
00:14:16.15\00:14:18.51
In fact it's
interesting in verse 15 he says,
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He died for all those
who lived may no longer
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live for themselves but
for him who for their sakes
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died and was
raised. Now in verse 16,
00:14:31.23\00:14:35.01
Paul makes the remarkable
statement. From now on,
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therefore, we regard no
one according to the flesh.
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Even though we
once regarded Christ
00:14:43.69\00:14:46.04
according to the flesh,
we regard him thus no longer.
00:14:46.07\00:14:48.52
Paul says we regard no
one according to the flesh.
00:14:49.22\00:14:53.90
Now what is Paul saying here?
00:14:53.93\00:14:56.71
Paul is saying the
fact that Jesus died
00:14:57.47\00:14:59.86
for every single human
being, the fact that Jesus
00:14:59.89\00:15:04.07
has died for them
and that there is no
00:15:04.10\00:15:06.36
reason for them to die.
00:15:06.39\00:15:08.48
Paul says I don't
look at any human being
00:15:08.51\00:15:11.27
for what they are? I
regard them no longer according
00:15:12.03\00:15:17.43
to the flesh, what
does that mean? That means,
00:15:17.46\00:15:20.63
that Paul does
not look at somebody
00:15:20.66\00:15:23.34
and see a drug user.
Paul doesn't look at somebody
00:15:23.37\00:15:26.81
and see a prostitute.
He doesn't look at somebody
00:15:26.84\00:15:29.39
and see a gossip. Paul
looks at every human being
00:15:29.42\00:15:33.56
as a human being for
whom Jesus Christ has died.
00:15:33.59\00:15:38.16
Paul looks at every
human being as a person
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who does not need to
be lost because Christ
00:15:42.70\00:15:46.23
has died for them. Paul
says I do not regard anyone
00:15:46.26\00:15:50.58
according to the flesh,
why because I look at people
00:15:50.61\00:15:54.83
not for what they are?
But what for they can be
00:15:54.86\00:15:58.74
because Jesus died for them.
00:15:58.77\00:16:00.69
In fact and look in
verse 17, look what Paul says?
00:16:01.30\00:16:05.19
Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ,
00:16:05.22\00:16:08.95
he is a new creation.
The old has passed away;
00:16:08.98\00:16:13.56
behold the new has
come. The old has passed away,
00:16:13.59\00:16:18.21
and the new has
come. Paul says I see
00:16:18.24\00:16:21.02
the love of Christ in
the fact that Jesus died
00:16:21.05\00:16:24.10
for every human being.
This shows us the love,
00:16:24.13\00:16:27.79
that the wages of
sin have been paid
00:16:27.82\00:16:30.56
for every human
being, that no human being,
00:16:30.59\00:16:34.77
no matter how
bad deserves to die.
00:16:34.80\00:16:37.77
They don't need
to die because Christ
00:16:37.80\00:16:40.48
has died for them.
This is the love of Christ.
00:16:40.51\00:16:43.60
And then he
says because of this,
00:16:47.31\00:16:48.60
I don't look at
people for what they are,
00:16:48.63\00:16:50.81
I don't regard any
human being according
00:16:50.84\00:16:53.34
to the flesh, I
don't look at people,
00:16:53.37\00:16:55.51
I don't look at them
and say, oh look at the way
00:16:55.54\00:16:58.76
they do their hair,
I don't look at them
00:16:58.79\00:17:00.49
and say look at their
cloths, I don't look at them
00:17:00.52\00:17:03.04
and say look at how they act.
00:17:03.07\00:17:04.90
I don't look at any
human being for what they are.
00:17:04.93\00:17:08.83
I look at them for what
Christ has done for them.
00:17:09.55\00:17:13.57
Just the other
evening my wife called me
00:17:15.91\00:17:18.58
and she was at our
Church on a Wednesday night
00:17:18.61\00:17:22.15
and we have a Bible
study for young people
00:17:22.18\00:17:24.66
on Wednesday night.
We have lots of people
00:17:24.69\00:17:28.04
coming from the community.
And I suppose by outward
00:17:28.07\00:17:32.57
appearances they don't
look like good Christian folk
00:17:32.60\00:17:36.24
that are always found
running around our church.
00:17:36.27\00:17:38.52
They look a little
rougher around the edges
00:17:38.55\00:17:41.25
and my wife said that
there is nothing so wonderful
00:17:41.28\00:17:46.12
as seeing our
Wednesday night Bible study.
00:17:46.15\00:17:48.97
Full of folk that are
rough around the edges.
00:17:49.00\00:17:53.94
And Paul says I don't
look at any human being
00:17:53.97\00:17:58.01
according to the
flesh, why? 'Cause I see them
00:17:58.04\00:18:02.97
for what Jesus
Christ has done for them.
00:18:03.00\00:18:05.66
I see them for what
Jesus Christ has done for them.
00:18:05.69\00:18:09.54
Verse 17 it says that,
they would be a new creation.
00:18:09.57\00:18:12.89
The old has passed
away, the new has come.
00:18:12.92\00:18:16.30
He is saying that it
doesn't matter how bad
00:18:16.33\00:18:19.55
you are that in Jesus Christ
00:18:19.58\00:18:21.50
you can have a totally new life.
00:18:21.53\00:18:23.65
It's so new; it
looks like a new creation.
00:18:23.68\00:18:26.41
In verse 18, he
says the good news
00:18:27.29\00:18:30.34
and this is great
news for all of us.
00:18:30.37\00:18:32.11
All of this is from
God who through Christ
00:18:32.14\00:18:36.46
reconciled us to
himself and gave us the ministry
00:18:36.49\00:18:39.49
of reconciliation.
All of this is from God.
00:18:39.52\00:18:43.67
Paul is saying to us
that in his ministry,
00:18:45.72\00:18:49.91
he's motivated by
the terror of the Lord,
00:18:49.94\00:18:51.96
the fear of the Lord.
He is motivated by the love
00:18:51.99\00:18:54.42
of Christ and he sees
that the love of Christ
00:18:54.45\00:18:58.61
can make people new creations
00:18:58.64\00:19:01.76
and this comes from God.
00:19:01.79\00:19:03.65
A new creation comes
from God. It's not from man,
00:19:03.68\00:19:07.97
it's not from my power or
my strength or my motivation,
00:19:08.00\00:19:12.31
it comes from God
all of this is from God.
00:19:12.34\00:19:14.68
The new creation
all comes from God.
00:19:14.71\00:19:17.13
Now in verse 18 he
describes a little bit
00:19:17.16\00:19:19.71
more of what Jesus has
done for us. He says again,
00:19:19.74\00:19:24.04
All this is from God,
who through Christ reconciled
00:19:24.07\00:19:27.76
us to himself and gave us the
00:19:27.79\00:19:29.20
ministry of
reconciliation. Now verse 19,
00:19:29.23\00:19:32.48
that is, in Christ
God was reconciling
00:19:32.51\00:19:38.62
the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses
00:19:38.65\00:19:43.36
against them,
and entrusting to us
00:19:43.39\00:19:46.35
the message of reconciliation.
00:19:46.38\00:19:48.79
Verse 19 has one of
the most important messages
00:19:49.45\00:19:52.83
in the whole Bible.
According to verse 19,
00:19:52.86\00:19:56.28
I always like to ask questions
00:19:56.31\00:19:57.92
when I'm speaking,
according to verse 19
00:19:57.95\00:20:01.04
who was it that God in Christ
00:20:01.07\00:20:03.74
reconciled to himself.
If you look at the verse,
00:20:03.77\00:20:08.18
it says that God was in Christ
00:20:08.21\00:20:10.04
reconciling the world.
He reconciled the world
00:20:10.07\00:20:16.22
to himself. Now what
does that mean? Well,
00:20:16.25\00:20:22.23
if you look back in
the text it says that
00:20:22.26\00:20:23.75
he not only
reconciled the world but because
00:20:23.78\00:20:25.57
he reconciled the
world the Bible says that
00:20:25.60\00:20:28.28
he is not counting
their trespasses against them.
00:20:28.31\00:20:32.87
Now, I want you to
think with me for a moment
00:20:32.90\00:20:35.93
what that means? As
we mentioned earlier
00:20:35.96\00:20:38.52
we said that the
wages of sin is death.
00:20:38.55\00:20:40.48
So the way we can know
that God is not counting
00:20:42.65\00:20:46.51
our sin against
us is very simple.
00:20:46.54\00:20:48.20
Are you alive or dead?
If your heart is beating,
00:20:49.76\00:20:55.19
you can know that
right now God is not counting
00:20:55.22\00:20:58.86
your sin against you.
See the Bible says that God
00:20:58.89\00:21:03.13
was in Christ
reconciling the world,
00:21:03.16\00:21:05.84
not counting
their sin against them.
00:21:05.87\00:21:09.09
If you're alive and
your heart is beating,
00:21:10.31\00:21:13.17
God is not counting
your sin against you.
00:21:14.12\00:21:16.76
He reconciled
the world to himself.
00:21:18.30\00:21:20.53
He is not counting
your sin against you.
00:21:21.19\00:21:23.75
However, if you refused
to be reconciled to God,
00:21:24.45\00:21:28.84
in the judgment God will
count your sin against you.
00:21:30.11\00:21:33.76
And that's what Paul
is really urging us here,
00:21:33.79\00:21:37.60
in verse 20,
Paul says therefore,
00:21:37.63\00:21:40.98
we are ambassadors for Christ,
00:21:41.01\00:21:44.46
God is making his
appeal through us.
00:21:44.49\00:21:47.64
We implore you on behalf of
Christ be reconciled to God.
00:21:47.67\00:21:54.09
You see God was in
Christ reconciling the world
00:21:54.90\00:21:58.09
to Himself, now Paul
says we are pleading with you
00:21:58.12\00:22:02.43
to be reconciled to
God. God reconciled the world
00:22:02.46\00:22:05.96
to himself now God
is saying to the world
00:22:05.99\00:22:08.14
be reconciled to me.
You see in II Corinthians 5,
00:22:08.17\00:22:14.02
what Paul is saying is
this, my friends the people
00:22:14.05\00:22:19.60
of this world God
reconciled the world to himself,
00:22:19.63\00:22:24.27
He is not counting
your sin against you.
00:22:24.30\00:22:27.16
He is not counting
your sin against you.
00:22:27.87\00:22:30.27
And if you will
be reconciled to me
00:22:30.85\00:22:33.65
then you will
never have your sin
00:22:35.89\00:22:37.62
counted against
you. Never have your sin
00:22:37.65\00:22:40.96
counted against you.
My friend, think about it,
00:22:40.99\00:22:45.56
what is God's
message to you today.
00:22:46.95\00:22:49.52
The message is so
simple that God was in Christ
00:22:50.98\00:22:54.93
reconciling the
world to himself.
00:22:54.96\00:22:58.78
Not counting
your sin against them.
00:22:59.41\00:23:03.87
And he says I have
done everything I can do,
00:23:05.36\00:23:07.92
I reconciled you to myself.
00:23:07.95\00:23:10.15
Now I am pleading with
you to be reconciled to me.
00:23:11.90\00:23:16.90
I've reconciled the world myself
00:23:17.93\00:23:19.93
now you need to
be reconciled to me.
00:23:19.96\00:23:23.43
See Paul understood
something so beautiful
00:23:23.46\00:23:26.41
and something so
powerful, he understood
00:23:26.44\00:23:28.05
that in the judgment every
human being would be judged
00:23:28.08\00:23:32.82
and it was going to be
a fearful thing for those
00:23:32.85\00:23:34.73
who did not choose
to be reconciled to God.
00:23:34.76\00:23:36.97
So he was motivated
by the love of Christ.
00:23:38.73\00:23:40.77
He was motivated to go
to the world and say world
00:23:40.80\00:23:43.48
you are going to be judged,
00:23:43.51\00:23:45.04
you need to be
reconciled to God.
00:23:45.07\00:23:47.16
See Paul was
motivated by two things,
00:23:49.14\00:23:50.83
the fear of the Lord
and the love of Christ.
00:23:50.86\00:23:57.30
The fear of the Lord
has seen in the judgment,
00:23:57.33\00:23:58.30
the love of Christ
is seen in the cross
00:23:58.31\00:23:59.28
of Jesus Christ,
where he died for your sins.
00:23:59.29\00:24:02.38
where he died for your
sins. He died for my sins,
00:24:02.41\00:24:03.48
he died to
reunite the lost with God.
00:24:03.51\00:24:07.51
Now through the
preacher, if a good Christian
00:24:07.54\00:24:12.71
folk were extending
the Gospel invitation
00:24:12.74\00:24:15.11
to people all
over this world he is
00:24:15.14\00:24:18.04
pleading with you to
be reconciled to God.
00:24:18.07\00:24:20.44
He is saying to
you, God is not counting
00:24:20.47\00:24:22.73
your sin against
you, not right now
00:24:22.76\00:24:25.42
and if you'll be
reconciled to God,
00:24:25.45\00:24:28.03
not only is he
not counting your sin
00:24:28.06\00:24:30.22
against you, he
will not count your sin
00:24:30.25\00:24:31.87
against you. In verse
21, the Bible tells us
00:24:31.90\00:24:36.48
why it is that
God won't count our
00:24:36.51\00:24:38.37
sin against us?
Because for our sakes
00:24:38.40\00:24:43.18
he made him to be
sin, that is because God
00:24:43.21\00:24:46.23
the Father made
Jesus Christ to be
00:24:46.26\00:24:47.82
sin for us who
knew no sin, so that
00:24:47.85\00:24:51.10
we might become the
righteousness of God.
00:24:51.13\00:24:53.51
Do you follow?
Saying essentially that
00:24:53.54\00:24:58.53
God made Christ to
be sin, that is Jesus
00:24:58.56\00:25:03.60
who knew nothing of
sin, God made him to be sin
00:25:03.63\00:25:06.20
so that we might
become righteous holding.
00:25:06.23\00:25:11.79
My friend, follow
the simple message.
00:25:11.82\00:25:18.39
Fear of the Lord has
seen in the Universal
00:25:18.42\00:25:22.75
truth of the
judgment, but the love of Christ
00:25:22.78\00:25:26.17
is seen in the
Universal truth of Christ' death
00:25:26.20\00:25:30.46
for every human
being. No reason for
00:25:30.49\00:25:34.68
anyone to be lost because
Christ has died for them,
00:25:34.71\00:25:37.21
you must simply
choose God and Christ
00:25:37.24\00:25:43.03
and be reconciled to him.
00:25:43.06\00:25:44.22
The Bible says
the reason that you
00:25:44.25\00:25:48.29
can be saved,
the reason you can be
00:25:48.32\00:25:51.30
reconciled to God is because God
00:25:51.33\00:25:54.38
made Christ to
be everything evil
00:25:54.41\00:25:56.83
and sinful that
you were. He made him
00:25:56.86\00:26:01.02
to be sin who
knew no sin that you
00:26:01.05\00:26:03.80
might become
righteous. In chapter 6 verse 1
00:26:03.83\00:26:07.05
then, Paul says
working together with him,
00:26:07.08\00:26:09.60
then, we appeal to
you not to receive the
00:26:09.63\00:26:13.99
grace of God in
vain. Every single breath
00:26:14.02\00:26:19.18
of air, every
single ray of sunshine,
00:26:19.21\00:26:23.53
every morsel of food
is a gift of God's grace.
00:26:23.56\00:26:28.07
Were it not for the
Cross of Jesus Christ,
00:26:28.10\00:26:31.09
we would have no
life, we would be
00:26:31.12\00:26:34.13
dead even now. And
the Bible is calling us,
00:26:34.16\00:26:37.49
pleading with us to
be reconciled to God,
00:26:37.52\00:26:40.37
to be reconciled to
God. That all of the grace
00:26:40.40\00:26:44.37
that God has
already shown us in our
00:26:44.40\00:26:46.09
life is not in
vain. Paul was motivated
00:26:46.12\00:26:50.02
to go to ends of
the earth to preach
00:26:50.05\00:26:51.71
the Gospel, by
that fear of the Lord,
00:26:51.74\00:26:54.13
the
understanding of the judgment
00:26:54.16\00:26:55.46
and by the love of
Christ and understanding
00:26:55.49\00:26:58.66
Christ's death
for every human being.
00:26:58.69\00:27:01.70
The unnecessary
death every human being
00:27:01.73\00:27:05.45
that's lost, it's
totally unnecessary
00:27:05.48\00:27:07.64
and this
motivated Paul so that no
00:27:07.67\00:27:10.24
one would receive
God's grace in vain.
00:27:10.27\00:27:11.71
So today I have
an appeal and that
00:27:11.74\00:27:15.39
is for you to be
reconciled to God.
00:27:15.42\00:27:18.86
God has done everything to bring
00:27:18.89\00:27:21.12
you to himself
and now he invites
00:27:21.15\00:27:23.55
you to be reconciled to him.
00:27:23.58\00:27:26.08
Let's pray
together. Father, for those
00:27:26.11\00:27:29.82
that are listening
today, those that are
00:27:29.85\00:27:31.84
watching today I pray that they
00:27:31.87\00:27:35.42
would give their
lives to you and be
00:27:35.45\00:27:38.07
reconciled to you.
You've done for them
00:27:38.10\00:27:41.44
all could you do now
may they do their part
00:27:41.47\00:27:46.19
and be reconciled to
you, in Jesus name. Amen.
00:27:46.22\00:27:49.16
My friend, God bless
you in your decision today.
00:27:49.19\00:27:55.12