2 Corinthians 5:11-21, “Mission and Vision”

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Intro: In this text, (2 Corinthians 5:11-21) we take some time to recalibrate on the Gospel and its implications. Salvation in Jesus was never meant to terminate on the individual. Rather, the Good News calls us to live in community and on mission for Jesus.

Big Idea: The Gospel pushes us outward to live for Jesus’ mission rather than ourselves.

Mission v. Attraction

Although we certainly want more and more people to come to our gathered service, our main focus is not on putting on an event that they are attracted to. Although we are willing and should desire to use creative means to bring people to Christ, we should also be careful that we are not merely making spectators. Yes, we desire excellence in our worship services, but also do not want to move away from the simplicity of the message of the Gospel. Our focus is to bring people together so we can tell them about Jesus, show them the love of Jesus, and then send them out into their communities and contexts so that they can take Jesus to their spheres of influence. We desire to be a people sent out on mission, not a people attracted to a show.

Community v. Consumerism

Small groups—we call them LifePointe groups—are the lifeblood of our church. It is where the Gospel that is preached on Sundays is applied in real life. Rather than having just a few do ministry for the masses to consume from a distance in large rooms, we desire to be a people that actually know one another, do life together, encourage one another, and grow in grace together. This requires a commitment to not just be attendees who listen to a message for practical advice, but rather who are courageous enough to form smaller communities outside of gathered worships.

Depth v. Width

The Gospel message is offense In 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 Paul says that for some it will be the fragrance of life and for others death. The point is, people will oppose our message. Even some people who may think they are Christians. We must be okay with the fact that if we are preaching the Biblical Gospel it will offend some and they will leave. This is just part of the deal. So, we care more about being faithful to the Bible than we do about attracting numbers with a watered down self-help message.

Sacrifice v. Entitlement

We in live in an incredibly indulgent and selfish culture. We hoard, we consume, and we waste. This mentality that we are all guilty of on some level often creeps into our church community and life. We feel entitled to have certain services and comforts. The Gospel runs completely opposite and calls us to lay down our lives for others and the sake of making Jesus known. Let’s face it, we are rich, blessed, comfortable people. Jesus tells us that to whom much is given, much is required. Jesus owes us nothing, but He gave us everything. Our reasonable response to Him is to give Him our lives as living sacrifices.