What a joy to be with you today as we prepare in just a moment to just jump into the scriptures
and see what God has for us.
I want to invite the kids to go ahead and be dismissed for their programming and the
ministry for children here.
So you can go ahead and do that now.
It is a joy again to be with you as a part of a district which includes around 140 congregations
throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
And so on their behalf, I just bring a greeting to you today.
And I am so grateful to be able to say that you are part of that family of churches that
are committed to supporting one another to the missional calling of the church and for
the building up of the saints for the work of ministry.
It's truly a joy to be with you in that regard.
I also want to just thank you for being a congregation who so cares for the long-term health of your
pastor Mike Salvati that you have given him a sabbatical.
I know it's not convenient.
I was discussing with Steve just a few minutes ago.
I mean, it's a sacrifice for you to give him that opportunity.
And yet, knowing that your goal is his long-term faithfulness as a minister of the gospel,
I just thank you for your commitment to give him that opportunity.
I'm sure it is blessing him greatly.
And so, thank you so much for doing that.
Well, we're going to be looking today at some scripture verses from Paul's letter to the
church in Corinth, 2 Corinthians 5, verses 16 through 21.
Now, we're going to read that text in just a moment.
But before we do so, as we prepare to explore these verses, I want you to think for a moment
about a quote from Archbishop William Temple.
And this is what he says.
He says,
The church is the only society in the world which exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.
Now, just think about that.
It's kind of an unusual thought here.
Thought-provoking for sure.
He said,
The church is the only society in the world which exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.
Now, I know this statement.
It might feel a little bit controversial.
After all, we know the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
Now, while this is true, we also need to remember when Jesus was teaching about his father in John 4, 23,
he said,
God is seeking worshipers who will worship him in spirit and truth.
And what this shows us is that by his very nature, God is a missionary God.
He seeks more worshipers.
He seeks more and more people who worship him in spirit and truth.
And it's this idea behind a well-known quote in the Christian community by John Piper that says,
Missions exists because worship doesn't.
And all of this really illustrates this idea that we as God's people, as his church,
we are to have this missionary posture in life, an outward orientation of our fellowship
that exists for the purpose of benefiting, ultimately, those who are not yet with us.
Now, one of the main ideas we'll be learning today is that the more we understand who it is that we are as Christians,
as sons and daughters of God through the work of Christ,
that once we understand this, we will more faithfully embrace and live out this missionary identity,
both individually and collectively as a people.
Now, I want to provide some context as I prepare to read this text.
But in 2 Corinthians 5, it's helpful to know that what we learn from the trajectory of this whole letter
and the tone of the letter is that since Paul's departure from the church in Corinth,
which he helped to plant, some men had become influential teachers in the church,
and they began to criticize him and his work.
And so, in these few verses in particular, we're seeing Paul deliver a defense of sorts
related to his commitment to the missionary work of God.
And he wanted to make it clear that his ministry in Corinth wasn't motivated by building his own kingdom,
but rather the kingdom of God, and then what, therefore, are the implications for us as God's people in light of that.
And so, we're going to see three things in this text.
We're going to see that through the good news of Jesus, through the gospel, we're given three things,
a new identity, a new perspective, and a new role.
Through the gospel, we're given a new identity, a new perspective, and a new role.
And so, on that note, now let's go together.
You'll see the words on the screen, but feel free to also open your Bibles and follow along.
2 Corinthians 5, verses 16 through 21.
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 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 righteousness of God.
This is the reading of God's word.
Let's pray together.
Father, Father, I just ask this morning on behalf of us as a community and as one who has been called and privileged with the honor today of bringing this word,
we pray, Father, your spirit would illumine our hearts, that you would take my words as a broken and needy man,
inadequate to fully articulate the beauty and glory of who you are.
May you, through your spirit, open our eyes to see, our hearts to understand and minds to understand,
that we might be transformed more and more into your image as we look at your word and consider its truth for us today.
And so, do that work we pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
So again, the first point that we're going to be looking at today from this text is that through the gospel, we are given a new identity.
Now, I'm actually going to explore this identity based on some therefores, okay?
We see this in verse 16 and 17 throughout this text many times, therefore is used.
Now, those of you who are more knowledgeable in your Bible study, maybe you've been walked with the Lord for some time,
you may know that whenever you read a therefore, it's pointing to something outside that specific statement that follows.
In other words, it's saying that we're to do this or we're to live in this certain way because of something that has been stated before.
And in these verses, the therefores, they're really pointing to this gospel, this good news identity that is true for all who are in Christ, all who are Christians.
And this has been explained in the verses preceding this section, but it's also very conveniently restated in the last verse of these scripture verses.
And so, to explain our gospel identity, I'm going to go ahead and start at the end by unpacking verse 21.
And so, let's look again at where Paul states this in 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.
Now, in these verses, we see that those who are Christians, those of you who identify with this role and this identity, you have a profound benefit.
There is something really beautiful about the gospel and the good news of Jesus that Paul is laying out here for us.
This idea being that for those in faith, Jesus took our sin and gave us his righteousness.
And this is what Martin Luther calls the great exchange.
Now, so let's think about the first part of this exchange, this idea of God making Jesus our sin.
Now, if you're not a believer or if you're young in your faith, I want to make sure you understand that sin represents our unfaithfulness and disobedience to God.
I mean, all that is broken in the world and all that is broken inside of you is because of sin.
And so the idea here is that Jesus died on the cross for our sin, but that his death was much more than only paying off a spiritual debt.
It was even more than just taking our punishment.
While both of these ideas are true, there is this deeper meaning that Paul is wanting us to see when he says that Jesus literally became sin.
One commentator explained that God making Jesus our sin meant that Christ experienced the consequences for human sin.
The one who lived a sinless life died a sinner's death, estranged from God and the object of wrath.
He was treated as a sinner in his death.
And what this means for all of you who are Christians, Jesus died your sinner's death.
So that theft that we committed, when God poured out his righteous anger on Christ, he was treating him as a thief.
That lie we told that on the cross, God poured out his indignation on the Son of God, treating him as a liar.
That our impure and lustful thoughts that on the day God was delivering due punishment for our sin,
that punishment was directed towards his own Son as if he was the one with those impure thoughts.
That our laziness, our fits of anger, and even our failure to testify to the goodness of God to others.
When Christ became sin, he was being treated as the one who had done those things.
And so, this is what it means for Christ to become sin.
He was literally this wrath-bearing substitute for you and for me.
Now, as humbling as this is, as beautiful, really, as it is, as wonderful of a sacrifice,
as undeserving of a reward as this is, it is only half of the story, half of the exchange.
The other half is seen in the latter words of verse 21,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
So what does it mean to become God's righteousness?
Well, what it means is if you're a Christian, in your conversion,
in that point of transformation and what the theological word regeneration happened,
that there was a switch that was turned inside of you.
Christ not only took your sin, but he gave you his righteousness.
In the words of one commentator, this means,
in the same way as the innocent was punished as guilty,
the guilty was rewarded as innocent.
This means that when God looks upon you, if this is you,
that in that state he is just as pleased with you
as he is pleased with his own son.
Not because of anything that you've done,
but because of what Christ did for you.
Now the Heidelberg Catechism describes it this way,
that in the moment of this great exchange,
God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction,
righteousness, and holiness of Christ,
as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner,
and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me.
Now aren't you amazed?
Aren't you amazed at what God has done for you in Christ?
Doesn't this wonderful truth inspire you to respond in awe and wonder and worship?
And so we've seen, number one,
that through the gospel,
we, those who are Christians,
those who have placed our faith in the work of Christ on our behalf,
we have been given a new identity.
Not as sinners, but as righteous sons and daughters,
redeemed, reconciled children of God.
And this sets the stage for our next two points.
Two, through the gospel,
we are given a new perspective.
Let's look together at 2 Corinthians 5,
verses 16 and 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.
So we see verse 16 that
before becoming a Christian,
before coming into this family
through God's gift of grace,
we judged and perceived people
according to the flesh.
And that we also regarded Jesus this way.
But Paul wants us to see,
hey, we do so no longer.
What Paul is saying is that
before Christ changed us,
that how we measured people, right?
How we saw them,
in particular, how we measured Christ,
it was no longer accurate.
It was not accurate.
Now I want you to think about this answer
to this question.
How does the world measure success?
In other words,
in the eyes of the world,
what makes a person successful?
You see, the world tells us
that our value comes from the things we own.
The world tells us that success
comes from how smart or beautiful we are.
The world tells us that success
comes from how much power
or influence we possess.
What Paul wants us to see
is that when Jesus comes into our life,
the standard of success changes.
That once our eyes are opened
by the grace and truth of the gospel,
we're given a new way of seeing everything.
Now, no one personally illustrates this
better than Paul himself.
You see, in Paul's life,
he was not a Christian,
but this zealous Jew early in life.
As a young man,
he was what some might call an influencer.
He was a celebrity.
He was well known as this young Jew,
the kind of young man
that every Jewish mother
would want their daughter to marry.
He was so zealous
that he persecuted
and perhaps even murdered Christians
in order to silence their message.
You can read about that in Acts 8.
But in Acts 9,
Paul, at the time known as Saul,
had this radical moment of conversion
while going along the road to Damascus.
A bright light blinded him,
and in that moment,
he heard the words of Jesus asking him,
Saul, why are you persecuting me?
Days later,
a believer by the name of Ananias,
placed his hands on the blind Saul,
and in the name of Jesus,
he healed him.
And at that moment,
it was as though scales causing blindness
fell from his eyes,
and he could once again see.
Now, we learn in this passage
that in that moment,
Saul's perspective changed immediately.
From a zeal for empty religion
to a wholehearted faith in Jesus
as the Son of God.
And so, as you can imagine,
Saul's whole world
was turned upside down.
It was like a switch had been flipped.
His measure for truth
was radically transformed.
And it's this experience
that I believe Paul is referencing
in verse 17.
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation.
The old has passed away.
Behold,
the new has come.
So again,
Paul is saying
when we accept
and receive the gospel
of Jesus Christ,
we're recreated
into something new.
And this new person
has a new way
of seeing the world.
The old measure of God
is gone.
The way we look at everything,
right?
From our hardships
to friendships
to the unbeliever
to God himself.
It's now entirely different.
Now, in the last few years,
I had the opportunity
to go from a single focus lens
with my glasses
to something called
progressive lenses.
Now, some of you,
most of you are probably
too young to identify
with this journey,
but let me fill you in.
Progressive lenses,
what they do
is they give you
this progressive prescription
that brings clarity
and clear vision
to every depth of field.
And so when I read a book,
I'm looking through
a unique part of the lens
that brings clarity
to that book.
When I look at my computer,
that prescription
gives me clarity.
When I'm out driving my car,
looking at a distance
at night,
again, a different part
of that lens
gives me clarity
when looking.
And what I want us
to see is this,
that the gospel
of Jesus Christ,
this idea when it comes
into our life,
when we are transformed
by the gospel,
forgiven for our sin,
that everything
in every depth
of field
of our life
looks different.
It comes into
crystal clarity.
We now see God
as our merciful Savior.
We now see others
as people made
in the image of God,
broken by sin
and in need of mercy
and grace of the gospel.
We see our motivations
and our suffering
and our purposes
in life
through a different lens.
And it's this shift
of perspective
that Paul is wanting
us to see.
And so it leads
to the question,
in what ways
has the gospel,
the good news
of Jesus Christ,
challenged the way
in which you see
the world,
in which you see
Jesus and others?
as you begin
to look now
through the eyes
of a gospel
that has saved
and transformed you
by grace.
When you think
of your Savior,
does it stir your heart
in love and worship?
When you think
of a brother
or sister in faith,
do you see them
as eternal family,
as brothers
and sisters,
as fellow children
of God
who have been adopted
into his family?
When you think
of your coworkers,
friends and neighbors
who are not
following Christ,
do you love them
as people made
in the image of God?
Do you weep for them,
longing for them
to know the same
transformation
that has remade
your life?
Do you adopt
the attitude
of Jesus
as he was in Jerusalem
in Luke 19
and he wept
over the city,
longing for them
to know the peace
and life
that he could offer them?
Now we're going to
continue to think
through this
and what this means
for us now
in the next section.
So we've seen
in verse 21
that the gospel,
it gives us
this new identity
as ones who have
been forgiven
as our sin
upon Christ
and his righteousness
for us.
We've seen
in verses 16
and 17
that this gospel,
it gives us
a new way of seeing,
a new perspective.
And now we'll see
number three
that through the gospel
we're given
a new role.
Let's look at
verses 18
and 19 there
in 2 Corinthians 5.
It says this,
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 entrusting
to us
the message
of reconciliation.
Now,
this word
reconciliation,
of course,
it implies
something.
It implies
that we were
once alienated,
far from God,
broken in our
relationship,
and of course,
as we discussed
earlier,
what alienated us
was this problem
of sin.
And so,
according to
verse 18,
as we came
to Christ
and the benefits
therein,
we were
reconciled.
And at that
moment,
something was
given to us,
okay?
You were
reconciled,
and now you
were given
a new ministry.
It's like
this idea
of a relay
on the track.
If you've
ever seen
a track meet,
maybe a 4x400
relay,
what happens
is the runners,
they're holding
this baton,
and as one
runner completes
the lap,
they hand
that baton
to another
runner who
then takes
the race
forward.
And this
is the
picture of
what Christ
did for us
when he
saved us
from our
sin and
reconciled
us to
himself.
What he
was doing
was giving
us the
baton,
the ministry
of reconciliation.
And it's
now our
responsibility
to take
the race
forward in
his strength
and by his
power and
the power
of the
Holy Spirit.
We are
now messengers
of reconciliation,
carrying that
ministry on
to others.
So according
to verse 18
and 19,
this message
bearing
responsibility
is part
of our
new role.
Roles
as ambassadors
for Christ.
And we're
going to see
this more
clearly in
verse 20.
Look with
me there.
Therefore,
we are
ambassadors
for Christ,
God making
his appeal
through us.
We implore
you on
behalf of
Christ,
be
reconciled
to God.
So according
to Paul,
we are now
bearers of
this message
of reconciliation.
We're assuming
an actual
role,
a specific
role as
ambassadors
for
Christ.
You are
an ambassador
for Christ.
Now during
World War I,
on the
western front
of that war,
there was
a method
of warfare
called
trench
warfare.
And this
was where
large
trenches
were dug
on both
sides
of a field
of battle.
And these
trenches
were what
would protect
soldiers
from small
arms fire.
And it
was a brutal
form of war.
Many casualties
were produced
because the
only way to
advance the
front was to
come out
of the
trench,
leaving yourself
vulnerable to
injury and
to death.
Now because
radio technology
was not
secure in
those days,
the only way
to communicate
from the
back of the
lines to
the front
of those
entrenched
troops was
through a
specific role.
And that
was the
role of
runner.
Runners
were the
ones who
took
communication
from the
commanding
officer to
the soldiers
at the
front line.
Now to
be a
runner
in trench
warfare
was to
assume
an
immensely
important
job
that
was
also
extremely
dangerous.
Now one
of the
interesting
realities for
runners was
that no
one questioned
their instructions.
Now why
is this?
It's because
they were
carrying the
message of
the commanding
officer.
They spoke
with the
authority of
another.
And they
did so
at a
great risk
to their
own life.
Now what
I want us
to see
is that
this role
of runner
it has
certain
parallels
with this
idea of
ambassador
for Christ.
You see
like a
runner
we go
and tell
with the
authority
of the
one who
sent us.
Matthew
28
18
and 19
says
and Jesus
came up
and spoke
to them
saying
all authority
has been
given to
me in
heaven
and on
earth
go
therefore
and make
disciples
of all
nations.
So we
go with
the authority
of the
one who
sent us.
Like a
runner
we are
carrying
an important
message.
Verse 20
tells us
that message
is
be
reconciled
to God.
And like
a runner
we know
we are
vulnerable
to injury.
In chapter
4 of
2 Corinthians
the chapter
before this
one
Paul
details
all sorts
of afflictions
and persecutions
that he has
endured
because of
his calling
as ambassador
for Christ.
And so
like a
runner
we are
called
to go.
So to
review
we've been
changed
by the
gospel
and we've
been given
a new
way of
seeing
the world
and
this
good
news
of
our
reconciliation
with
God
it
changes
us
forever
and in
light
of
this
we
now
have
a new
responsibility
we are
ambassadors
for
Christ.
And so
the question
for you
to consider
in light
of this
is how
is your
role as
ambassador
for Christ
changing
the way
you live.
John
Stott
he said
that every
Christian
is a
missionary
cleverly
disguised
as a
mechanic
or teacher
or project
manager.
Do you
see yourself
that way?
If you're
a follower
of Christ
do you
see that
your
primary
role
in life
is
ambassador
for
Christ?
Even
more than
teacher
even
more than
student
even
more than
project
manager
even
more than
father
and mother
you are
ambassador
for
Christ.
And so
how does
that change
the way
you live?
As you
consider this
as a
church
what does
it mean
to be
an
ambassador
for
Christ
in
Kenosha
in this
community?
How are
you as a
congregation
intentionally
engaging
the needs
of the
city
in order
to
demonstrate
faith
and to
build
bridges
of trust
by which
you proclaim
the good
news
of the
gospel
of Jesus
Christ
that
those
who are
lost
and lonely
and far
from God
would
meet him
would call
him
savior.
Years ago
Rick Richardson
at the
Billy Graham
Institute
of Wheaton
College
he did
this research
study
of churches
who were
growing
by 10%
through
conversion
through
those
who are
lost
being
found
in
Christ
and
what he
found
was that
for these
churches
that were
growing
through
evangelism
that
evangelism
was a
top
three
priority
of the
church
it was
a priority
to them
and as
they made
much of
their role
as ambassadors
for Christ
God
was faithful
to work
through them
in order
to see
more and
more people
come to
faith
in him
and so
this is an
important question
for you to
grapple with
as a church
what does it
look like
what does it
mean for you
to be as
a community
of ambassadors
for Christ
in terms of
how you
evangelize
the lost
and the
priority you
give to
that end
is it
one of the
core values
of your
church
and how
are you
living that
out
so we've
seen that
in the
gospel
and in
Christ
we get
this new
identity
we get
a new
perspective
and we
get a
new role
as ambassadors
for Christ
now before
we wrap up
I want to
remind you
of something
this letter
is not
written
to unbelievers
it's written
to the
church
right
so all
this talk
of the
gospel
being
emphasized
to
saved
and redeemed
people
is what
Paul is
doing
here
this
suggests
that for
those of
us who
are
Christians
for the
church
that when
mission
lags
when we
are failing
or losing
sight of
our
responsibility
and role
to be
ambassadors
for Christ
no matter
how long
we've
called
ourselves
Christians
we've
drifted
because
we've
lost
sight
of the
gospel
in all
its
beauty
you see
when
mission
lags
Paul
doesn't
appeal
to a
guilty
conscience
he
doesn't
write
a new
training
program
he
simply
points
us
back
to
the
beauty
of
the
gospel
which
gives
us
a new
perspective
which
forms
a new
identity
so
this
suggests
that
when
mission
drifts
we
have
to
start
with
our
hearts
because
the
more
we
embrace
our
identity
and
the
new
perspective
it
forms
the
more
faithful
we
become
in
mission
as
messengers
of
reconciliation
you see
our
worship
fuels
our
witness
and
this
points
back to
my
statement
at the
beginning
of this
message
the
more
thankful
and
grateful
we
are
for
the
gift
of
God
in
Christ
and
how
that
gift
has
changed
us
the
more
likely
we
will
be
to
faithfully
share
that
gift
with
others
so
we've
seen
today
that
through
the
gospel
of
Jesus
Christ
we're
given
a
new
identity
we're
given
a
new
perspective
and
we're
given
a
new
role
I
don't
know
how
many
of
you
have
seen
this
old
movie
called
Castaway
but
it
was
based
on
a
Daniel
Defoe
classic
adventure
novel
Robert
Robinson
Crusoe
and
in
the
movie
the
actor
Tom
Hanks
he's
playing
this
Federal
Express
employee
whose
company
plane
went
down
stranding
him
on
this
desert
island
for
five
years
and
in
doing
so
dealing
with
all
of
the
trials
of
food
and
heat
and
a
lack
of
good
water
now
during
Super
Bowl
37
the
shipping
company
Federal
Express
they ran
this
commercial
that
spoofed
the
movie
and
in
the
commercial
what
we
saw
was
this
character
looking
like
Tom
Hanks
he
was
disheveled
he
was
unshaven
and
tattered
clothing
and
he
is
holding
this
FedEx
box
and
he
goes
up
to
this
door
of
a
suburban
home
with
this
weathered
package
in
his
hand
and
when
the
owner
comes
to
the
door
he
explains
that
he
survived
five
years
on
a
desert
island
and
during
that
whole
time
he
kept
this
package
in
order
to
deliver
it
to
her
now
in
response
to
this
she
simply
said
thank
you
and
then
took
the
package
and
went
to
shut
the
door
and
of
course
this
weathered
delivery
man
was
not
satisfied
with
a
simple
thank
you
and
so
he
asked
the
woman
if
I
may
ask
what
was
in
that
package
after
all
so
she
opened
it
and
she
showed
him
the
content
saying
oh
nothing
really
just
a
satellite
telephone
a
global
positioning
device
a
compass
a
water
purifier
and
some
seeds
now
in
this
humorous
commercial
we get
this
profound
picture
of what
it means
to be
a
Christian
in
this
life
you
see
so
many
of
us
live
as
functional
castaways
unaware
that
all
we
have
for
life
and
joy
and
satisfaction
and
mission
it's
right
beside
us
the
whole
time
it's
right
there
and
so
for
those
of
you
who
are
living
as
functional
castaways
what
Jesus
wants
you
to
see
today
is
that
you've
been
saved
by
grace
and
this
salvation
it's
not
just
a
get
out
of
jail
free
card
it's
actually
an
invitation
to a
new
way
of
living
to a
new
identity
which
transforms
you
from
castaway
to
insider
from an
enemy
to a
friend
from
impaired
to empowered
from
recluse
to a
runner
from
shame
to
unashamed
from
aimless
to
ambassador
for
Christ
you
are
an
ambassador
for
Christ
and so
in light
of this
truth
in the
words
of
Paul
I
challenge
you
now
to
live
as
his
ambassador
knowing
that
God
is
making
his
appeal
to
the
world
through
you
to
live
your
life
and
to
speak
your
words
in
such
a
way
as
to
proclaim
to
those
around
you
be
reconciled
to
God
let's
pray
father
we
thank
you
for
the
beauty
of
the
gospel
which
saves
us
father
I
pray
that
by
your
grace
through
the
work
of
your
spirit
you
might
land
upon
us
anew
the
significance
of
what
it
is
that
you
did
when
you
took
our
sin
and
gave
us
your
righteousness
it
is
truly
unfathomable
such
beauty
and
sacrifice
and
yet
we
pray
father
that
it
would
land
upon
us
in
a
new
way
I
pray
for
those
who
for
whom
this
whole
message
is
new
today
father
may
today
be
their
day
in
which
they
step
through
into
this
new
relationship
with
you
becoming
a son
and
daughter
adopted
child
of
God
and
I
pray
for
all
of
us
that
as
we
dwell
in
this
reality
that
it
may
inspire
us
once
again
to
this
role
this
job
description
which
at
the
very
top
says
ambassador
for
Christ
and
that
whatever
we
do
in
life
whether
it's
parenting
or
working
or
studying
that
everything
we
do
might
be
done
as
a
vehicle
through
which
we
better
embody
this
identity
as
one
who's
been
saved
and
has
been
called
into
a
new
way
of
living
as
an
ambassador
to
those
around
us
and
so
I
pray
today
that
you
might
use
these
words
and
these
thoughts
to
advance
the
mission
of
Christ
the
King
Church
for
your
glory
and
for
the
benefit
of
this
city
and
those
who
are
far
from
you
we
pray
in
Jesus
name
Amen