Oct 19, 2017
What’s your purpose in life? Why are you here and what is it you feel compelled to accomplish in the time God gives you on this planet? For Paul, the answers to those two questions were one and the same: To call people back to God. He was single-minded when it came to his life’s purpose, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had been commissioned by God to share the good news of Jesus Christ so that a lost and dying world might be reconciled to God. This wasn’t just Paul’s profession, it was his obsession. It drove his agenda. It motivated his every waking moment. He knew there was no more important task to perform in this life than presenting the message of new life in Christ to those who were dead in their trespasses and sins. It was job number one and he did it well. And as we look at 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, we will hear Paul express his deep-seated belief that this ministry of reconciliation was not his alone. It is the responsibility of each and every individual who calls themselves a child of God and a follower of Jesus Christ. Yes, there are certainly good deeds to be done and acts of mercy and compassion to be accomplished in the world. But if we fail to share the gospel, we may end up feeding their stomach, but fail to meet the needs of their soul.