so chapter 5, verse number 17. Very familiar chapter, a very familiar passage. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To it that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. You may be seated. We know that when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He gave us new life. He gave us abundant life. He gave us eternal life. And according to here in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, all things are passed away. All things have become new. So what are we going to do with this new life? What do we do with it? What glorious things does God have for us in this new life? See, God has a plan for each one of us in this new life that He's given to us. But let's examine this new life for just a few minutes. Point number one is our new life. Verse 17. It says again, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Why do we have this new life? Well, let's look at it from two perspectives. First of all, in God's view, why do we have new life? Well, if you turn with me back to Genesis chapter 1, we see a very interesting fact. Genesis chapter 1, verse 26, we see that man was created for fellowship. Genesis 1 verse 26 says, And God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. Now what does it mean to be created in the image of God? It's not that God looks like us. It's not that we have a head and hands and feet like God. No. He created us in His image so that we can have fellowship with Him. See, man was the crown of God's creation. And he put a soul in us so that we could fellowship. And God wanted that fellowship. Again, in chapter 2, verse 7, it said, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. That soul can communicate with God and have fellowship with Him. God created man for fellowship. But number two, he also created him to serve. Chapter two, verse 15 of Genesis. And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Adam was a gardener. Now, I don't think he had a machete like we would use in Costa Rica. Maybe he didn't even have to cut the grass. I don't know. But he was there to take care of that garden. He was there to serve the living God. The problem is that he lost that ability when he sinned. Now, from our perspective, why do we have eternal life? Well, see, when God, or new life, when God saved us, He gave us new life, all things are passed away so that there is no obstacle for you to serve God. Oh, you don't know my life. I know the life of Paul. Paul who persecuted and killed Christians and God saved him and called him to preach and he was the greatest missionary we ever knew We have a new life. We have a new Lord. We have a new ministry all things have become new So that we can again serve God now Let's look at this new ministry point number two our new ministry verses 18 and 19. I And the Lord God, excuse me, let me go back to 2 Corinthians. Best make sure I follow my notes. And all things were of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. The ministry, our new ministry, is reconciliation. Now, that's a really good word. Now, If you have a computer program that you keep your finances, it will have a button to reconcile your checkbook. What does that mean? Reconcile is to bring or to restore to harmony. Now, if we're dealing with musical instruments, we could say to tune. Now, you have a beautiful piano over here. Now, I've been in homes where a piano like this is nothing more than a coffee table. But now, why was this instrument manufactured? What is the purpose of this instrument? To make music. But you know, something happens. After it leaves the factory, They put it on a truck, maybe put it on a train, maybe in a plane. I don't know how they ship pianos. But during that process, it's moved, it's shaken, and something happens. Where's our pianist tonight? Okay, oh, way back. Good, bad, this is in the very back. Okay, ma'am, what happens to that piano after you travel and it's shaken? What happens to it? It's out of tune. Now, I understand, Pastor, in this church, you have probably the best diesel mechanic in the world, or at least in the United States. So are you going to call him to come fix the piano? Well, no, he's the best. He's the best diesel mechanic in the world. No, you're not going to call. You're going to call somebody from the factory. Somebody who was in the process of manufacturing this piano to restore it to harmony. See, the problem with man is that we were created for fellowship and to serve, but we lost that ability when Adam sinned. The problem now is that man comes through and say, I can fix it. If I tried to tune that piano, it would be worse than before. Because I can't do it. Man comes through with his religion. He says, I'll fix you. Just do this and do that and be a part of this religion and everything will be fine. And man is in worse shape. You know, it's harder to win a religious person to the Lord than someone who understands he's lost and dying without sin, without the Christ. So what do you do? You call the one who made us. Jesus Christ. has done the work of reconciliation. The work of reconciliation was accomplished on the cross of Calvary, Romans chapter 5, verse 8. But God committed His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to show us the example, but then, as He lived the perfect life, He never sinned, He fulfilled the law in every aspect, You know, the law really only requires two things. Perfection and death to those who are not perfect. Christ fulfilled the law. He was perfect. But he died in our stance. And through his death, he reconciled us to God. God loved us and sent his Son. Christ died for our sins and was buried and rose again, winning the victory once and for all over death and sin. This is the work of reconciliation. But look with me back in verse 18. Who hath reconciled to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. This is what mission is all about. The ministry. We have to go. Verse 19. to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the word unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." We have the ministry. We've been given the ministry of reconciliation. We must go. And we've been committed the word of reconciliation. We must preach. Go and preach the gospel to every creature, because we have now being restored to harmony with our Father. And others need that message. So we have new life. We have a new ministry. Point number three. And by the way, you guys, you owe me 50 cents, okay? Each one of you. Number three, we have a new position. Ambassadors. Verse number 20. And now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's head be reconciled to God. We're ambassadors. Now, what is an ambassador? An ambassador represents his king to the people of a foreign nation. He is a resident of that nation, but he's not a citizen of that nation. And his actions reflect on his king. And he flies the flag of his country. I said we had a privilege of serving in Costa Rica. You know, every 4th of July, we received a personal invitation to attend a celebration at the home of the ambassador of the United States. Here's the rest of the story. Anybody with a U.S. passport got the same invitation. But it was an honor, because you walk on the grounds of the ambassador's home, and he's not flying the flag of Costa Rica, he's flying the flag of the United States of America. And he's there not to give his opinions, not to give his ideas, but he is to give the policy of his president. And he drives down the road and you see on that car he's got the seal, he's got the flags, everybody knows this is the ambassador of the United States of America. We're ambassadors for God. We may be residents on this earth but we're not citizens. Our citizenship is in heaven. We represent our King and the world sees us and everything we do reflects on our King. But we're not here to give our opinions. We're not here to give our ideas. We are here to speak the words of our God. Listen, look with me again in verse 20. Now that we're ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's head, be you reconciled to God. Do you realize that when you take the word of God, and you're out visiting, and you're knocking on doors, and you're talking to folks in the street, as you present to them the word of God, it's like God himself is speaking to them. And that's the power. It's not our ideas, it's not our opinions. But the word of God touches the hearts of people. It's so important that we preach the word, that we proclaim the word of God to those with whom we come in contact. That's our job. And we fly the flag. No, I'm not talking about this one, about over here. Our flag, John chapter 13, verse 35 says this. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." The very first missionary I ever met was Brother Robert Meyer. He was on his way to Australia. See, I got saved in a church that we were a Southern Baptist church at the time. And I really, I knew that missionaries existed, but I really didn't know what was it all about. But I knew that God had called me. I met Brother Meyer. He was on deputation. And I asked him, Brother Meyer, God's called me to be a missionary. What do I do? He said, you need to go to Tennessee Temple and BIMI. Well, back then, that's all I knew. So I went to Tennessee Temple, then I went to BIM. I said, no, it's Brother Meyers' fault. But he used to sing a song. He'd take his hanky out and says, love is the flag flown high of the castle of your heart, the castle of your heart, the castle of your heart. Love is the flag flown high of the castle of your heart, for the king is in residence there. Our flag. That we fly is love for one another, love for our brothers and sisters in Christ and in love for the world that they give them that message. We ambassadors for Christ. So what we have a new life. We have a new ministry, have a new position, but number four, the message is the same verse 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Wow, what an exchange. These missionaries, they understand exchange rates. You go to a country, you take your dollars, and you hand them over to a teller, and she gives you the local currency. We kind of think it's play money because it's all different colors. And you think, now, what is this really worth? You walk around with tens of thousands of colones in Costa Rica or the Cordova and Nicaragua. So you get an exchange. You always watch that exchange rate. But what exchange rate here? Our sin, our filthiness, He took it and gave us His righteousness. This is the message we must preach. We must proclaim to everyone. This is why we send missionaries. This is why we've got a couple going to Papua New Guinea. Because they need to hear. In closing, let me tell you one more story about the ambassador. Back when we were in Costa Rica, they organized a summit meeting. And they called all the presidents from the Americas to come to Costa Rica, and they were going to do some business. And I remember that day. But see, before that day, the U.S. ambassador received a phone call. And it was something like this. He picked up the phone. I don't know if it was a red phone or not, but he picked up and his president was on the line. He said, I'm coming. repair. What did that ambassador do? I bet he went to his office and he'd sit down in his office and say, wow, the president's coming. Man, he's going to take me to the finest steakhouse in the country. Wow, I'm going to get to ride around. I'm going to get him to ride around in front of people I know and I'm going to say, hey, look at me. Man, it's going to be good. I don't think so. He went to work. There's a lot involved in a presidential visit. He had to arrange lodging. He had to arrange the schedule. He had to make sure he worked with the local authorities and the secret service to make sure everything was safe and everything was prepared. And on that day, His the plane came in from El Salvador and but I ambassador the US ambassador He didn't worry too much about that one anyone from Venezuela came in Okay one from Chile came in but you know his he was looking at the skies He was looking for Air Force One And he saw it. Yes My president said he was coming I've prepared I'm ready. I've done what he asked me to do We've received a call. Jesus Christ himself said, behold, I come quickly. We need to prepare. Now we don't know the dates. We need to get busy. We need to be doing what he asked us to do. Go and preach the gospel to every creature. And while we're doing that, we've got our eyes on the skies. I was telling the pastor, he knew my pastor when I was in high school. Not that you knew him at that time. Dr. James Rushing, he's with the Lord now. I remember Dr. Rushing, well back then he was Brother Jim. He left on a cloud, he said, he's got that cloud tied up in heaven, he's gonna come back on the same way. He said, we're looking for it. We're looking for that cloud so that when he comes, We'll be prepared. We're ambassadors for Christ. We have a new life. We have a new ministry. We have that new position as ambassadors, but we have the same message and the world needs to hear that message. And it's not just for the missionaries, it's for every one of us. We need to send those messengers there and we need to be those messengers here. As ambassadors, we serve our king while we wait for his coming. Are you serving him? Are you ready?