2 Corinthians 5:13-15 (NIV) If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Did you know that every believer in Jesus Christ has been entrusted with the message and ministry of reconciliation? God’s love compels us to bring the good news to those who have yet to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Being God’s messenger of reconciliation is the very purpose of your life on earth.
We need to have a paradigm shift that while we may have a secular job, because not everyone is called to be a member of the clergy or work full-time for the church, it is a means for us to support our family. Our primary purpose is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever God has placed us.
Therefore, if we truly understand our identity is in Christ and that we have the responsibility to share the gospel wherever we are, we shouldn’t take it too hard when we lose our position in the corporate world. We are messengers with a message for those who work alongside us, and we have the responsibility to share the gospel with our colleagues, neighbours, and loved ones. This is what it means to live for God and not for ourselves. We have a mission from God within the company we work for, and the skills given to us are merely a means to gain entry into the organisation because we have an important message to share. Our primary purpose is to be ambassadors of Christ and to be found faithful in sharing with those around us. When we view our work as worship, we will do our best in our job and share the good news when our spirit of excellence opens a door for us, just as it did for Daniel in the Old Testament.
The Apostle Paul says in the opening passage, ‘if we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you’. Some of you might wonder if we are too zealous for our faith or out of our minds to share the gospel with our colleagues. Even though we may be misunderstood by our peers, colleagues, and friends, we will still seize the opportunity to share the gospel and pray for others whenever we are led to do so because we know the urgency and the consequence of someone leaving this earth without God.
Sermon Series： We are an ambassador for Christ
不再为自己而活
哥林多后书 5:13-15 如果我们颠狂，是为 神；如果我们清醒，是为你们。 原来基督的爱激励我们；因我们这样断定，一人既替众人死，众人就都死了； 并且他替众人死，是叫那些活着的人不再为自己活，乃为替他们死而复活的 主 活。 ‘
你知道吗？每个信靠耶稣基督的人，都被托付了和好的职分与信息。神的爱敦促我们，将福音传给那些尚未求告主名得救的人。成为神和好的使者，正是你在地上生命的终极意义。
我们需要彻底转变观念：尽管许多人蒙召从事世俗工作——毕竟并非所有人都被选立为圣职人员或全职服侍教会——但这却是养家的方式。无论神将我们安置在什么地方，我们首要的使命是传扬耶稣基督的福音。
因此，若真正认清我们在基督里的身份，明白随处随在地传福音的责任，就不会因职场失意而过度沮丧。我们是带着神圣信息的使者，有责任向同事、邻居和亲人分享福音。这就是为神而活、不为自己而活的真谛。神在我们任职的公司里早有安排，所赐的技能不过是为进入机构的通行证，因我们有重要的信息要传递。首要的是成为基督的使者，忠心地向周围人分享。当视工作为敬拜时，我们必精益求精，让卓越的品格如旧约中的但以理一般，为我们打开传福音之门。
使徒保罗在开篇经文中说：”如果我们颠狂，是为 神；如果我们清醒，是为你们。” 或许有人质疑：向同事传福音是否过于狂热甚至失常？纵然会遭同事朋友误解，我们仍要把握每次圣灵引导的机会传福音、为人祷告，因我们深知：若有人离世时未认识神，那后果何等迫切。
讲章系列：我们是基督的使者
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