Note: the following is the manuscript for the message and will not match exactly the recorded message above.

Introduction

How many of you have a family photo album?

I grew up flipping through binders of the same photos over and over again. There were very few pictures of my parents as children. I’m not sure my dad has any pictures of himself as a young child.

Most of the photos were of people. It was expensive to print photos back then, so it was pretty rare to capture things like sunsets or scenery. Sharing a beautiful sunset now will only require taking out a digital device and sending it to friends within seconds.

Before the invention of photography, artists painstakingly painted scenes of grandeur and intimate portraits, preserving moments and emotions for others to enjoy. These works of art have served as both personal keepsakes and communal treasures, allowing individuals to share their perceptions of beauty with others.

The invention of photography in the 19th century revolutionized the act of sharing beautiful moments. Early photographic technology enabled more people to document and share images of their surroundings, loved ones, and significant events.

With the 20th century came the rise of film photography, making capturing moments more accessible and affordable. By 1999, global film camera sales peaked at approximately 70 million units. The arrival of digital photography and smartphones in the last 25 years has led to a decline in film usage.

Today, smartphones equipped with high-quality cameras have transformed how we capture and share images. Because we carry these devices with us everywhere, we take more photos than ever. Social media platforms have become central to the practice of sharing photos.

WhatsApp users share approximately 6.9 billion images daily. Snapchat has about 3.8 billion daily photos shared. Facebook, 2.1 billion and Instagram, 1.3 billion images shared daily.

This transformation—from handcrafted paintings to instant photo-sharing apps—highlights a fundamental aspect of human nature: our innate desire to share what captivates us.

Whether through a meticulously painted canvas or a quickly snapped photo shared online, we are driven to connect with others by sharing the beauty we encounter.

This impulse reflects our longing for connection. It also demonstrates our hope that others might find joy and inspiration in what moves us.

When we see something that captivates us, we are compelled to share it. I have heard it said that an experience is incomplete until it is shared.

This is what Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. In this passage, he expresses the inner compulsion to share the gospel. It is a holy pressure that wells up from within those who have experienced the love of God through Christ—a love that can’t be contained.

This morning, we will look at what this passage says about the motive, the message, and the means of evangelism.

The main point of this message is that sharing the gospel is not about pressure or performance, but about being so gripped by Christ’s love that we can’t help but offer it to others.

The Motive (vv. 14–15)

Paul says we’re compelled. It’s like when an idea or emotion gets so strong that it spills out—it refuses to be contained.

It’s not “you should tell people.” It’s “you can’t not tell people.”

Why? Because you’ve experienced the love of God through Jesus. Because you’ve been loved like no one else could love you.

If you do not know this love, take a moment now as we look at verse 15 to consider what it means for God’s love to be demonstrated through the sacrifice of Jesus.

God’s desire is for reconciliation with you. He wants to be in an unhindered relationship with his creation.

This relationship brings new and complete life. Paul writes that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Jesus.

Your old story—marked by pride or shame, fear of judgment, striving for meaning and purpose—it’s been crucified with Christ.

And now, your life isn’t your own anymore. It belongs to Jesus. This means daily and constant fellowship with him. It is out of that fellowship, that experience of love, that your life will be a display of the gospel.

When the gospel stops moving outward from your life, it’s often because it hasn’t moved deeply inward in your heart and mind.

Sharing the gospel should not be about pressure or guilt—it’s about overflow.

It’s about letting the love of Jesus go all the way to the roots of your identity… until it grows up and bears fruit in witness.

The Message (vv. 16–19)

Paul shifts next from why we share to what we share in verses 16-19. The message isn’t religion. It’s reconciliation.

Paul is saying we no longer see people as the world sees them. All people are equally worthy of receiving forgiveness and reconciliation.

It doesn’t matter what someone has done, what lifestyle they live, what beliefs they hold. Christ died for them all.

If they have not yet heard about the reconciliation offered through Christ, then we have a responsibility to make it known to them, even if we don’t like them or they don’t like us.

The political tension is ramping up again as we prepare for an election.

For Christians, this is an opportunity to love those who we disagree with because that is the essence of the gospel. This includes our social media posts. In this, we should be dramatically different. It has become normal for politicians to slander one another and for their followers to do the same. We should be different. When you openly slander someone, consider the neighbour, family member, or coworker who has a different view than you. If our message is one of reconciliation, we will find a way to express our political views in a way that is kind and compassionate.

If you have a strong political leaning, consider how you can promote it without slandering the opposition and those who support the opposition.

As Christians, we are to see all people, even those who oppose us, as created in the image of God, broken and beloved, just like us. We see past the barriers of difference and see each person as loved by God.

Paul wrote that “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come…” This is not just personal salvation. It’s the beginning of the renewal of all things. And we are to be models of that renewal.

The message of the gospel is not just to believe in Jesus and be saved from hell. It is to be brought into new life and to participate with God in the renewal of creation, right here and right now.

God is reconciling the world to Himself—not counting people’s sins against them. The message of the gospel is that whatever has gone wrong is being made right through Christ.

The message is not “You’re bad, get better.” It’s “God has made peace with you. Come home.” This is the invitation.

The question is, do we have space among us for those we disagree with? Do we have space for those who are on the opposite end of the political spectrum? Do we have space for those who live a lifestyle different than ours?

Evangelism is not about trying to get people to behave a certain way. It’s about helping them belong—reconciled to God, made new by grace.

This reconciliation is the beginning of the renewal process. Once it begins, change is inevitable.

But, we must first be people who live and speak the loving and reconciling message of the gospel.

The Means (vv. 20–21)

Let’s look at Paul’s final point in this passage. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

This image of ambassadors is an important one that I have mentioned before. It is worth bringing up again because it’s so easy to forget.

Consider the role of an ambassador. They are official representatives and the physical presence of those they represent. They operate out of an embassy, which is located in the capital city of the country they are operating out of.

Another similar role is that of a consul, who operates out of a consulate, which is a diplomatic office that represents a country in a foreign city outside the capital. Its primary purpose is to assist and protect the citizens of its home country who are traveling or living abroad, as well as to promote trade, culture, and friendly relations.

Canada maintains 247 international missions in 144 countries. These missions serve as official extensions of Canada’s sovereignty, representing its interests and providing services to Canadians abroad.​ If you travel to one of these countries and encounter any sort of difficulty there, you can go to an embassy or consulate and receive help from representatives of your own country.

Think of the church as an embassy or consulate of the Kingdom of God. And every Christian as an ambassador or consular agent.

Our presence in this community represents Christ, not only through this building, but in our everyday places: workplaces, neighbourhoods, and schools. Everywhere we go, we are representing God’s kingdom.

As an embassy, the local church equips, sends, and supports the ambassadors to live out the ministry of reconciliation. The goal is not to be isolated or detached from the community, but integrated into it. And, our task is to extend citizenship into God’s kingdom.​ We welcome people in and extend to them the same benefits of grace and forgiveness that we have been offered.

By viewing our congregation as an embassy, we recognize our calling to represent Christ’s love and truth in our local context, offering a place of refuge, guidance, and connection to the kingdom of God in the midst of the world’s challenges.

That’s what you are. Wherever you go—work, school, your home, the grocery store, and on social media—you represent the kingdom of God. Not perfectly. Not flawlessly. But genuinely.

And our message is simple, from verse 20: “Be reconciled to God.” That’s our message. It is not “clean up your act.” But “Be reconciled. God has already made the way.”

And verse 21—one of the most stunning summaries of the Gospel: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Because Christ took our sin, we can now live as ambassadors of the righteous kingdom of God, ministers of reconciliation between a holy God and his broken creation. We can embody the righteousness of God in everything we do and say.

This is why we tell others. Because there is no greater hope than this.

Conclusion

One of the great barriers many of us encounter when it comes to sharing the gospel is that of unworthiness or insufficiency.

Perhaps you have the compulsion to share the gospel. You urgently want to, but you feel inadequate. You don’t have the training or education.

Consider the context in which this passage of 2 Corinthians is written.

Starting in chapter 3, Paul begins a lengthy defense of his worthiness to be an Apostle of Jesus. This is because people were claiming that Paul didn’t have the credentials to be an Apostle. Where are his letters of recommendation?

And what is his defence of his worthiness to be an Apostle? He says, no one is worthy to be an apostle. No one has the ability in themself to be a representative of Christ. But, as he argues in this passage, God is working in us so that we will embody his righteousness.

I have all the credentials to be a minister of the gospel. A Bachelor of Arts in pastoral ministry. A Master of Arts in leadership and theology. Licensed with the government to be a minister and ordained by our denomination as a reverend.

But those are not what give me the ability to share in the ministry of reconciliation. Only God, through Christ, gives out those credentials. And it happens as I submit myself to his transforming power in my life.

Let’s come back to the beginning: “Christ’s love compels us…”

This is not a program. Not a formula. Not a guilt trip. Just the amazement that we are loved by God the Father. Forgiven through Christ. Sent with the power of the Holy Spirit.

You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to be persuasive. You just have to immerse yourself in the love and grace of Christ and allow his life and power to flow through you as you represent him wherever you go.

So here’s the challenge:

Pray for one person. Who is the first person that comes to mind that doesn’t know Christ? Someone you encounter regularly. Pray that they will have a soft heart and an openness to the love of God.

Notice one opportunity. Not necessarily an opportunity to tell them about Jesus. It may be that, but it will more likely be an opportunity to extend God’s love to them in a practical way.

Tell one story. The best witness is your story about how God has brought you peace, hope, and satisfaction. But, this needs to be genuine and true. If you don’t have a story to tell, ask God for an experience of his transforming presence.

Make one invitation. When the time is right, invite them. It may not be to a church service. It might be an invitation to prayer, or to your home, or to a special event that we are having at the church.

Whoever this person is, God is already at work. Ask him to show you how he is working in their life. Be curious about how you can join in. Remember, you are not the saviour. You are the representative with a desire to see them reconciled to God.

So go be an ambassador. A kind, faithful, joyful witness to a love that can’t be contained. Because the love of Christ compels us.