Christ-Focused Ministry of Reconciliation

Good morning. Let me begin with a question that may make us uncomfortable:
If everyone knows that Christ is supposed to be at the center of ministry, why can a ministry that bears Christ’s name sometimes look so little like Christ?

Because saying Christ is at the center and actually making Him the center are two different things.

Exactly.
We can preach Christ and still become preoccupied with ourselves.
We can defend truth and become harsh with people.
We can build churches, organize programs, conduct evangelistic campaigns, increase membership and gain recognition—and still ask questions that have little to do with Christ:

• How many came?
• How many were baptized?
• How successful was the program?
• How many people follow us?
• How influential is the ministry?

None of those things is necessarily wrong.
The subtle danger is when the work of Christ becomes a way of measuring ourselves.

But how do we know whether that is happening?

Paul gives us a clue.
He says he lived with “the fear of the Lord” and sought to persuade people about the gospel. His ministry wasn't about building Paul's reputation.
His boast was Christ.
He could say, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
That changes everything.
If Christ is truly at the center, ministry cannot ultimately be about our importance, our platform, our success, or our reputation.

But isn't it possible to be doing all the right things while still being self-focused?

That is precisely the danger.
The most deceptive form of self-centered ministry may not look rebellious at all.
It may be busy, orthodox, successful, respected and completely convinced that it is serving Christ.
The question is not simply, “Are we doing Christ's work?”
It is:
“Does the way we do Christ's work actually look like Christ?”

And that brings us to reconciliation.

Yes.
Paul doesn't describe ministry primarily as building an organization, defending a denomination, winning arguments, or increasing numbers.
He calls it “the ministry of reconciliation.”

Think about what that means.

God was reconciling us to Himself through Christ. We were separated from God, yet Christ came toward us.
And then God entrusted that message to us.
We are ambassadors for Christ—as though God were pleading through us.
That is an extraordinary responsibility.
Because an ambassador is supposed to represent the one who sent him.

So if Christ reconciles people to God, shouldn't His ambassadors also become people who help reconcile rather than divide?

Exactly.
And here is where ministry becomes uncomfortable.

• What happens when defending truth becomes more important than restoring people?
• What happens when being right matters more than being Christlike?
• What happens when people leave our churches carrying a deeper knowledge of doctrine but a poorer understanding of the character of Jesus?
• What happens when those who disagree with us become enemies instead of people Christ died to reconcile?

Then perhaps we can be very successful at ministry without actually doing the ministry of reconciliation.

Yes.
And that is the subtle problem.
We can confuse activity with ministry, correctness with Christlikeness, growth with fruit, and visibility with faithfulness.
Paul points us back to the cross.

Before we represent Christ to others, we must remember what Christ has done for us.

• The person who truly understands that he has been forgiven has less reason to treat another sinner with contempt.
• The person who knows that Christ died for him has difficulty deciding that another person is beyond grace.
• The person who has been reconciled to God should become an instrument of reconciliation.

So perhaps the deepest test of a Christ-focused ministry is not simply:
“How much are we doing for Christ?”
but:
“What happens to people because Christ is working through us?”
Do they encounter our superiority—or His grace?
Our agenda—or His love?
Our arguments—or His character?
Our institution—or Christ?

Paul says, “We are ambassadors for Christ.”
That means when people encounter our ministry, they should encounter something of the One we represent.

And perhaps that is the question we need to take home:
If Christ is truly at the center of our ministry, can people actually see Christ in the way we treat them?