As Paul writes about the ministry of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5 — that God is a God of reconciliation, he gives us the ministry of reconciliation, and we are his ambassadors; God is making his appeal for reconciliation through us — he admits that some people think he’s insane or drunk. The things he does and the way he talks seem way out of the ordinary. Paul doesn’t apologize for it. He explains it.

“For Christ 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.” ~2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Listen to Paul’s passion. Feel it. Be amazed by it.

Christ love COMPELS us. The love of Jesus overrules us. It dominates us. It completely controls us. We’re held by his love as if in a vice. We can’t break free. The love of the Christ doesn’t lead us as much as it totally pushes us.

And I think I’m mostly compelled by my own experiences, my own wishes and desires, my own selfish dreams and visions. What I do and say, if I’m honest, is sometimes pushed by what I want. But Paul confesses that the love of Jesus is what drives every bit of what he’s about. Christ has his way with Paul without reservation. The fact that Jesus died for us should be what moves us and motivates us. It should shake us and never let us go.

As we represent Jesus our King, we should be controlled by him. His love should be the overwhelming factor in our lives, the determining factor every hour.

Paul acts the way he does because Christ’s love pushes him. It doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks. It doesn’t matter if they believe he’s crazy or drunk or straight and sober. It doesn’t matter. He’s driven by Jesus. It’s the only thing Paul is living for, the solitary force behind his every thought, word, and deed.

What God has done for me. What God has done for you. His love. It compels us.

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All Youth and/or Family Ministers (except for Jason Brown and Lance Parrish)!!! The Woodward Park Church of Christ in Fresno, California is looking for a Youth and Family minister. My great friend, Jim Gardner, is the preacher out there. And I can say from personal experience, it would be a tremendous opportunity for anybody who would take it to work with this wonderful man of God. I was encouraged and uplifted by the year I spent with Jim in Marble Falls. I learned so much from listening to him and working with him and discussing the Church’s mission in this world with him. Jim gets it. He has such a beautiful, big-picture view of the Kingdom. And he’s right smack-dab in the middle of it in Fresno. The Woodward Park Church is a diverse body of disciples. They’re making a tremendous difference in their community and, really, through the entire state of California. They serve as a hub of sorts in ministering to other churches in the state which really is a rich mission field compared to our state of Texas. It would be a tremendous challenge. It would be different. It would bless your life in amazing ways. They do things right at Woodward Park. And I highly recommend it to anyone who has a strong passion for serving young people and families in Christ.

Jim will be here in the DFW area next week to meet with any interested candidates. I’m picking him up at Love Field next Wednesday morning and spending as much time as I can with him before he takes off for Lubbock Thursday. If you’re interested (again, not you Jason or Lance!!!) email Jim at jim@wpcoc.com. He’s posted tons of information and a couple of links about the job on his blog at jimgardner.blogspot.com. And his church website is woodwardparkchurchofchrist.com.

If you know anyone who needs to see this info, get it to them quickly.

Peace,

Allan