Why Speak Up About Jesus At All?

Awkward conversations. Fear of rejection. A culture that tells you to stay quiet. So why speak up about Jesus at all? We walk straight into that tension and let Scripture answer with clarity: we share the gospel because we have been saved. Not out of guilt, not to win arguments, and not to polish a religious image, but out of gratitude for grace.

We open 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 to unpack what God actually does in salvation: He makes us a new creation, restores a broken relationship, and removes real guilt through Christ. Reconciliation is not us climbing our way back to God. The gospel is God coming to us in Jesus, taking our sin seriously, and justifying sinners by faith. If you feel disqualified, you will hear the order that changes everything: new life first, then mission.

Then we turn to the Great Commission in Matthew 28 and the calling Paul names plainly: “We are ambassadors for Christ.” That identity reframes everyday life, how we represent Jesus to our spouse, kids, coworkers, friends, and strangers. You will come away with a sturdier reason to share the gospel, a clearer grasp of the message of reconciliation, and a more humble posture that sounds like “one rescued sinner reaching for another.”

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Transcript

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From

New Creation And Reconciliation Read

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the state. Understanding God's work in the spirit.

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Second Corinthians 5, verse 17 through 21. The Bible says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God, for he made him who knew no sin to be sinned for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. We'll stop there in Second Corinthians. Go to Matthew

The Great Commission From Matthew 28

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twenty-eight. Matthew twenty eight and verse eighteen, the Bible says, And Jesus came and spoke to them, that is to say, his disciples, spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. We'll stop there. This is God's word. Here's

Why Christians Share The Gospel

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a loaded question. You don't have to answer back. In fact, I'd prefer you didn't, because you might give me the wrong answer. Why do Christians share the gospel? Why do Christians share the gospel? Assuming you do. Why do Christians share the gospel? I mean, why take the risk of awkward conversations, of rejection, or even of ridicule? Why take that risk? Why speak out in a world that increasingly urges, in fact, even demands, us to stay silent? Why do that? I really believe the answer is simple. And it's this because we have been saved. That's the answer. Because we have been saved. So if you are a genuine Christian, and what I mean by that, when I say a genuine Christian, if you have been saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus, if you are a genuine Christian, we share the gospel not out of guilt, but out of gratitude. Because we're thankful. We do it not to earn salvation, but because we have received it. We've received salvation as a gift from God. We don't want to win arguments. In fact, if that's your motivator, then you need to check yourself. We don't want to win arguments. We long to see others reconciled to God just as we have been. Evangelism, which is sharing the gospel, telling the good news, evangelism isn't just a program or even a personality trait. It's the natural result of a new life in Christ. The Apostle Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 5.17. He says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. And then in the next verses in 18 through 20, he explains why that matters. God has reconciled us to himself through Jesus, and now he has entrusted us with the message of reconciliation. So we're not just saved, we're sent. We're sent. We're not just blessed, although we are, aren't we? We're not just blessed, we are made ambassadors for Christ. The Bible, Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 28. He said, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. And so my proposal, because of the truth of God's word, is that those Christ has saved are called to be his ambassadors, joyfully sharing the gospel so others can be reconciled to God. So let's lean in today to remember what Christ has done for us and what he wants to do through us. So

The Miracle Of Being Made New

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let's begin by looking again at 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17 and 18. We're going to see here this miracle really of reconciliation. Let's read it again. Verse 17, look at it. It says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, that's look, pay attention to this. All things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. So before we're ever called to be Christ's ambassadors, we have to understand the miracle of what he's done in us. You can't share what you don't first possess. Right? You can't share what you don't first possess. You can't invite someone into a new life unless you've experienced it yourself. And so he says this about this miracle. He says, in Christ we're made new. Paul says, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Not improved, not remodeled, not just forgiven, made new. This is the miracle of regeneration, that big Bible word that we've talked about already. That spiritual transformation that we experience, and we explored that in a previous message in this series. When we are born again, then we receive a new start and a new heart. What happens is our desires change. Our desires change, our priorities change, our identity changes, and our direction changes. And this isn't superficial, this is supernatural. The Bible says here, old things have passed away. That is ruled by guilt, and that has separation from God. That old self is gone. And the Bible says, all things have become new. That's all things in your life. All things have become new. You are now united with Christ, you're now indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, and you are now sealed with eternal hope. And so you are made new when you are saved and in Christ. Goes on to say, we see here in this passage that reconciliation is the work of God. He says, Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself. So the Apostle Paul here reminds us that God did this. God did this. This wasn't our initiative, it was his. All things are of him. Reconciliation begins with God, not us. And so the word reconcile in this context, sometimes to reconcile means to kind of balance the books. That's really not the idea here. The word reconcile in this context means to restore a broken relationship. It means to go from alienation to friendship. It means to go from enemies to children of God. What a wonderful thing. Romans chapter 5, verse 10 says, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son. You might say, I've never been an enemy of God. God says you were. He says you were. And we didn't climb back to God. He came down to us. We were separated from him because of our sin and our rebellion. But through Jesus, God brought peace. So Jesus died on the cross as the payment for our sins, and he rose again from the dead to give eternal life to all who believe in him. And because of that, we can be reconciled to God. And this isn't just about removing hostility, it's about restoring the relationship. Reconciliation in salvation is a work of God. And what we find out as we read this passage is that this changes everything about our identity. The Apostle Paul uses a key phrase in Christ. In fact,

Identity In Christ Fuels Mission

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this is one of the most meaningful phrases in all of the New Testament. It's used over and over. If you are in Christ, you are accepted by the Father, you are justified with God by faith in Jesus. You are adopted into God's family. You are empowered by the Spirit, and you are secured for eternity. And that identity fuels your mission. It fuels your mission. Because you're not sharing Christ as one who has it all together. Because I'll tell you, you don't. You may try to fake it until you make it, but God knows. If nobody else knows, and if you're married, I promise you your spouse knows. They know something. You don't have it all together. You're not sharing Christ as one who has it all together, but you're sharing Christ as someone who has been made new by the grace of God. Right? And that's why evangelism, again, which simply means telling the good news, that's why evangelism isn't a guilt-driven duty, it's a grace-driven privilege. Because the more you remember, when you really begin to think on it and you understand who you are, the more you remember what God has done for you, the more you naturally want to share with others. Your identity has been changed by salvation. Goes on to say, look at this.

The Ministry Of Reconciliation Assigned

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We're not only reconciled, but we're also assigned. It says, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Now, this is incredible. Because the same God who reconciles us and who has reconciled us now sends us to share that reconciliation. You aren't just a recipient, you are a representative. You aren't just saved, you are sent. God didn't reconcile you just to secure your place in heaven. He gave you a mission here on earth. And he didn't assign that task to the angels. He gave it to us, the church, to every believer, everyone who has been made new by God's grace through faith in Jesus. This is your assignment from God.

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You

Supporting Firm Foundations Ministries

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know, the world offers uncertainty at every turn, but God's word gives believers something solid to stand on. At Firm Foundations Ministries, we're committed to proclaiming biblical truth clearly, faithfully, and without compromise. And your prayers and financial support help make this radio and podcast ministry possible, allowing listeners across the country and the world to hear the life-changing message of God's grace. If Foundations of Truth has encouraged your walk with Christ, would you consider partnering with us? You can learn more or give securely online right now at firm-foundations.org. Now let's return to today's message.

One Rescued Sinner Reaches Another

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Imagine a man drowning in the ocean. We're here at the ocean. Imagine that. Imagine a man drowning in the ocean. Now let's put a spiritual perspective on it. Pulled under by the waves of sin and guilt and shame. Then a rescuer dives in and pulls him out and revives him and saves his life. Now, imagine that man being trained and sent back to assist others. The saved individual remembers what it felt like to sink. He understands the terror. And now he approaches others. Not with arrogance, but with compassion. With understanding what that felt like. And that's really just what evangelism is. It's one rescued sinner reaching for another. One rescued sinner reaching for another. That's what the ministry of reconciliation looks like. And this is your mission. Your mission. But first, don't miss the order. New life first, then mission. New life first, then mission. I think the point, this point is crucial because God reconciles first, and then he commissions. Because you are not sent because you are deserving. You're sent because you are redeemed. And I want to encourage you this way this morning, you don't have to wait until you have everything figured out. Because you're never going to have everything figured out. You don't have to wait until you have everything figured out. If you're in Christ, then you've been made new and sent. You are qualified for ministry because you've been changed by grace. This world needs to hear from people who have been truly transformed, not by religion, but by real salvation from God. Not with pride and self-righteousness, but with humility and gratitude for the grace of God towards you. Remember what God has done for you. Remember that. You are a new creation. And so let your testimony overflow as you share the gospel. Don't keep the good news to yourself. You don't need to wait until you're a theologian or a Bible expert to share with others. You've been reconciled to God. And so tell others what Christ has done in your life. But listen, if you are not saved, and you're sitting in this room, I mean, if you are not a genuinely, truly a follower of Jesus, I want you to know this morning that God is not waiting for you to climb up to Him. He has come to you through Jesus. He has come through his death on the cross for your sins and his resurrection from the dead so that you can have eternal life from God. And today you can be reconciled, you can be made new, you can be made whole, you can be made his if you will repent of your sin and savingly believe on Jesus. Do that. Do it now. Do it now. Well, so far we've seen the miracle of reconciliation. How

The Gospel Message We Proclaim

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God makes us new and restores our relationship with Him. But this miracle isn't just personal, it's missional. Because we see the message here now that we're to proclaim. Not just the miracle of reconciliation. We see the gospel of reconciliation, this message. God doesn't just save us, He gives us a message to take, to proclaim. Let's read 2 Corinthians 5, 19 through 21. 19 through 21. That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing, that is to say, putting to their account, crediting, not imputing their trespasses to them, and is committed to us now the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For he made him, meaning God the Father made him, God the Son, who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. This is the message. The message is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. The gospel is not about how we find our way to God, but how God came to us in Christ. That's the gospel. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. If you don't know this morning for sure who Jesus is, you need to know that he wasn't just a good man, he wasn't just a wise teacher, he was God in human flesh, sent to reconcile sinners to himself. And so that means that the gospel is God-centered from start to finish. God sent, God pursued, God reconciled, God saves. Evangelism, or sharing the gospel, as we would say, evangelism isn't about promoting a religious option. It's about proclaiming the only way to be reconciled to God. And that's through Jesus Christ. And this is the message. And so is this that God does not count our sin against us. It says, not imputing their trespasses to them. This is the core of the good news. This is the core of the gospel. God doesn't ignore our sin, he doesn't just dismiss it. What he does in the gospel is he takes it away. He doesn't pretend we're innocent. We're guilty. You're guilty. So he doesn't turn a blind eye and pretend that you're innocent. Instead, what he does is he declares us righteous when we trust in Jesus because Jesus paid our debt that we owe God because of our sin. That's justification by faith. When that happens, God no longer counts our sin against us when we believe on Christ because Christ took it for us. The Bible says in Psalm 103.12, it says, as far as the east is from the west. Do east and west ever meet? North and south, you go you go north long enough, sooner or later, what? You're gonna be going south. You're gonna go south long enough sooner or later, you're gonna be going north. Unless you're one of those wacky people that believes in flat earth. I'm just saying that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If that's you, I'm sorry it hurts your feelings, but that's a dumb idea. The Bible says otherwise. You you head north, sooner or later, you're gonna be heading south. But if you head east, are you ever gonna head west?

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No, sir.

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No. You're always gonna be heading east. If you head west, you're gonna ever head east? No, you're gonna always be. I'm grateful this morning that the Bible says that as far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed my transgressions from me. Yeah. Yeah. And we as a church, we declare this message. And the message is you don't need to carry your guilt. Your sins can be forgiven. Your record can be erased. God is not counting your sin against you if you are, in fact, in Christ. If you are saved. What else does the Bible say? The Bible says here that we have been entrusted with the message and committed to us the word of reconciliation. This is an amazing truth that God has entrusted us with this saving message. He didn't write it in the clouds, he didn't give it to the angels, he didn't send it through the angels. No. He gave it to redeemed people. Sinners turned saints, which, by the way, does not mean perfect. It's actually what God calls his children. Every Christian is a saint. And he gave it to us to proclaim it to the world. And this, the word of reconciliation, is the gospel. It's this Christ died for our sins. He was buried, he rose again. And everyone who repents and believes will be reconciled to God. That's the message. And it's a message that we must know. And it's a message that we must love. And it's a message that we must proclaim.

Living As Christ’s Ambassador

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Why? Well, because we're ambassadors for Christ. Look what it says. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were pleading through us. An ambassador speaks on behalf of the one who sent him. A king, a president. An ambassador speaks on behalf of their country, their kingdom. They don't deliver their message, they deliver the king's message. And as Christians, we're not just witnesses, although it's part of it. We are representatives. We're ambassadors. We're representatives. So you know what that means? Why don't you think about it personally here? You are representing Jesus to your family. How's that going? You're representing Jesus to your friends. You're representing Jesus to your co-workers. You're representing Jesus to your fellow students in school. You're representing Jesus to your children. To your grandchildren. The random people you meet. You are representing Jesus. When you walk out that door and you carry the name Christian, you're representing Jesus. Not yourself. First and foremost, you're representing Jesus. How'd that go this past week? How'd it go yesterday? Maybe some of y'all need to answer the truth and say, How'd it go this morning? You're representing Jesus to your wife. You're representing Jesus to your husband. You're representing Jesus to fellow church members. You're representing Jesus to the cashier at Walmart. Or if you're lucky enough to get one of those people now these days, uh you're representing Christ as an ambassador of him every single place you go. If you say you're a Christian, don't carry his name in vain. Don't use the Lord's name in vain. And when we speak on behalf of Christ, the Savior, the Lord, the Messiah, we're speaking on his behalf to a world that desperately needs to hear him. When we actually speak the gospel, God is speaking through us. When we share our testimony, we carry heaven's authority. When we plead with someone to believe, Christ's heart pleads through us. And that should give us both confidence and it should give us urgency. You are an ambassador for Jesus, the King of Kings.

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Thanks

Closing And Listening Options

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for listening to Foundations of Truth with Dr. Timothy Mann. If you'd like more resources or to listen to this program again, go to firm-foundations.org. You can also listen weekdays at 10 a.m. on 990 a.m. 101.5 FM The Word, Orlando, Florida. We are a listener-supported program. Your donations help keep us on the air. You can give a gift right now at firmfoundations.org. And thank you for listening. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever.

Book Recommendation Saved

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Before we close today, I want to tell you about a resource that I believe will be a genuine help to you. I've recently published my first book, Saved. Understanding God's Work in Us. In over 30 years of pastoral ministry, one of the questions I've encountered more than almost any other is this: How can I know that I am truly saved? It is a question that deserves a careful biblical answer. And that is exactly what this book is designed to give. If you want to understand salvation more deeply, stand on firmer ground in your faith, or be better equipped to share the gospel with someone you love, then this book was written for you. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books a Million, and pretty much anywhere you buy books. Saved, understanding God's work in us by Dr. Timothy Mann. I pray it strengthens your faith. Thanks for being with us today. God bless

Email The Host Your Feedback

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you. Hey, this is Dr. Timothy Mann, and if you are a regular listener to the program, I would like to speak specifically to you right now. I would appreciate it if we could hear from you. Send me an email at Timothy Mann at firm dash foundations.org. That's Timothy Mann at firm foundations.org. I would love to know what has been a help to you, what you'd like to hear more of, and just get to know you a little more. So feel free to reach out. I'd like to hear from you very much. God bless you.