Scripture makes it clear that outreach is about Jesus and what He did, not about us and what we do.
For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. (2 Cor. 4:5)
The Person We Proclaim is Jesus Christ as Lord, Not Ourselves
Consider these important truths:
Jesus is the One who saves. HE is the message. — We’re His messengers.
Christ is the Messiah. HE is the anointed One. — We’re His servants.
Jesus is Lord. HE is the One people should follow. — We’re proclaimers for Jesus’ sake, not to gain a personal gathering.
The Perspective Needed to Keep the Focus of Outreach on Jesus, Not Ourselves
The verses leading up to 2 Corinthians 4:5 help us maintain perspective. The word “for” with which verse five begins, suggests we look at the context.
v. 1 – “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”
We have this ministry of proclaiming Jesus as Lord through God’s mercy, not because of how great we are. We therefore persevere when others fail to acknowledge our part in outreach or when we don’t see results. We mustn’t let proclaiming God’s Good News turn into something that puffs us up.
v. 2 – “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”
Proclaimers of Jesus need lives filled with truth, integrity, and pure motives. Selflessness, not self-centeredness, matches the message we bring. We mustn’t look for personal benefit or acclaim but proclaim the Good News in such a way that everything points to and goes to Jesus.
v. 3-4 – “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
We have a message that not everyone will believe because they have been blinded by the “god of this world.” Expect some opposition. We mustn’t take rejection personally as it is not about people following us but Jesus Christ as Lord.
These verses teach that proclaiming Jesus needs to be about Him, not us. Let’s keep this perspective! We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, not ourselves.
For this very reason, the sub-title for the Outreach Ministry Manual is “Turning the Spotlight on Jesus” — how we should view outreach. (Click on the link to check out that resource.)