Two weeks ago we started this verse and discussed being ambassadors. An ambassador for Christ must be compelled by the love of Jesus, must follow the example of Jesus and must be fully committed to the message of Jesus. For me personally, the most compelling statement made in this entire passage is “as though God were pleading through us”. I spoke about this at length two weeks ago but it is so important that it bears repeating. How loving and humble, gracious and merciful, patient and gentle is God that He would plead through us? Let’s understand this, He pleads through us because we are in Christ but before we were in Christ He used someone else so that He could plead with us. What kind of king pleads with his people? God is above us, He is greater than us, we don’t deserve Him, there is nothing good in us and there is nothing less than good in Him and yet, He doesn’t just hear us if we somehow call on Him, He doesn’t just stoop to us when we are in need, He comes to us, He pleads with us? He is so merciful that He lowers Himself to our level because we can’t possibly rise to His. He’s so kind that He speaks to those who are not listening. He’s so patient that He waits for those that have chosen to rebelliously go far away. He’s so loving that He actually comes and pleads with us. He calls us to His side, He exhorts and encourages us, He strengthens and teaches us, He comforts and even begs us. He pleads with us and then He pleads through us. I’ve said it many times before but this is what Psalm 107:2 means when it says “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so . . .” Let those who have heard and surrendered to the pleading of God become those through whom He pleads with others; let the redeemed join in the work of redemption, let the saved spend themselves in the work of salvation, let the reconciled become consumed with the ministry of reconciliation. If God in all of His glory so wills for none to perish that He pleads with us and He pleads through us then we cannot be ambassadors for Christ with any less intensity, steadfastness, passion or zeal than He has shown but we also cannot be ambassadors for Christ with any less humility, mercy, patience, gentleness or compassion than He has given us. This morning I want us to understand that according to Paul God is pleading something very specific through us. We are not here to plead our cause, to state our case or even to defend God’s ways, we are here for one purpose and with one message: our lives and our words are supposed to shout to the world we live in “Be reconciled to God”. The truth I pray we gather today is that until there is reconciliation nothing else matters and so the one message that we should be shouting, whispering, praying and living is also the only one that God Himself is pleading: “Be reconciled to God