Scripture
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Sermon Summary
As we attend the Friday Prayer Meeting to wrap up our week, let us come with a heart longing for fellowship with God. To do this, we must “refresh” our old selves. Prayer is a means of grace; we cannot survive without it. We should not just “show up” at the prayer meeting; we must come “to pray.”
Today’s scripture is not just for the New Year; it is a word we should carry with us always. Paul spoke with absolute clarity: “You are a creation.” When? When you are in Christ. Then what about prayer? Prayer must have a clear direction within Christ. What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Let’s explore this through the 5 F’s, inspired by the ‘F5’ refresh key.
1. Far away (from the body) 2 Corinthians 5:9 – “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” Our primary purpose is to please the Lord and to exalt Christ.
2. Fear (of the Lord) 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ… Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.” Has our awareness of Christ’s judgment seat grown weak lately? We must regain a sense of alertness regarding the fear of the Lord. We need to pray, “Lord, help me to fear You.”
3. For the love of Christ (for you) 2 Corinthians 5:14 – “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” Fear and love can coexist because this fear is not terror, but reverence (awe). Christ compels us with His love because we often fail to understand its depth. We live only because of His love. We need to pray for that love to be confirmed in our hearts every single day.
4. Fellowship (with God and man) 2 Corinthians 5:13 – “If we are ‘out of our mind,’ as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.” Let us enjoy fellowship and bonding within the love of Christ. Fellowship with God comes first. Only when our relationship with Him is solid can we truly fellowship with others. However, we shouldn’t only commune with God; that would be a “half-sized” love. We must also reach out to fellowship with our neighbors.
5. Forward (for the future) 2 Corinthians 5:17 To move forward, we sometimes need to review the past. But to become “new,” we must keep advancing. Regardless of what our past looks like, let us not be bound by it. Let us be new creations in Christ. For the remainder of 2026, let us march toward the future, finding the source of our confidence in Christ.
Personal Reflection
I usually meditate on God’s love, but I realized I rarely meditated on “Fear.” Point number 2 hit me hard. The God who gives me love and the God who judges are one and the same. As the sermon mentioned, perhaps I’ve been negligent about the thought of God’s judgment, leading me to think too lightly that I can “just repent later” even when I sin.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, a month of the new year has already passed. I look back to see if I have lived as a new creation in Christ during this time. I am grateful that I now long for Your Word more than last year and cherish my time of fellowship with You. Thank You for the grace of hearing and understanding Your Word. Just as Paul showed us the direction of a Christian life, help me to truly love and revere You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.