Reconciled Books
The Fourth Sunday in Lent March 21
2 Corinthians 5:16–21, Isaiah 12:1–6; Luke 15:1–3a, 11–32
† In Jesus Name †
Grace and Peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ
Reptetitive Reconciliation
Verses 18-19 of today’s epistle reading, the 2nd letter of Paul to the Corinthians says,
“18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Twice the word reconciled is used, and action that is done, to us. Twice, the passage mentions that we are agents of reconciliation, servants and those entrusted with this message. It is how we have come to live in Christ – and how we are too live each day messengers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, today, we talk about the verb reconciled, and what the ministry and message of reconciliation is. That we may understand what has happened to us, and that we may further understand the nature of God’s work in our lives, and through us. And when we realize what God has entrusted us with, we will again see the incredible love of God, towards us.
Reconciling our books
Let’s start with reconcile, with the action of God, that works to make us a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Yesterday, someone asked me what this sermon was on – and I said reconciliation, thinking that would be sufficient, as this person is a regular church-go-er. She looked at me, and said that’s a $1.50 word – and then asked me to clarify what that meant. I found it interesting, because it is a word taken from the business world and from the world of practical mathematics. It is something we do, every month, and in a really big fashion, every year.
Monthly, we reconcile our checkbooks, annually, we reconcile all of our income, our expenditures, and what we have paid in taxes, on a form called a 1040A, or a 1040EZ. Both are tedious things, but things which need to be done, to save us from getting into more trouble later.
Merriam Webster defines reconciliation as, to cause to submit or accept something unpleasant. Hmmmm that describes doing taxes and balancing the checkbook – doesn’t it? Seriously there is another definition, to check an account for accuracy and account for all in it. That is what we do, when we do our taxes, we account for our income, and how much we have paid in taxes, and those expenses that do not have to be taxed. Reconciling it all, we find out the news – that we are getting a check, or that we have to send one. If we have done everything accurately, at the beginning of the year, during it, and as we prepare the tax forms, we should find we do not owe anything, At least, that is what I am hoping, when I hit that last key on the computer this week, or maybe next.
If, however, we continue to procrastinate, and we go past the 15th of April, we are in serious trouble. The penalties start to role in, the punishment for not taking care of what should have been completed, for not ensuring things were accurate and complete, and that we had paid enough taxes.
Life can be like that too – our lives need to be reconciled – to see how well we have done. Unfortunately, humanity has been spiritually bankrupt for a long time. This is how the apostle Paul described it, to the church at Rome,
28 Moreover, since they considered themselves too high and mighty to acknowledge God, he allowed them to become the slaves of their degenerate minds, and to perform unmentionable deeds. They became filled with wickedness, rottenness, greed and malice; their minds became steeped in envy, murder, quarrelsomeness, deceitfulness and spite. They became whisperers-behind-doors, stabbers-in-the-back, God-haters; they overflowed with insolent pride and boastfulness, and their minds teemed with diabolical invention. They scoffed at duty to parents, they mocked at learning, recognised no obligations of honour, lost all natural affection, and had no use for mercy. More than this - being well aware of God’s pronouncement that all who do these things deserve to die, they not only continued their own practices, but did not hesitate to give their thorough approval to others who did the same.
Romans 1:28 (Phillips NT)
There is the problem, of course, that we, prior to God’s interruption and entrance into our lives. We didn’t want to bother with Him, but instead, went on our own way. In that day, should we have had to accounted for our lives, should it be demanded, that we reconcile them, to God’s standard, we would have been without hope.
Even today, we might struggle with some of those sins, some rarely, some weekly, some daily. Yet we have the hope, that is found in our epistle
through Christ reconciled us to himself- our texts says, and again, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.
Imagine, for the moment, that the IRS found out that you had never paid your taxes, and that you had never ever filed a return. At the same time, Bill Gates asked you to come to work for you – for 2 million a year, to run a business that decided how to give away all his charitable contributions – literally hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet Bill comes to your house, and says, I really need you, you to run this special foundation. I know about your audit, I know all about your past – and I know what the IRS wants to do to you.
Don’t worry about it… My lawyer has it all in hand. My accountants have filed all the correct paperwork, and I have paid all your back taxes, and penalties. This is how much, I want you, my friend, to care for my charity, for I know I can trust you.
That is what God has done for us in the work of Jesus. Jesus didn’t find the loopholes, like a lawyer would – he embraced the penalty for your sin, and mine, on the cross. He reconciled it all, as He let them nail his arms to the cross. He dealt with it, as the spear pierced His side, and His heart.
In your baptism, Jesus poured out His grace upon you, as you hear His words – you are forgiven, you have been reconciled – you belong in God’s presence – you have been placed, where you belong, in this gathering, which is but a part of the entire family of God!
A New Year!
Entrusted
Service of reconciliation
Ambassadors versus Generals
Patrick
Our being reconciled to God, is not the end – things are not complete. However, things dramatically change.
As we look at it, we look at the word “reconciliation” and ministry of reconciliation, and that we are entrusted with the message of reconciliation. So complete is our new life in Christ, our re-creation, that we go from the object being reconciled, to being agents in process of reconciliation of others. Look carefully at verse 19, the passage says we are entrusted with the message- that God is at work in the world reconciling people to Himself.
You and I are entrusted with this message – the communication from God, to the world, telling them that they do not need to fear His wrath, if they receive the reconciliation that Christ has done on their behalf.
Proclaiming that message, is the ministry of reconciliation – how we minister and serve people by showing them, informing them, of the very work of Jesus. It is our work, not to convert or convince, but to simply share with those that need it.
We are called to be ambassadors, not invading generals. To simply share what our Lord has told us to share – that God is reconciling the world to himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are told to share the message – that they may be reconciled. We are not responsible for their response. It is as one pastor shared,
“(we are)… to present his message faithfully and give his call, trusting him with the response and giving him the glory. My part is to be faithful; his part is to produce fruit.”
He goes on to share,
“During a series of meetings conducted by R. A. Torrey years ago, there was no response the first several nights. Homer Hammontree, the songleader, came to Torrey in distress. “Ham,” the evangelist replied, “‘it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.’ Good night; I am going to bed.”
Then came a service with tremendous outpouring of the Spirit and a huge response. Hammontree was exultant. Again Torrey said quietly, “Ham, ‘it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.’ Good night; I am going to bed.”
The pastor ended with,
I find it hard to be as cool as that, but I do admire Torrey’s sense of honest faithfulness to God. “
We share the message we have been entrusted, faithfully, and 1 Corinthians indicates that while some of us plant the seeds, we start the conversation – others will provide the water, but it is God that provides the growth, and the harvest.
This is not about growing this church – for some we share the message with, will never darken the doors here. It is about seeing them reconciled with God, to become His people, to know that their sins are removed – for they were nailed to the cross with Jesus.
Ultimately – be ye reconciled!
One final example, the one from the children’s sermon. The third definition of being reconciled – being matched up- being congruent. Being a conduit, through which the Holy Spirit works, reconciling people to God, as we share our reasons for our hope, and as we share the peace of God, the unexplainable peace, that guards our hearts, and minds, in Christ Jesus.
AMEN
