MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
2 CORINTHIANS 5:11-21
SERMON TITLE :MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.
I CAUTIOUSLY NAME IT THAT WITH THE THOUGHT I KNOW SOME WILL THINK OF PEOPLE WHO SHOULD MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS AND STAY OUT OF PEOPLE’S LIVES/ MAYBE EVEN YOUR LIFE.
PAUL LAYS A GROUNDWORK OF WHAT A MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION IS.
HE TELLS US SINCE WE UNDERSTAND THE FEAR OF THE LORD. WE SHOULD PERSUADE AND TELL OTHERS
IF WERE CONSIDERED CRAZY, WE ARE TO BE CRAZY FOR JESUS.
IF WE ARE CONSIDERED IN OUR RIGHT MIND, IT IS TO LET OTHERS KNOW WHAT JESUS HAS DONE IN OUR LIFE.
FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION, THE BIBLE IS GOD TRYING TO RECONCILE WITH MANKIND.
FROM THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE (BEAR WITH ME IF YOU ALREADY GET THIS) GOD HAS TRIED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN MAN AND GOD.
JESUS CHRIST CAME (GAVE UP HEAVEN) TO WALK THIS EARTH AND DIE ON THE CROSS SO THAT A HOLY GOD COULD RECONCILE WITH SINFUL MAN.
HE TELLS US THAT HIS SPIRIT WILL BEAR WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE THE SONS OF GOD.
PAUL TELL US IN BEGINNING 2 CORINTHIANS 5:10
“FOR WE MUST APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, THAT EACH ONE MAY RECEIVE WHAT IS DUE HIM FOR THE THINGS DONE WHILE IN THE BODY WEATHER GOOD OR BAD.
IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF WEATHER WE WILL STAND BEFORE JESUS AND ACCOUNT FOR OUR LIVES. THAT IS A FACT. EACH ONE OF US WILL DO THAT. THE QUESTION IS WHAT WILL HE SAY TO YOU WHEN YOU STAND THERE.
ENTER IN THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT...
DEPART FROM ME I NEVER KNEW YOU....
DEATH IS A FUNNY THING. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY LOVE JESUS, BUT MOST ARE NOT READY TO DIE TO SEE HIM.
I HAVE OVER THE YEARS OF MINISTRY SEEN PEOPLE READY TO DIE AND I HAVE SEEN SOME SCARE TO DEATH. I HAVE SEEN SOME ANXIOUS AND WORRIED OF THE UNKNOWN, AND I HAVE SEEN SOME WITH A PEACE THAT COULD ONLY COME FROM GOD HIMSELF.
WEBSTER’S DEFINITION OF RECONCILE:
TO RESTORE TO FRIENDSHIP, OR HARMONY.
IF WE UNDERSTAND WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US, THERE SHOULD BE NO FEAR OF DYING.
WE UNDERSTAND THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS A REVERENCE OF WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE HAD DONE FOR US, IT WILL COMPEL US , TO DRIVE US, URGE US, TO LIVE FOR JESUS AND BRING THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION TO THOSE AROUND US.
SO WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE.
3 POINTS / HERE THEY ARE
I. GOD DESIRES TO RECONCILE WITH YOU AND I
II. GOD DESIRES US TO BE NEW CREATIONS
III. GOD DESIRES US TO BE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS
I. GOD DESIRES TO RECONCILE WITH YOU AND I
WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST. NONE OF US WILL BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE THE LORD AND SAY I DIDN’T KNOW.
LET THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST SINK DEEP INTO YOUR SOUL?
JESUS CHRIST LOVES YOU NOT ONLY THE WORLD, BUT YOU.
HE KNOWS EVERY BAD THING ABOUT YOU AND HE LOVES YOU ANYWAY.
ROMANS 5:6-
“YOU SEE, AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME WHEN WE WERE STILL POWERLESS CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY.”
EPHESIANS 2:13-
“BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS YOU WHO ONCE WERE FAR AWAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR THOUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.”
V 19- CONSEQUENTLY YOU ARE NO LONGER FOREIGNERS AND ALIENS BUT FELLOW CITIZENS WITH GOD’S PEOPLE AND MEMBERS OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD.
GOD HAS BRIDGED THE GAP THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ALMIGHTY GOD.
NOT JIM CAREY PLAYING BRUCE ALMIGHTY
NOT GEORGE BURNS PLAYING THE ROLE OF GOD
I AM TALKING ABOUT JESUS CHRIST DESIRING TO BE THE BRIDGE BETWEEN GOD AND MAN.
“FOR THERE IS ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS.”
PAUL IMPLORES (BEGS) MEN, BE RECONCILED TO GOD. ACCEPT HIS GIFT.
CHRIST LOVE MOTIVATES ME
THE GOSPEL IS NOT GOOD ADVISE, IT IS THE GOOD NEWS ALL GOOD ADVICE IS SUMMED UP LIKE THIS- RECEIVE THE GOOD NEWS
II. GOD DESIRES US TO BE NEW CREATIONS
FUNNY THING HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE GETS SAVED. (LEAST IT SHOULD) THERE LIVES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
GOD’S BLOOD NEVER LOSES IT POWER. HE TOOK OUR SINFULNESS TO THE CROSS AS HE WAS CRUCIFIED AND IN EXCHANGE- HE GAVE US RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR ALL WHO WILL RECEIVE IT (2 CORINTHIANS 5:21)
THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN OUR LIVES DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE A BACK SEAT TO ANYTHING THAT IS HINDERING YOUR LIFE.
THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN KNOWING THE HISTORY OF JESUS AND THE CHRIST OF FAITH.
ROMANS 5:1-
THEREFORE, SINCE WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED THROUGH FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THOROUGH WHOM WE HAVE GAINED ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE IN WHICH WE NOW STAND.
WE ARE NEW CREATIONS- THE OLD IS GONE- HE WHO BEGAN A NEW WORK IN YOU WILL BRING IT TO PASS IN JESUS CHRIST
THE FAILURE OF THE PAST- GONE
INABILITY TO PLEASE GOD- GONE
OUR FIGHTING AGAINST GOD-GONE
BEST OF ALL- THE BREAKDOWN IN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US AND GOD- GONE
III. GOD DESIRES US TO BE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS
(V20) WE ARE THEREFORE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS AS THOUGH GOD WERE MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US. WE IMPLORE YOU ON CHRIST BEHALF BE RECONCILED TO GOD.
HERE’S THE THING- FIRST GOD RECONCILED YOU- PULLS YOU INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. HE COMPELS US THE BIBLE SAYS TO TELL OTHERS WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US.
AMBASSADORS:
AMBASSADOR IS A REPRESENTATIVE WHO HOLDS CITIZENSHIP IN ONE COUNTRY AND REPRESENTS THE INTEREST OF HIS OR HER COUNTRY IN A FOREIGN LAND.
AS CHRIST AMBASSADORS
WE ARE CALLED TO RECONCILE THOSE THAT ARE FAR FROM GOD AND EACH OTHER
PEOPLE HAVE MANY REASONS THAT THEY ARE ESTRANGED FROM GOD.
FEEL LIKE GOD HAS ABANDONED THEM OR LET THEM DOWN.
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
THEY HAD AT ONE TIME DAILY DIALOG WITH GOD AND MAY BE EMBARRASSED TO COME BACK TO HIM.
WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST
WE ARE CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, WHO LIVE HERE ON THIS EARTH.
GOD COMPELS US TO GO THE EXTRA MILE- SOME OF US ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE SOMEONE WOULDN’T GIVE UP ON US.
CLOSING:
GOD HAS A WORD FOR ALL OF US TODAY
IF THINGS ARE NOT RIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND JESUS. YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT RIGHT. HE HAS MADE THE FIRST MOVE. HE IS HERE RIGHT NOW.
THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS SPEAKING TO YOU- YOU NEED TO RECONCILE WITH THE LORD THIS MORNING.
IF THAT IS YOU THIS MORNING, SLIP YOUR HAND UP AND PUT IT BACK DOWN, I WANT TO PRAY WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
JESUS SAID THAT WHEN WE COME TO CHRIST WE ARE NEW CREATIONS, OLD IS GONE.
MAYBE YOU’RE HERE THIS MORNING AND THE OLD JUST KEEPS HANGING AROUND. YOU JUST CANNOT SEEM TO SHAKE IT.
SLIP YOUR HAND UP , WE WANT TO PRAY FOR YOU ALSO
I KNOW JESUS- BUT I WANT TO SHAKE THIS OLD WAY AND BEGIN TO LIVE VICTORIOUS.
HE TELLS US TO BE AMBASSADORS- LEADERS IN A FOREIGN LAND. MESSAGE OF CHRIST IS SO REAL- I NOT ONLY WANT IT FOR MY LIFE, BUT ALL THOSE THAT I COME IN CONTACT WITH.
COMPEL THEM, DRIVE AND URGE THEM, TO GIVE IT MY ATTENTION.
TO SEE A WORLD THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS JESUS
AS AMBASSADORS ALL WE CAN DO IS TRY TO HELP THOSE FAR FROM GOD TO FIND THEIR WAY HOME.
