Key Words in the Christian Life: Reconciliation
Reading: 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 17-21.
SERMON OUTLINE:
A Definition.
A New Creature (17)
A New Purpose (18-20)
A New Relationship (21)
SERMON BODY
Ill:
• One of the most famous works in the history of art,
• Is Michelangelo’s fresco of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel,
• At least 25,000 visitors a day,
• Walk into this chapel to marvel at the masterpiece on the ceiling.
• In 1512, when Michelangelo finally completed the fresco of the ceiling,
• The cardinals responsible for the care of the Chapel,
• Stayed for hours admiring and studying the magnificent fresco.
• After the scrutinising it for hour upon hour,
• They met with Michelangelo and, surprisingly, told him to, “Do it again!”
• Well, you will be glad to know that it was not the whole ceiling,
• Which had taken 4 years,
• But just one detail that apparently upset them.
• Michelangelo had drawn the panel of the creation of man,
• With the fingers of God and Adam, touching each other.
• The cardinals wanted that there should be no touch,
• The fingers must be kept separate and more,
• The finger of God should always be at the top,
• A simple detail but with an interesting meaning:
• God is there, but the decision to seek him depends on man.
• If he wants, he will stretch out his finger, touch it,
• But if he wills, he can spend a life without looking to connect with God.
• Adam’s unconnected finger represents mankind’s free will.
• Source: Rupnik, Marko Ivan, Art as an Expression of Liturgical Life,
• Brasilia, CNBB Editions, 2019. p145
• TRANSITION:
• The message of the Bible is one of reconciliation:
• The main reason Jesus Christ entered his own creation,
• Was to die on a cross!
• Don’t miss that point.
• Jesu was not just another prophet or messenger,
• He was and is the saviour of the world.
• Even his name describes his mission,
• The name Yehoshua means "Yahweh is salvation" or "The LORD saves."
The main reason Jesus Christ entered his own creation,
• Was to die on a cross!
• The death of Jesus built bridges across apparently unbridgeable gaps.
• Between a holy God and sinful people.
Question: What is the biggest bridge in the UK?
Answer:
• You might be surprised to know that it is not, London’s Tower Bridge.
• It is not, the Clifton Suspension Bridge or The Humber bridge.
• Not even the Forth bridge or the Infinity bridge.
• The UK's longest bridge is in Birmingham, it is called, the Bromford viaduct,
• Which covers a total distance of 3.5-mile (5.6km).
• It carries road traffic through part of the M6 between Castle Bromwich and Gravelly Hill,
• And was a feature of the original Spaghetti Junction.
• TRANSITION:
• A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle,
• (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath.
• The death of Jesus bridges the gap between a holy God and sinful people.
• Jesus took our sin and guilt upon himself at the cross,
• In exchange he gives to us his righteousness,
• So that we stand complete in him!
• Therefore, there is in Christ no separation from God,
• We are reconciled through his death on the cross.
(1). A Definition: reconciliation.
Question: What is reconciliation?
Answer: In Reconciliation - enemies become friends.
Quote: The word: Reconcile (apokatallaso) means:
“To totally, thoroughly, and completely change one’s state and standing.
from enmity to friendship”.
Ill:
• In St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
• Stands what is known as the "Door of Reconciliation".
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/mflTUcZdNgY?si=C7N4mL01Rduoefjq
• Back in 1492 this door was all that separated two feuding Irish families.
• As the Butlers of Ormon? sought sanctuary horn the Fitzgeralds of Kildare.
• Realizing that the fighting had been getting out of control,
• Gerald Fitzgerald pleaded with "Black James" Butler to accept a truce.
• But suspecting treachery,
• Black James refused to open the door.
• In response Gerald proceeded to hack a hole in the door.
• And then thrust his arm through as a pledge of his goodwill.
• It was a daring gesture as Gerald risked his arm being hacked off,
• Instead, Butler took his hand and peace was restored.
• The door was opened, and the feuding families were reconciled.
• From that incident comes the expression; ‘To chance your arm’.
• These two families went from “enmity to friendship”.
• Their relationship was changed and transformed.
• TRANSITION:
• Reconciliation is a changing for the better.
• A relationship between two or more persons.
• e.g. Two family members who refuse to speak to each other.
• e.g. Rather than a divorce, the married couple overcomes their differences and remain married.
• e.g. Pay settlement between employers and workers union.
• In Bible times, the word reconciliation was not considered to be a religious word,
• It was a secular word that Christians latched on to.
• But the New Testament writers takes this word,
• And uses it to describes our relationship with God.
• In verses:17-21 we see the word “reconcile” used five times.
• Theologically, reconciliation refers to.
• The change of relationship between God and man.
• Their relationship was changed and been transformed.
Ill:
• When we start reading the Bible:
• The very first pages show us a picture of perfect harmony,
• Everything in agreement.
• Heaven and earth, God and man, man & woman, human beings and animals.
• All working together in joyful cooperation.
• No wonder the Bible calls it, “Good!”
But in chapter 3 of the book of Genesis that all changes:
Ill:
• Sin enters into the picture and the results are tragic.
• We read of division, dissention, death and separation.
• Man is separated from God.
• Man runs from God and hides.
• Some of the saddest words in the Bible, “Adam, where are you?”
• Don’t take that geographically, God knew he was hiding behind a bush.
• Take it theologically, “Where are you?”
• We were this close and now we are so far apart!
Ill:
• And then in chapter 4 we read about man being separated from man.
• With brother killing brother.
• That situation continues to get worse and worse ‘evil all of the time’).
• So much so that in chapter 6 ‘God was grieved that he had made man’.
Ill:
• In chapter 11 in the story of the tower of Babel,
• We read about the separation of races and nations.
• As Genesis continues to record the awful consequences of sin.
• One phrase that could be written over the book of Genesis from chapter 3 onwards is.
• The great need is for reconciliation.
• And that is why Jesus Christ entered into his own creation,
• He ALONE was able to reconcile sinful humanity to a holy God.
Note: 3 key truths from these verses.
(1). A New Creature (17)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!”
Ill:
• A Caterpillar is a prickly, lazy self-centred bug.
• Working hard to go no-where fast.
• I like the kid’s definition of a caterpillar, “A worm in a fur coat!”
• YouTube Video:
• https://youtu.be/CRbw-uOnHkY
• When a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly we call it, "metamorphosis".
• And that is the word used here in our New Testament,
• Greek word "metamorphoo" from which we get our English word "metamorphosis".
• TRANSITION:
• God’s plan is that those who are in Christ will be made new (vs. 17).
Ill:
• London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling.
• The building had been emptying for months and needed repairs.
• Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows,
• And strewn trash around the interior.
• As he showed a prospective buyer the property,
• Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows,
• Bring in a crew to correct any structural damage and clean out the garbage.
• The buyer said to him:
“Forget about the repairs, when I buy this place, I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site”.
• TRANSITION:
• God does not simply patch up the old building.
• He wants the site to produce something new!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!”
(2). A New Purpose (18-20).
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
Note:
• The Bible never speaks of God being reconciled,
• Because he is perfect and has done nothing wrong.
• The Bible always talks of man being reconciled to God.
• Mankind are the ones out of adjustment.
• All people are naturally enmity with God.
• ill: UK Motorway – (all designed to curve) We do not run straight.
ill:
• Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher, economist and jurist.
• You have probably never heard of him,
• He died, June 6, 1832, at the age of 84.
• He was a very odd person and died with an odd request.
• In accordance with his wishes, his body was dissected in the presence of his friends.
• His skeleton is now kept in a glass case at University College in London.
• His skeletal remains are fully clothed,
• And provided with a wax head since the original was mummified.
• Before he died, he had willed a large gift of money to an English hospital,
• But with a certain condition.
• The main condition was that whenever the board of the hospital met,
• His remains were to be brought to the boardroom and placed at the head of the table.
• For more than 100 years, the secretary of the board,
• Has added to the board minutes a single line: "Jeremy Bentham present but not voting."
• Now don’t miss the point:
• We are like Jeremy Bentham dead in our trespasses and sins.
• We walk and live in this life, but we are spiritually dead to God.
• And yet, unlike Jeremy Bentham,
• Sinful people can be metamorphosed i.e. brought into new life!
AND ACCORDING TO THESE VERSES:
• The evidence we are Christians, that we have received new life,
• Is that we have a new purpose,
• And that purpose is to reconcile other people to God.
• We are ambassadors.
Ill:
• An ambassador is an official who is appointed to represent their nation.
• The United Kingdom currently maintains about 222 diplomatic representatives.
• These people are sent around the world,
• To reflect the official position of the King & Government of their country.
• The apostle Paul uses this word to describe the Christians ministry.
• He urges all Christians to consider themselves ambassadors for Christ.
• God has given you the gospel of reconciliation,
• If you are not evangelising, you are not representing your king.
• This is our ministry, and it is not an optional extra!
Ill:
• Some years ago, when many American missionaries were allowed to serve in China,
• A blind Chinese man was taken to a mission hospital.
• The missionary doctor performed an operation.
• And removed cataracts from the man's eyes.
• Soon, the man was able to return to his home,
• He left the mission hospital rejoicing in his restored eyesight.
• A few weeks later the missionaries at the hospital.
• Saw the man coming back down the road toward them.
• But this time he was holding a rope to which forty other blind people were clinging.
• He was bringing them to the place where his sight had been restored.
• TRANSITION:
• That is what God calls on us to do.
• You and I have received life from the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Now it is our privilege and our calling to lead others.
• To that same One from whom we received our life.
(3). A New Relationship (vs 21)
“God made him who had no sin to be sin (a sin offering) for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Ill:
• Charles Dickens is one of my favourite authors.
• One of his great books (‘A Tale of Two Cities.’),
• Starts with this famous opening paragraph,
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
• It is set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.
• Two are the main characters are French aristocrat: Charles Darnay
• And English lawyer Sydney Carton who is a waster a drinker.
• In one scene Charles Darnay is in prison awaiting the guillotine.
• Sydney Carton has wasted his life and talents and so decides to so one good deed.
• He breaks into the prison to set Charles Darnay free,
• They cannot both escape because when the guard makes the roll call,
• And counts the number of prisoners he will know one is missing.,
• He will raise the alarm and they will both be caught.
• So, Carton makes Darnay swap clothes,
• Carton puts on Darney’s dirty spoiled clothes.
• And Darney puts on Carton’s clean clothes, and he escapes.
• The next day the plot id discovered, and the authorities decide to guillotine Carton.
• As just as he ascends to the guillotine, he says,
"I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy, in that England which I shall see no more... it is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."
• And in the book Dickens inserts a verse from the Bible.
• John chapter 15 verse 13.
• “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
• TRANSITION:
• An illustration of substitution and sacrifice.
• God’s love is even greater than this,
• Because it was, “while we were still enemies to God that Christ died.”
• (Romans chapter 5 verses 8-10)
• He takes our sinful rags and gives us his robes of righteousness.
• We have a new life reconciled to God.
• And a new purpose to bring others into the kingdom.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=akH0Mdby8CsiBw1aixPnbSr0XhkzifzT
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/b9xAUw44rc8
