Message of Reconciliation

Christ reconciled us to himself, and then here's the first thing, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.

And number two, entrusting to us the message of reconciliation, or your version might say, word of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.

We beg you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.

So the two things that we're really launching from this morning are this is Christ gave us the ministry of reconciliation, and God, through Christ, entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.

Well, what does that mean?

Well, first, what is the simple definition of just reconciliation?

And it means to take a broken relationship and have it be restored, right?

But what does it mean when we talk about a message of reconciliation and a ministry of reconciliation?

Well, as I study this and spent time with it, it means to understand what that message is.

That's what we have to do first.

What is the message of reconciliation?

And then we need to find out what is our responsibility regarding sharing the message with others.

And that may look different for each one of us, but the message is the same.

We may share it in different ways in different places, but the message doesn't change.

As I prepared for this morning's message, um, I prayed for two things I'd like to accomplish today.

I prayed to clearly share the message of reconciliation.

That anyone who may not be reconciled with Christ, that is here today, could be reconciled.

And I pray the second thing that I want each one of us, each believer that's already reconciled to Christ, to realize we have a job to do.

And that is to share the message of reconciliation as our work in the ministry of reconciliation.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for the chance just to open your word.

We thank you for the gift of Jesus.

Lord, bless our time together.

May your message to each one of us come through the words that I speak, Lord.

May my things be set aside, but your message, Lord, be clear to the hearts and souls that are here, Lord.

We thank you for this time in Christ's name.

If you have an outline, first thing on the outline is why we need reconciliation.

Want to dive into that.

Why we need reconciliation.

Romans 3.23 tells us, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Now it doesn't say that for some have sinned, right?

Or that large groups or certain groups have sinned.

It doesn't say that most have sinned.

Right?

It says, for all have sinned.

We need reconciliation because all have sinned.

If you have a Bible with me, Bible with you, turn to James chapter 2, verse 10.

James 2:10

Says this.

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of it all.

That's kind of painful.

You can keep 99.9%, and we still become guilty of the law.

This flies in the face of good enough.

It flies in the face and contradicts I've done enough good to outweigh the bad.

The scripture teaches us that all have sinned and that one sin outweighs all the others.

At one point working through this, I got to this point of going through it, and I was kind of like, so what?

Why wouldn't I have that reaction?

I remember a time in my life I would have that reaction.

So what I sin, I don't care.

Well, why we read neck reconciliation is because of what comes next in Romans.

Romans 6 23 says, For the wages of sin is death.

And packed in that death is separation from God and judgment.

It's not just sin and there's no consequence.

There's death, there's judgment, there's separation.

The prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 59, verse 2 talks about this a little bit.

Isaiah 59:2

Isaiah chapter 59, verse 2 says this.

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Our sins break the relationship, which is why we need reconciliation.

But the wages of sin is death, and our sins make a separation between us and God the Father, our Creator.

John 3 18 says, He who believes in him will not be judged, but he who does not believe has already been judged.

Judgment already sits upon us.

What does that judgment look like?

Jesus talks about it a bit in Matthew.

In Matthew 13, he talks about the coming fiery furnace, the weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

In Matthew 25, he says, and talks about everlasting punishment.

Why do we need reconciliation?

We're all sinners.

Sinners brings judge, sinning brings judgment and separation.

There's kind of an interesting verse in the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel 18, 4, uh says this behold, all souls are mine, the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son.

The soul who sins will die.

Now, one of the reasons Ezekiel had to address this or say something in this way is there was a proverb back then that children could suffer consequence for their parents' sin, andor the other way around, or siblings' sins, right?

That children could sin and parents would suffer eternal eternally suffer.

And this verse is addressing that.

The good news is the scripture makes it clear is that you will not die and you will not be eternally punished for someone else's sin.

I'm glad to hear that.

And as we talked about a few minutes ago, we're all sinners.

We're all sinners.

Romans 5 talks about how sin entered humanity through Adam.

That sin was put on us through Adam.

But every single one of us demonstrates the fallen condition by sinning ourselves.

Even though sin was handed down and put on us before we were even born, or as we were born, or as we were created, each one of us demonstrates the fallen condition by sinning ourselves.

The first question: why we need reconciliation, we've sinned, and sin separates us from God and brings judgment, eternal judgment.

Number two, how God provided reconciliation.

First, we need it, and praise God he has provided it.

Romans 5, 8, but God demonstrates his own love for us in this.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Before we did anything, while we were yet sinners, while we were yet living in sin, Christ died for us.

John in the book of First John, chapter four, talks about the work of Christ.

First John four, nine and ten.

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him.

In this love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation of our sins.

He sent him that he would be in our place, that he would pay the cost for our sin.

Christ came in our place to pay for our sins.

Colossians 1 19 and 20.

Colossians is one of those little books that hides from me.

I don't know about you guys.

You move too fast, and you end up back in Ephesians, and then you're moving back to Colossians.

Colossians 1 19 and 20.

For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulfillment to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of the cross.

Through him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven, and although we were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet he was now reconciled you in his flesh, in his fleshy, fleshly body through death, in order to present you before him holy and blameless.

Christ died for us through the blood of the cross as a way to make a way of reconciliation.

It's the same message over and over again.

Christ died for us.

Christ died for us.

Well, there it is.

If you ask me today, Bruce, what just just what's the little message of reconciliation that we're supposed to share?

Paul gives it to us in one sentence.

What's the little message?

Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again.

Now, of course, there's a lot before that, right?

Christ died for our sins.

Well, why would I have sin?

We've we've covered that.

But Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again.

Acts chapter two.

Twenty-three and twenty-four.

This man delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death.

But God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held by its power.

How God provided reconciliation, Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

Christ died for us and he rose again.

Now Christ accomplished everything necessary for salvation.

Nothing needs to be added to his work.

Nothing.

But the scripture does not teach that everyone is therefore automatically saved.

This is a gift that must be received like any gift.

The scriptures do not teach we're automatically saved.

Which leads me to the third point.

How we receive reconciliation.

First, one was why we need reconciliation.

We sin and sin brings judgment.

Two, how God provided Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

Now, three, how do we receive reconciliation?

Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 goes on to tell us a little bit more about that gift, to unpack it a little bit.

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves.

It is a gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

There are no works we can do to earn it.

Salvation is by grace, through faith.

Mark chapter 1, 14 and 15 says this.

Mark 1 · chapter mention

Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God and saying, The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent and believe in the gospel.

Biblical faith, as we understand it from the scriptures, always includes repentance.

Biblical faith always includes repentance.

And repentance is this it's a change of mind and a change of heart about God, about ourselves, and about sin.

And that turns us from trusting in ourselves and trusting in Christ.

Let me say that again.

There's a lot in there.

Biblical faith always includes repentance, it is a change of mind and heart about God, ourselves, and our sin.

And if you've heard about repentance, studied it before, it's this turning, and part of it is turning away from our sin and walking away, but part of it also is turning away from trusting in ourselves to where we're trusting in Christ.

And we're trusting in what we just talked about, which is his death on the cross, burial, and resurrection, and not trusting in ourselves, having that faith.

John 3.16 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3.36 says, Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.

And whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

It is belief in the Son of God.

Repent and believe, Christ said.

Some have referred to it as the Romans Road, but there's a little bit more to that, as we flush that out a little bit this morning.

Romans 10, 9 and 10 says, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

This is a great verse about belief and understanding that God raised him from the dead, that Jesus had died, and you will be saved.

And then it talks about with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

And don't get confused.

Paul's not adding something here.

Paul's not saying there's a requirement that, you know, faith gets us halfway there, and then suddenly our words have to finish the job, some magical incantation.

That's not what he's saying.

But what he is saying, and I think what the scriptures teach, is that genuine faith confesses Jesus for who he is.

When we understand who Jesus is, we cannot help but confess Jesus is Lord.

Right?

That's what we're talking about.

1125 through 27 says, Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me will live even if he dies.

And everyone who lives, believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?

She said to him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even the one who comes into the world.

Point number three is how we receive reconciliation.

We receive reconciliation when we repent and believe.

We repent of what we discovered in point one, that we're sinners.

We believe in what we learned in point two, how God provided reconciliation.

How we receive reconciliation, we repent and believe.

The final point this morning, point four, is what reconciled people do.

After we repent and believe, after we've learned that we cannot earn it, and we repent and believe and come to Christ, what do reconciled people do?

Or what should reconciled people do?

1 John 5, 11 and 12 says that this is the testimony.

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son.

He who has the Son has life.

He who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

The first thing we could do and probably should do and remind ourselves is to rest in the security of Christ.

Once we become a believer in Jesus Christ, once we've truly believed in the message of reconciliation for ourselves, we can rest in that security.

The scripture teaches us that will not change.

The next thing is from John 10, 27 and 28, my sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me, and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

That was John 10, 27 and 28.

My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me, and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of our hand.

Our security rests in Christ's keeping power, right?

Not in our works, not in our performance.

But it also doesn't sound right if you hear someone say, I prayed a prayer 40 years ago, so it doesn't matter whether I want anything to do with Christ or not.

Well, you can sense something's wrong there.

That's not right either.

Our security rests in Christ's keeping power, not in our performance.

And John tells us, as he quotes Jesus, My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.

Genuine salvation produces a changed relationship as we follow Christ.

And we can see that.

And we should know that.

We should see it in our own lives.

Back to the original verse that we started with, 2 Corinthians 5.

I'm gonna jump in at 18, 2 Corinthians 5, 18 through 20.

Now all things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely the That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation or message of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making an appeal through us.

We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

What reconciled people do?

Follow Christ and share the message.

Number one, why we need reconciliation?

Because we sin, and sin brings death and judgment.

Two, how God provided reconciliation?

Christ's death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf.

How we receive reconciliation, repent, and believe.

What reconciled people do, we follow Christ.

We share the message.

We rest in Him securely.

Know the message.

Believe the message.

Share the message.

It says we are ambassadors for Christ.

If you have been reconciled to God, God has given you, each one of you and myself, a ministry.

You may never stand up behind a pulpit, you may never teach a Sunday school class.

You may never be a missionary overseas.

But you have a job to do, and that is to share the message of reconciliation.

There are people God has put in your life that I will never meet.

People in your workplace, your family, your neighbors, your friends, maybe just someone you have lunch with occasionally.

God has entrusted this message to each one of us.

You know, and you don't have to know how to answer every theological question.

You can start with what we've walked through, some today, just parts of it to get started.

We have sinned.

Sin brings judgment.

Christ died for sinners, Christ rose again.

Salvation is God's gift.

Repent and believe in Christ.

Know the message.

Believe the message.

Share the message.

In the 1800s, there was a famous scientist.

His name was Michael Faraday.

He was one of the greatest experimental scientists of the 19th century.

His discoveries in electricity and electromagnetism helped lay the foundation for the modern electrical world.

His whole life was about experimenting, testing, and proving.

Experimenting, testing, and proving.

But near the end of his life, when he was asked about his speculations regarding eternity, Faraday reportedly replied, speculations?

I have none.

And am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

A man whose life was all about experimentation would not experiment with his eternity.

He knew who he believed.

And he trusted in the Lord.

When the time comes for each one of us, you cannot stand before God with some kind of experiment.

You also cannot stand before God with some resume of our own, of what good we might have done or what work we might have done.

We need Christ.

If we stand before God with our own resume, Matthew 7, 22 tells us what Christ will say.

Jesus said to them, On that day you will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?

I did work.

And cast out demons in your name, I did work for you.

And do rightly, mighty things in your name.

I worded for you, the Lord.

And then Jesus will declare to them, I never knew you.

Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.

Their defense was, look at what I did, look at my resume.

When the gospel says, look at what Christ did, that's the only answer.

It's what Christ did.

If you've never been reconciled to God.

Today's the day.

I plead with you on behalf of Christ.

Be reconciled to God.

Repent of sin and self-reliance.

Stop trusting in your resume.

Put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, his death and his resurrection as your only hope.

Your only hope of salvation.

And if you have been reconciled to God through Christ, remember God has entrusted you with the message of reconciliation.

And there are people in your life who need that message.

Know the message.

Believe the message.

Share the message.

Let's pray.

Father, you're a good God.

We thank you for your love for us.

That you sent Christ to die for us.

Lord, I pray for anyone here who does not have a relationship with you through your son that you would break open their soul today and call out to them and that they would hear you and be drawn to you.

I pray for others, Lord, that we would be challenged to share the message with those in our life, Lord, that you have put there that we maybe even haven't seen yet.

But Lord, help us, empower us, strengthen us, encourage us, convict us, Lord, to share this message, this message of reconciliation as our ministry work that you've given to each one.

We thank you in Jesus' name.

Amen.