Ministry of Reconciliation - 2 Cor 5:16-6:2

Verse 16. Let's listen to God's Word.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.

Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has gone. The new has come.

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 men'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.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us,

so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As God's fellow workers,

we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.

For he says,

In the time of my favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.

I tell you,

now is the time of God's favor.

Now is the day of salvation.

Thanks very much, Ralph.

Please keep your Bibles open at that passage in Corinthians.

We're not going to be moving out of chapter 5,

but it would be good to keep your focus right there.

Let's pray together.

Our Father God, we thank you for your word,

for it is not only true,

it is powerful.

It is your means for revealing to us

the greatness and the beauty of who Jesus Christ is.

And our prayer is that our focus would be upon him,

and we would learn what it is to be reconciled to him,

and to be Christ's ambassadors.

Father, we are helpless,

so we ask that you would pour out your Holy Spirit upon us

as you have been doing.

Continue to give us the Spirit

that we might understand your truth,

not just with minds,

but that our hearts would be changed and transformed,

that we would see with your eyes,

and we would live according to your ways.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

But from our reading,

I think the main theme of the text is crystal clear.

It's summarized for us so well in verse 18.

Have a look at verse 18.

All this is from God,

who reconciled us to himself through Christ,

and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

To reconcile is simply to restore a relationship

that has been broken,

to bring peace and harmony

where there's been hostility and fear.

And in this context,

it's our restored relationship with God.

Louis Zamperini was always in trouble as a kid.

His mother encouraged him to go to church.

In fact, she'd give him money for the collection,

but he would skive off and go spend it in the fair.

For Louis, God was just a hindrance,

not a help.

But he was an excellent runner.

In 1936, he made the U.S. Olympic team

and ran in the Olympic Games.

World War II cut short his running career,

and he became a gunner in the Air Force.

On one excursion, his plane was shot down,

and for 47 days,

Zamperini drifted on a small raft on the open sea.

Surviving attacks from the air,

he was eventually captured by the enemy.

He was now a prisoner of war.

For two years,

Zamperini was held in captivity,

where he suffered terribly.

Solitary confinement,

constant beatings,

unbearable torture,

and the routine of daily hard labour.

Miraculously, though,

he survived.

At the end of the war,

Zamperini returned a hero,

but deep down in his life,

he was struggling.

Tortured from his time in the war

and troubled by his past,

he attended a meeting

where he heard the good news

about Jesus Christ.

Through Christ,

he received forgiveness from God

and was reconciled to God.

His life was dramatically changed.

Almost immediately,

he returned to visit

those who had treated him

so cruelly in the prison camp.

Zamperini was on a mission

of reconciliation.

No longer did he hold a grudge.

No longer did he seek revenge.

No longer did he hate.

He had come to experience personally

God's forgiveness,

and he wanted his captors to know

that they too could be forgiven

and reconciled to God.

Amazingly, as he spoke in that prison,

the guards who had once tortured him

turned to Christ

and experienced reconciliation

for themselves.

It's a remarkable true story.

You can watch it on film.

It's called Unbroken.

Now, if you are a Christian,

that's a picture of your story.

Look again at verse 18.

All of this is from God,

who reconciled us to himself

through Christ

and gave us the ministry

of reconciliation.

You see, we too, individually,

and as churches together

in the Court Kerry Project,

we are on a mission

of reconciliation.

Four things we're going to look at together

from this text.

Here's the first one.

God's desire

that all

are reconciled.

God's desire

that all

are reconciled.

Verse 16.

So, from now on,

we regard no one

from a worldly point of view.

Something dramatic

has happened.

Something has changed

about how we see people.

Look at the rest of verse 16.

Though we once regarded Christ

in this way,

we do so no longer.

Paul is writing

and he's remembering

back to a point in time

where he had a wrong view of Christ.

Christ was completely insignificant,

completely irrelevant,

with nothing to offer.

But now he has been changed.

He has come to see Christ

in the right way

and he has come to see

that through Christ

there is forgiveness

and reconciliation with God

and that has changed everything.

It has changed

how he views the world

and how he views people.

It gives us

a new perspective.

Let's read the beginning

of verse 16 again.

So, from now on,

we regard no one

from a worldly point of view.

Because of Christ

and all that he has done,

we now see people

from God's perspective.

We no longer see people

from a worldly point of view.

You see,

we don't judge people

on the basis

of their social status,

their religious heritage,

or their sexual identity.

From God's perspective,

as he looks at the world,

we are all the same.

We are all separated from God

and we all need to be reconciled

to God.

So, being rich or poor,

Catholic or Protestant,

Muslim or Hindu,

gay or straight,

that is not the big issue.

The issue is,

we are all outside of God

and we all need reconciled

to God.

But that's not

the only thing

we see about ourselves.

Not only is there

a new perspective,

but there's a new creation.

Follow with me

the flow of thought.

Let's read again

the beginning of verse 16.

So, from now on,

because of Christ,

we regard no one

from a worldly point of view.

Now, verse 17.

Therefore,

if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation.

We no longer view people

as condemned sinners

that must be judged.

No, we now see people

who, through Christ,

can become a new creation.

Isn't that how

Louis Zamperini

saw his once captors?

He wanted revenge.

He wanted justice.

But now,

because of Christ

and the change in his life,

he saw the prison guards

as people

who could become

new creations

in Christ.

You see,

I think we all need

to take off

the worldly lens

and put on

the God lens.

And that's a challenge

for each one of us.

Instead of walking around

and inwardly condemning

those I see,

I need to walk

and look at people

from God's perspective

and see

what people

can become.

New creations.

Brand new people.

You see,

while we so often

look in condemnation,

God sees

transformation.

Verse 17.

Therefore,

if anyone

is in Christ,

he is a new creation.

The old

has gone

and the new

has come.

We can be so

concerned about

trying to change

what people believe

and how people behave

when God is saying,

I have come to do

something far more

radical and beautiful.

I have come to bring

about a new creation,

a brand new beginning,

a fresh start

in the lives

of people.

I have come

to bring

reconciliation,

to restore

that broken

relationship

so that you

are at one

with God.

So first,

God's desire

that we are

all reconciled

to Him.

Second,

God has made

it possible

for all

to be reconciled.

God makes

it possible

for all

to be reconciled.

Verse 18.

All this

is from

God

who

reconciled

us to

Himself

through Christ.

You see,

if God

needs to

reconcile

us to

Himself,

it clearly

implies

the world

is separated

from God.

there is

a division

that exists,

a relationship

that is

broken.

No longer

is there

peace and

joy,

but fear

and hostility.

No longer

that communion,

the fellowship

that Adam

and Eve

enjoyed

in the

Garden of

Eden,

it has

now been

broken.

And we

can't fix

that relationship.

We can't

do anything

to make

God love

us.

But

thankfully,

God has

taken the

initiative

and done

something

about it.

God

has made

reconciliation

possible.

First,

it's all

from God.

Look at

verse 18

again.

All

this

is

from

God

who

reconciled

us

to

Himself.

God

reconciled

us.

This is

something

that God

has already

done for

us.

You see,

knowing that

our relationship

with God

is broken,

knowing our

inability to

make things

right,

God has

taken the

initiative,

intervened,

and provided

the means by

which we

can be made

right with

God.

Rather than

divorce us,

God has

reconciled

us.

And

reconciliation

is not

something I

can do.

I can't

make peace

with God.

God

makes peace

with us.

Restoring

our relationship

with God

is something

that God

does.

It's not

something that

we can

do.

And

here's

how God

does it.

Look at

verse 18.

All this

is from

God,

who

reconciled

us to

Himself

through

Christ.

And

what did

God do

through

Christ?

Well,

jump down

to verse 19.

It explains

it for us.

That God

was reconciling

the world

to Himself

in Christ,

not counting

our sins

against us.

Let me

try and

expand and

explain that.

Suppose

I were

to walk

out on

my wife

Kirsty,

destroying

the marriage

and the

relationship.

Because of

what I've

done,

I can't

make

Kirsty,

my wife,

accept me

or forgive

me.

I have

no right.

I'm a

guilty

party.

Kirsty,

on the

other hand,

has every

right to

reject me.

That would

be just

and that

would be

fair.

You see,

the only

way the

relationship

can be

restored is

if

Kirsty,

who is

innocent,

chooses

to forgive

and no

longer holds

my failure

against me

or over

me.

Rather than

sign divorce

papers,

which is

what I

deserve,

she reaches

out to

me and

reconciles,

which is

what I

don't

deserve.

And I

think that's

a picture

of what

God has

done for

us through

Christ.

Again,

look at

verse 19.

God was

reconciling

the world

to himself

in Christ,

not counting

our sins

against us.

If Christ

or in

Christ,

God does

not hold

our sin

over us

or against

us,

why?

Because it

has all

been dealt

with in

Christ.

The divorce

papers have

been torn

up at

the cross.

God has

every right

to reject

me,

condemn

me and

judge me.

But now

reconciliation

has been

made available

and the

good news

is it's

not just

for you

and it's

not just

for me.

Look at

the middle

of verse

19.

God is

reconciling

the world.

This is

good news

for every

single

person.

God

does

not

write

people

off.

There is

no sin

that is

so great

that God

has not

dealt

with in

Christ.

His

gift of

reconciliation

is open

to all

people.

So God

longs

for all

people to

be reconciled.

God

has made

it possible

for all

to be

reconciled.

And

third,

God

has

entrusted

to us

the

message

of

reconciliation.

God

has

entrusted

to us

the

message

of

reconciliation.

Look at

the end

of verse

19

with me.

And

he has

committed

to

us

the

message

of

reconciliation.

God

longs

to

restore

the

relationship

with

him

for

a

purpose

so

that

we

might

join

him

in

his

mission

of

reconciliation.

Our

relationship

with

God

is

restored

so

that

others

can

also

know

the

joy

and

beauty

of

a

relationship

with

God.

Remember

our

friend

Zamperini?

Once

he had

experienced

reconciliation

he wanted

others

to

experience

the

same.

We

are

ambassadors.

And

in case

we're not

clear about

all of

this

look at

what

God

says

to

us.

Go

back

to

the

end

of

verse

18

the

last

part

of

verse

18.

See

what

it

says?

God

gave

us

the

ministry

of

reconciliation.

The

end

of

verse

19

he

has

committed

to

us

the

message

of

reconciliation.

Verse

20

we

are

therefore

Christ's

ambassadors

as though

God

were making

his appeal

through

us.

God's

desire

to

reconcile

the world

to himself

has been

entrusted

to people

like you

and me.

God

has

called

us

to be

his

ambassadors

his

representatives

his

spokesperson.

Now

just to

think about

that

to

entrust

that

responsibility

to you

and me

is

insane.

Why

not

entrust

it

to

Christ?

Why

not

ask

some

of the

angels

to come

and do

the

job?

Surely

they

would

do

a

better

job

than

you

or

me.

during

the

summer

I

was

involved

with

the

TIM

team.

Some

of you

here

were

part

of

that

an

outreach

program

doing

street

evangelism

and doing

door

to

door.

And

while

doing

door

to

door

I

had

this

strange

experience.

When

I

went

to

knock

on

the

door

I

would

pray

this

prayer.

Lord

please

help

me

as

I

speak.

which

was

quickly

followed

up

by

another

prayer.

Lord

I

hope

they're

not

in.

Surely

God

can

do

better

than

failures

like

me.

Well

I

think

God

knows

what

he

is

doing

when

he

is

entrusted

to

us

the

message

of

reconciliation.

If

God

can

take

people

like

us

who

don't

want

anything

to

do

with

God

and

radically

change

us

and

transform

us

into

a

new

creation

then

God

can

also

make

his

appeal

through

us.

Look

at the

end of

verse

20.

We

implore

you

on

Christ's

behalf

be

reconciled

to

God.

You

see

it's

not

my

ability

and

it's

not

your

personality

that

is

going

to

see

one

single

person

reconciled

to

God.

We

cannot

do

it.

It's

all

of

God

through

his

message.

Look

at

verse

20,

21.

God

made

him,

God

made

Christ

who

had

no

sin

to

be

sin

for

us

so

that

in

Christ

we

might

become

the

righteousness

of

God.

It's

too

good

to be

true

but

the

fact

is

it

is

wonderfully

true.

To

unpack

this I

want to

quote

from a

dead

man,

a good

dead

man,

Martin

Luther.

You

can

follow

the

quote

on

the

screen,

it's

a

little

long but

just

follow

with me

as we

read

through.

He

unpacks

very

helpfully

verse

21.

Christ

bears

all

the

sins

of

all

men

in

his

body.

Not

that

he is

guilty

of

any

but

that

he

received

them

being

committed

or

done

by

us

and

laid

them

upon

his

own

body.

We

must

know

Christ

to be

wrapped

in our

sins,

in our

curse,

in our

death

and in

all

our

evils

as he

is

wrapped

in our

flesh

and

blood.

Whatever

sins

I,

you,

or we

all have

done

or shall

do

hereafter,

they

are

Christ's

own

sins

or

else

I

would

perish

forever.

If

Christ

be

made

guilty

of

all

the

sins

which

we

all

have

committed

then

we

are

delivered

from

all

sins

but

not

by

ourselves

not

by our

own

works

and

merits

but

by

him.

That

is

good

news.

Not

advice

to live

a better

way.

This

is what

Christ

has

done

for

us.

But

even

better

this

is

only

half

the

message.

Look

at

let's

read

verse

21

again.

God

made

him

who

had

no

sin

to

be

sin

for

us.

Here's

the

second

half

of

the

message.

So

that

in

Christ

we

might

become

the

righteousness

of

God.

If

we

are

in

Christ

if

we

have

entrusted

our

life

to

Christ

we

have

been

covered

and

clothed

in the

beauty

and the

purity

of

Christ.

We

are

no

longer

seen

by

God

as a

reckless

sinner

but

now

a

reconciled

son

with

access

to

God

the

Father

and

adopted

into

God's

family.

We

can

put it

this

way.

Christ

is

treated

as we

deserve

to be

treated

so that

by faith

in Christ

we are

treated

as Christ

deserves

to be

treated.

Let me

say that

again.

Christ

has been

treated

as we

deserve

to be

treated

so that

by faith

in Christ

we

are

treated

as

Christ

deserves

to be

treated.

How

else

can we

be

reconciled?

How

else

can our

relationship

with God

be

restored?

Well

Christ

takes

my

sin

and

gives

me

his

righteousness.

This

is a

message

that

reconciled

Luther,

it

reconciled

Zamperini,

it

reconciled

those prison

guards and

it's the

message that

reconciled

you and

me and

can reconcile

the world

to God.

One

more.

God

urges us

not to

waste

his

reconciliation.

reconciliation.

God

urges us

not to

waste

his

reconciliation.

Chapter

6

verse 1

As

God's

fellow

workers

we

urge you

not to

receive

God's

grace

in vain.

As we've

walked through

the text

God's

grace has

been seen

in two

ways.

First

God has

reconciled

us to

himself

and

second

God

has

given

us

the

ministry

of

reconciliation.

You

cannot

have

one

without

the

other.

We

have

been

reconciled

to

God

for

the

purpose

of

being

Christ's

ambassadors.

So

verse

1

we

urge

you

we

plead

with

you

not

to

receive

God's

grace

in

vain.

Do

not

waste

the

grace

of

God

that

has

been

poured

out

on

our

lives.

Don't

just

see

God's

grace

as

your

ticket

into

heaven

and

then

go

and

live

as

we

want.

It's

so

much

more

than

that.

God's

grace

means

as we

saw

verse

17

you

are

a

new

creation.

Verse

20

entrusted

with

the

message

of

reconciliation

a

new

creation

in

Christ.

I

am

now

God's

representative

where I

live

and

you

are

God's

spokesperson

where

you

work.

God

has

reconciled

us

to

himself

so

others

can

experience

reconciliation.

Don't

waste

the

grace

that has

been

given

to you

and

here's

why.

Look

at

verse

2.

for

he

says

in

the

time

of

my

favor

literally

in

the

time

of

grace

I

heard

you

and

in

the

day

of

salvation

I

helped

you.

I

tell

you

now

is

the

time

of

God's

grace.

Now

is

the

day

of

salvation.

today

this

day

is

a

day

of

grace

the

offer

of

peace

not

hostility

the

gift

of

joy

not

fear.

Yes

Christ

is

going

to

come

again.

Quickly

look

back

at

chapter

5

verse

10.

Chapter

5

verse

10.

Christ

will

come

again

5

verse

10

for

we

must

all

appear

before

the

judgment

seat

of

Christ.

That

day

will

come

and

we

will

all

have

to

give

an

account

but

until

Christ

comes

it

is

a

time

of

grace.

Salvation

not

condemnation

reconciliation

not

judgment.

It

is a

beautiful

day

of

grace.

As

we

close

I

have

two

questions.

for

us

all

here's

the

first

question

and I

ask it

to us

all

are

you

reconciled

to

God?

Are

you

reconciled

to

God?

Today

we

can run

to God

with

all our

sin

all our

mess

all our

failures

and we

can

receive

forgiveness

and

experience

a

restored

relationship

with

God

because

of what

Christ

has

done

for

us.

Today

is a

day

of

grace.

Do

not

wait.

Run

to him

and

receive

the

welcome

of a

father.

Know

his

forgiveness

and

enjoy

a

relationship

with

him.

Here's

the second

question.

Are

you

Christ's

ambassador?

Are

you

Christ's

ambassador?

Today

is a

day we

can go

to the

world

to where

we live

the places

we work

with the

message

of

reconciliation

a

message

of

what

God

has

done

in

Christ

for

us

that

we

can

become

a

new

creation.

We

can

have

a

fresh

start.

We

can

be

restored

to

God

and

have

an

eternity

to

look

forward

to.

We

can

go

because

today

is a

day

of

grace.

Look

at the

end

of

verse

two.

I

tell

you

now

right

now

is the

time

of

God's

grace.

Now

today

this

week

as we

disperse

into our

communities

into our

families

into our

work

now

is a

day of

salvation.

Let us

not waste

the grace

of God

to us.

Let's

pray

together.

Father,

you have

indeed

been

gracious

to us

and you

have

reached

down

through

your

son

and

made

it

possible

for

us

to

be