The Ministry Of
Reconciliation
Intro: Have you
ever wondered Why am I here? What is my purpose for Living? What Is God’s Plan
for my life ? What am I to be doing?
A)I would venture to say that all of us at one time
or another have wondered such things
B) Well in our Passage today – Paul answers the questions – why am I am here & what does God have for me
– at least in a general sense
C) After talking about Heaven / And After stating his
Primary Motive for living & for ministry [v.14
The Love of Christ]
1)
And
After stating in v.16,17 the way that he seeks to view people – Know no man after the flesh – [In Christ or out of Christ]
D) In Christ – New Creation – old things have passed
away – all things have become new –
E) After all of that Paul shares what our approach is to be for those who are outside of Christ – those who don’t Know the Lord –
1) And in the Process
shares about TWO KEY DOCTRINES of the Bible –
The Doctrine of Reconciliation & the
Doctrine of Imputation {RD V18-21
Now
Paul mentions here a ministry that all of us have been called to:
the Ministry of Reconciliation
Today
: Note 5 things that Paul points out about this great ministry
A)1st note
that this ministry comes to us from God/
it originates w/ him
18 Now all things are of
God,
B)Paul wants the
Corinthian Christians & us to know that he is writing of things that are of God, not of man.
C) This work of being a new creation and our eternal destiny are works of God, not something we have to earn and achieve.
18
Now all things are of God who has
reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the
word of reconciliation.
A)There is a Universal
problem today that people have: – One of poor self worth & Poor self image{
B) Listen close/ [especially those sensitive to Psycho Babble] Hear my
point – I think you will understand what I am saying
1) The problem with
people everywhere is they have no security, no sense of acceptance, no sense of
worth. Everybody has a poor self-image.
C) Even the most
beautiful / engaging & self sufficient & Self Confident People struggle in this area –
D) All their self
confidence & Pride is really a cover up/ Because Deep inside they know they are really scared, frustrated &
empty
1) Deep inside they know that something is not right /
Yet they pretend that they are in control & able to handle everything
E) And they venture into
all sorts of thing to improve their sense of self worth / to build up their
self esteem
1) But the real Reason
that People don’t feel Right is because they are not Right w/ God
They
feel an alienation/ estrangement in their hearts - They are Alienated from God.
A) And The thing that
they need the most is to get right w/ God – to be
reconciled to God !!!
B) Started in the Garden Adam Sinned Because of man’s sin & rebellion he
has been alienated from God – alienated from his Creator & designer
1) Alienated from His life Source – Alienated from the
one who established the purpose for his existence –
C) And
every man after Adam has inherited that same Problem – because we have been
infected w/ a disease called sin
1) It is in our nature to
Rebel
D) So man is wandering
around searching longing – Purpose – why am I here – I’ll try this / I’ll try
that
1) Never reaching lasting – satisfaction – fulfillment
– Problem is they need to start at the ROOT ISSUE – I need to be RIGHT W/ GOD
E) Which is the basic
problem – that we have w/ Psychology – it moves
from the Premise – we need to do something to fix you
1) Something to make you
feel Better about yourself – When in reality the real need is to fix your
Relationship w/ God { Need to be Reconciled to God
The
basic meaning of the word reconcile is “to change thoroughly.” And It
refers to a changed relationship between God and the lost world.
A)Man ruined the
relationship w/ God by sinning & rebelling But God would seek to fix it /
God would seek to make it right
B) And in v.18a we are
told that The Person who reconciles us to God is Jesus Christ, and the place
where He reconciles us is His cross.
C) Thru his work on the
Cross – Christ has made a way for Man & God to come together again : To be
Reconciled
But Notice how Paul puts this in v.19a
A)God was
in Christ reconciling the world to Himself: Through the cross, God the Father was working IN & WITH God the Son, reconciling the world to Himself.
B) The Father and the Son
worked together on the cross.-At some point
before Jesus died, before the veil was torn in two,
1)before Jesus cried out it is finished, an awesome spiritual
transaction took place.
C) The Father lay upon the Son
all the guilt and wrath our sin deserved, and Jesus bore it in Himself
perfectly, totally satisfying the wrath of God for us.
1) The Father
Punished His Beloved Son in order to save you & to save me!
D) At that Moment the Father became estranged &
Alienated from His Son whom He had always been together w/ { My God …… Me }Sons
perspective
1) Ever lose your Child – Sick feeling inside
– Fathers perspective – Broke his heart
E) On the cross, Jesus became, as it were, an enemy of
God, who was judged and forced to drink the cup of the Father’s fury,
1) so we would not have
to drink that cup.
This whole plan originated w/ them – The Son would
die /the Father would Judge -
A) Even as Jesus was
being punished as if He were a sinner, He was performing the most holy service
unto God the Father ever offered.
B) This is why Isa. would
say, Yet it
pleased the Lord to bruise Him{53:10
C) In and of itself, the
suffering of the Son did not please the Father. But as it accomplished the work of reconciling
a lost world to Himself,
1) So in that sense it
was completely pleasing to God the Father.
D) This is the Doctrine of Reconciliation – man was separated from God man was alienated from God – God did something about it
1) The Father & the Son working together to make a
way for RESTORATION TO take place
Which
leads us to consider another Key doctrine mentioned in this section – The
Doctrine of Imputation
A)v.19 Paul says – God did not impute our trespasses
against us & in v.21 – he Paul declares
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
B) Imputation.
is a word borrowed from banking; it simply means “to put to one’s account.”
1) When you deposit money in the bank, the computer (or
the clerk) puts that amount to your account, or to your credit.
C) When Jesus died on the
cross, all of our sins were imputed to Him—put to His account.
1) He was treated by God
as though He had actually committed those sins.
D) The result? For those
who put their Faith in Christ:
1) All of those sins have
been paid for and God no longer holds them against us, because we have trusted
Christ as our Savior.
E) But even more: God has put to our account the very righteousness
of Christ!
1) Imagine Prince &
the Pauper [modern day terms] Pauper huge debt – Prince Enormous wealth – trade
Places – { In a sense Jesus did w/ us
SO
Reconciliation is based on imputation:
A)Because the demands of
God’s holy Law have been fully met on the cross, God can be reconciled to
sinners.
B) Those who believe on
Jesus Christ as their Savior will never have their sins imputed against them
again
1) As far as their
records are concerned, they share the righteousness of JC
C) There is a lovely
illustration of this truth in the little letter Paul wrote to his friend
Philemon. Philemon’s slave, Onesimus ………
1) Paul wrote the Letter to Philemon to encourage his
friend to forgive Onesimus and receive him home.
D)“Receive him as myself,” wrote Paul & if he owes you anything
put that on my account” Charge it to me
1) Paul was willing to
pay the bill [have it added to his account]
so that Onesimus and Philemon could be reconciled.
This
really is the Message of the Gospel : [the Good news of JC] Paul calls it in
v.19b the Word of Reconciliation
A) Man can be reconciled to God – thru the work JC
B) When a person places their faith in JC – their Sins are imputed to Christ - & His righteousness is imputed to you
1) There is finally a Way
for men to be Right & to Feel Right – It is in being Reconciled to God
So
the first thing we want to note is that the Ministry of Reconciliation
originates w/ God & the work has been done by God
A)2nd thing to Note is that it is available to all – v.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world – Not the elect / not the chosen / not his favorites
B) Not The Jews / Not the
Americans – No it says the world – John 3:16 For God so loved the World – {Mike
Rozell – God so loved Lucy ….
C) So 2ndly – The Ministry is for the World at Large { The
message from God is Reconciliation is Possible
3rd
The Ministry Of Reconciliation has been committed to us
A)V.18 – Paul says that we have been given this ministry of Reconciliation
B) God has entrusted us w/ the Privilege of sharing this great Message that men can be Reconciled to God !!!!!
1) You can be reconciled to God – You can be made right w/ God
C) In v.20 Paul uses a very descriptive term– Ambassadors:
1) An Ambassador is one who serves in a foreign land
as the representative of a King{ In our case this world is the foreign land{
Our King is Jesus
Now An
ambassador does not speak to please his audience, but the King who sent
him.
A)An ambassador does not
speak on his own authority; his own opinions or demands mean little. He simply
says what he has been commissioned to say
B) But
an ambassador is more than a messenger; he is also a representative, & the
honor & reputation of his country are in his hands
Now
In the Roman Empire, during the time that Paul was writing there were 2 kinds of provinces: senatorial
provinces and imperial provinces.
A)The senatorial
provinces were made up of people who were peaceful and not at war with Rome.
They had surrendered and submitted.
B) But the imperial provinces
were not peaceful; they were dangerous because they would rebel against Rome if
they could.
1)It was necessary for
Rome to send ambassadors to the imperial provinces to make sure that rebellion
did not break out.
C) Since Christians in
this world are the ambassadors of Christ, this means that the world is in
rebellion against God.
1) This world is an “imperial province” as far as God
is concerned.
D) But He has sent His
ambassadors into the world to declare peace, not war. 1) To declare “Be reconciled to
God!” And to Represent
accurately Our King – Who loves lost sinners { Hates sin but loves the Sinner
Remember
God has not declared war on the world; at the cross He declared peace.
A)Now one day, He will
declare war; and then it will be too late for those who have rejected the
Savior
B) And Satan is seeking
to tear everything apart in this world, but Christ in & thru His church is
involved in the ministry of reconciliation,
1) bringing things back together again, and back to
God.
C) Which explains the
word of urgency Paul shares in v. 20 we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be
reconciled to God.
The
word Pleading means Strongly urging – Petitioning / Begging / not taking no for
an answer !!! Please be reconciled to God
A)Someone rejects your message / they are not rejecting you – they are rejecting Christ – Don’t give up to easily
B) OK YOU WANT TO GO TO HELL –
FINE – GO THEN !!!
1) We move on – Don’t Pray – plead be persistent
C) We don't command them
to be saved. We don't condemn them. We plead with them to turn and respond to a
God of love."
What a Beautiful picture that Paul paints here of the almighty God pleading w/ Men – to turn from sin / turn to Him
A)The Creator & Sustainer of the Universe pleading with guilty men and women to turn and be
forgiven.
B) Reminds me of the
words of Jesus in Matt 25:37 looking
over the city of Jerusalem: "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen
gathers her Chicks under her wings, But you were not willing !!!
C) Listen is that the Story of your life today: Not
saved – Has the God of Love & Grace been calling out to you { pleading w/
you – Come to me
1) Be reconciled to me by surrendering your heart to the work of my son
D) But you are not willing – [Sad day] – God’s heart
Breaks
E) Or Christian in the mist of trials &
difficulties – God has been calling Come unto me weary heavy laden – Rest
–
1)
But you haven’t come – haven’t surrendered that area of trouble to the
Lord – Submitted your heart – { Looking elsewhere for fulfillment
4th and Final point
– The Message involves a Voluntary acceptance
A)How ? Two things
are involved – Admitting & Embracing
B) Starts by admitting we
are Wrong [ Sinners] which can be so hard for some people – FONZY
C) Have you ever noticed
how sensitive we are about whether people think we are right or not? Let
somebody accuse you & what do you start doing?
1) You start justifying yourself, don't you? And
justifying is the word for righteousness in the Bible.
D) You start saying, "Well, I did it because of this," or, "Well,
this is what I had in mind. I think I was right in doing that."
1) We long to be right. Everybody does.
But if
reconciliation is going to happen it starts w/ admitting that we are Not right
that we are Wrong – that we have sinned
A)It starts by not making
excuses for our actions but in taking responsibility for our actions
B) What is true of our
relationship w/ God is also true in our Relationships w/ others –
Reconciliation starts when we own up to our Sin !!!!
1) So it starts w/ an admission
that we are Wrong
C) 2ndly It is obtained by embracing what God has done & what He is
offering
1)We are not commanded to
do the work of reconciliation between us and God.
D) He has done the work;
it is merely ours to embrace and receive. He doesn’t say Reconcile yourselves
He says Be reconciled “
1) Yield to the grasp of those hands which were nailed to the
cross for you.” (Spurgeon)