2 Cor 5_17_21 The Message of Reconcilliation EBC 10_15_2020

2 Cor. 5:17-21 The Message of Reconciliation

During the revolutionary war there lived in Ephrata Pennsylvania a pastor by the name of Peter Miller. Although Miller was greatly loved by everyone in the community, there was one man who lived near the church who hated him and had earned a distasteful reputation for his abuse of the minister. This man was not only a hater of the church, but also turned out to be a traitor to his country and was convicted of treason and sentenced to death.

The trial was conducted in Philadelphia, and no sooner did Miller hear of it than he set out on foot to visit General George Washington and interceded for the man’s life. But Washington told him, “I’m sorry that I cannot grant your request for your friend.” Friend! Miller cried. “Why that man is the worst enemy I have in the world!” “What?” the general exclaimed in surprise. “Have you walked sixty miles to save the life of an enemy? That in my judgment, puts the matter in a different light. I will grant him a pardon for your sake.”

The pardon was made out and signed by General Washington, and Miller proceeded at once on foot to a place fifteen miles distant where the execution was scheduled to take place that afternoon. He arrived just as the man was being carried to the scaffold, and when he saw Miller hurrying toward the place, remarked. “There is old Peter Miller. He has walked all the way from Ephrata to have his revenge gratified today by seeing me hung.” But scarcely spoken the words when Miller pushed his way through to the condemned man and handed him the pardon that saved his life.

CPS: As Pastor Peter Miller interceded for someone who had wronged him and hated Him. Jesus intercedes for those who hated Him and brought a pardon made out and signed with His blood. And as Pastor Peter carried this message of the man’s pardon we carry the message of Jesus’ pardon.

The Great Change Vs. 17-18

By grace through faith in Christ Jesus you have received a newness of life, saved from the “NOOSE OF SIN” and pardoned from your hostilities against The Holy God. By grace through faith you have been given a new identity, you are no longer a sinner but a saint. Where did this come from? The great love of God who reconciled us through the death, burial and resurrection of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus.

What does it mean to be reconciled? (3X) Reconciled (Past Tense) become restored to favorable or friendly relations with another after a presumed wrong. I was once an enemy of God but now by grace through faith I am a friend of God. What about you?

If you have been reconciled to God it is nothing you did, but what God did by bringing a pardon to earth. This is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ. We were on the scaffold of justice, condemned to die a traitors death but the very one whom we sinned against, came from heaven to issue a pardon and to restore us as friends and children of God. We owe Him so much, a debt that we can never pay, he gave us life when we deserved death.

In Feb, 2006 on a country road between Dyersburg TN and Paducah KY I entered into a new life. I, a ragged old dilapidated building was bought by the Blood of Jesus and the old me was torn down and a new me was created on the very site where the old me once stood.

Illustration: London businessman Lindsay Clegg tells the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty 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. “Forget about the repairs,” the buyer said. “When I buy this place, I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site.

Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the wrecking ball. When we become God’s, the old life is over (2 Cor. 5:17). He makes all things new. All he wants is the site and the permission to build

Have you been pardoned? Have you been bought by the blood of Jesus? Has he begun to build on that old piece of dirt that was once you? Does your life reflect THE GREAT CHANGE that comes along with the pardon?

You can’t make the Great Change yourself, only God can change you by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone.

The Great Plea vs. 18-20

I’m here this morning to tell you that God loves you and wants to restore you to a wonderful relationship with Himself. He cries out through the saints “be reconciled to God,” are you reconciled to God?

Take a inward look at your heart, are you standing on the scaffold of justice with the hangman’s noose around your neck for the rebellion against God that all men/women/and children are guilty of? Is the trap door about to break loose while men watch you plunge into your last breath and a sinner hells?

It doesn’t have to be that way! You see Peter Miller brought a pardon, signed in ink by the commanding officer of the U.S. Army, George Washington, the only person who had the authority to spare the life of a traitor. But, there is a greater pardon for a greater sin, against a greater kingdom, signed with the blood of the creator Himself, Christ Jesus my Lord!

There is a great plea, a plea from God that’s cries out, you don’t have to die you can have life. Not just any life but life everlasting! As Peter Miller became the Ambassador of General Washington the Saints of God (believers) are ambassadors of Christ.

What does it mean to be an Ambassador - To act as an authorized representative of one sovereign ruler or country to another. If you have been reconciled to God then you are automatically a representative of the King of Kings and Lord of Lord. You are representative of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and you have a message entrusted to you, the very message that saved you, the pardon that came just at the right time hand delivered by a servant of Christ Jesus.

What is this Message – Reconciliation

Notice in vs. 18b, the tense of Reconciliation… (Present Tense) it is here and now. Active in the world and it has always been active and in the present regardless of the age. From the fall of humanity God set forth a redeemer, a redeemer for Adam and Eve and every person that has lived after. His name is Jesus.

Here is that message… ‘World you can’t live a good life, you are not a good person when compared to the standards of God. You deserve death and death is what you will get. All though you must die physically you don’t have to die spiritually. God has sent a redeemer, He has glory and dominion in heaven but he left it to sacrifice Himself on a cross so that you may be made right before Holy God, SO YOUR TRESSPASSES WILL NOT BE HELD AGAINST YOU!”

How is this Message received

By Grace through faith in Jesus this message can be applied to your account and the blood of Jesus will pardon you of sin and remove you from the scaffold of a traitors death.

What is the Scope of this message – the Whole Word

World – Cosmos – All of the created order. Every man, woman, and child of every nation across the whole earth is the scope of this message. It is a message of equality in a day where people are screaming and fighting for “equality.” We are all equal in the eyes of God. We are all equally sinners deserving of death and in need of reconciliation and we can all equally participate in redemption.

What is the Intensity of this message – a plea THE GREAT PLEA!

Beseech – Implore, urge. God is calling out through His redeemed saints “Get reconciled” an undeserved message for a undeserving people from a loving God who knows best and wants you to be in the correct relationship with Him! Not hostile and rebellious but pardoned and made new.

The Great Exchange vs. 21

The Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death. Because sin came justice must come, because God is just as just and righteous and He loves. Do you understand what I’m saying? There must a penalty to satisfy God’s wrath on sin. This penalty will take place in one of two ways, either on the person of sin or on the person of God.

Exchange on the cross

Jesus took my place 2000 years ago, it should have been me nailed to the cross, but instead my sin nailed Him to the cross. He exchanged places with me in the wrath of God. I should have to endure God’s vengeful wrath but instead Jesus endured it for me! By Grace through faith He has endured it for you! There is no need to suffer the wrath of God, Jesus has done it for you with every stroke of the cat-o-nine tail, with every hammer of nail, and every second that he was suspended between heaven and hell on that scandalous cross of Calvary! HE TOOK MY PLACE!

Exchange in position

By Jesus taking my place he gave me His place. My standing before Holy God is no longer sinner but righteous. This is the GREAT EXCHANGE! He took my sin and imputed to me His righteousness, my sin for His sinless perfection in the eyes of God.

No one is righteous on his own account but anyone can be made righteous through the message of God. By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone God no longer sees the sin but the blood of Jesus which covers our all our sin.

Conclusion: Everyone stands in need of a pardon, as Peter Miller handed the pardon of his enemy to the executer we bare the pardon of God that brings peace with God and everlasting life.

What does this mean to you? Perhaps you need to receive the pardon today, you can do so now, The Bible says to confess and repent of your sin, tell God of your hostility and then throw it away with the trash while confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead for you!

Perhaps you saints need to recognize and embrace the responsibility that God has entrusted to you. He pleads to the whole earth be reconciled with Him! When was the last time you told someone of this message of redemption? W are not all called to the task of pastor, preacher, teacher, but we all have been called to be bearers of the Great Message of God and bear in our hands the Pardon of sin that leads to eternal life in Christ Jesus.