Opening Prayer

Colossians 1:21–23 ESV

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Do you truly know who you are?

Who We Were...

The problem has a number of dimensions as to who we once were (and strive against):

1. It is a humanity problem. No one is above the rest of the pack in having some special nugget of truth. Genesis 3:1-7.

Genesis 3:1–7 NASB95

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

2. It is a cultural problem. Every culture under heaven has been tainted by the sinfulness of humanity. Exodus 32:7-8

Exodus 32:7–8 NASB95

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. “They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’ ”

3. It is a community problem. Every aspect of who we are as a people with shared values and customs is directly affected by our former enmity with God. Judges 2:8-10

Judges 2:8–10 NASB95

Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten. And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.

4. Its is an intimate problem. The most deafening issue is that the problem of sin is far beyond our comfort. Sin has deep roots in the heart of every man and woman. Romans 3:22-25.

Romans 3:22–25 NASB95

even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

5. Three Responses:

a. Discipleship—There is a God given conviction to surrender all we are before God, regardless of the cost. Matthew 16:13-20.

Matthew 16:13–20 NASB95

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

b. Disbelief—We have no need for God because we fool ourselves to turn a blind eye to the evidences of God. Luke 10:13-15.

Luke 10:13–15 NASB95

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, bBethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in bTyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. “But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades!

c. Indifference—Yes, there is a God, I may even believe in God, but he is far off and there is no hurry to do as He commands, or to accomplish His charge in my life. Acts7:51-53.

Acts 7:51–53 NASB95

“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

BUT God’s Son has made those who repent and believe into something more...

Who We Are...

In the same breath Paul now points out the transition of our plight to whom God has made us by the power of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Risen Jesus Christ:

1. Jesus takes the reproach. Where Adam falls by the powerless and cowardice wrought by sin, Jesus stands as the path to to intimacy with God. 1 John 2:1-3.

1 John 2:1–3 NASB95

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

2. We are part of God’s redeeming plan. As we are revived from sin, our old affections are put to death, while God gives us joy through new affections that focus on, and magnify Him. Acts 1:8.

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

3. We belong to a new community. As Jesus reconciles us to God we are no longer orphans, exiles left to die. We are now a part of a people. We are a new royal priesthood, adopted children of the Living God, coheirs of God Almighty. Hebrews 4:15-16.

Hebrews 4:15–16 NASB95

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

4. We are intimately loved. Each one among us is, or has been a rebel and the work Jesus accomplished through His birth, life, suffering, death, and resurrection has removed the stain of sin. While in times past we were destined to damnation by sin, through the reconciliation of the cross and the resurrection we stand before God as blameless, under the crimson flow of Calvary’s cross. 1 Peter 4:7-8.

1 Peter 4:7–8 NASB95

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Do you know who you truly are? Do you know where you are meant to be?

On Whom We Are...

1. It is more than a philosophy. Christianity is more than a worldview, or a set of objective foundational convictions. It is more than a way to perceive and carry out life.

2. It is more than religion. Religion is not bad, as many would make it. Religion in itself is a set of believes that guides one’s beliefs. We stand on more than a set of religious traditions or practices, which are empty when left to their own ends and devices.

3. It is more than a moral code. Morality is neither good or bad, it is what each person makes of it. That is why morality outside of the Christian faith leads to all sorts of misguided actions and beliefs. Look at the lives of leaders whose sole moral authority was the best outcome for their situations (Mao, Stalin, Hitler, etc.).

4. It is about the true foundation. The solid stance for all Christians is the person, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not Mary, the apostles, the church fathers, denominations, or your favorite pastor(s). Our rootedness is the one that reconciles us to God as His perpetual ministry.

Do you know who you really are in Christ? Do you know your place in God’s redeeming work?

Where Our Hearts Struggle For...

1. Our hearts struggle for relationship. Because you and I are spiritually bankrupt we seek ways to restore our value. The only One who can restore us is King Jesus, God’s perfect Son. In the reconciliation we receive we are made sons, daughters, and missionaries for Jesus Christ. Mark 5:24-34.

Mark 5:24–34 NASB95

And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

2. Our souls are striving to eternity. The world that we sense and experience daily is but a shadow of eternal realities. Our very act of living is both a result of God’s grace and an act of continual worship on our part. When we surrender to God’s Kingship over everything we are experiencing eternity inside time and space. We are either God’s or we are victims of Satan’s oldest lie, thinking the universe owes us something. Ecclesiastes 3:9-13.

Ecclesiastes 3:9–13 NASB95

What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

3. Our minds contend for truth. Satan, the World, our minds, and the voices around us position themselves to give us “truth” to understand the world, but in our reconciliation we are given one truth that has remarkable and lasting effects. The Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, disclose the truth that all truth is founded on—Jesus Christ is the only way to God Almighty. When Jesus said that he is “The Way, The Truth, and the Life,” he did not use it lightly, as to make a potent argument. Jesus is truth, everything else is either a reflection of that truth or a blatant lie. John 18:33-38.

John 18:33–38 NASB95

Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.

4. Our Hands long for purposeful work. The Christian faith is more than a call to eternal life, it is a call to eternal worship. Worship is, at its core expression, to encourage and exhort others to magnify God. Whether in our family life, our work, our leisure, our suffering, and our dismaying, everything is purposed to be a platform for the Gospel to reach others for Jesus Christ. In our reconciliation to God we are given the highest calling, to serve God by sharing the Word and work of God’s word in our lives with those who will hear. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12.

2 Thessalonians 3:10–12 NASB95

For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.

As it scopes in from humanity to individual means, the focus of it all leads beyond us.

Stop being a pew warmer; a back door critic, or a penny watcher. Study the Word, Serve alongside the saints and pastors, share the good news with all who will hear as God provides opportunity. If you are reconciled then we have much to celebrate and we have work to do for God’s glory and not our own.

John 3:16-20 testifies to the need for reconciliation, Dear ones.

Do you know Him? Have you surrendered to King Jesus?

If you have not repented of your sins and pledged your life to King Jesus, do so today, because tomorrow is not promised. Do it now, because if you wait until his return reconciliation will no longer be available.

A King and Kingdom of Reconciliation