From Glitz to Grey
Notes
Transcript
I assume that everyone here has been around little kids at Christmas time. I know, we just went through easter, so we really shouldn’t be talking about Christmas. However, it fits, just go with me.
All those presents are under the Christmas tree. The kids have been itching to open them. Finally, the morning comes, there is ripping of paper, oohs, and ahs, giggles and gasps of amazing. Wrapping paper is flying. Toy parts are miraculously not being lost as kids are endeavoring to put everything together.
Invariably, one present will stand out above the rest as the premiere prize from that morning’s hall. The rest of the stuff is nice, but this! This is earth shattering.
For about a week, if we are lucky.
Then what happens after that week? The toy gets lost, or broken, or just loses that glimmer, that spark, it get relegated to the spot. Maybe you have a box, or bin, or the never-ending abyss under the bed, whatever it is: it is the spot where toys go which have lost their excitement.
Kids do this all time.
And truthfully, adults do this to, and not just with toys. We do it with decisions, priorities, relationships, lifestyles.
We make a decision to change to be something better, and we are excited for about a week, or two, or a month. And then, the excitement wears off and we are like the Israelites leaving Israel:
Do you remember what it was like back there? We had everything we needed. We had three meals a day, steady work with job security. It was great!
Oh, yeah, about the whipping and the chains, we’ll forget about that.
We want to go back to what was, because we lost the newness of what is.
Unfortunately, the Christian life is just like this. We see the shiny new things that God offers. We see the joy that comes from freedom from bondage… But then the newness wears off, and we forget what God offers, and we turn back to what was.
Let’s see where we have been, shall we?
We are powerless
God has the power
We must trust Him in faith
We must make a fearless moral inventory
We must be people who confess
We must be people who repent
We must be people who follow
We must be people who forgive
We must be people who make amends
We must continue
We must seek intimacy.
As we think about the life that God called us to, as we pursue that life, we begin to experience regeneration, what it experientially means to be born again. A new life.
But unfortunately, with something that is new, we tend to lose the awe of it.
Let’s read our passage:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
Pray
Today we are going to see three news: 1) New Identity; 2) New Relationship; and 3) New Work.
1. A New Identity
1. A New Identity
Paul says that we have a new identity:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Our identity is being a creation of God.
God is the one who steps into broken and chaos and creates something beautiful.
It’s what he did at the beginning of time.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
And so, the 6 days of creation went. God bringing order to the chaos. God bringing good out of what others might have said was nothingness, or worthlessness.
Every day, commenting: it was good.
We know that sin entered the world. Such a passive way of saying that humanity willingly chose to sin.
And that sin defined us.
Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
We were doomed to sin, resulting in our condemnation.
That is our identity as those who sin. Which has completely messed up this world. Why do bad things happen in this world, because this world is broken because of our sin.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Our identity before Christ is a sinner. And we live according to that identity. We have the free will to do what our identity is: sin.
But, once we turn to Jesus, God brings us into his workshop, the creator at work again, and he makes us into something new.
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
So, what is our struggle? What is our sin? What is our addiction? That thing doesn’t have to define us anymore.
There is no shame in our past, because Jesus died to take away that shame?
How do I know?
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
We do not have to hang our head down anymore. We do not have to apologize about our past. It has become a monument to the saving power of Jesus Christ.
Does that mean we glory in our past? No, we glory in Christ. There are some people who make such a big deal about what they have been saved from that people remember more about their past than about Christ.
Christ deserves all glory.
Not only is there no shame in our past anymore, but there is power in the present.
Because if we have a new identity, we can live differently.
Remember, we have the free will to live according to our identity.
An elephant cannot be a bird, and a fish cannot be a cow. In the same way, a lost sinner cannot be righteous.
But, when we are created as new creations, the old being gone and the new here, we have a new identity and we have the ability to live according to that identity.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
New life! Regeneration. A new start.
Paul says that we have a new identity.
2. A New Relationship
2. A New Relationship
Paul says that we have a new relationship.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
We discussed this several weeks ago, when we saw that we were created to have an intimate relationship with our Creator. Unfortunately, we broke that relationship because of our sin.
Thankfully, Christ came to restore that relationship.
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
Reconciliation:
“The practice of resolving differences or arguments. this pertains to mending broken social relationships.”
Well, it also pertains to mending a relationship with our creator.
Do you remember the verse that we studied for our intimacy talk? We must seek intimacy?
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
We get to live life, wallowing in the blessings of that relationship.
How do we do that?
Well, we talked about the spiritual disciplines that we work on, daily, weekly, and seasonally. We talked about Bible study, prayer, worship, confession, silence, fellowship, solitude, and fasting. And there are so much more! If you want to borrow some resources, just let me know!
How else do we pursue that relationship?
Well, I love the quote in Chariots of Fire by Eric Liddell: When I run I feel his pleasure. (49 seconds)
We pursue the relationship by using the gifts and talents he has given us for good. Oh, we can use these gifts and talents for bad.
God has given be the ability to talk well and to think up creative ideas around problems. I see a mountain that other people would shrink away from, and I say: we can do it. And then I do it.
I was working for my college’s dining services. And I needed a key that I was not qualified to get. However, no one on my shift was qualified to get it. So, I called up adminstration and let them know that I was a manager (which was true, but I wasn’t the level of manager necessary) and that I was sending Peter Sample to pick up the key.
Technically, not the most honest thing to do. That is a talent not used in the right way.
But, when we use our talents and our spiritual gifts, we sense God’s pleasure. And we are pursuing that relationship. We feel it strengthen.
We also pursue that relationship with his people, the church. As we invest in a church body, we grow in our relationship with God. I got to know Maggie so much better once I got to know her family.
And, when I met Nancy, I knew what I was getting myself into. And for some strange reason, I did not run away.
The same is true with God. If we want to pursue a relationship with God, we must pursue a relationship with his family.
Now, whenever there is a new, there is always an old.
Our new relationship is with Christ.
Our old relationship was with the world.
If we are to pursue our new relationship with Christ, we are called to put off the old relationship.
Paul writes about it this way:
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
I heard a speaker a few weeks ago talking about her children, and I looked back on moments of my own life and saw the truth.
She said that our children loved the world too much. Unfortunately, Christ and the world do not go together. We can either seek a relationship with Christ, or we can seek a relationship with the world.
We cannot do both. We have to decide who we want to pursue. It’s like the college boy who wants a girlfriend at college and one at home. It doesn’t work. He’s got to pick.
We have to decide who we are going to pursue. Christ or the world.
But, there are blessings with Christ.
“We know we are loved because the creator of the universe loves us.
We know we have a purpose because he created us on purpose, for a purpose.
We see ourselves differently and act differently.
We are freed from fear.
He takes care of our needs.
We are given his guidance.
We are protected from evil.
We are set free from addictions and behaviors that weigh us down.
We experience peace.”
The new relationship we have with Christ is truly amazing.
3. A New Work
3. A New Work
But, we can’t just remain in the nice warm and fuzzies. Not only do we have a new identity and a new relationship, but we have a new work:
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
Did you catch this? God reconciled us to himself and then sent us to imitate him to the world.
Jesus said it this way:
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
This is the verse that followers of Jesus just love not to remember. Life is so much easier to live if we don’t consider this one.
Just as Jesus had a ministry of reconciliation, so we are to have a ministry of reconciliation.
This occurs in two ways:
A. Proclamation
A. Proclamation
First, we proclaim the reconciliation of God. The minute we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we have a purpose in this life. And that purpose does not stop until God takes us out of this life.
That purpose is to proclaim reconciliation with God.
I admit, I don’t do enough of this, but I am starting to force myself to. Every day that we live is a gift, because we get to live it with the creator of the universe by our side. We have a relationship with him that gives us so many blessings. We have a new identity, so that we are not defined by our shameful past anymore but by our savior.
That’s pretty amazing!
But, your best friend may not have that gift. Your mother, your brother, your husband, the person who cuts your hair, the cashier at the store, the person who sits next you in church.
The majority of the world does not have that gift.
3 out of every 4 people in Antelope County do not have that gift.
How did Paul say it?
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
That preaching is not Sunday morning behind a pulpit preaching. That preaching is a proclamation, a telling of truth, through conversation.
He has given you the ministry of reconciliation. To bring the amazing gift that you have and present in as many ways as possible through your conversations with friends and strangers.
If we truly understand the gift that we’ve been given in a new identity and a new relationship, we wouldn’t hide it, but we would share it with everyone.
B. Exemplification
B. Exemplification
Not only is this ministry of reconciliation done through proclamation, but it is done through exemplification.
I just had to use that word. It’s not very often that one gets to use exemplification in conversation. My challenge to Brook is for him to use exemplification in one of his editorial columns.
Cambridge gives us the definition of that monstrous word: the act of giving an example of something.
Remember what Jesus said? As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.
Jesus wrought reconciliation between two estranged parties: the creator of the universe and those who refused to follow him.
We are called to imitate that, to look at the relationships around us and to do the same, to do the verse that we studied a month ago:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
We are to seek reconciliation. We discussed 2 steps of reconciliation: Forgiving and making amends. However, we can do both acts and still not be reconciled.
Reconciliation is an agreement between people that debts are settled. Full reconciliation requires that both agree about their wrongs and both take the necessary steps to repair the damage. Nothing more is owed for past sin and past sin does not prevent a healthy relationship in the future.
This is a hard process, requiring honesty, humility, and grace.
And truly, left to ourselves, we would not seek reconciliation. But, God calls us to, and he provides the wrecking ball to break down what is between us and the glue to cement us together.
As Paul said:
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
What is our role in that process?
Remember Love:
Love is the goal. Deal with our side of the relationship before confronting another’s sin. Remember to forgive and make amends.
Only God can open people’s eyes and change hearts. So pray and seek godly counsel.
Voice the truth. Do not dismiss, excuse or minimize sin’s damage.
Be an example of Christ’s love to others. Extend God’s kindness and mercy. Be willing to establish a new relationship if someone repents. Be willing to change unhealthy relationships.
We have truly been given an amazing gift, in a new identity, new relationship, and new work. As we embrace this newness, we experience the regeneration, new life, that Christ earned on that cross.
May we not forget, or get used to this newness, but may we wake up every morning in awe of it. As we live our regeneration, we will slowly see our sins and addictions fall to the wayside.
To Him be glory for the work he has done and will do.