Now is the time (2)

Reconciliation

Which may best described as a repaired relationship between persons or groups that formerly were at odds.

There have been an efforts by God to reconcile himself with man but to no avail. The sin of Adam remained. That sin that separated man from God. That which man yearned for and was never able to achieve , that oneness with God. You see sin separates God from man.

And man no matter how hard he tries will sin.

Abraham as great as he was , and he who was the father of faith sinned.

Moses , the giver of the law ,champion of the people. the great law giver, the great liberator, the one who spoke to God one on one , even he sinned.

David , the poet, writer of psalms, David the great King,

David the a man of God’s own heart, even David sinned.

So God remained separate from man

Abraham as great as he was could not reconcile man with God

Moses as great as he was could not reconcile man with God

David as great as he was could not reconcile Man with God.

The temple and all of its sacrifices could not reconcile man with God

The ten commandments as instructional and holy as they were could not reconcile God with man

Scripture as inspired as it is could not bring man into a right relationship with God.

Think about oil and water, when you mix them they will mix but eventually they will separate into their parts oil and water. Shake them up and for a little while they will stay together but soon they will separate into their separate parts. Abraham in his faith shook it up, but man in his sin caused a separation.

Moses shook it up from Mt Sinai, shook it up in the dessert, shook it up at the Red Sea. But eventually man sinned and the separation returned.

David shook it up when he fought Goliath, shook it up when prayed , shook it up when sang psalms but it was not enough, man was not enough.

So in order to bring God and man into a right relationship, in order to bring God and man into a repaired relationship in order to reconcile God with man , it would take more. Do you know what it would take . Not the ten commandments, not the sling shot,

not even the scriptures it would take an old ruggen cross. But not an old rugen cross alone it would take Jesus. It took Jesus , the word made flesh, it took Jesus the lamb of God, it took jesus the alpha and the Omega.

It took jesus to strip himself of the heavenly and transform into the earhtly.

It took Jesus to be born of a virgin

It took jesus to walk the dusty streets of Galilee.

It took Jesus.

And not Jesus the teacher.

When I say it took Jesus

It was not Jesus the healer

When I say it took Jesus

it was not Jesus the miracle worker.

It took Jesus the sacrifice to make things right.

It took he who was without sin, to take on the sins of the world.

God made him sin who had no sin, so that we might be righteous because of him that was righteousness

God took he who was without fault and allowed him to take the blame for for our sins to make it right.

It took Jesus to give up his life so that we might live.

Jesus sacrifice is what allowed us to have the chance to get in a right relationship with God.

If we go back to the oil and water illustration. you can shake them up and eventually they will separate.

However , if you add a little egg to the same mixture an emulsifier, it will not separate. That how you get Mayonaise. Mayo does not separate because something has been added.

The reason we now have the opportunity to be reconciled with God is that something has been added.

Something has been added , and that something is Jesus . And if you got Jesus ,if you have chosen Jesus then you can’t be separated from God.

Don’t waste the Grace

Since Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice. Since Jesus has laid down his life we ought to take advantage of the opportunity that we have been given. Jesus gives us his unmerited favor. His grace undeserved , his mercy and his blessing. you see everybody thinks that Jesus died and everybody is saved. But jesus does so that every body might be saved. But not everybody will be saved.

Everything on God’s side has been done , it is now on us

You have to choose Jesus , to accept Jesus and follow Jesus. to take advantage of Jesus’ sacrifice.

You see if you have followed Jesus , accepted Jesus and chosen Jesus then you obey Jesus. That’s when you have the new look. You know scripture says that you are a new creature in Christ. Your outlook is new. your behavior is new and your attitude is new.

That’s why I preach Jesus . I know we all have a past. everybody probably has a skeleton or two in the closet, some as they say may have a little meat still on the bones. But that is the beauty of Jesus . For that sinful past does not bar a heavenly future, that hateful past does not stop a a loving future. that dark painful night does not foreclose a joyful morning . that is why we have to accept Jesus as our savior. that is why we have to be a new person in Christ. If you fail to do that then for you his sacrifice was for nothing , for you his sacrifice was in vain. You can’t keep on sinning. you can’t keep on doing the same old things and think that you are safe. Yes I know we all fall short, but we have to actively try. repent and do better. and we must have some fruit. You know how the scripture says we know that our labor has not been in vain. Labor is fruit. I am not telling you what kind of labor , i am not telling you what kind of fruit, but it you are a disciple of Christ you should have some fruit. Not running your race in vain, not doing you labor in vain.

For this grace of God creates new men and women, with a new walk and a new direction and a new purpose.

Then we come to the most important part of the scripture for in the the second verse for it says “he says” that means a promise of God. And my God can not lie. And if he says it he will do it. Anybody here believe God ! Anybody here trust God! Anybody here standing on the promises of an on time God.

Paul repeats the same promise of God God found in Isaiah 48:9

And what does he promise? he promises to hear you but not only to hear you but to help you.

In Isaiah , he promised to restore Israel and he did.

here the promise is to reconcile with man and to hear and to help.

Have you ever been in situation when you just needed somebody to listen to you, not necessarily do anything for you but just to hear you. God says he will here you.

Jesus said it like this “

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good newsp to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

The New International Version. (2011). (Lk 4:18–19). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

I am so glad that this is the year of the Lords favor. Anybody here want to be favor by GOD

Now is the time

Paul says now is the time for God’s favor , now is the day of salvation. Right now, somebody needs to say right now! Not tomorrow for tomorrow is not promised!

There is no guaranty that tomorrow will come. Seek the Lord when he can be found. Now the Jesus I preach died rose to sit and the right hand o the father and he is coming back. Once he comes back it will be too late. Now is the time. I don’t know if he is coming back tonight or 100 years from now but I know he is coming back. And If I see what is happening in the world it looks like it be closer to tonight than a hundred years from now. And even if he is now coming back for everybody you never know when your day is up, when you have walked your last mile and breathed your last breath, so now is the time. I want to preach his grace to you

i need to preach his mercy to you. I need you to accept him now! Can you hear that is truth endureth for all generations

Can you accept that mercy is evelating

Do you know that God is good.

it is my duty to preach Jesus so that you realize that if you have not accepted him the time is now!

It is your season to be blessed.

I wasn’t there when he walked,

I wasn’t there when he healed

I wasn’t there when he died

I wasn’t there when he rose from the dead

I wasn’t there when he ascended into heaven

But all that is good news , and his grace and his mercy is good news , today is the day

God promises to hear you and to favor you but you might have to go through some stuff.

Paul suffered afflictions and distresses and troubles.

Paul suffered beatings and riots

Paul suffered sleeplessness, hard work and hunger.

but through it all, the purity of God’s message , the righteousness of God , and the Holy spirit Paul made it through. that grace and mercy kept him. member that Mayonaise we made a little earlier. It still together ,has not separated. You can beat it , shake it put it in jail but it is still together. Once you mixed a little Jesus with GOd and man it is forever. And what can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus nothing!

That same truth will keep you

that same righteousness will keep you

that same holy spirit will keep you

For the spirit brings hope

The holy spirit brings patience

The holy spirit gives endurance

There is power in the holy spirit.

Some try to dishonor you but God gives glory

poor but rich

hated yet loved

not known but famous

all the time dying but full of life

There is power in the spirit

The time is now for the Lord is now,

the time is now for the spirit is now

the time is now because jesus is now

The time is now because God is now