Your Ministry of Reconciliation

Proposition: Because Christ died to make you new, you must be a change agent for reconciliation.

Introduction:

Define Reconciliation

Misery without Reconciliation

The old hasn’t passed away; it still dominates.

Enemies of God.

Children of Wrath (Ephesians 2:3)

Judgment still coming (2 Thes 1:7-9)

Enemies of God (Romans 5:10)

Trespasses still counted.

Metamorphosis by Reconciliation

In Christ --> New Creation

Being in Christ precedes becoming a new creation.

No longer enemies of God!

New Creation! Old passed away; new has arrived.

Trespasses no longer counted.

Imputation

This is a word borrowed from banking; it simply means “to put to one’s account.” When you deposit money in the bank, the computer (or the clerk) puts that amount to your account, or to your credit. When Jesus died on the cross, all of our sins were imputed to Him—put to His account. He was treated by God as though He had actually committed those sins.

In this God, God is the reconciler. Man never makes reconciliation...The enmity between God and man, the barrier which separated them, is removed by the act of God (C. Hodge).

The glorious wonder of v. 21.

The only sense in which we are made the righteousness of God is that we are in Christ regarded and treated as righteous, & therefore the sense in which he was made sin, is that he was regarded & treated as a sinner (C. Hodge).

No more enemies; Heaven now destiny.

Mandate of Reconciliation

The Ministry

The Message

Entrusted (not entrusting) to us by God.

Initially the Apostles.

Now to us.

Ambassadors

Senate (subjugated) and Imperial (rebellious) Provinces. Rome sent ambassadors to Imperial Provinces to keep them in peace.

We are Christ’s ambassadors sent to declare God’s peace in Christ!

Importance:

The ministry is the message!

[The ministry of reconciliation] consists wholly in the preaching of the Gospel (Calvin).

Message with the model (your life) = fruitful ministry.

Illustration 1: Onesimus <-------- Paul --------> Philemon

Illustration 2: The preacher invites two people up on the platform. One represents “God the Father” and the other represents “fallen humanity.” The preacher plays the part of Jesus. He stretches out his hands like he is on a cross. He asks the two helpers to each grab one of his hands. Then he pulls his hands together until the two volunteers are touching. In the same way, Jesus bridged the gap between humans and God. Jesus reconciled us with God. Now, the believer does the same thing. We have the ministry of reconciliation which means we grab people by the hand and bring them closer to God. As “ministers of reconciliation” we bring God and people together.

Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody; then he spent forty years on the backside of the desert realizing he was nobody; finally, he spent the last forty years of his life leaning what God can do with a nobody! -D. L. Moody

Conclusion

Lost: Be Reconciled to God!

Found: Be an Ambassador. You have a message. Implore the lost on behalf of Christ.