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1. We are Reconciled (v 21-22)

1. We are Reconciled (v 21-22)

1. We are Reconciled (v 21-22)

a) Reconciled to Christ

— define reconcile and explain with an illustration

— reconcile basically means the restoring of a broken relationship

— Illustration:

In August 1995 a scene occurred in Burma, now called Myanmar, that fifty years earlier no one could ever have imagined. It happened at the bridge over the Kwai River. During World War-II the Japanese army had forced Allied prisoners of war from Britain, Australia, and the Netherlands to build a railroad. The Japanese soldiers committed many atrocities, and some sixteen thousand Allied POWs died building what has been called Death Railway.

But after the war, a former Japanese army officer named Nagase Takashi went on a personal campaign to urge his government to admit the atrocities committed.

After many years of effort, the result of his crusade was a brief ceremony in 1995 at the infamous bridge. On one side of the bridge were fifty Japanese, including five war veterans, and Mr. Takashi. Eighteen schoolteachers from Japan carried two hundred letters written by children expressing sadness for what had happened during the war.

At the other side of the bridge were representatives of Allied soldiers: Two old soldiers from Britain who declared the business of fifty years ago finished at last. A young woman from Australia who came to deliver, posthumously, her father’s forgiveness. A son of a POW who came to do the same. And there was 73-year-old Australian David Barrett, who said he made the pilgrimage because he felt that to continue hating would destroy him.

The two groups began to walk the narrow planks of the black iron bridge toward one another. When they met in the center, they shook hands, embraced, shed tears. Yuko Ikebuchi, a schoolteacher, handed the letters from the Japanese children to the veterans, and in tears turned and ran without a word.

Forgiveness can transform the very place where atrocities have occurred into something beautiful—a display of God’s mercy.

Larson, C. B. (2002). 750 engaging illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers (pp. 184–185). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

b) Resistant to Sin

— reconciliation comes through repentance, which is turning from something to something else

— explain repentance and salvation and that’s when your relationship with God is reconciled

— “holy and unblameable” (v 22) — sanctification

c) Reconciled to Each Other

— Because Christ reconciled us to Him, and He lives inside of us, then we ought to be reconciled to each other.

— True reconciliation between people is only possible after they have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Believers are urged to settle differences among themselves in brotherly love. The cause of the breakdown in relationships is sin, and that is why we must be resistant to sin.

— The death of Jesus Christ should bring believers together in peace. The church should display reconciliation.

— ILLUSTRATION: So if Aaron gets super annoyed with Drew, but that doesnt happen right, and punches Drew in the face, Drew is supposed to punch him back right? Well he shouldn’t, they should both forgive each other and then they would be reconciled

2. We Must Continue (v 23)

a) Continue in the faith

— in the hope of the gospel — sanctification which is a small piece of experiencing glorification (v 27)

— *explain sanctification with hope and down payment from :11-14

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:14 KJV 1900

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

— you’ve already heard from Andrew and Chuck, and we are going to just keep on trucking the same

3. We Must Strive (v 27-29)

To strive means to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something

a) Independently

— Your relationship with God is independent and intimate,

b) Together

— Your relationship with God is also corporate involving others

** (Explain body of Christ) You get blessed as well because you are a part of the same body,

Philippians 1:27 KJV 1900

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Illustration: One of the largest, strongest horses in the world is the Belgian draft horse. Competitions are held to see which horse can pull the most and one Belgian can pull 8,000 pounds. The weird thing is if you put two Belgian horses in the harness who are strangers to each other, together they can pull 20,000 – 24,000 pounds. Two can pull not twice as much as one but three times as much as one. This example represents the power of synergy. However, if the two horses are raised and trained together they learn to pull and think as one. The trained, and therefore unified, pair can pull 30,000 – 32,000 pounds, almost four times as much as a single horse.

We are all in this together. We are all going to continue in what we’ve already been taught and we are going to strive for more

Conclusion

- We are going to strive together in our relationships with God, we need eachother desperately, even if you don’t realize it.

- We are going to continue what we’ve been doing as a youth group and continue growing together, but it will take effort from all of us.

- We are able to do all of this because we are saved, we’ve been reconciled to God, and if you are not sure that yours and God’s relationship has been reconciled, please come talk to me or any other adult here about it.

Song (Do It Again)

Announcements

be here for Sunday school at 10 am in the same classroom upstairs

camp sign up deadline will be Sunday, March 1st

Prayer and Dismiss