The Ministry of Reconciliation - Pt. 2 - 01/24/2021

The Ministry of Reconciliation - Pt. 2

I. INTRODUCTION:

Saints of God, as I have shared with you from the sermon series, “Reaching The World With The Word”, there are three vital areas of ministry that are critical to evangelism: Salvation (Sharing the God News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for others to experience His saving grace), The Holy Spirit (Getting others filled after they have received salvation), and Healing (Using your faith to administer healing to the sick).

We as Christians have most commonly witnessed and experienced these areas of ministry in operation in the local church. We must position ourselves as disciples of Christ to not only strengthen the power of the church, but also to be a greater and brighter light to the world. Jesus himself said it!

Matthew 5:14–16 AV

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Why is it that we only see acts of salvation, people getting filled with the Holy Ghost, and people getting healed in the church only?

Romans 8:18–23 AV

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Romans 8:18–23 NLT

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

In order to truly be that light, we must understand what has been given to every born-again believer.

So, this weeks sermon will be a continuation of last week’s lesson, “The Ministry Of Reconciliation”. This will actually be “The Ministry Of Reconciliation - Part II”.

II. BODY

Your Experience:

Think about your own personal experience. Where did you get saved? Where did you get filled with Holy Spirit? Where did you get healed?

2. My Experiences:

Salvation: Received salvation at home in bed through my wife, Kay.

Holy Spirit:

1) Victory Christian Center, Charlotte, NC by altar worker at conference called “Every Ministry Needs Help” (The devil deceived me).

2) Victory Christian Center, Columbia, SC at Embassy Suites by the same altar worker.

Healing: Self-administered at home and at Full Gospel by Pastor Holmes.

Being that you can self-administer any of these spiritual experiences, if at least one of them was administered by someone else, it was the result of them operating as that light that Jesus talked about in Matthew 5:14-16.

When a person is blessed to get ministered to in this way on the outside of the church, they come to the church ready for what’s next! They are ready to be discipled!

Basically, they come with a thirst and a hunger for the things of God.

Matthew 5:6 AV

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

This is what I call being “Evangelized” into the church! When you are reaped from the harvest field!

They have a different type of appetite than someone that is already in the church that has yet to receive Christ.

A person can and will come to church for years, even decades, before they finally make a decision to receive Christ.

Many have become satisfied with simply coming to the house of the Lord. But why come and sit on the porch when you can truly come all the way in the house and enjoy every part of it?

3. The Ministry of Reconciliation:

When most people think of ministry, even in the church, they typically think about preaching from a pulpit or a pastor, even having a church.

If were to ask a person are they called to the ministry or do they have a ministry, a large percentage will likely say, “No”, “I’m not sure” or “I don’t know”. Only a few will truly know what they are called to.

I am here to tell you that every born-again believer truly has a ministry! Unfortunately, most believers are not aware they have a ministry.

I would like to take the remaining time I have to show this to you from the Word of God!

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 AV

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 NLT

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

III. CONCLUSION

In pursuit of fulfilling your call, this is what you do not want the people you come in contact with to say:

Job 16:1–7 KJV 1900

1 Then Job answered and said, 2 I have heard many such things: Miserable comforters are ye all. 3 Shall vain words have an end? Or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? 4 I also could speak as ye do: If your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, And shake mine head at you. 5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips should asswage your grief. 6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: And though I forbear, what am I eased? 7 But now he hath made me weary: Thou hast made desolate all my company.

Definition:

Assuage - (Asswage)

1. To lessen the intensity of (something that pains or distresses): EASE

2. To put an end to by satisfying.

SYNONYMS:

To alleviate, ease, help, mitigate, relieve, soothe

Job 16:1–7 NLT

1 Then Job spoke again: 2 “I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters you are! 3 Won’t you ever stop blowing hot air? What makes you keep on talking? 4 I could say the same things if you were in my place. I could spout off criticism and shake my head at you. 5 But if it were me, I would encourage you. I would try to take away your grief. 6 Instead, I suffer if I defend myself, and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak. 7 “O God, you have ground me down and devastated my family.