Reconcile them

ME

Story of reconciliation

YOU

Everyone wants to be the exception. Exception to the tithe. Exception to a group/ relationships. Exceptions to serving others. Exception to clothing, feeding, homeless. Exception to telling people about Jesus. Exception to reconciling or forgiving.

Story of someone leaving church because of a discrepancy.

GOD

RECONCILIATION—a change from enmity to friendship. It is mutual, i.e., it is a change wrought in both parties who have been at enmity

This is the gospel. We are not just not guilty; we are friends of God. This is what Jesus said to his followers

English Standard Version Chapter 15

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Gospel reconciles us from sinners to saved:

Romans 5:8–11

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation

We were on the receiving end of forgiveness and reconciliation before we deserved it!

Gospel reconciles us from Hostile and Evil to Holy

Colossians 1:21–22

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Gospel is reconciliation. In Christ we are Holy, Saved, friends of God!

So then we have a ministry of reconciliation:

We are commanded to lead people from where they are to where God wants them to be. Repentance.

2 Corinthians 5:17–20

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.

God started the reconciliation on behalf of the offender. He forgave before an apology or repentance. If we have a ministry a purpose of reconciliation. This is part of our identity. Ambassadors means representative. We we have a job.

2 Timothy 2:24–26

24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, table to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

We don’t take this serious. This is not good advice, this is God’s command. This is how we live.

There is no such thing as an unreconciled Christian.

Matthew would have been initially disliked by all of the disciples. There is no doubt. He was a traitor. He was viewed as selfish and ungodly.

Matthew 5:21-26

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

You are not reconciled to God if you are not reconciled in life.

You are not an ambassador if you are unreconciled.

Matthew 18:15-20

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

EXP

ILL Last month I was talking to someone who had a beef. You can feel you are right and go about it in the wrong way and you are wrong. You can think that other people are dumb or wrong but if you allow yourself to be angry and divisive, you become the problem. Now we have two offenders. Jesus says. first go and talk to them.

APP