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be reconciled to god Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2 March 22nd, 2009
I must give another trumpet call this morning. Last week I asked if you are truly converted. This morning my trumpet sound is this – BE RECONCILED TO GOD. The sword is coming; salvation is possible – but you must be reconciled to God. Reconciliation: “the restoring to harmony; renewing of relationships or friendships” I have 3 categories of people in mind:
I want you to turn your eyes to verse 20 of 2 Corinthians 5: 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. I come to you as an ambassador. If you don’t like what I say, in so far as it is faithful to God’s Word – your problem is not with me but God. I come to urge you to peace. Lay down the weapons of your war with God and surrender to the mighty and loving grace of God through His son Jesus Christ. I have three points that I want to make in this trumpet call to BE RECONCILED TO GOD. I see these points in this passage and in it we hear the Gospel Call – I pray that you will be saved, or sanctified. 1. BE FEARFUL. We need to be fearful as we approach this subject. You might ask, “what century are you in Daniel?” This is not an age where we are told that we need to be fearful. We need to be fearful. The wicked are not truly fearful of God. – Romans 3:18 We need to fear God. Paul said at the beginning of this passage – “knowing the fear (terror) of the Lord we persuade others.” (5:11) Why? Because the judge is coming—see verse 10. We need to fear because apart from Jesus Christ’s work in our lives by the cross we are at great enmity with God. The animosity is fierce. Someday Jesus will come to judge. Revelation 19:11-16 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (12) His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. (13) He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. (14) And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (15) From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (16) On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. [see Isaiah 63 – on the winepress of God’s fury] Romans 2:8-9 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. (9) There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, It may be hard for us to understand this anger and wrath of God. Why is hell so necessary? If only we could comprehend the holiness, justice and righteousness of God. It is fitting for God to be angry at sin and rebellion. I am helped by the illustration of the father’s anger over his daughters kidnapping and rape in the movie – “A Time to Kill” He is so angry –and we understand. We feel it fitting that he is angry. Our sin is much worse. I pray that God would grant us a repentance and grace to truly see how horrible and deplorable our sin really is to God. “We will never know how much it cost…” 2. BE HOPEFUL I would not be a faithful ambassador of the Lord, if I had the mind of Jonah to leave Nineveh to their sins. Be fearful so that you will run to the hopeful message of the Gospel. There is much hope in God’s Word to enemies who have offended God. Paul is motivated in His life by the reality of God who saved his very soul when he was the chief of sinners: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; (15) and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (21) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The fittingly angry God is also amazingly lovely. He is not just or righteous (like the father in the story is not true man if he does not demand justice for his daughter) if he lets sin go unpunished. But He is loving and merciful. So what does he do – His Wisdom brings a unity to his justice and love that sends His only Son – Jesus to be the recipient of all His wrath. When Jesus died on the cross the cup he partook of was the very wrath of God. He became sin who knew no sin. He became a curse to redeem us from the curse. Romans 3:23-26 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (26) It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. He is both just and justifier of everyone who trusts in him. What wondrous love is this! What reason to be hopeful! Reconciliation is possible – it is promised to those who turn from their sin, forsake it, and fall on Jesus to forgive them and give them His own righteousness. BE HOPEFUL – repent and obey with faith. If you are His He has made you a new creation – See verse 17. If feel a repulsion for your own sin and yet a hopefulness in God – It is because of His Spirit alive in you. 3. BE URGENT Don’t delay. Turn to Jesus and be saved. Turn to Jesus and be restored. Be an ambassador of this great message. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2) For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (2) For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, (3) how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, Hebrews 4:7 again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." If you are under the conviction of sin, repent today. You do not have the promise of tomorrow. You may be alive tomorrow but the conviction of God’s Spirit may be gone. You may never hear this Word with conviction again. REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL. DECIDE TO DEPEND FULLY on JESUS’ WORK. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. |
