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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page CHRISTMAS 2006BE RECONCILED! Pastor Linton SmithThe family was sitting around the table enjoying their evening meal. The parents asked their 11 yr old.. What did you do at school today? They were expecting many possible answers.. but not the response they got. I had a fight! Who with? My friend. What sort of fight? Did you hit each other? No. We said nasty things to each other. Now my friend won’t speak to me.The wise parents did not react too strongly but said, It will be OK. Tomorrow you will be friends again. No we won’t. Tomorrow, say you are sorry.. and we are sure you will be friends again. The next night.. it’s OK.. we are friends again. The word the Bible uses for that sort of thing is RECONCILIATION. The two friends had a fight.. and were reconciled the next day. It is never easy to say, Sorry.It is harder still.. when you feel you are in the right.. to say.. You hurt me.. but I forgive you. The other person might lash out at you again.. or hopefully say, What did I do? Did I? I didn’t mean that.. or.. I am sorry, too.. let’s put it behind us.Christmas is the supreme example of that kind of reconciliation.. when the injured party reaches out to the offender to offer forgiveness. A student did that. Chuck Swindoll tells the story.The student needed a job.. and the only job he could get was driving a bus on Chicago’s south side. A gang of teens refused to pay day after day. One day the student spotted a policeman.. stopped the bus.. and reported them. The policeman made them pay.. but then he got off. When the bus rounded the corner.. the gang robbed the student and beat him up. He pressed charges.. the gang was rounded up. The student was in the court. Moved by their need, he asked if he could serve their sentence for them. The gang members and the judge were dumbfounded. It is because I forgive you.At Christmas God did something like that.. The Bible says..Colossians 1:19,20.. God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.God reached out to us.. to reconcile us [and indeed the whole Universe].. to Himself. Today let’s focus on ourselves.. but keep the very broad picture in mind.. and how broad it is.. the whole universe!! What God did was utterly amazing. He was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Jesus.. He came to earth in the Person of Jesus.. as a baby.. a man.. lived here just over 30 years.. in Israel.. worked miracles.. taught as no one else had ever taught.. was crucified.. buried.. rose again.. Why? To reconcile all things.. to reconcile us.. to Himself. GOD’S AMAZING ACTION..
It tells us that we need to be reconciled to Him! The Bible says to people who had believed in Jesus.. received Him.. and had been reconciled to God.. Colossians 1:21.. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. You were alienated from God.. enemies! If today you have been reconciled to God and have genuine peace with God.. you will know that is how it once was for you. You may look back on that time as a time when you simply ignored God.. or as a time when you felt very guilty.. and longed for peace. Today.. some of us may hear these words.. alienated.. enemies.. and say, Who me? I’m a good person. There is no way I am an enemy of God.. I am neutral. It might help to ponder the story of Adam and Eve.. the first people to be alienated from God. God placed them in a paradise.. the Garden of Eden.. told them they could eat the fruit from any tree.. bar one. They ignored what God said and ate the forbidden fruit. Their attitude was.. We will live life how we like, thankyou very much. Or it might help us to ponder God’s words in Psalm 81.. He says.. Psalm 81:13 (New King James Version).. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! If you are a parent you will know what He was feeling when He said that. He was frustrated.. angry.. broken hearted.. over children who just would not listen to Him! Or it might help to ponder God’s words in Hosea.. Hosea 6:4.. What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. God speaks as a husband to an unfaithful wife. If you have ever loved someone who has not returned your love.. you will know how He felt. We have made God angry.. broken His heart! Because we ignore Him.. we do not listen to Him.. we do not return His love! We are alienated from from Him and need to be reconciled!
God is angry.. heart-broken.. and could very easily have chosen to wipe us out.. wipe us off the face of the earth.. but He didn’t. Instead He chose to reach out to us.. to reconcile us to Himself. A while ago I was moved by a story on Today Tonight.. a mother was broken hearted. Her daughter had run away from home. She was told she could not interfere.. her daughter was legally free to do as she liked.. she just had to let her go. But she did not.. she reached out to her.. and forcefully.. brought her home. The daughter was interviewed with her mother.. and was full of appreciation. She demonstrated her great love for her daughter. God has even greater love for us.. The Bible says., Romans 5:8.. God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Yes.. He came to earth in the Person of Jesus.. was born as a baby in Bethlehem.. lived 33 years.. helped people.. healed people.. taught us how much he loves us.. and how did the people respond? Did they say.. Sorry for ignoring you.. we will trust you again.. No.. they abused Him.. crucified Him.. nailed Him to a wooden stake.. a cross.. with a criminal on crosses on either side.. and on that cross.. Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing! Today.. when we believe that God has reached out to us like this in Jesus.. return to Him.. and say sorry.. please forgive me.. we are reconciled to God.. If we do not respond like that.. we crucify Him all over again!
God came to earth in the Person of Jesus Christ, reaching out to us to reconcile us to Himself, saying, I forgiven you.. return to Me.. be forgiven.. be my friends. A man called Paul.. believed.. returned.. was reconciled.. and then traveled widely.. telling people everywhere about this. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 he says.. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. What will you do? Will you be reconciled? Don’t let pride stand in the way. Don’t let the desire to run your own life get in the way. The best way to live is to walk hand in hand with God! Return to Him today. This week I was speaking to a young man who made this decision three years ago. He said it is just so liberating to be a Christian.. and now uses his spare time to reach out to young people.. to show them.. God does not spoil your life.. He makes it the best it can be. Be reconciled.. and you will find that is so. Be reconciled to God.. and reach out to the significant people in your life.. forgive them.. be reconciled to them. Jesus said.. Matthew 5:23,24.. If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. And He also said, when you pray, say.. Matthew 6:12.. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. God’s forgiveness of us.. and our forgiveness of others.. goes hand in hand! Do you want peace this Christmas? Do you want inner joy and happiness? Then let go of grudges. Let go of your pride. Be reconciled.. to God.. and to the people around you! |