”New Creation Realities” Part Three: ”Your Ministry of Reconciliation” by Bryan Hudson, D.Min.

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2 Corinthians 5:17-18 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”

 

Key Themes:

1. Reconciliation Begins in Christ

◦ True transformation happens in Christ—not through good works or self-effort.
◦ God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

2. You Belong to God

◦ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "You are not your own; you were bought at a price."
◦ Many people try to add Jesus to their lives rather than fully surrendering to Him.
◦ God doesn’t do "timeshares" with our lives—He wants everything, not just a portion.

3. God Provides What He Requires

◦ Everything God asks of us, He also provides the grace to fulfill.
◦ Just as in education or training, high expectations come with high investment.
◦ Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing (Ephesians 2:8-9).

4. With Reconciliation Comes with Responsibility

◦ Reconciliation not just a personal benefit; it’s a calling to extend it to others.
◦ We are reassigned after being reconciled—called to help restore others.

◦ The message must be shared, not just received.

5. Seeing People as God Sees Them

◦ Don't look away from the broken, hurting, or lost—see them, engage with them.
◦ True reconciliation requires recognition:
▪ Recognizing God's nature and human nature.
▪ Understanding that all people are created in God’s image (Imago Dei), even if they don’t yet reflect it.

6. Conciliation Before Reconciliation

◦ Reconciliation requires addressing what caused the division.
◦ No reconciliation without recognition and repentance.
◦ Applies to racial issues, family conflicts, and most importantly, our relationship with God.

7. Understand Human Nature

◦ The human heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).
◦ People want a god that serves them, but the true God is the one they must serve.

8. Indicators of the true God:

• Is from everlasting to everlasting
• Known to Adam, Abraham, Moses and the even the pagans of every generation
• Has the power to create, destroy, heal and reform
• Passes final judgment
• Knows the motivations of the heart
• Has purpose that transcends self-serving interests of people
• Manifests His presence in the earth through the Holy Spirit
• Has a son name Jesus Christ, who is God the Son

9. The Power of the Gospel

◦Salvation only comes through the message of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
◦The gospel itself is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16).
◦Our role is to preach Jesus, not just share opinions or impress people.

10. The Prodigal Son: A Picture of Reconciliation (Luke 15:11-31)

◦God eagerly watches for people to return to Him. When the prodigal son came to himself, he repented and returned. The Father welcomed him back with open arms, showing God’s heart. Don’t be jealous when God restores others—join in the mission of reconciliation.

Final Charge: Be Ministers of Reconciliation

• Recognize that all people belong to God.
• Share the gospel because salvation only comes through hearing and receiving it.
• Help bring prodigals home to God.
• Understand that God does not throw people away—He restores them.

This sermon powerfully emphasizes the responsibility of believers to not only receive reconciliation but actively extend it to others. It challenges listeners to fully surrender to Christ, recognize the power of the gospel, and help others find their way back to God.

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