Sermon Tone Analysis

! Reconciliation in the Life of the Christian

 

 

This is really about forgiveness for me.

Why don’t we want to forgive or restore fellowship?

/Fear of being hurt again.

It hurt too much.

We would rather hate them.

They don’t deserve it.

We don’t really love them enough.

It is easier to just never have to deal with them again./

Don’t forget the example of Joseph reconciliation with his brother in Gen 50:15-21.

They were scared, and perhaps when someone comes begging to your to not KILL THEM it is easy to be gracious and forgive.

/So what made it easy to forgive them?

Ultimately why did he forgive them?

Joseph trusted God./

How can we be like God when we reconcile?

/Like him we can take the first move and really do all the work./

Is it good to reconcile?

How does the need for reconciliation occur?

/A wrong or series of wrongs goes unforgiven and grows into bitterness and resentment.

/

 

Step to reconcile:

 

Step to forgiveness:

#.

Recognize your weak spots.

/What are yours?/

#.

Resist your first impulse

#.

Admit your guilt Deut 32:35 “It is mine to avenge: I will repay.

In due time their foot will slip.”

Taking revenge “is an attempt to participate in God’s judgment.

And you probably played a part as well.

#.

Forgive one at a time.

It “is more like writing a book than writing a letter.”

#.

Speak kindly about the other person to others

#.

Take them to the Lord in prayer.

We are commanded to try to keep the peace :

\\ !

Reconciliation in the Life of the Christian

!! Intro – Can you guess the topic from these sayings?

§         “Smoke the peace pipe

§         “Let bygones be bygones

§         “Make peace

§         “Bury the hatchet

 

Hatchet jokes –

1.

When you bury the hatchet, don’t bury it in your neighbor’s back.

2.      “He never forgot such offenses, which was one of his fundamental weaknesses.

He might bury the hatchet for a time, but he gave the impression of always carefully marking the spot.”

About Pope Paul IV.

Origin of the phrase: The term comes from an Iroquois ceremony in which war axes or other weapons were literally buried in the ground as a symbol of newly made peace.

/Why do you think I picked this topic this week?/

/ /

Then - the really important stuff – reconciling with the important people.

!!

The Bible and Reconciliation

/What is the best example of reconciliation in the Bible?/

God and us

2 Co 5:18-1918Now all /these /things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

The word *reconciled* is Greek καταλλασσω katallasso which means "the exchange of hostility for a friendly relationship, reconcile.

“

 

*Do you realize that there was hostility between God and you and me that had to be dealt with?

*/What does that teach us about reconciliation?/

§         /God thinks it is important/

§         /It doesn’t come cheaply/

§         /It takes action by at least one party/

/ /

!! Bad examples in the Bible

§         Cain and Abel in Gen 4

§         King Abijah in Judah and King Jeraboam in Israel

2 Chron 13:1-7, 13-17.

!! Good examples in the Bible

§         Jacob and Esau

o       Why Esau bore a grudge.

Gen 27:41

o       How it ended Gen 32

§         J sent messengers – he took the first step

§         J feared when he heard E was coming

§         J prayed Gen 32:9-12

§         J sent presents Gen 32:13-20

§         J finally meets E

·        They embrace and kiss *Read Gen 33:4*

“Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.”

What grace shown by Esau!

§         J insisted on paying back his brother, but God never makes us pay him back!!!

 

§         Joseph and his brothers

o       Sold as a slave in Gen 37

o       He becomes the second in command in Egypt in Gen 41.

o       Meets his brothers in Gen 42-45.

*/Read Gen 45:1-5 Sure, it’s easy for him!

He could crush them while they grovel.

/*

o       But it doesn’t end there.

Their Dad Jacob (Israel dies) and they think now they are done for.

*/Read Gen 50:15-20./*

For reconciliation to happen you must *FORGIVE*

/Why was Joseph able to forgive? *“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”.

He trusted God!*/

 

!!

So let’s meddle…

*/Who/*/               in our life is usually the one where things get so bad that we need reconciliation?/

In his book, /Untwisting Twisted Relationships,/ William Backus wrote, “Though we expect from our relationships the sweetest moments life can offer, the brutal fact is that what *parents, spouses, sweethearts, friends, and neighbors *say and do can cause a large share of life’s miseries.”

*/How/*/               does/ /the need for reconciliation occur?/ */A wrong or series of wrongs goes unforgiven and grows into bitterness and resentment./*/

/

/ /

 

!! Should we be reconciled?

Why?

§         Commands from Scripture

Ro 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

2 Co 13:1111Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

 

1 Th 5:12-13 12But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.

Live in peace with one another.

§         It is good for us

o       Blessings – Matt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful for you will be shown mercy.