Turn to Psalm 86.

We’re going to look at the first 10 verses. A prayer of David. Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am afflicted and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man. O you, my God, Savior, servant who trusts in you. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you I cry all day long. Make glad the soul of your servant for you, O Lord, I lift up my soul for you, Lord, are good and ready to forgive in abundant and loving kindness to all who call upon you. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, and give heed to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble, I shall call upon you, for you will answer me. There is no one like you among the gods of the Lord, nor are there any works like yours.

All nations whom you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and they shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous deeds. You alone are done.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this opportunity to gather together School at the ministry here at Agape. I want to thank you for each one of these students, Lord. And my prayer is that as we worship you this morning, as we hear your preached word this morning, or that those who do not know you, Lord, that your goodness and your loving kindness that is available to us in Christ would be poured out upon them, Lord, and that you would call them to yourselves. Father. Be with Pastor Jack as he opens up your word for us this morning. Lord, we thank you for him and his willingness to serve you, to serve us by being here this morning, Lord, I just pray that your spirit remember and your people are quiet. In Christ’s name, we pray.

Amen. Falling down. Rain stand. Ra. Sam, The highest. Your name is the greatest. Your name stands above the. Sh. Holy spirit. It’s. Ram. Sam.

You for today and the opportunity.

We have to just come and worship you. I thank you that your love truly never does fail, and I pray that we would never forget that. And I pray that we would just have a heart posture of one that worships you and just glorifies you in everything. Amen. All right.

Good morning, Agape. Good to see you guys this morning. I’m enjoying time with Daddy here and look forward to being with you. I appreciate the songs and the effort put into that. There’s nothing else more important than worshiping the Lord. That should be the priority of our life. Every day is focusing on worshiping our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen.

There we go.

I like.

I like response. Okay. All right. Second Corinthians 5. This is probably a very familiar passage for you, being that you are ambassadors right here at Agape. And this is definitely a familiar passage, but one that I needed to turn today because of the subject I have been assigned. This is where you can find this subject the most in the word of God. That’s passage for this. The subject I didn’t assign today is changed through a miracle of reconciliation. Changed through a miracle of reconciliation. And so I want to read 2nd Corinthians 5 this morning and verses 17 through 21. The word of God says, therefore, 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, that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God, for he made him who knew no sin be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Let’s pray again. Father, help us as we come to this passage and this subject and open our hearts and minds to see how they’re reconciled to the youth, how that changes us, and how we, Lord, should help others to change as well. In Jesus name, Amen.

As I said, I’ve been assigned the subject of change through a miracle of reconciliation. In the verses that we just read, we see that those who have been made a new creation because they are in Christ, it says that they are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. And before I go any further in the subject of reconciliation or being reconciled, does anyone know what it means to be Reconciled to God. Does anyone give answer? What does it mean to be reconciled to God? To be made right. To be made right. Very, very good answer. Be saved as part of it. Absolutely. Looking for something a little more specific to be made right is really good. Who needs reconcile?

Everyone.

And we need reconcile right with God. When people get reconciled to one another, what does that mean? That means they have what They’ve come together in agreement and peace. To be reconciled means to be brought into a friendship with God. Into a friendship with God. To be brought into friendship from a state of disagreement or enmity with God. You see, when someone is outside of Christ, they stand before God as in their sins, right? It talks about those who are in Christ. Those are the ones who are made reconciled to God. Listen, this morning there are only two places whereby you can stand before God. You either stand before God in your sin and you are still at enmity with God. Enmity of God, or you stand before God as in Christ.

Every person on this earth stands before God positionally, as in one of those two places. Doesn’t matter your religion, how old you are, your background, where you went to church, who your mom or dad is. You stand before God either in your own sin or in the person of Christ. Now, if you stand before God in your sin, then you have not been brought into a state of friendship with God. In other words, if you are still in your sin and you are still rejecting Christ, you are currently acting as an enemy to God. You are in a state of disagreement with him, means that you are actually at enmity with the Lord. So instead of being a friend, you are what you are, an enemy. You see, there’s only two places you can stand before God in.

You can either stand before God as a friend with God in Christ, or as an enemy to God in your own sin. Listen, everyone that is born as born naturally an enemy to God. That’s how we come into this earth.

Why?

Because we are born in sin. We are born at enmity with God because the word of God teaches us that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But through the work of Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, we can be made at peace with God. Notice verse 18. It says here now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. God took the initiative by sending His Son, so we may be reconciled, made at peace with him through Christ. Verse 19. That is that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses. To them. And so we need to ask then, if we’re only reconciled or made at peace with God through Christ, how does Jesus reconcile us to God? How does Jesus reconcile us to God?

How does he do that? Does anyone know the answer to that? This young lady. Excuse me. By dying on the cross for our sins. Good answer. Good answer. That is the answer. By taking our sin that. That sin that caused us to be at enmity with God, you see, we had sinned against the Holy God. Notice verse 21. For he, right God the Father, he made him Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us. You see, Jesus became sin for us. He had our sins placed upon him. Now, had Jesus done any sin? No. It says, he who knew no sin became sin.

Why?

For us, you see, Jesus, God’s own son, who knew no sin, took upon himself our sin bore the judgment that we deserve. And when we think about Jesus dying on the cross for sinners, we most likely think about how much Jesus would have to love us to go through such a thing. You see, we see God’s love displayed greatly at Mount Calvary.

Don’t.

Dying on the cross for our sins. That is where God’s love is manifested the greatest. We see the love that Jesus would have for us and that he would go to the cross and bear our judgment. And he did it willingly. He did it willingly. He gave his back to be with. He gave his face to be smitten and to have his beard clogged. He gave his hands and feet to be driven into the cross with nails. And he gave his head to have upon it a crown of thorns to be placed upon his head. Do you remember where thorns came from or where they started? They started after the sin in the Garden of Eden. Remember that the earth became cursed after Adam and Eve fell and thorns grew up? They.

Well, Jesus Christ had a crown of thorns, the result of our sin, placed upon his head that he would be our representative before God the Father buried our sin dead. And then they took a reed and they smote him on the head on that crown to drive in that crown of thorns into his head. When we think about this, and we think about what Jesus says, greater love as no man will miss that a man will lay down his life for his friends. We are amazed at the love of God so visibly manifested that Jesus would willingly die in such a manner for such a sinful people. But as we think about God’s love display of Calvary through the sacrifice of Jesus, I think that we often miss something else. That is revealed at Calvary.

Not only do we see God’s great love for us, but to the cross of Calvary doesn’t reveal God’s love, His great love. You know what else it reveals? It reveals the wrath of God. We think about Calvary, we see how much God would have to love us. But also the wrath of God is displayed greater at Calvary than it is anywhere else in the Bible. We think about the wrath of God, we might think about what nose was right? We might think about other events, like Jericho, the walls falling down. Think about the earth opening up, those who went against Moses and swallowed them. You can think about other aspects of the wrath of God, can’t you? But let me tell you what. There’s no greater display of God’s wrath in the Word of God than that Calvary.

And we see there the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as he takes upon our own sin. And we see what he bore for us. You see, God is so holy and just that Jesus had only come to save one person. And that one person was you. And had you only committed one sin, do you realize that Jesus would still have to die? Do you realize that Jesus would still have to take your place even if he only died for you? He only died for one sin. Adam and Eve had committed one sin, one act of rebellion, taking of the forbidden fruit. And plunged all of humanity in a state of sinfulness before a holy God. And they found themselves no longer walking with God after that one sin.

No longer at friendship with God, but now they’re hiding from God in the garden and running from him. See, Calvary not only reveals God’s great love by sending his Son, but Calvary reveals God’s great wrath for sin. Even when sin was found upon his own son by our sins being placed upon him. God says that he must die. God would not even have mercy on his own son when our sin was placed upon him. For the wages of sin is one death. Does anybody know what the word death means? It should be one word. What does the word death mean? You know what I mean. No, that’s not it. To not live is not what death means. It’s so important that you get this. This mean starts with an S.

No.

I’m looking forward. Separation. Yes, Death is separation. The wages of sin is dead.

Automatically.

Think physical.

Don’t.

Well, there is a physical death. But did Adam die physically the day he took the fruit? He didn’t. Did he? Was Adam separated the day he took of the fruit? Yes, Separating. How? From God. Death is separation. Now there is a spiritual death whereby we are separated from God, we are no longer at friends with God and we’re all born into that place. Now there is a death, physical death that takes place. But it’s called death because the spirit separates from the body, okay? That’s why it’s dead. The soul or spirit leaves the body. So death is separation. It’s important that you get that from what we’re about ready to mention. Because when Jesus was on the cross of Calvary, we think about him dying on the cross.

We automatically just think about, you know, his physical death when he gave up the spirit, right? And he yielded up the Spirit. The Word of God says, but there was another death that took place before his physical death. We can see the physical death, right? It is found at the very end when the Lord gave up the spirit. But there is another death that is found. It is found in the three hours of darkness over all the land. When Jesus was there on the cross, there was a great separation. The Word of God says that after those three hours of darkness, at about the ninth hour, so about three o’, clock, Jesus cried out something. Do you remember what Jesus cried out very loudly. Does anybody remember anybody before that? There we go. My God, my God, why have you what, forsaken me?

Listen.

There was a separation that took place in those three hours of darkness when Jesus Christ was bearing our sins in his own body on the tree. God the Father looked upon him. Our sins are there. And there’s this separation so holy and divine, we don’t even understand it. But Jesus and the Father and sins are separated in fellowship, in communion and intimacy because our sins are placed upon him. And Jesus cries out, my God, why have you forsaken me? You know, that would be the cry of people that are all eternity in lake of Father. You see, people think about the lake of fire and think, well, that would be terrible. And it would be terrible, that punishment of fire.

But you know what I think will be the greatest punishment in hell will be the reality, the knowledge and understanding that you will forever and ever be banished from the presence of.

God.

Never to come into his life, never to know him, see him, enjoy him, walk with him. Because of Jesus Christ, we can be united to God.

You see?

Now, let’s go on here. Now, why did Jesus do this, we might ask. Well, so that we could be reconciled to God. Meaning made at peace with God, become friends with God. We that are in Christ by faith in him now become the righteousness of God in Christ in verse 21, look at this. For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Listen, by faith in Jesus Christ, we are now in Christ and we receive his righteousness. Listen, you are either in your sin before God or you are in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and you receive that righteousness by faith.

Romans 3 says, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You see, we all need this morning the righteousness of Christ because we’ve all sinned, we’ve all been in enmity with God, and we have the righteousness of Jesus given to us or imputed unto us simply by believing upon him as our substitute and our Savior. Listen, to no longer be an enemy to God and to become friends with God, you must be reconciled to God through His Son. And that is the only way to be reconciled. Made right, brought into friendship, agreement again with God.

Now very quickly, because our subject has changed through a miracle erect reconciliation. Let me very quickly mention some things that will change because your relationship with God has changed. You will change. One, in your view of God will no longer be seen by you as possibly a righteous judge ready to send you to hell for your sins. But now you will change because now you can address him as your heavenly Father who is ready to receive you into his arms. You will change regarding how you see your sin. Listen, when you are made right with God and come into a right relationship with God, everything about you changes. You see God different, you see yourself different, you see sin different. Sin no longer has as much of a hold on you.

Sin no longer seems as pleasurable as you realize of what Jesus went through in order for you to be safe from your sins. How can you love the sin whereby Jesus Christ died for? So, because you love your Savior. Listen, you’re not going to be sinless or perfect, but you will grow in your love for Jesus and you will want to sin less. And then, because you’ve been reconciled to God through Jesus and your whole life has been changed by Christ and now you are friends with God, you should desire to go out there and share the message with Jesus so that they can become friends with God. Have you ever had two people in your life and a friend over here. And you wanted those friends to meet. I’d like this friend to meet this friend. Have you ever done that?

You probably have. Well, is God your friend today? Is he your friend? Have you been made friends with God? Have you trusted in Jesus? Hopefully the answer to that is yes. And if it is yes, then listen, you are God’s ambassador. You should go to your other friends in this world, people in this world, so they might too come to know him as a friend. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 through 21 says, now they are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. That’s your purpose. As those that are ambassadors for Christ, you are to go out there and tell people that they too can be reconciled to God through Jesus, who knew no sin and became sin for us, that we might become righteous. Righteousness of God in Christ.

Listen, everyone you meet in life, everyone you meet is in one of two places. They are either friends of God or enemies to God. They are either in Christ or in their sin. They are either on their way to heaven or of course, on their way to hell. They are either believers of the gospel or unbelievers. They are either at peace with God or not. And you as a believer, you have that great opportunity to make an eternal change, an eternal difference in someone’s life, and to be used of God to share the word of reconciliation, the message of the gospel that can change a person’s forever, just as it hopefully has changed you very quickly. Here as we come to conclusion, how can you know if you have been reconciled to God? Well, let me tell you why it changes you.

Everyone is in Christ, he said, is a new creation. It changes your relationship to God. It changes your relationship to sin, your relationship to God’s people. It changes your heart. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Or in other words, all things have changed.

Why?

Because our relationship to God has changed. When your relationship to God has changed and you are in Christ by faith, your whole world changes. How you see everything, how you see everybody, your purpose, your mission, your love, your desires, what you want out of life, everything changes. Maybe you’re wanting the wrong things, wanting the wrong people, wanting to do the wrong things. And you ask yourself, why do I want this so bad that I don’t? You know why? Because you’ve not yet been made right with God. Your heart has to be changed by the power of the Gospel. You must look to Jesus Christ as dying on the cross of Calvary in your place, during your judgment, your sin. Look to him by faith. Look and live. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You will be saved. You will be changed.

Your whole life will radically move in a totally opposite direction than what it has point you to Christ today. Father in heaven, I pray that for those that are here that have not yet to come to know you as friend, as Savior and Lord, proceed as a candidate for your son, Jesus.

Jesus.

I pray that they would see that he is the only one that can change them. They cannot change themselves. But Lord, when they come to know you as Lord and Savior, that their life will change as a result. I’ve come to you through Christ. Draw them to yourself, I pray. Help those who know you, Lord, to continually be changed more to the image of Jesus and to go out there and point others to Christ so that they too can be changed. In Jesus name I pray.

Amen.

I thank you so much for your attention this morning.