1.5.20 - The Mission of Reconciliation (Kenny Camacho)
SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, Colossians 1:19-27, Luke 17:11-19
In his letters to the early church, the apostle Paul repeatedly tells followers of Jesus that the ministry of reconciliation is meant to transform both the people of the church and the world in which we live. He emphasizes that the work has been done: with his death on the cross, Jesus’s life has paid for the sins of all mankind. But do our friends and neighbors--and do we--really know that this has happened? Paul says that we, as Christians, are “Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” That appeal is an invitation to receive the gift that has already been paid for and is even now being offered: a life with our God, free from the bondage of sin. This week, we want to explore what it means to accept that gift ourselves and live lives that help others believe in the no-strings-attached generosity of Jesus.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What have your experiences with “reconciliation” been like in the past? Have you ever had to pursue formal reconciliation processes before? What makes reconciliation so difficult sometimes?
Kenny said on Sunday that reconciliation means wholly returning to a place you have been before. Did that definition make sense? What are the implications of this when we consider reconciliation with God?
Paul writes that reconciliation with God is made possible because of Jesus’s death on the cross. Have you ever thought through this process? What does Paul mean?
Christians are called to be “ambassadors of reconciliation” in our world. What does that mean to you?
Where is there a need for reconciliation in our world? In our lives?
The challenge for this week is to “accept that you are God’s beloved.” What does this mean? What makes this difficult? What can we do to try it this week?