The Table California
The Table is a church family in Arroyo Grande, California. Our desire is to give Jesus His desire...a house where He can be Himself with His family. This podcast hosts the weekly teachings from our Sunday evening gatherings and occasionally supplemental conversations throughout the week.
The Table California
Be Reconciled To God
The path to reconciliation with God isn't about satisfying God's demands with our good works but recognizing that God has already removed all barriers separating us from Him. This precious word, "reconcile," is central to the gospel. The fact that we are restored to God is absolutely foundational to understanding the kingdom. Today, we look at what it means to have our relationship with God restored to its original design.
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Okay, all right, go ahead and turn to 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. I do, I do, xavier. How you doing? Man? It's good to see you, bud. Let's do this one there you go, all right. 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. Thank you, titus. Thank you, ben Janice. That was a great idea. With the umbrella, janice is like this is not my first rodeo. All right, I think I'm composed enough to deliver a message. Thank y'all for worship, beautiful, thank you.
Speaker 1:Two books, real quick, to recommend to you guys. If a man named Art Katz is not on your radar, I'd love to put his name on your radar. Art Katz died, I think, around 2009-ish, I can't remember the exact year. Incredible man, incredible gift to the body. Yeah, I won't go into a whole dissertation on who Art Katz is, but these two books are fantastic. The Prophetic Call, especially right now in this season when prophecy and prophets and the prophetic gift are in a season of refining, let's just say that this is a great resource to serve as like a plumb line. Okay, what does scripture teach about prophecy? What is the prophetic gift in the church? It's a great resource for that. And then this one, the temptation of Christ. Just looking at Jesus 40 days in the wilderness. The strategy of the enemy to come in and try to tempt Jesus. Two great books. Just wanted to put those on your radar, all right.
Speaker 1:2 Corinthians, chapter five. I'm not going to be long today. What Somebody's son said, yay, I'm not going to be long today. 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. We talked about this last week. This is a continuation of that message. We didn't have a chance to finish up.
Speaker 1:I want to talk about one specific thing today, but I want to read, beginning in verse 14, which is what we talked about last week. We're going to read through the end of the chapter 2 Corinthians 5, beginning in verse 14. For the love of Christ compels or controls or seizes us, because we judge thus that if one died for all, then all have died and he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh. Yet now we know him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation. Come on, man. Old things have passed away. Behold, some things have become new. Does somebody's Bible have a different translation? Behold, some of the things that you've done have become new. That's not what my Bible says either. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Now, all things are of God, who has reconciled that's the word we're going to talk about today who has reconciled us to God through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation that is.
Speaker 1:God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Where was God when Jesus was standing in front of the woman who, literally, had just been caught in adultery? Where was God in that moment? Where was God in that moment In Christ, reconciling that woman to himself? God was in Christ reconciling that woman to himself. God wasn't afraid of her sin. He was in Christ drawing that woman to himself. He was not imputing or he was not considering, he was not counting against them their trespasses. He's committed to us this ministry of reconciliation.
Speaker 1:Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you, we beg you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. How is this possible, verse 21. How is this possible? Verse 21? Because he made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that we would become the righteousness of God in Christ. That's a pretty good deal. I'm gonna give you my sin and you're going to give me your righteousness. Yeah, I'll take you up on that offer, jesus. That's the offer of the gospel. I'm going to try to face this way sometimes so you're not just staring at my back. That's the offer of the gospel Give me all of your bad stuff and I'm going to give you righteousness. Scandalous.
Speaker 1:I want to talk about this word reconcile. Paul uses this word five times in three verses Reconcile. This is a central point to Paul's message and to the gospel itself. What does this word reconcile mean? Here's a Greek lesson for you. The Greek word is katalaso. Say katalaso, you said lasso in your word. How about that? Catalasso is the Greek word we're studying today.
Speaker 1:Translated as reconcile, catalasso means to restore, the restoration of the original back to its design after a time of hostility. The restoration back to the original design after a time of hostility. So think of it this way Me and David we're buddies. I love David, david loves me. We have a big falling out. There's hostility. Now there's tension. We come to our senses, we have a conversation, we work it out, we're restored back to our original relationship after a time of hostility. This is a relational word. It's a relational truth.
Speaker 1:There has been restoration and reconciliation between man and God because of what Jesus has done. This is a fundamental, foundational element of the gospel. It's used multiple times in the new Testament. I'm going to read a couple of verses for you to prove my point. Romans 5, 10. If, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, how much more, now that we're reconciled, shall we be saved by his life? This is a very important verse. I'm going to read it again Romans 5, 10.
Speaker 1:For if, while we were enemies, enemies we were enemies. If you are not in Christ right now, your current status is an enemy of God. You are separated from him because of your sin. Jesus died so that you would be taken from that place of being an enemy of God to be a lover of God. He didn't wait for you to clean yourself off first. He's already died while you were an enemy. While I was an enemy, he didn't wait around for me to get my act together and say okay, now we can play nice. While we were still enemies, jesus died for us. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, how much more, now being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life? We be saved by his life.
Speaker 1:This is Colossians 1, 19 through 22. It was the father's good pleasure for all of the fullness of God to dwell in Jesus and, through him, to reconcile all things to himself. Come on, man, are you part of the all things? In that verse? Good news. There is reconciliation between you and God. There's a big if in that statement, but let's just settle there for right now.
Speaker 1:God has done what only God can do to restore you back to himself the restoration of the original after a time of hostility. What is the original? That's been restored. Genesis 1, 26,. God says let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. That's been restored. If you're in Christ, you are now the image of God in the earth.
Speaker 1:Prior to sin, there was no separation between God and man. They would walk together in the garden, they would fellowship, there was intimacy, there was a measure of union between God and man. That's been restored. There's no longer fear. Why? Because perfect love casts out all fear. There's now union between God and man. God says my spirit will live inside of you. My spirit will animate your very lives. You'll no longer be ruled by your flesh, you'll be ruled by my spirit, intimacy, fellowship with God. It's not just about goosebumps while we worship, it's actually God dwelling inside of people. This has all been restored because of the death, burial, resurrection, ascension and enthronement of jesus. We've been restored back to god's original design of fellowship.
Speaker 1:God did not create you to be separated from him, to wander your life trying to find hope, joy, money, happiness, success. God created you to be with him. That's it, man. And then, from that place of union with God, he gives you everything else as he sees fit. You weren't created to be saved. You were created to be one with God. Praise God for salvation. If salvation was all that God ever gave us, it would be more than we deserved. Salvation is the starting line, man. It's the gateway into this incredible life of union with God, this life of restoration.
Speaker 1:Sin caused this relationship that God designed with man to be severed. It caused us to become decayed. Death entered into God's perfect creation. That's what sin does. It separates and it destroys. Imagine a branch full of life and sap, bearing fruit. Then a lightning storm comes. The branch gets separated from the tree itself. It falls to the ground. Separation, death, sin is that lightning bolt that comes in and destroys us man. It separates us from the life-giving sap of God. That branch is no longer connected to its source of life. But Jesus catalassoed, reconciled, restored, connected the branch back into the tree so that it can live again. This is the good news of the gospel. The gospel is not clean yourself up. God is really upset at you. That is not the gospel. The gospel is he who knew no sin, took your sin on himself while you were still an enemy, paid the price so that now, by faith in him, you can be restored, you can become righteous. Oh my goodness. Jesus did what no one else could do.
Speaker 1:I have an illustration I'd like to do. Ben, can I borrow you, titus? Yeah, come here for a second. I'm going to see if I can make this work. Okay, titus, you come here Now.
Speaker 1:Imagine Titus is you and me and everyone who's ever lived. I need something really heavy, though. That would work. Actually, I need, like, some weights. Ah, I have an idea. This is going to be good. It's going to be really good. I know it's going to take a minute.
Speaker 1:Xavier, could you do me a favor? Grab one of those big silver gray stones and bring it over here. Man, can you get it? Okay, all right, now imagine that this is like. This is your life. This table is your life. Now, these are. This is sin. Have you ever now remember this is not just you, this is everyone.
Speaker 1:So we won't ask Titus this question, it's personal, and we'll just ask the general us have you ever sinned before? Yes, yes, okay. Well, that's a big, heavy load on your life now. It's a big wall. Can you get another one, xavier? Yeah, ben, we'll go ahead and borrow you now. Could you stand on this side? Okay, how many times have you seen? Like once? Twice, maybe. Okay, aces sin twice. So we'll put another one on aces eddie sin twice. Okay, seth, get ready, i'm'm going to need you. Okay, ready, okay, now let's.
Speaker 1:Let's say that the father here, ben represents the heavenly father, titus represents us. Now, we've got this wall of separation between us and the heavenly father. Now, titus, can you move this out of the way to get to God, the father? It's heavy. That's what sin is Sin, is Sarah's like oh, hold on, let me step in and help. I like that, that motherly instinct. Okay, Seth, you're going to represent the son, okay? So Ben says you know what? There's no way for Titus to come to me. There's a wall of separation between us.
Speaker 1:No matter what Titus does, he cannot move this wall of separation. He's weighed down by sin. So what does the father do? He sends the son. Seth is actually Ben's son. This is great, this works out so good. He sends the son and he says actually Ben's son. This is great, this works out so good. He sends the son and he says do what only you can do, move the separation out of the way. Go ahead, come on, seth, do what only you can do. You got this, bro, yeah. And then this is out of the way. And now what do we have? No long, there we go this. Can someone grab these from the sun? This is the gospel right here.
Speaker 1:Jesus did what only Jesus could do. He removed the separation between us and God. The dividing wall of hostility has been moved. Now there's nothing standing in the way of God and you. Okay, let's think about this for a second.
Speaker 1:The son did what only the son could do, that was him reconciling Titus to himself. Okay, that was Ben's responsibility. I have to move this sin out of the way. I'm going to reconcile him to myself, move it out of the way. But at some point Titus needed to take a step towards the father. Right, that's Titus being reconciled to the father.
Speaker 1:Reconciliation, restoration of relationship takes two parties. God has already removed everything out of the way between you and him. The question is are you moving towards him? Have you turned towards him? Have you responded with yes, I want to be reconciled to God, or are you still turned away from him?
Speaker 1:See, the gospel is both it's God doing what only God can do, but then it's us realizing I'm separated from God, hearing that Jesus has already removed away everything in the way, and then us responding by saying Lord, forgive me for all of those things that were separating us, for every block that I put on the wall. Forgive me. And then he says good news, it's already been taken away. Come with me. That's the gospel in its simplest form. That is the gospel. There is nothing standing between you and God, except for you responding to his invitation to come. Which is why Paul says I urge you, I implore you, on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. He's been reconciled to you, now you be reconciled to him. It's like me in that analogy, me coming to David and say David, I'm sorry, man, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. At some point David has to turn towards me. I have a couple of points that maybe I'll zip through really quick. All right, any questions about rest being restored to god, the wall of separation, enemies of god?
Speaker 2:good, okay, all right, I'm gonna I was gonna ask, like in regards to like, like recognizing, like how does one really recognize that, that weight in their own life? Because like I feel like to a degree someone could be like well, I'm okay, like me and god were good, yep you know, and because I have a good life he knows my heart. I've never killed anybody I feel good, I have a happy life. Why would I need god?
Speaker 2:yeah like how would someone recognize maybe those, those weights in their life and like how that would feel. Yeah, what would that?
Speaker 1:look like yeah, uh, I once met a man in an iraqi refugee camp who told me that he had never sinned before. This is the only man I'd ever met who said I have never sinned. He had multiple wives. He said ask all my wives, they can tell you I've never sinned okay there.
Speaker 1:There is this self-preservation that we all have that says I'm not as bad as so-and-so. The standard that we have for ourself is always different than the standard that we have for others. At some point, god has to open our eyes to see our actual state of existence Sinner, separated, enemy, lost in darkness, in need of a savior. If I convince you of that, one of the two things might happen You're going to end up getting really mad at me for just calling you out on who you are, or you may believe me and you're going to start down a trail of legalism and religion and you might white knuckle your way for a little bit, but at some point you're going to run out of gas. God has to open the eyes of our heart to actually see our need for a savior. I want to try to get through these briefly. Can y'all give me 10 minutes to get through them? He says whose kid is this? I love you, buddy. All right, I've got four quick points I want to make about this. I may talk about it again next week. So if you're not satisfied, if it doesn't land, come back next week and we'll finish it off. I'm still kind of a mess from worship. All right, I got four points really quick.
Speaker 1:Number one only God can reconcile, only God can restore. Religion will not produce restoration of the original Religion. Us trying to do really good stuff to impress God will restore nothing. Only God can restore. God is the one who reconciles. Anything that we do is a response to something that he initiates. He's good, he's awesome, he is love and he's the one who begins this restoration process. So anything that we do repentance, confession of sin, whatever it might be, those things are a response to his goodness. He begins the process of reconciliation. Repentance, confession of sin these are necessary demands that the gospel makes on us, but make sure that we know these are responses to his initiative. Only God can reconcile. Two verses really quick, actually three John 6, 44. Jesus says this no one can come to me unless the father draws him. God is the one who draws us in John 12, 32. Jesus says if I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself. God has reconciled himself to everyone. If you're not saved, it's not God's fault. Jesus says if I'm lifted up, I'm going to draw all to myself. I'm going to reconcile.
Speaker 1:Romans 1 is very clear. Everybody has an awareness of God. Everybody has an awareness of God. The truth is in us, but what do we do? We resist the truth and we believe the lie. We harden our hearts to the truth. Maybe it's because of mom and dad, maybe it's because of our youth pastor, maybe it's because of church hurt, maybe it's because of trauma who knows what the devil uses to harden somebody and say there's no way there could be a good God. Do you see what happened to me the whole time? God is standing there drawing, drawing, drawing, and Paul is screaming. Be reconciled to God. Let his love shatter the pride in your life that resists salvation.
Speaker 1:God says in Jeremiah 31, three I have loved you with an everlasting love. That means it has no beginning and it has no end. That means he loved you before you had an opportunity to jack it up with your sin. He loved you before you had a chance to do anything to mess it up. It's an everlasting love. I have loved you with an everlasting love, with loving kindness. I have drawn you out with kindness. There's no one like our God. There is a drawing toward God that is initiated by God because he's good. We're dead in our sin before God draws us, even while he's drawing us. Until we respond to it, we're dead man. That's what the Bible says. We're dead in our sin. Dead things can't move. Dead things can't decide. Oh, I'm going to get my life right now and go to church. Dead things don't do anything. God draws the dead things to himself and gives life to him. Oh man.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to make the other points.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to stop here. There's a teaser. Come back next week, edie. I'm just going to stop, but I want to share. This was my testimony Opposed to God, full of pride, I even had the right language and I knew the Bible verses.
Speaker 1:I could argue with Christians, I knew where to look. I was raised in the church. Man In my heart, I knew I was dead and I was separated from him. So when I was about 29 years old, I had a little building behind our house like this one, a little wood shop, and I had a big decision I had to make and I didn't know what to do. So I threw up. It wasn't even a prayer man, it was like a statement God, I don't know what to do.
Speaker 1:Instantly I felt the presence of God asking me a question Do you believe that I'm real? I was like that's a ridiculous question, raised in the church. Of course I believe you're real. Why are we having this conversation and why am I talking to myself in this creepy woodshed behind my house? He began drawing me to himself Do you believe that I'm real? Do you believe that I'm real?
Speaker 1:For seven days, man, I felt like my back was pinned down on a wrestling mat and a man as big as Jamie was standing on top of me with his arm across my throat. That's what I felt like God was doing to me. Some people have a testimony where the love of God was shed abroad in my heart and I was supernaturally warmed, cooled. I felt I knew that God mine was a violent apprehension. He was drawing me, but it was an aggressive draw. It was appropriate. Thank you. I needed that because I had so much pride in my heart. I felt like for seven days my back was against the floor and God was asking me do you believe that I'm real? Because if you answer yes to that, there are some things that are going to need to change in your life. If you answer no to that, you've got all the Bible verses that are telling you what's going to happen. So there I was, in a crisis, but all the while he was drawing me to himself.
Speaker 1:After seven days, I went back in that building and I responded to him yes, I believe that you're real. Forgive me for heaping on all of those stones that built the wall that separated us. Thank you that you came and you removed all of that garbage that I had accumulated and called it life. That was me being reconciled to him. Him being reconciled to me happened 2000 years ago In that building. He just reminded me of it.
Speaker 1:Me being reconciled to him was saying yes, I believe you are who you say you are, and my life has never been the same. My prayer is that each of us in this glamorous tent of ours would be reconciled to God and not leave this place with our back turned to him. He did everything to get that stuff out of the way. If you are reconciled to God, if your life is no longer yours but you belong to Jesus, if you believe he is who he says he is, then, like Paul says, we've been given this ministry of reconciliation. If you've received this life, go find somebody and tell them. Tell them what Jesus has done, amen. So we all have homework. It may be as simple as just turning towards him, receiving the gospel, repenting for your sin. I said as simple as, or getting some courage and going out and telling people. This message of reconciliation is available to all, all Amen. Oh, man, I tell you what I want to give us a chance to just respond and then we can ask questions if there are any. Let's keep the question specific to the message reconciliation, separation, sin, repentance. Let's just let's have a moment to respond.
Speaker 1:Lord, I pray that when we hear this message, that there will be something inside of us that says man, that's too good to be true, that's the gospel. It should cause us to say this is too good to be true. If it's not too good to be true, it's not good enough. If the gospel that you've heard in your past is not too good to be true, then it wasn't good enough. Thank you, god. Thank you that, while we all were enemies lost, you came and you made a way for us to be reconciled to you. Thank you that you've done what only you can do. Thank you, jesus. Lord, thank you for this great gospel of ours. Lord, I pray that this gospel would run swiftly through our streets. God, that you would baptize our community in salvation and life. God, that you would break the back of the religious spirit that says we have to try harder. Lord, break the back of the religious spirit that says we have to try harder, or break the back of the devil in our community. Open the eyes of the blind to see the beauty of the gospel in the face of Jesus, give us the grace to communicate heavenly things to dead things. Thank you God, dead things. Thank you God. Thank you Jesus. Before we ask any questions, does anyone want to respond and be reconciled to God? You may be like man I've been here every Sunday since the beginning but maybe you're realizing I'm not reconciled to God. Does anyone need to be born again? Amen, thank you Lord. I was just thinking while Regina was praying.
Speaker 1:One of the things that we used to tell people in Iraq was Jesus didn't come to start a religion called Christianity. They thought that we were trying to convert them to a religion called Christianity, and then all of the perceptions of what that means. Jesus didn't come to start a religion called Christianity. Here's a statement for you. Jesus isn't a Christian. Christians are the ones who follow Jesus. Christians are the ones who follow Jesus. Jesus is God. Jesus came to restore us back to himself.
Speaker 1:Before I start preaching again, I'll stop there. My point is this isn't about religion. This isn't about a building. This isn't about doing more good stuff than bad stuff. It's about restoration back to what God intended when he spoke your life into being. Do you want to call yourself a Christian? Fine, whatever, just don't call Jesus one. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He's God, he's Emmanuel, he's the image and the fullness of God himself. He shows us exactly who God is, and then we follow him along the way and he calls us little Christ. Christian was actually a derogatory term. I'm getting rabbit trailed. My point is don't let religion stand you in the way. Stand in the way of you being restored back to God.
Speaker 1:Amen, okay, shall we eat? Okay, really quick, really quick, really quick. I only have three more points to make. No, I'm joking. I'm joking. Okay, don't rush over there. Get in line. Let the folks who prepared something get it all put together. The food is outside tonight. We thought that may be a better way to get two lines going instead of one, so we can have more expeditious time through the lines. Okay, thank you, jesus, for the food, thank you for everyone who prepared it. We love you. We thank you for the invitation that we have to your table to gather around. The revelation of your broken body and your shed blood as a people who are reborn, regened, recoded into the image and likeness of God in the earth, transform us so that we walk worthy of the calling of this great name and this great gospel. Thank you for this time of fellowship. May we speak spiritually discerned things to one another, call one another higher, prophesy life, encourage one another, build one another up, comfort one another In Jesus' name amen.