Why the Gospel is Such Good News!
Colossians 1:20-23
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
13 June, 2010
AM
16th Anniversary Meeting
I.
Introduction (2Cor
5:17-21)
A.
Look at 2Cor 5:17
1.
If any man be IN CHRIST – the
new birth!
2.
He is NEW
3.
Everything is his past is
GONE! DEAD! Passed away!
4.
Not only is he new, but
EVERYTHING is new for him!
5.
How?
a.
Because God did something
called “reconciliation”
b.
God was in Jesus Christ – one
of the most amazing statements
c.
Reconciling the WHOLE WORLD
back to Himself
d.
NOT imputing their trespasses
(sins) to them
e.
God made Jesus be SIN, even
though He never, ever knew sin – never a sinful thought, or a sinful desire, or
a sinful act
f.
So that He could make ME
become righteous. I could never DO right, but God had a way that I could be MADE
right!
B.
And it is the greatest thing
in all the world!
C.
The word “reconcile” is one of
the most amazing words in the Bible. It is one of several key words used in the
Bible to describe the richness of salvation, along with justification,
redemption, imputation, forgiveness, and adoption (all Bible words, and all
describe what God wants to do to every sinner!):
1.
In justification, the
sinner stands before God guilty and condemned, but is declared righteous.
2.
In redemption, the
sinner stands before God as a slave, but is granted freedom.
3.
In imputation, a man’s
sinful record is transferred to Jesus Christ, and Christ’s perfect righteousness
is transferred to him!
4.
In forgiveness, the
sinner stands before God as a debtor, but the debt is paid in full and
forgotten.
5.
In adoption, the sinner
stands before God as a stranger, but is made a son.
6.
In reconciliation, the
sinner stands before God as an enemy, but becomes his friend.
D.
God SHOULD send every sinner
to hell, but He WANTS to reconcile them!
E.
We are going to look at those
words again in a little while, and see if they become more important to you as
we go through this study!
F.
Just believe me, one of the
most sought after relationships, is the one that has been reconciled – one that
has experienced forgiveness, and restoration!
G.
It rarely happens in our
world, and even if you never get reconciled with anyone in this life, it MUST
happen between us and God before we step off into eternity!
H.
Do you want to know how that
man in 2Cor 5:17 became new? I’ll show you!
II.
Message (Colossians
1:20-23)
A.
Two Sides
(Colossians 1:21)
1.
Our Nature
– Who We Are
a.
Alienated – Approach to God is
blocked – by sin (Isa 59:2)
b.
Enemies – Attitude – we have a
bad attitude towards His holiness and authority
c.
Wicked works – Actions that
are ungodly
d.
Never changing – no matter
what we do! Every generation is the same! Or worse!
2.
God’s Nature
– Who God is
a.
All holy – absolute holiness
(Rev 4:8 “holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty, which was, and is, and is to
come!”)
b.
Righteous
c.
Only good
d.
Doesn’t change, not in the
slightest!
3.
It makes it so that we and God
cannot get along – we are at odds! See things differently
a.
Most people think God is fine
with how we live, and think, and talk – he is NOT!
b.
People only worry about
“getting along” and learning how to “tolerate one another” and they apply that
attitude towards God – but it is a hoax
c.
Deep inside every one of us
there is a desire to be reconciled to God! To be at peace with God. To know God,
and know He’s not upset with us, but in love with us
d.
But sadly, most do not know
how that could ever happen!
B.
Two Problems
(Romans 3:23)
1.
Our Limits
(Rom 3:19)
a.
Unable to not sin
b.
Unable to pay off all our sin
c.
Really, we are uninterested in
God – only in self! Couldn’t be bothered!
2.
God’s Justice
(Rom 2:5)
a.
God HAS to judge sinners – we
are guilty
b.
It is not up for debate (Heb
9:27) – there is actually going to be a judgment day
c.
This is why most people do not
take God seriously today – because people think he won’t judge sinners anymore,
but BOY are they wrong!
1)
Remember
2)
Remember Noah’s flood?
3)
Remember Pharaoh and all of
4)
How many people die, every
day? Death is the beginning of God’s justice!
3.
It means, We are lost (1Cor
6:9,10) and in serious trouble with God
C.
Two Attitudes
1.
Man Couldn’t Care Less
a.
Ignoring God
b.
Denying God
c.
Disobedient to God’s
Commandments
d.
Blaspheming God’s name
e.
Mocking God and His Son
f.
Rejecting God and His way of
doing things!
g.
Using God – only using Him to
get married, or to get through a problem
h.
That’s YOU, if you would be
honest!
i.
But it doesn’t change our
predicament (Hebrews 2:3)
2.
God Seeks to Save!
a.
Usually, two enemies have bad
attitudes, and they only go from bad to worse. But not so with God!
b.
God is not just our judge, but
our SAVIOUR! Isa 43:3 says, “For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Saviour.”
c.
This may come as a surprise,
but God avidly seeks to save sinners from His wrath
1)
Ezekiel 33:11
2)
Isaiah 55:6,7
3)
Luke 5:31,32
4)
Luke 19:10
D.
One Answer
– The Son of God – the Messiah (Colossians 1:20-22)
1.
He is the only answer
a.
God moved towards us (Hebrews
2:14). My approach was blocked, remember?
b.
God became a Man. Perfect in
every way
c.
God then judged Himself, as if
He was every sinful man who ever will live
1)
Romans 5:6 For when we were
without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly!
2)
Romans 5:8 God commendeth His
love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us
d.
And HE RECONCILED all debts,
all offenses that we owe towards Him
e.
Let’s define Reconciled!
1)
To bring together two enemies,
and make them FRIENDS, (not blindly, or stupidly), but through a satisfactory
payment for wrongs committed!
2)
Since NONE of us could pay off
our debts to God, GOD took the debts on HIMSELF and HE paid them in full!
3)
So that He and We could become
not only friends, but FAMILY (Eph 1:6)!
4)
God actually made peace
between us and HIM (
2.
What Jesus Did on the Cross –
THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO TO YOU!
Let’s review our list!
a.
Imputation
(Romans 4:6) – He wants to swap out your criminal record for Christ’s
1)
In imputation, My sinful
record is transferred to Jesus Christ
2)
And His perfect righteousness
is transferred to ME!
b.
Justification
(Romans 8:33) The sinner stands before God guilty and condemned, but is declared
righteous. God wants to JUSTIFY YOU!
c.
Redemption
(Romans 6:18-22) In redemption, the sinner stands before God as a slave, but is
granted freedom. God wants to REDEEM you!
d.
Forgiveness
(Ephesians 1:7) In forgiveness, the sinner stands before God as a debtor, but
the debt is paid and forgotten. God wants to FORGIVE you!
e.
Adoption
(Romans 8:15) In adoption, the sinner stands before God as a stranger, but is
made a son. God wants to ADOPT you!
f.
Reconciliation
(Romans 5:10; 2Cor 5:18-20) In reconciliation, the sinner stands before God as
an enemy, but becomes his friend. Through all of this, He so wants to RECONCILE
you!
3.
You can’t get any better than
THAT!
a.
If you get THIS right, then
nothing else will matter
b.
And if you get a relationship
with Almighty GOD going, you’ll never look back!
E.
One Life
(Colossians 1:22,23)
1.
God changed THREE things when
Jesus died
a.
He changed Our Record. He
forgave us all sin! Wiped it clean! Not even GOD can remember my sins!!!
b.
He changed our Destination!
From heading to hell, to HEAVEN now!
c.
He changed Our Limitations –
He changed us! He changes lives!
1)
Now we CAN do right
a)
I’m still not perfect, but
always forgiven
b)
I am limited, but God placed
His Holy Spirit in me to help me at every step
2)
Now we CAN know HOW to
forgive, because we can experience forgiveness FIRST!
2.
Only one kind of life to live
now
a.
A New Life (2Cor 5:17)
1)
A changed Life – from the
inside out – the new birth!
2)
The Christian Life – a life of
obedience to Jesus Christ
b.
A Continuing Life
1)
The Christian life is not a
“trial run” or a try before you buy, but a commitment, like two people make when
they get married
2)
It is not on and off based on
the weather
3)
Continuing in the faith does
not save anyone, but salvation does cause us to continue!
c.
A Grounded and settled life –
unmoveable
1)
Sober
2)
Living out what you learn from
this Bible
d.
A Confident Life
e.
A Servant Life – greatest
Apostle was a servant! A minister!
3.
Do you want it?
a.
I did 30 years ago THIS week,
on the 15th of June, 1980
b.
I first listened, and
evaluated what this Book said
c.
I asked the hard questions,
and got straight answers – not religious philosophies
d.
I found out this thing is all
bout Jesus Christ – not a church, or a belief, or a feeling, but what Jesus
Christ purposed for me by His perfect life, and substitutionary death, and
miraculous resurrection three days later
III.
Conclusion
A.
Remember 2Cor 5:17?
1.
If any man be IN CHRIST – the
new birth!
2.
He is NEW
3.
Everything is his past is
GONE! DEAD! Passed away!
4.
Not only is he new, but
EVERYTHING is new for him!
5.
How does it happen?
a.
God was in Jesus Christ
b.
Reconciling the WHOLE WORLD
back to Himself
c.
NOT imputing their trespasses
(sins) to them
d.
God made Jesus be SIN, even
though He never, ever knew sin – never a sinful thought, or a sinful desire, or
a sinful act
e.
So that he could make ME
become righteous
1)
In justification, the sinner
stands before God guilty and condemned, but is declared righteous.
2)
In redemption, the sinner
stands before God as a slave, but is granted freedom.
3)
In imputation, a man’s sinful
record is transferred to Jesus Christ, and Christ’s perfect righteousness is
transferred to him!
4)
In forgiveness, the sinner
stands before God as a debtor, but the debt is paid in full and forgotten.
5)
In adoption, the sinner stands
before God as a stranger, but is made a son.
6)
In reconciliation, a sinner
stands before God as an enemy, but becomes his friend
B.
We have Looked at Two Sides
(Colossians 1:21)
1.
Our Nature – Who We Are
2.
God’s Nature – Who God is
3.
We and God cannot get along –
we are at odds! See things differently
C.
We Have Seen Two BIG
Problems (Romans 3:23)
1.
Our Limits (Rom 3:19)
a.
Unable to not sin
b.
Unable to pay off all our sin
c.
Really, we are uninterested in
God – only in self! Couldn’t be bothered!
2.
God’s Justice (Rom 2:5)
a.
God HAS to judge sinners – we
are guilty
b.
It is not up for debate (Heb
9:27) – there is actually going to be a judgment day
c.
This is why most people do not
take God seriously today – because people think he won’t judge sinners anymore,
but BOY are they wrong!
3.
It means, We are lost (1Cor
6:9,10) and in serious trouble with God
D.
We Have Examined Two
Attitudes
1.
Man Couldn’t Care Less –
especially modern man
2.
Yet God Seeks to Save! Luke
19:10
E.
We Have Found There is Only
One Answer (
1.
The Son of God – the Messiah!
He is the only answer
a.
God moved towards us (Hebrews
2:14). My approach was blocked, remember?
b.
God became a Man. Perfect in
every way
c.
God then judged Himself, as if
He was every sinful man who ever will live
d.
And HE reconciled all debts,
all offenses that we owe towards Him
F.
There is Now Only One Kind
of Life to Live (Colossians 1:22,23)
1.
A New Life – A changed Life –
a life of obedience to Jesus Christ
2.
A Continuing Life
3.
A Grounded and settled life –
unmoveable
4.
A Confident Life
5.
A Servant Life – greatest
Apostle was a servant! A minister!
6.
Do you want it? You need to
get it today! (2Cor 6:2)!
Craig Ledbetter | Pastor |