Representing Jesus and His Kingdom

Finally, I want to introduce to you our guest speaker for this weekend. Dr. Ed Stetzer was a very close personal friend of mine who's had a tremendous impact on my ministry and really the shape of the church is also one of the premier Ms. geologist in the country had as much as anybody that I know has a profound understanding of a culture where things are headed and what it's gonna take for us to reach our nation with the gospel. It is been a church planter himself to doctorates and in his spare time he trains pastors on six different on is a big deal and he has the longest guilty of anybody that I know think that was ankles.

Kids love it when they get to see him go ahead because he lets them swing is guilty. I cannot think of anybody better, give a prophetic word.

Our church about regional culture with the gospel summit at all of our campuses. Please give a warm welcome to Dr. Ed Stetzer well, that is. So that's quite a welcome and I welcome glad the year JD. I surmised I don't understand. I did, I did Trebek go to you forages it with coming a stumbling block to many and I is my ministry to them. I wanted to do that by what I want to remind JD again that there are three kinds of people in this world there are men with beards, females and boys and I don't know what that thing he's working on his face actually is. It's constantly attitude a great I don't how you describe your special razor. He spends hours doing that but but nonetheless I don't judge. I'm just here to serve together. Bible turn with me to second Corinthians chapter 5 synchrony is chapter 5 you look at what it means to represent Jesus and his kingdom. Well that's all I like it like this, read the passage and we will put it on the screen right at the beginning but will go through this week as we walked to the passage a little bit later on. So someone is to look at what it means to represent you sooner kingdom well so hopefully you got your Bible open second Corinthians chapter 5 beginning at verse 12 says this from now on. Then we don't know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we know Christ in a purely human way.

Yet now we no longer know him like that. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is new creation the old things have passed away and look, new things have come. Everything is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he is committed. The message of reconciliation to us. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God.

He made the one who did not no sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Pray with me for the speakers to your word help us understand how the cross compels us to the mission might represent Jesus and his kingdom.

Well, in Jesus name we pray. Amen and amen this passage is a passage in the middle of a context now that some a week to go through books of the Bible. So we have kind of walked up to this passage in first Corinthians, and we know by now that Paul's writing this letter to church at a place called Corinth. There, the Corinthians in and I and the church to become corrupt and and he admonishes them you're using strong language, both defending his apostleship but also provoking them to represent Jesus and his kingdom well but we don't. We have matching suits, one off message so we don't have all of that background but but only briefly mentioned because a be helpful to understand the context and the application, but there are four things I want us to see today that will kinda walk us through this passage and help us to think about what it might mean to represent Jesus and his kingdom well. So let's let's take a look at the number one on encouraging jot notes help you remember so number one on your outline is this we get a new perspective right now, new perspective, it always people, calling for up new perspective in their different ways that people lay out a case for a new perspective work here. Paul's calling the people of Corinth. The believers at Corinth to have a new perspective on the world around them 2000 years later.

We need to be reminded again how to have a new perspective as the world changes around us. Let's look at the verses right says this beginning at verse 16. You'll see on your screen it says from now on. Then we don't know anyone in a purely human way. In other words, the way we perceive our or see people the way we look at people has been changed. The reasons been changes actually described in the verses before which we don't have time but for 17 will help us to get it as well, but it talks about this new life in Christ. So we don't know anyone in a purely human way meant that even if we knew Jesus that way. So even if we knew Christ in a purely human way. Yet now we no longer know him like that to the preceding verses in the following verse both remind us that because we have a new life we get a new look because we have a new life we get a new look.

We see people the world and Jesus differently because we have new life in Christ for 17 explains that new life in a way that many of you be familiar with. Grew up in search of in a church just for a little while. You've probably heard this verse. Verse 17 says therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation right something is created new Jesus calls you being born again. There's new life in Christ. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there is new creation old things have passed away and look there's a look again. Look, new things have come so many new things, but in the context of this passage. We've received new life and so therefore we have a new look. We see people and the world differently.

We see people in the world, rightly now it's clear that the new birth is is not the same as turning over a new leaf right so maybe you came today and and you came to church maybe this is your first time and you want to turn over new leaf and you want to get some religion in your life or glad to hear about want to articulate that message a little differently. See Christianity is not about turning over a new leaf.

It's about receiving new life and having received new life and been changed by the power of the gospel right. We then begin to with this new self with this born-again spiritual nature, we begin to live differently because of the life that we have received but understand that we have to understand a bit of the state of the world right of Jesus is creating and making all things new. If if Jesus is giving new life. We also have to recognize that the old world is passing away by fact, Paul writes that earlier under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and in an earlier letter to the people. The church at Corinth. He says for this world.

This is first Corinthians 731 for this world in its current form is passing away.

So the world is passing away. But Jesus is bringing and making new life and as we receive that new life we get a new look about the world around us much about how we look about changes to his people see in us the working of Christ. But I'm going to bed a new view. A new perspective on the world that he did it and then and then we need it now, partly because need understand it that that culture world context can be defined maybe in two broad terms like the world is both broken and lost right so the world is broken and lost, so it's broken because the impact be effective. Sin has sustained everything in others wars there's there's there's there's tragedies there's there. There's injustice there's there's racism there's there's lostness there there just all around us, the world is broken because the world broken Jesus comes serving in the midst of a broken world. Though the world's broken emetic. He tells he tells us that in Luke 40, he hit we will turn there for the second time, but he announces and inaugurates his public ministry, quoting Isaiah in the Old Testament, and he says the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he is a anointed me to preach good news he talks about the poor, the captive in the blank will address that more later, but I want you to see that the world is broken. Jesus comes serving the world is lost right in the world is lost without Christ.

Paul writes in Ephesians that it's dead and it's trespasses and sins as we work dead in our trespasses and sins of Jesus comes bringing life and salvation to that world out. We defined the world will do that more just a second, but when we define the world in a situation that can be frustrating to us right now can be frustrating to us right finally to research organization likely research and so we look at trends in church and culture. Here's here's what we find when it comes to followers of the Way of Jesus and right now our Western culture. Our Western culture is moving away from values that followers of Jesus have historically and biblically been connected to and that can be frustrating to us right that can lead us to to lash out.

That can lead us to use our social media as a place to vent about anger but that anger is often picked up and maybe because is directed to art to our neighbors. Maybe over time as as the world and culture goes this way in the west, and as we as followers of Jesus continue to follow him and that distance grows, we feel may be put upon may be marginalized, maybe irritated and so in doing so we we respond in anger, we begin to dislike those who are different than us, but here's the challenge right Jesus instead point to different way.

Paul writes about it and says from now on we don't know anyone in a purely human way.

We don't see people go in this direction opposite from ours is our enemy that we may perceive them as prisoners of war, but they're not her enemy when they perceive them as Scott often stuck in the world system but they're not our enemy and if we don't get that and see people in the way that Jesus desires no longer in a purely human way, but with a new perspective, seeing them as Jesus did, will miss the point that you can't be angry, you can't hate a people and reach of people at the same time and so we went live as those who been changed by the power of Jesus, who see the world for what it is broken and lost, who see people for who they are not our enemy, but may be trapped in the enemies system and we see them as Jesus sees them. He tells us he says he saw them as like sheep without a shepherd.

CP was sheep without a shepherd. People in need of Jesus.

We get a new perspective. We have a new life. So we get we get a new look.

We see them as hurting. And so, like Jesus, we go binding up and healing in the midst of that hurting like because a new life gives us a new look.

We get a new perspective. From now on. Then we don't know anyone in a purely human way we perceive new life.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there's new creation we receive a new life. Therefore, we get a new look but doesn't end there. So number one as we get a new perspective. Number two is equally important are sent on a mission of reconciliation. So if the world is broken and lost, and those are biblical descriptions and definitions of the world in which we find ourselves as as they did 2000 years ago and now we find ourselves today. Second Corinthians 5 verses 18 and 19 speaks of the mission. We are sent on into a broken and lost world.

The word reconciliation is predominant in these next two verses I shall count them off as we see them right. So how many times in two verses. Can we see the emphasis on reconciliation. Let's look it says this beginning at verse 18. Now everything is from God referring to that which is before. In verses 16 and 70 but also 13 1415 but all this is from God, the new life that we have giving us a new look. The new perspective because we been changed by the power of the gospel and that we see people in the world, rightly but differently so that everything is from God, who reconciled us there's one who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. So four times in two verses.

It is articulated that reconciliation is a central response to the believer to the case stated in the condition we see clearly were on a mission. Rightly we see clearly surround a mission rightly so get this picture right were sent on a mission of reconciliation, but it's so important that we don't miss it. It almost seems redundant, but it's an intentional parallel in the straw in the structure of the words of Paul writes God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation right then reconciling the world to himself. He has committed the message of reconciliation to us so we look to these things. We begin to understand. We begin to get a beautiful picture of what it means to get a new perspective to see the world rightly is broken and lost, and then to acknowledge and respond by going on mission a mission of reconciliation is at is that is that coming is at some for our church. Are we not, are we not doing that your your guest speaker to give you know. So we are redoing some of these things.

II actually I do know your church really well we we we have written about your church and into books, I've known your I know your pastor and appreciate him and his friendship for years, consistently seeing and preaching those shirts that are two sizes too small to emphasize his arms and I don't judge to say welcome to the gun show during every single message and I love my love I love your your pastor, I love your church tonight and I've written about it and we actually have and we actually have have innovative files on thousands of churches in life we research in the file for your church is in a very special place. It's got a special kind of it's kind of a technical research description will be a little section for your church. It's called freakishly abnormal churches say that bad know that's good but sometimes I go to church like yours. I have to sort of remind people that that none of this this this is this is not normal.

It's not normal that before I share the message today.

Your pastor said we like some of you to leave and go to Orlando into Brooklyn or Los Angeles and Winston-Salem is not normal but that's Jesus it's not normal that you consistently hear about how we can maybe even inconvenience ourselves for the betterment of others that we can be on mission showing and sharing the love of Jesus and make broken and hurting world so I get that your church gets that the world is broken and lost, and your church is joining Jesus on his mission. He tells us to do so in John 2021 as the father has sent me, so send I you.

Jesus said, so I get that you're on mission. But I'm here as the writer of Hebrews said to provoke you to love and good deeds. I'm here so that we might see even more mission that we might say yes even more to Jesus and some of you, having heard just moments ago about places like Brooklyn and LA and Winston-Salem and Orlando could say, even now that I'm going to say yes to Jesus to be on a mission of reconciliation there. All of us need to live our lives in such a way that we put our yes on the table. Let God put it on the map and in doing so, we recognize it wherever we are.

Were sent on a mission of reconciliation, the world's broken. So Summit individually as people and together as a congregation ministers to a broken world by serving the hurting in the name of Jesus, the world's lost so Summit individually and as a congregation seeks to reach people so that they might hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So the end result is that we follow Jesus on his mission that we look back to the words of the verse is another interesting parallel don't want us to miss her to point out one parallel on reconciliation but also says now everything is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ. Don't miss that to himself through Christ and the next parallel statement it says that is in Christ God was reconciling to himself so to miss this. This is not our mission where joining Jesus on his mission again. John 2021 Jesus says, as the father has sent me, so send I you. So all of us respond, like Isaiah did and we say here I am Lord, send me to wherever wherever you are. Never ever stage of your journey of your Christian life.

You're on you and I have been sent by Jesus on a mission of reconciliation into a broken and lost world and we say yes to Jesus we are part of his agenda in the midst of a world that deeply needs to hear and respond to the gospel. So we start with a new perspective right and what we get. We get a new perspective we get a new life.

So now we have a new look. We see the world as Jesus does number two were sent on a mission of reconciliation. We have been reconciled.

Having now seen the world rightly as both broken and lost. We have been reconciled. Then we become agents of that reconciliation were not the means of that reconciliation.

Jesus is through his death on the cross for our sin and in our place. But now we are messengers of that reconciliation. Thirdly, get a new perspective sent in the mission of reconciliation number three of representing Jesus and his kingdom representing Jesus and his kingdom that we had more time or more into the context we would know that Paul is actually defending his apostleship and his ministry is actually specifically referring to himself I think would be quite faithful with the text because when it speaks about us representing the kingdom and so many places we can be quite faithful to the text and see how it applies to us, but look with me at verse 20. It says therefore we are ambassadors for Christ certain that God is appealing through sweep lead on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God.

This is the great marching order of one who represents Jesus and his kingdom. This shouldn't surprise us. Jesus said in Matthew 633 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be provided for you. So as we follow King Jesus and or about his kingdom work were actually going to be representing Jesus and his his kingdom. Well that's that's what being an ambassador is our first himself a sort of band of missionaries and ministers with them as as ambassadors, but we represent Jesus. We we are ambassadors of a sort. I grew up in the rafters outside of New York City.

So I'm I live in Nashville Tennessee now which is a very different world culturally I'm I'm fixing to fit into Nashville. You all attend. I just was that you had a problem with that. That's where my dad actually still talks and that I grew up, he saw ambassadors all the time and New York going.

The city may drive around the have these cars with flags and only enough to pay parking tickets because they weren't under the laws of the land or from another place and there are some similarities and some differences between ambassadors than in ambassadors now, but either way we we represent Jesus and his kingdom. Sometimes that's that's easy. Sometimes that's hard yesterday. I Proved to flying in here to share God's word for the for the weekend services and and when we did we Allen news on our staff of our church, their natural came with me and we went to lunch and I've written some emails on the on the plane and I need to send them so I came in and asked this early in life. I am, and they didn't suffer my laptop and open my laptop sent my emails. I was online.

The Peter sitting there and their server came up to us and and and she said so what are you in town for and I said I speak of this this church and I can explain the church as it generally said I had explained that while you basically need a GPS to find it. It's it's it's it's but but I explain were was in and or you know and and and she sees since he started talking to us in the morning that we are there early know what anyone else there waiting on services so she set up. I used to used to go to church, given up on, given up on organized religion.

I said or elicited to some a church it's it's not that organized, and so others that so I tried to encourage her that way didn't help. She said no. I said, she said, just as I kept asking questions about science and animate and ask us about signs he will answer my questions are too hard questions. I I've sort of dropped out of church and I would say to you, not everyone thinks that way. And here in the in in the triangle been filled with people love Jesus and are in the sciences and and have thought through these issues, but but but in God's providence in his sovereignty. I would I turn towards implicitly essential question. I actually just have written a chapter in a book published by the national Association of agile."

God and science and and and I wonder quite good, which reaches the article.

I just bought stock. I pulled up the article. Here's the article, and I could send you the book to suggest. Let me give you my email. It's like I gave my email is it wise if you have any questions give asking questions and reminisce conversation about who Jesus isn't what Jesus is about it like I think to myself that this is out witnessing should always go open laptop ready for questions I can think of about two times in the history of my life that's at that's happened that way, you can pray for her as she considers some of the things it we sent you most the time being a pastor is harder than that shouldn't surprise us. I a few months ago my dad called me and my dad Sonata not a Christian blessing is not a Christian. I think he's in a denomination but I don't like the on site on him and he would say he said to me that you know I just don't see why Jesus headed on the cross.

I don't see how that's doing with me and he call me if you want to accept is that Yangon and for some surgery and I want you to know and it's a few days from now on and it's a brain surgery and and there's could be some couple can I not make it and if I make it I might lose a lot of my mental capacity and and I said okay and see when we tell the grandkids and so I said, I'm glad to do that insipid I cannot come down and see you and he said sure he knew I was, he said sure and so it was Wednesday or Thursday of that week so I grabbed a flight on Saturday and I went down had lunch with my dad a ham sandwich.

When you factor in the flight. It was the most expensive ham sandwich in the history of the world literature. Dad. So I sat down I been sharing the gospel with my dad for decades.

I when I first became a Christian. The first person I had to, Mattel was my dad and I came home excited even out all the words meant that I said that that are you saved in and he said, say from what I said I don't know, but you need to be and so I sat down with them and we spent three hours together that day, just a few months ago and I talked about who Jesus was and why Jesus died. He had questions and disagreements. And I talked about why the world's broken and how Jesus is the answer and and and and tried to represent Jesus want to be an ambassador for Christ right knowing that God is appealing through us. I said to my father. We plead on Christ's behalf outside in use those words but I did. I said I wanted to be reconciled to God as the passage says I will tell you what you hear this it was three beautiful hours we laugh together we wept together we prayed together. I prayed for God intervene. I prayed for God to speak. He wasn't offended I was his son that loved him. How can I not sit down and tell them what I believe to be true and I Wish I could tell you today that that that he trusted Christ that they have never had a conversation with that level of specificity in question were someone didn't trust Christ.

My dad and and in any did he recovered he recovered his fine after the surgery and we left that conversation. Following that conversation with having more conversation following up and continued over there but I want to know that the hardest witnessing conversation I've ever had is with my own father and maybe maybe that's the case with you as well my dad know I mean he he knew me as a teenager he found stuff he shouldn't find that I shouldn't of been doing Mr. dad doesn't know the Lord. Some has been a pastor's heart, some as being easy and the same is true, as Paul describes his own situation. Paul says we are ambassadors for Christ. In a sense defending his apostleship, but also a picture for us certain of God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God. That's applicable to us week representing Jesus and his kingdom. But then that St. Paul only uses the word ambassador twice.

Actually it's only found twice in our English Bible at all the other places in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 19 and 20, where it says this process.

Pray for me by this is, this is how I felt, Donna Donna, my wife prayed for me that day. My kids prayed for me that they pray for me so that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known the with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador with domestic stewards in change, he wrote this chained to a wall of the prison.

He says pray that I might be bold enough in him to speak as I should see what were called to represent Jesus and his kingdom. Sometimes it's hard sometimes it's easy all the time it's necessary is what ambassadors do they represent Jesus and his kingdom. The place is not their own. In a strange land. They represent Jesus and his kingdom now that it went with kettle trick hereto is that that the word ambassador then is similar but not identical to an investor. Now here's one way. If that's the case. Ambassador always sort of represented the country, the kingdom, the sovereign, the land that is not her or his own, but back then Rome actually didn't send out ambassadors. It was too powerful. Rome was the only superpower.

No one else was close. Pax Romana ruled over the known world. And that's around and send out ambassadors. It did need to. The week would send ambassadors to the strong not the strong to the week so the Roman Emperor would actually bragged that he had received ambassadors from far away as India. But they didn't send out ambassadors because they didn't need to. What Rome sent out was conquering armies and ruling governors as we see in the New Testament. Rome sent out but they received ambassadors from other said that the week would send ambassadors to the strong yet Paul uses that same language that in their day would have bring a recollection of weakness to the strong, and he says, is that God the sovereign God of all the universe because of his great love he still is all-powerful for powerful, then Rome would ever be, but because of his great sovereign love, he would send out ambassadors, representatives of Jesus.

Paul and his band, and 2000-year-old years later us and this church as ambassadors for Christ certain that God is appealing through us pleading on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God. That means ready so individually I would do so to our neighbor to our coworker to our friend and maybe as I was sharing about my dad.

Maybe you thought about someone in your family ambassador for Christ appeal as Christ calls you reconciled to God made. Maybe it's through groups coming up in just a few weeks on on a gathering of groups or groups of seminars as groups are launched and gave date together engage in God's mission. What a beautiful way to join with other brothers and sisters in Christ to engage in mission together right to see people differently. We get a new perspective.

We have a new life.

So we get a new look to tenant to be sent on this mission of reconciliation we been reconciled to be agents of reconciliation to finally represent Jesus and his kingdom through our church, but also through sending out people the plant other churches. That's what ambassadors do, the more concerned with the with the message and with her comfort forth in, and finally a close with this note means of a guest speaker says I'll close with this absolutely nothing. Hope you pack a snack. So let's go on to number four and finally it's because of the cross because of the cross is at his last verse going to see a pattern that changes here, suddenly we were as we go through this we get we get a new perspective right to get this new life so give us new look.

We see others differently then were sent on a IAR mission of reconciliation. We been reconciled to be agents of reconciliation, but still really to the people and how we relate to them and then thirdly were to represent Jesus and his kingdom.

Paul talked about being an ambassador and reminding us to do to plead on Christ's behalf, still dealing with how we relate to others, so the first three points built around the first few verses are clearly related but then there's this sudden convergence of the Texan and what happens in in the next verse in verse 21 is is quite a shift. Here's what it says it says he made the one who did not no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So we go from three very clear points and several Scripture verses the court to speak about how we engage others representing Jesus and his kingdom to a deeply rich, theologically driven verse that doesn't seem to fit in less unless you think about it a little more how does it fit, but when you see this is actually a doctrinaire built around the doctrine of imputation. It's a well-known verse around this was that mean imputation is bit of a banking terms like receiving a deposit in yourself and here we see that in the worst Little League on the screen for just a minute so we cannot miss it. It says he that he here is God, so God made the one who did not know sin. The one who did not know sin is Jesus who lived a sinless life, who has always existed as God the son, but then was, and born on this earth walked through the sin and the stench and the death and the destruction all around him, but he himself did not sin.

He he knew what sin look like he knew the ravages and the stench of what that sin is but he himself did not sin. So he God made the one who did not sin Jesus to be sin, which Mr. 2P sin for us.

So Jesus didn't just die for our sin that we didn't just die for us and he died by becoming arson. So sin was imputed to him so that so that no Mr. so that's in the Bible right so that we might become so this happen so that something else might happen.

We might become the righteousness of God in him. There's some imputation going on here right so Adam sin was imputed to us right we inherit in nature that's inclined toward sin. I don't to teach my daughters to up to two sin to be inclined towards and at the teach them to go up another path so so Adam sin is imputed to you and to me and that's Original Sin. But then in this verse we see that our sin is imputed to Christ. He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, imputed to Christ.

Our sin and the atonement so so Adam sin imputed to us Original Sin. Our sin imputed to Christ in the atonement and finally Christ's righteousness, so that so that the verse as we might become the righteousness of God in him. Christ's righteousness is imputed to us in this thing called justification.

I have been justified and now it's just as if I ever sent because what Jesus did on the cross for my sin and in my place means that when God looks on me. He doesn't see my sin. He sees Jesus righteousness was that have to do with the others is that compel us to this mission. I was a young man years ago my we moved from New York City is outside your city down to Orlando, Florida, and to a really undeveloped area that's now way more developed, but we moved into a home. My grandfather had retired. He was a fire Battalion chief in Manhattan. He had retired down to Florida.

New York City sorta went financially belly up and my dad was a union iron lather couldn't find work so he followed soon thereafter my grandfather at houses that we could rent my grandfather was a bit of a slumlord you down.

Bought a bunch of properties that were in the best condition. I told any government Christian family, so might my dad set out although we didn't have anything else restarting over we are broken. So all family moved out of Florida moved into one of my grandfather's houses and I don't recall the house it was to such bad shape didn't have a front door to been torn off by the previous tenants. I technically think a house that adores is a cave rather than a house.

It's a dwelling rather than a home my dad was pretty handy, though, and he put these things back together and he was a bit humiliated by the life he had found himself in there a few enemies seem like weeks. Maybe in and fixing things up that have air conditioning in the home wasn't as I was designed before air-conditioning was on blocks and so we we we made a best way way we could starting over and and my dad got frustrated and and you could tell he was a bit humiliated and and one day all the plumbing backed up in the whole place that they're going to bathrooms.

Both toilets both sinks and those things the kitchen sink and Margaret my dad had enough to call my grandfather to come over and fix this in my grandfather said okay so he called back about 20 minutes later and asked for me, said Eddie, call me Eddie, and you may not, and of his Eddie, can you can you go meet me in the yard working arena dig up something, grab a shovel or dig up something that I got a much sure, that sounded awesome and so my grandfather showed about maybe 20 mins later driving a red Cadillac with a big long iron rod that he brought over with them on the backyard working to dig up something the backyard like this is also what what young kid is on a dig up something in the backyard. He consider some treasure back here and I said oh yeah, there is can be also meant and there. There was some treasure back there so walked to the backyard and he found a particularly luscious spot right near the side of the house that was slightly amount a little bit of a mound left extra green mixture grass there and he said were in arena dig up right here and ice. This is awesome. So I took my shovel and I started digging it didn't take long, and it seem like there's 8 feet down and sure wasn't. But as I was a kid, but didn't take long before I hit something and I begin to clear off and there was there was a lid in the yard as I cleared off I begin to come to the conclusion there was a box buried in my yard and my grandfather had this great the whole time and I was I was so excited because he was so crafty and smart. Maybe he had found the treasure that constantly own head buried in our yard and Terry and I'm looking at this, he kept smiling and smirking night.

I didn't know but you we were on your Irish group and New York City and so we had to emotions drunk and sleepy and so I did know which he was at that very moment, but but he was smiling. I thought maybe found something powerful and so we did and so there I was there the box was cleared often by grandfather says we can open and I said you were going to open it. And so, so he gave me the long iron rod and I and I lifted the lid and as I did. It slid over and lifted up and and I looked at the box and sweet mother-of-pearl is a box of poop in the yard.

I don't know if I can say that word in church. I probably should check before and the city can write, so I am completely at a loss as to why somebody has created a box buried in my yard full of human waste and my grandfather trying to find I don't worry it's your family like I don't care if it's the Queen of England. Somebody has buried a box of poop in our yard. The city we don't know when we snake draining stuff goes away.

The way that God intended it to be and he says we got it we got unclog it. I said we so I renegotiated my fee and here's what you gotta do them and by this time are I want to do it and so you take the long iron Ron you gotta gasoline over the septic tank. That's what these horrendous contraptions of the devil are actually called gotta lean over at Eddie and you gotta hold the pipe and and is will hook on the end of the rod and you gotta get in there and got got cooking and sorta yank out your family and so on.

So I so I get to the edge of the edge of the thing in exhibit a sand and dirt behind me and so clear that often lean over and try to get the angle tempting. I can't really get to work and I sense our ignore. Hold your shirt. My grandfather says so. He holds my sureties leaning me over this thing and he's he's trying to be funny that and I do and I this a true story this not a preacher story is a true story and I am I'm standing above my knees in my family and it was the most traumatic moment of my life I have to share it just to get out of there certain things that automatically happen when I shared I have no control over them, but I but I'm still to this day I mean I just can't sensitive. It literally was you felt it exists really impacted you and I'm standing there up to my knees, looking at my grandfather with an iron rod is a weapon, but we were family. So I let it be, but I'm sitting there and they took me out and they all laugh in the washing of tomato juice and understandably a cult ritual and you know what was going on. But what about when I went ice when I realize and you realize you use viscerally.

Relax reacted to that. I can imagine standing in the midst of this this thing that you are not supposed to be near house, it's on you how to let you back but I years later I remember that when I read this passage that the perfect sovereign God of all the universe, so loved us that he came and walked the midst of a sin filled in sin stained parent of planet, but he himself did not sin.

You've seen the stench of that sin that the revolts and all around and and and the destruction that his cause but but but because of his great love for us, he continued his trek to the cross and when he came to the cross. He died on the cross for our sin and our place in this one moment maybe we saw something of a glimpse of what was going on.

He was nailed to the cross he cried at Eloi you like, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me because while dying on the cross for our sin and our place.

Isaiah 53 six explains it that we like sheep have all gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way, the Lord had lately on him the iniquity of us all. So your sin and mine has been laid on Jesus, not just on him, but he becomes that sin for us, he dies a sinner's death is not a sinner he's never said, but he dies a sinner's death, the one who knew no sin dies is strange separate. This is the substitution arson is taken on Jesus.

He takes the wrath as a substitute for us.

God treated Jesus as if he committed every since of the believers could be seen by God as having lives.

Jesus perfect life when I understand this.

This makes a little more sense because when I understand it is all about how we represent Jesus and his kingdom to others that the cross is what compels us to this as a matter fact if you look back just a little bit earlier to verse 14 it says this it says, for Christ's love compels us to reach this conclusion if one died for all, then all died and he died for all, so that those who live that's us. We got new life so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the one who died for them and was raised so because of the cross and only because of the cross. When we understand it can get a new perspective. Life is led to a new look sent on a mission of reconciliation. We been reconciled by the work of Christ on the cross to be agents of reconciliation representing Jesus and his kingdom ambassadors for Christ, to our friends or neighbors and their families be reconciled to God. He made the one you do not know sin to be sin for us, so we might become the righteousness of God in which you pray with me. Father, we acknowledge today that we can come before you in our own merit, but by your grace in your goodness you've redeemed us and called us by name. We acknowledge again Jesus our inability acknowledge again your ability. Your follower of Jesus and all of our campuses. Just just bow your head with me, just everyone's Pirates for a moment your follower of Jesus. What you think on and about the cross of Jesus Christ and then consider again that we get a new perspective, a new life is given us new look sent on the mission of reconciliation.

We been reconciled to be agents of reconciliation represent Jesus as his kingdom ambassadors for Christ pleading on Christ's behalf because of the cross.

Just as you take a moment to dwell on that. Would you pray through that reality.

If your follower views which here today wherever your strata the spirits and working maybe right now you're saying and I don't know this, Jesus will he died on the cross for years would invite you today to call on him say Lord Jesus forgive me of my said come into my heart. Jesus my Savior be my Lord I trust and follow father I pray that we might get a new perspective. All of us sent on a mission of reconciliation representing Jesus and the kingdom because of the cross and because we did this we gathered together here this weekend that your name and your fame would be more widely known fortune Jesus Jesus. Amen