What do you share? A good restaurant, good bargain at Walmart, a good neighborhood to live, or what your kids are up to.

Why do we become silent or private when it comes to talking about spiritual things?

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

God reconciled us to himself through Christ

The problem with sin:

• Sin separates us from God
• Sin makes us enemies with God

Saul turned to a sacrificial system to deal with his sins.  Jews would give money, grain, and at times sacrifice animals in hopes to atone for sin.  It was a bloody way to get right (temporarily) God. 

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the one day of year that the high priest would enter in to the Holy of Holies.  The priest would first sacrifice a bull for his sin, his family sins in order to be pure while going into the most holy place.  Then we would take two goats for the Lord.  One he would sacrifice unto the Lord, but the second goat he would pray all the sins that Israel committed from since the last Day of Atonement.  Then they would lead this goat far out into the desert in hopes that it would die and never return.  They referred to this goat as the scapegoat (Azazel). 

In the New Testament, we gain a new word: reconciliation [katalasso] = making peace, change, return to favor.  It was a picture of God initiating with humanity in order to lead us back into relationship with Him, and bringing peace.  Reconciliation had a relationship with atonement. 

• “For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.  Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” Colossians 1:19-22
• But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more will we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For it, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have not received reconciliation.” Romans 5:8-11

 Expiation = removing the barrier of sin

Propitiation = removing God’s wrath (penalty of sin)

What does this reveal about God?

God is love!

God is holy! 

God has called us to share

1. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

2. He gave us the message of reconciliation.

Have you reconciled with God?  Are you at peace or at war with God?

When Pilate asked the Jewish people if they wanted to free Jesus, they screamed to release Barabbas (the criminal).  When asked what to do with Jesus, they shouted in Hebrew “AZAZEL, AZAZEL!”  “Take him away, take him away!  Crucifiy him!”  (John 19:15) 

Jesus became our perfect atonement.  Jesus became our scapegoat.  Reconcilation is only in Jesus!