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Click here to listen to the sermon. 11mins

Josh 5v9-12                      The end of Manna                                          

2 Cor 5v16-21                   Reconciling the world to God

Luke 15v1-3, 11b-32         The prodigal son.

Reconciling the world!   Or    Reconciling our community to God!

The three readings tell us so much about the depth of God’s love for all the world, the lost and the found, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Muslim, the straight and the gay, male and female, old and young, the sinner and the righteous.

How strange it is historically that we have spent so much of our time in the church trying to do God’s work for him and doing it so badly:- We argue over baptism, communion, The Lord’s Prayer, Female clergy and Bishops, liturgy, denominations, styles of leadership and authority, Roman Catholic or Protestant.  This is in fact idolatry when we appoint ourselves as God.

We point the finger at others who are different, JWs, Mormons, Muslims, Atheists, secularists, different cultural groups, feeling it is justifiable to despise and persecute, even quoting scripture as a defence.

BUT JESUS SAYS   “Wee should love others” “We should love our enemies”

His example is to love the sinner and the outcast. To forgive and encourage right living.

His over whelming message is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” “And love each other as yourself”

His is not a message of guilt or violence, but of love, forgiveness and acceptance.

Saul/Paul got it wrong when he thought he was doing God’s work for him by persecuting others. And yet with all religious conviction he thought he was right and justified.

So much of our lives have been built around what we are told we are not to do, which builds up guilt.

However at the same time we could build them around what we are told to do, which is love one another.

 “Love your enemy”   “Love one another”

But who will protect the truth, the bible, the church….? 

That is God’s concern.

God will look after the rest, judgement, fairness, right and wrong.

The two NT readings today are about God reconciling the world to himself, through love.

Our calling and ministry is as much about loving others as loving God, not occasionally but at all times.

During Lent we are encouraged to share tea and fellowship with each other.

After Easter we will encouraged to share meals with each other and with others.

The ministries in the church that demonstrate Gods love for others are the ones that will be blessed and bring others to know Jesus.