LOVE REIGNS: Love Reigns Over Our Past 4-14-24

LOVE REIGNS: Love Reigns Over Our Past 4-14-24

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Last week, we began a new series titled Love Reigns. We celebrated together the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ because his victory over death is proof that he is the true King over everything. We committed once again to live under the reign of Jesus’ love so we might become more like him. Today we continue in this new series as we consider the ways that the love of God reigns over our past. Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we do not have to be controlled by the mistakes or miscues that happened long ago.

 

Many people believe that their past is a hinderance to their present and future. It can be a heavy burden to bear when you feel weighed down by previous choices you made. One area in life where the past can have such difficult consequences is sports.  

 

Story: Almost every sport on earth has some story about a team, franchise, or organization that has bad luck because of their past. One of the most famous streaks of misfortune came upon the Boston Red Sox, when, in 1919, Harry Frazee made the decision to sell the famous Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Many fans believe that that decision was the inauguration of an 86-year drought in World Championships. It was not until 2004 that it was finally broken. For 86 years they bore this burden, believing that they could never get past their past. There are many other supposed legends of bad luck based on the past, such as the so-called Madden Cruse or the Sports Illustrated Cover curse or the Chicago Cubs curse of the Billy Goat.

 

The past does not just weigh us down in the sports world, many of us can probably point to one or two decisions which we have made that we have trouble living down. Some decisions are just honest mistakes that do not have many consequences, while others can have devastating effects that last for years. Though we cannot change our past, though many would love to, we can ensure that our past does not control our present nor our future.  

 

The gospels are full of stories of individuals with shady pasts experiencing a fresh start because of their interactions with Jesus. The New Testament often speaks about the transforming power of Jesus’ selfless sacrifice on the cross and His triumphant resurrection from the grave. When people placed their trust in Jesus, they were different, they were forgiven, and they were made new. It is the greatest news of all that all of our decisions, that have caused such guilt and shame, can be nullified by Jesus’ love. Paul speaks to this truth in 2 Corinthians.

 

”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!“

            2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

 

Paul sets up this verse by bragging on God’s amazing love that would offer Jesus’ life to rescue ours. This is where we find this word “therefore”. It is because of God’s love that we who are in Christ is a new creation. This phrase, “in Christ”, is used often within the New Testament. In fact, it is used nearly 216 times in Paul’s letters. It is a way of showing connection to Jesus and union with Jesus. When we are united with Jesus because of our faith in him, we experience a transformation that makes us new. In order for this newness to be a reality, the old has to then be removed. 

 

I.  OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW

 

            A.  God removes the old

 

The love of God removes all of the old sin, shame, guilt, mistakes, and failures from our lives. When God’s love reigns in us, it overpowers the hold that all the old things used to have in our lives. However, it has to be cleaned up, and space made for the new things God wants to do in us.

 

Story: Paula and I had an opportunity 14 years ago to remodel our home.  Granted we had no choice as vandals destroyed 3 of our 4 floors.  The restoration company came and pulled everything out.  When doing your own restoration, you start by tearing out all the old that has to go.  Chip Gaines and his show Fixer Upper made the phrase “demo day” famous. Demo Day is when a remodel begins and everything old is removed, often by force, to make way for the new materials. 

 

When God comes into our lives, he does not simply overlook our sinful past. Instead, he forgives it and removes it so that it does not have power over us anymore. We confess our past to Jesus in order to experience his radical forgiveness. To confess means to agree with God. When we confess, we acknowledge the old sinful ways as just that, old and outdated. When we confess, we agree to allow God to replace those sinful ways with godly ways that are new and better. We go from telling lies to speaking truth, from being selfish to being selfless, from spreading gossip to offering encouragement, and from burning with anger to being filled with joy.

 

When remodeling a house, it is important to remove any of the old and rotten pieces and replace them with new and fresh materials. If you do not take out the old parts, then they are destined to come back to haunt us. When we try to live as a new creation while holding on to our past vices, we end up frustrated, and our relationship with God and others always suffers. We have to allow God to remove it all, start us fresh with a renewed heart, and instill within us a desire to live for Him.

 

The Bible says it like this.

 

”For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.“

            Psalms 103:11-12 NIV

 

We do not have to walk around defeated and full of shame anymore. If you are a Christian and a disciple of Christ, you can be confident in the fact that you have been forgiven, and your sin has been removed as far as the East is from the West. You are a new creation. Your past does not control your present nor your future. 

 

            B.  God reconciles with us

 

”All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.“

            2 Corinthians 5:18-20 NIV

 

This is all God’s gracious gift. It is all from him. This means that getting past our past is not something we can do on our own. We cannot overcome our mistakes or make up for them by doing good things. God has reconciled us to himself. Though our sin broke our relationship with him, his love reigns over our sin and makes us right with him. 

 

Story: I was told a story a few weeks ago about a son who liked to take his mom’s car out at night without her permission.  Actually, he didn’t even have a license yet.  One night he got into an accident and left the car right where it happened.  When mom saw the car was missing, the son said that someone must have stolen the car.  Eventually the car was found, but the “thief” was never apprehended.  When the son grew into a successful adult, he confessed to his mom what he had done and paid her for the car.  

 

When we confess our sin against God and receive his forgiveness, we experience a restored relationship with him. Love reigns in us and we are made new.

 

Not only that, but we then become conduits of this reigning love for others around us.

 

II. GOD’S LOVE FOR US AND GOD’S LOVE THROUGH US

 

            A.  God’s love is understood through the sacrifice of Jesus.

 

”He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world“

            1 John 2:2 NIV

 

            B.  God’s love is transmitted through the lives of those who have been reconciled.

 

”We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.“

            2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV

 

God is interested in the entire world being reconciled to himself. He does not want anyone to live a life weighed down by a sinful past or shackled by shame and guilt. God extended grace to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Now we are to be ambassadors who implore others to confess their sin and be reconciled to God as well. 

 

”God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.“

            2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

 

Jesus took on our sin, mistakes, brokenness, and past shame and nailed it to the cross. He became sin on our behalf, even though he was perfect and sinless. It was an act of love for him to die for us, even as we were still sinners. 

 

            C.  God’s love is shared through the messiness of life.

 

Jesus wants to make his appeal to the world through the way we live and the things we say. It has been made possible through the person of Jesus Christ.

 

A love for God is better caught than taught. People want to SEE you live it out. We can tell people all day long about being a Christian and what it is like to have our past wiped clean. However, people do not want to have you lecture them, they want to see you live it. If they see the joy that comes from knowing God and the freedom from being united with Christ in your life, then they may be drawn to a reconciled life with God as well. 

 

A love for God is contagious. People want to HEAR that it means something to you. 

 

Illustration: Turn to someone next to you and tell him or her about your favorite movie, sports team, family member, or something else you really care about. (Let the congregation share about their passion for something.) This was probably not a challenge. It would have been different if I told you to tell the person next to you about your last visit to the DMV or your recent meeting with your tax accountant. Our passion is evident when we share with others. 

 

When a person really loves something or someone, they cannot help but tell other people about it. It just oozes out of them. When we really love God and his love truly reigns in our lives, talking about him and celebrating his love for us should be second nature. Tell your story. Share how your past has been forgiven. Let people know who you were before you met Jesus, how you met Jesus, and who you are now since He has changed your life. 

 

III. OUR WRONGNESS IS REPLACED BY GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

            A.  You are the righteousness of God.

 

There is an incredible exchange that takes place at the cross of Calvary. Jesus takes on our wrong way of living, and we are given the righteousness of God. The Greek meaning behind this righteousness is the idea that we are approved in the eyes of God. His righteousness is his divine approval. Maybe some of you in this room need to hear this today. If you are united with Christ, if you are in him by your profession of faith, then God does not see your sinful past. He looks through the blood of Jesus Christ and sees you as forgiven. It seems too good to be true, but that is the good news of the gospel.

 

”This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.“

            1 John 4:10 NIV

 

            B.  You don’t need to add anything to God’s atoning sacrifice.

           

Story: I recently read a story about a company that made cake mix for sales in grocery stores. They expected to be wildly successful because their ingredient list and instructions were so simple. All the public had to do was add water. To their surprise, sales slumped. They did not sell as they had anticipated. After doing some research, they found that their customers were uneasy about buying a cake mix that only required water. It seemed too easy, and therefore it must not be trustworthy. So, they changed the ingredients and instructions to include a single egg. Sales spiked, and the cake mix was very successful. 

 

I have found that often the truth that God has forgiven us our past by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is too good to be true and far too simple to trust. Many of us think we have to add to it somehow with penance that is not required or by trying to earn something that is priceless. Rather, we are invited to simply receive the love of God and allow it to reign in our lives. Then, and only then, will we experience the joy and freedom of new life. 

 

CONCLUSION

 

We are new creations, created to love.  Our wrongness has been exchanged for His righteousness.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.