WE'VE COME TODAY TO TALK ABOUT JESUS. WHO OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW, THAT WE'RE ACQUAINTED WITH HAS DONE MORE FOR US, THEN JESUS HAS? NOW I'M NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY THAT ANY FAMILY MEMBER, ANY FRIEND HAS EVER DONE FOR YOU. THANK GOD THEY HAVE BEEN THERE, THEY HAVE BEEN A BLESSING TO YOUR LIFE. BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT NOBODY COULD DO FOR US, THEN YOU'VE GOT TO BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT JESUS. BECAUSE HE'S THE ONLY ONE I KNOW OF TODAY THAT'S BEEN ABLE TO DO THINGS FOR YOU AND I, THAT NOBODY COULD DO. AND LET'S FACE IT, EVERYONE OF US HAS COME UP AGAINST SOMETHING THAT WE COULDN'T DO. AND TODAY, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT HIM JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, IN THE FEW MOMENTS THAT I HAVE LEFT. IF YOU'LL TURN WITH ME TO PAUL'S LETTER TO TIMOTHY, HIS FIRST LETTER, IN 1ST TIMOTHY, CHAPTER 2 THERE'S ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU. OUT OF THIS ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THERE ARE VOLUMES OF THINGS THAT ARE BEING SAID TO US. BUT HEAR US TODAY AS WE SHARE THIS VERSE, VERSE 5. IN 1ST TIMOTHY, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 5. "FOR THERE IS ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS." ONE GOD, ONE MEDIATOR. THAT MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN IS CHRIST JESUS. NOW WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF IT TODAY, BUT WE HAVE ALL NEEDED A MEDIATOR. WHO IS A MEDIATOR? WELL, I DID SOME CHECKING TO MAKE SURE I WAS CERTAIN OF WHAT THIS WORD WAS DESCRIBING. AND THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF A MEDIATOR. A MEDIATOR IS A MIDDLE PERSON TO RECONCILE TWO PARTIES AT ENMITY. IT'S A MIDDLE PERSON, BETWEEN TWO PARTIES, THAT ARE AT ENMITY. NOW, LET ME DEAL WITH THIS IN STAGES. LET ME FIRST OF ALL DEAL WITH THIS WORD, "MEDIATOR." THAT MEDIATOR IS AN INTERCESSOR. HE'S SOMEONE WHO STANDS IN BETWEEN TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR ANOTHER. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW GOD WORKS FOR YOU AND I, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE'S DONE FOR US. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT HE'S STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER, MAKING INTERCESSION FOR US. HE IS MEDIATING OUR CAUSE. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOU AND I TODAY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OURSELVES IN THE LIGHT OF THIS, THAT WE ARE NOT WORTHY TO RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM GOD, EXCEPT JUDGMENT. WE WERE ALL BORN IN SIN, WE WERE ALL SHAPENED IN INIQUITY. IT IS WITHIN OUR CARNAL ADAMIC NATURE TO SIN. AND SIN PUTS US AT ENMITY WITH GOD. IT BRINGS A DIVISION, IT BRINGS A SEPARATION. NOW PAUL SAID IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS THAT NOTHING COULD SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD. AND THAT IS TRUE. NOTHING THAT YOU COULD EVER DO COULD SEPARATE YOU FROM GOD'S LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, OF YOUR SOUL, OF YOU. YET, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE CAN BECOME A SEPARATION IN OUR RELATIONSHIP. EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SEPARATED IN RELATIONSHIP, GOD STILL CONTINUES TO LOVE US. HE JUST BECAUSE OF THAT RELATIONSHIP, CAN'T HELP US. SO TODAY, WE HAVE A MEDIATOR THAT HELPS US WITH OUR UNWORTHY STATE. HE INTERCEDES FOR US. HE MEDIATES FOR US. AND RECONCILES THAT DIVISION BETWEEN GOD AND MEN. NOW THAT BRINGS ME TO THE NEXT WORD THAT I NEED TO TALK ABOUT. BECAUSE HERE'S A WORD THAT SOMETIMES WE DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND. AND THAT'S THE WORD "RECONCILE." WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE RECONCILED? WELL, I'VE FOUND SEVERAL DEFINITIONS OF THIS WORD THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU. FIRST OF ALL IT MEANS, TO CAUSE A PERSON TO ACCEPT OR BE RESIGNED TO SOMETHING NOT DESIRED. NOW, WE KNOW GOD DESIRES US, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS DESIRE GOD. AND BECAUSE OF THAT SIN THAT IS PRESENT IN ONE'S LIFE, IT BRINGS US TO A POINT WHERE WE MAY NOT DESIRE EACH OTHER, IN THE STATE THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN. GOD WANTS TO HELP US, GOD WANTS TO CHANGE US, GOD WANTS TO BRING COMPLETION TO OUR LIVES. WE'RE NOT ALWAYS WILLING TO LET GOD DO THAT. BUT THROUGH THE MEDIATING HAND OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, HE RECONCILES THAT FOR US. THAT ALSO BRINGS ME TO THIS, TO WIN OVER TO FRIENDLINESS, TO CAUSE TO BECOME AMICABLE. YOU SEE, IT'S HARD TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH SOMEBODY THAT YOU'RE OPPOSED TO. GOD HAS A HARD TIME FINDING US TO BE A FRIEND BECAUSE OF THE SIN THAT SEPARATES US FROM HIS PRESENCE. AND WE SOMETIMES FIND, GOD HARD TO BE A FRIEND WITH, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALWAYS WILLING TO GIVE UP THE SIN, THAT WOULD AS ITS REMOVED, BRING US TO A PLACE WHERE WE COULD BE A FRIEND WITH GOD. SO THE LORD HELPS US WITH THAT. YOU SEE, BECAUSE OF HIS INVOLVEMENT IN OUR LIFE, HE BRINGS US TOGETHER. THAT'S WHAT RECONCILIATION DOES, IT BRINGS US, IT MOVES US FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE, TO WHERE A RELATIONSHIP CAN BE ESTABLISHED. IT ALSO MEANS TO COMPOSE OR SETTLE. AS IF TALKING ABOUT A QUARREL OR DISPUTE. THAT MEANS WE COME TO TERMS WITH THE THING THAT HAS DIVIDED US. ITS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST THAT WE CAN COME TO TERMS WITH OUR SIN. ITS THROUGH HIS SHED BLOOD AT CALVARY THAT OUR SINS ARE WASHED AWAY. AND WHEN THOSE SINS ARE WASHED AWAY BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, NOW WE CAN BE RECONCILED. BECAUSE THAT BLOOD HAS COVERED OUR SIN STAINS. WHEN GOD THE FATHER LOOKS AT US, HE DOESN'T SEE THE SIN ANY LONGER, HE ONLY SEES THE BLOOD OF HIS SON. THEN WE CAN BE RECONCILED. IT ALSO MEANS TO BRING INTO AGREEMENT OR HARMONY, TO MAKE COMPATIBLE OR CONSISTENT. ONLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. YOU SEE, IF WE DENY HIM AS OUR SACRIFICE, THERE IS NO OTHER SACRIFICE WHEREBY WE CAN BE RECONCILED. WHICH MEANS THAT WE CAN BE BROUGHT INTO HARMONY IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. IT'S THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. HE IS OUR MEDIATOR. AND AS HE WORKS WITHIN US, HE IS HELPING US TO ESTABLISH THAT RELATIONSHIP, A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP, WITH GOD, TO WHERE NOW, THE BLESSINGS, THE ANOINTING, THE PRESENCE OF GOD CAN FLOW IN AND THROUGH OUR LIVES. RECONCILED. IT ALSO MEANS TO RE-CONSECRATE. AS IF TO TALK ABOUT A DESECRATED CHURCH OR WHATEVER. IT MEANS TO RE-ESTABLISH THAT SACREDNESS, THAT HOLINESS. AND TODAY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE RECONCILED TO GOD. WE ARE RE-CONSECRATED UNTO HIM. THAT SACREDNESS OF OUR LIVES IS RESTORED. YOU SEE, SIN TARNISHES THAT, SIN DESTROYS THAT. BUT GOD'S HAND UPON OUR LIVES, ESTABLISHES IT. WE BELONG TO GOD, WE ARE SANCTIFIED UNTO GOD, WE ARE SEPARATED FROM THIS WORLD OF SIN THAT WE LIVE IN. THAT'S WHAT JESUS TELLS US TO DO, HE SAYS, "TO COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, TO BE YE SEPARATE." HOW CAN WE LIVE THAT SINFUL LIFE AND BE SANCTIFIED AND HOLY UNTO GOD AT THE SAME TIME? IF IT'S SIN THAT CAUSES US TO BE UNHOLY, IF IT'S SIN THAT DESECRATES OUR LIVES, AS LONG AS THAT SIN REMAINS, DESECRATION AND UN-HOLINESS REMAINS. BUT WHEN JESUS COMES ALONG AND COVERS OUR SIN, NOW WE CAN BE SEPARATED FROM THAT SIN. IT NO LONGER IS CHARGED TO OUR LIFE, IT NO LONGER IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO US. NOW WE ARE FREE FROM THAT WEIGHT, FROM THAT CHAIN, FROM THAT BONDAGE. AND IN THAT FREEDOM AND LIBERTY GOD CAN RESTORE US TO A STATE OF HOLINESS AND SACREDNESS UNTO HIMSELF. AND THEN IT ALSO MEANS TO RESTORE. OH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE LORD DOES FOR US, THAT DESCRIBES IT TODAY. HE RESTORES WHAT SIN HAS DESTROYED. NOW, LET'S JUST BE HONEST TODAY, THERE ARE SOME CONSEQUENCES TO SINFUL LIVING, THAT NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD CAN CHANGE. NOW THAT'S JUST A REALITY, THAT'S JUST A FACT. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE IN OUR LIVES THAT JUST CAN'T EVER BE UNDONE. YET, THROUGH THE FORGIVENESS THAT GOD CAN GIVE US AND GRANT US FOR OUR SIN, THERE IS RESTORATION. TO WHERE WE CAN NOW LIVE BEYOND THE CONSEQUENCES, SO THAT NOW WE CAN LIVE WITH A SOURCE OF HELP FOR THE CONSEQUENCES. THAT GOD CAN HELP US TO HEAL UP FROM THE CONSEQUENCES. BUT IT'S NOT UNTIL, THAT WE HAVE BEEN RECONCILED UNTO THE LORD, THAT WE CAN EXPERIENCE RESTORATION. ALL OF US AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES ARE GOING TO FALL. I OFTEN TELL THE CONGREGATION THAT I'M PASTORING, WE HAVE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE BAD DAYS. WE HAVE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE HUMAN AND AS HUMANS WE'RE GOING TO FAIL. EVEN IN OUR BEST OF INTENTIONS WE'RE GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES, WE'RE GOING TO FAIL ALONG THE WAY. AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY KNOW GOD OR DON'T KNOW GOD, WE'RE ALL GOING TO AT TIMES, DO THINGS, THAT WE NEED PEOPLE AND GOD TO FORGIVE US. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. GOD LOOKS UPON US AND HE SEES OUR WAYWARDNESS AND WHEN WE COME TO GOD, ADMITTING, CONFESSING TO GOD THE FAILURE OF OUR LIVES, GOD FORGIVES. WE AS PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN THAT, AS WELL. IF WE WANT TO OURSELVES BE FORGIVEN, WE MUST BE WILLING TO FORGIVE OTHERS. YOU SEE, RESTORATION IS A WORK OF GOD. WHENEVER GOD ENTERS INTO LIFE, HE CAUSES THAT LIFE, NOT ONLY TO BE RESTORED IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT THAT PRESENCE OF GOD IS GOING TO HELP US TO RESTORE SOME RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE WITH OTHER PEOPLE. NOW THAT CAN LEAD ME INTO A WHOLE OTHER SERMON. AND MAYBE SOMEDAY I'LL COME AND TALK ABOUT JUST THAT SUBJECT. BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE REFUSE TO FORGIVE OTHERS AND WE'RE UNWILLING TO LET RELATIONSHIPS BE RESTORED, THE PERSON THAT GETS HURT WORST IN THAT, IS THE PERSON WHO REFUSES TO LET RESTORATION WORK. SO TODAY, WHAT I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THROUGH THIS VERSE OF SCRIPTURE IS, IS FIRST OF ALL, GOD WILL RESTORE THROUGH RECONCILIATION, GOD WILL RESTORE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. AND AS HE DOES THAT, YOU MIGHT AS WELL RESIGN YOURSELF TO IT, GOD'S GOING TO HELP SOME OTHER THINGS TO COME TOGETHER, AS A RESULT. IT'S TAKING THAT FIRST STEP OF LETTING GOD MEDIATE, LET JESUS MEDIATE, LET HIM RECONCILE YOUR LIFE. AND AS WE DO THAT, JESUS WILL BRING US TO A PLACE, WHERE NOT ONLY WILL OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES BE MADE BETTER, BUT EVEN OUR NATURAL LIVES WILL BE MADE BETTER BECAUSE OF THAT RELATIONSHIP. SO WE HAVE ONE MEDIATOR, HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST. HIS WORK IS TO RECONCILE, THAT HE MAY BREAK DOWN THAT ENMITY BETWEEN GOD AND MAN. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT A MEDIATOR DOES, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LIFE OF MOSES. MOSES IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF AN OLD TESTAMENT MEDIATOR. IF YOU LOOK AT THE STORY OF ISRAEL, YOU'LL SEE WHERE ISRAEL MANY TIMES MISERABLY FAILED. THEY TURNED THEIR BACK ON GOD, THEY WENT AND DID THEIR OWN THING, THEY GAVE IN TO THEIR OWN CARNAL DESIRES. AND THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THEY SO FRUSTRATED GOD, SO ANGERED GOD, THAT GOD BY HIS OWN ADMISSION SAYS, "I'M GOING TO DESTROY THEM." BUT AS SOON AS MOSES FELT THE ANGER OF GOD AND SEEM TO KNOW THAT GOD HAD REACHED A POINT OF FRUSTRATION WHERE HE WAS GOING TO ANNIHILATE THE WHOLE RACE OF PEOPLE. MOSES ROSE UP AND MEDIATED BETWEEN ISRAEL IN THEIR FALLEN STATE AND GOD, WHO WAS WELL WITHIN HIS PLACE TO DESTROY THEM, MOSES MEDIATED, HE BROUGHT THESE TWO SIDES TOGETHER. HE BROKE DOWN THE ENMITY THAT WAS BETWEEN THEM, THAT WALL OF DIVISION. AND ISRAEL REMAINED THE PEOPLE OF GOD. TODAY, YOU AND I, THROUGH THE MEDIATING POWER OF JESUS CHRIST, WE WON'T RECEIVE WHAT WE OUGHT TO RECEIVE, WHAT WE SHOULD RECEIVE. BUT WE WILL RECEIVE WHAT WE NEED TO RECEIVE. AND THAT IS THE LOVE, THE CARE, THE COMFORT, THE BLESSINGS OF GOD. LET HIM MEDIATE FOR YOU TODAY AS I CLOSE IN A WORD OF PRAYER. HEAVENLY FATHER, RIGHT NOW, BREAK DOWN THE ENMITY THAT EXISTS AMONGST SO MANY PEOPLE TODAY. AND I PRAY THAT LORD, YOU WILL MEDIATE BETWEEN GOD THE FATHER AND THOSE WHO THAT GREATLY NEED YOU TODAY, BRING THEM UNTO THYSELF I PRAY, IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.