November 24, 2018
These days reconciliation is a commonly used word. One definition is:
“To make right or to harmonize.”
How would you explain what reconciliation means?
Can you think of situations and share them in your group:
• In the world? (eg: The Middle East, Northern Ireland.)
• In Australia?
• In Adelaide?
• In your own life?
1. Discuss the divisions and need for reconciliation between the Jews and Gentiles at the time of Christ and the early Church.
What was the attitude of the Jews towards Gentiles even in the early church? Eg: Acts 21:27-29, 22:21-23, 11:1-4,
What was the attitude of the Gentiles towards Jews including the Samaritan’s? John 4:4-9 esp v.9.
2. God’s Solution.
Read the following: Romans 5:6-10, Ephesians 2:3,11-18, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Colossians 1:21 and discuss:
• Our need.
• God’s solution.
• Our response.
How did God deal with the divisions between the Jews and Gentiles? Ephesians 2:14-18. How did “ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations,” help? Ephesians 2:15. Galatians 3:28.
3. God’s Goal.
What does God want to see? Ephesians 4:3, Colossians 3:12-15.
Consider the following:
Jesus’ great desire for His disciples is that they would become one. He wanted them unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s love. Are you helping to unify the body of Christ, the Church? You can pray for other Christians, avoid gossip, build others up, work together in humility, give your time and money, exalt Christ, and refuse to get sidetracked arguing over divisive matters.
Jesus prayed for unity among believers based on the believers’ unity with Him and with the Father. Christians can know unity among themselves if they are living in union with God. For example, each branch living in union with the vine is united with all other branches doing the same. taken from, ‘Life Application Study Bible’.
4. Forgiveness.
Discuss Jesus response to Peter’s question: ‘Lord how often should I forgive someone?’ Matthew 18:21-35.
5. Practical Steps.
Discuss in your group some practical steps that can be taken to sort out differences between people, eg: Matthew 18:15-17, 5:23-24. Do you have someone you need to reconcile with? If so share with your group and pray together for God’s help?
Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus said, and He should know (Matthew 5:9). Jesus made a way to exchange our sinful, broken lives for forgiven, connected lives. He replaced the enmity with intimacy. Just as Hosea pursued his unfaithful wife and restored her to a proper relationship (Hosea 3), God has pursued us and sought reconciliation. “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4). https://www.compellingtruth.org/Christian-reconciliation.html