Read: Colossians 1:15-20

[the day after the Aus National election]

 

OK on the Election here are my comments (for what they are worth)

I know he is a long standing contributor

brings great experience and credentials

has solid family support

and as a result of this election I look forward to doing the right thing as we move forward

I am of course talking about Alan Stanley- Smith!!!

 

So speaking to that 'other' Election.

I have found it a disheartening affair!

Very negative

both candidates spent more time defining what they wouldn't do

Won't Spend, No workchoices, Pay Debt, Stop Labor’s New Taxes, Stop The Boats

 

Spent lots of time buying people

For me it seemed there was no leadership

no dream about who we could be

 

I agree with what Tim Costello wrote recently

“I am in favour of a big Australia.

 

But I don't mean a big Australia in population terms which has dominated so much of the federal election campaign. I mean a nation that is big in terms of its vision, its compassion and in identifying its place in the region and the world.

….

[this is] “a campaign bereft of hope. Neither of the major political parties has sought to define Australia's role in the world. For a host of reasons we are a fortunate nation that has escaped the worst impacts of the global financial crisis.

 

Little wonder that more than one political commentator has lamented the domestic, poll-driven nature of this election by citing the acerbic reflections of 19th-century French democrat Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin: "There go the people - I must follow them, for I am their leader."

 

God has a plan: Jesus

 

Such a contrast then between this lack of leadership and what our passage describes

Who will do the right thing for a better world? Who is moving forward? (apart of course from Allan SS)

(Imagine the power point of the movie: who will rescue?)

 

God leans forward and writes one name: Jesus

That's enough – this hymn in Colossians 1 reminds us why

 

In the Jesus we see the God who cannot be seen

We see in him that all things were created through him and for him

in him all things hold together

He is the beginning of the end of death

He is supreme Lord over everything

We see God loves to give to his Son all of himself, all that he has and all he wants to do in reconciling all things to himself.

We see Jesus - Lord over all things

creating, sustaining, rescuing

God's plan covers 'all things'

 

One name, and do you hear the breadth of what God covers off in his plan through him?

 

“God is at work through Jesus in reconciling to himself ALL THINGS”

 

Many Christian's sum up the work of God something like this:

Jesus died on the cross so that our sins will be forgiven, so that we can be restored in relationship with God, so that we can go to heaven, so that we can be with God. The Christian message of salvation is about life after death; It's about getting that highly priced, but freely offered, ticket to heaven.

 

From this we might be mistaken in thinking God is simply interested in the saving of souls for heaven.

 

In contrast to this Colossians 1 reminds us that God's has set his sights not only on souls but on ALL THINGS:

things in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

things spiritual and physical,

personal and social,

private and public,

soul and body

 

God is interested in...

Chaplain working with young man

Roles: Teacher / Doctor / Accountant

Seasons of life: Mother, Grandparent

 

this w/e 40 hour famine

Over ONE BILLION people suffering from chronic hunger. It's a thousand-million people. It's nearly 1 in 6 people worldwide

Australians throw away 3 million tonnes of food worth $5.2 billion a year - about the same as it costs to run the Australian Army

 

We live in a broken, fragile and fragmented world.

We see the brokenness played out in the televised news and experience it in our communities and lives

 

God sees all this and more. The breadth of God's great news is in Jesus God is act work rescuing all of creation.

 

The Crux of the rescue of creation is the reconciliation of the the Cross of Christ

 

[on noticing lyrics in songs]

On the way through our passage did you notice a few awkward moments in the song – when the lyrics run strange

 

v17-18 Power lyric holds all things together,

getting this cosmic vision

we might expect that the lyric will roll

that he is the head of the body ...of creation

instead we hear 'Church'

 

Paul brings us from this Cosmic vision to remembering those who have been redeemed from dominion of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son

 

v20

in making certain we have the breadth of God’s design to bring the universe into harmony with his purpose “all things – things in heaven and on earth...”

 

Paul chooses to use “reconcile” and “peace”

relational terms

 

v20b and then it all comes into sharper focus

“blood” and “cross”

 

While there is a breadth to God's

We cannot miss Paul's point – there is a focus

The Crux of the rescue of creation is the reconciliation of the the Cross of Christ

 

For all the good we might do, Paul reminds us the world cannot be transformed apart from the cross

 

The Redemption and Reconciliation of all things are only available through the forgiveness and peace present in the cross

 

[On being a Functional Atheist – work as if it all depends on you]

 

The Target is You!

 

The Crux of the rescue of creation is the reconciliation of the the Cross of Christ

and when God reconciling all things, he means you!

 

Very quickly Paul brings this home to the Colossians, he makes it personal

v21-23

You are part of this. Once you were enemies of God but now you are reconciled through Christ's death to be holy, clean, free

 

Peace – from darkness to kingdom, enemies to belonging to God

 

 

People reconciled to God is good news for the world!

 

But before we rush back to saving souls for heaven. Making it about me, my holiness, my world

 

[on Purpose development with organisations]

Activity – cross

Target – You/People

Outcome – rescue of the universe

 

Can you see that God's intention:

that People reconciled to God will be good news for the world!

 

That we move from reconciled to reconcilers

(Look what happens to Paul as case study)

Acts 9

(Acts 9:1-6) – Saul persecutes the Church – Jesus suffers

Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,"

 

v24

Now I rejoice that I suffer for you

because I am playing my part in the Church's participation in Christ's suffering

Paul moves from reconciled to reconciler

 

Romans 8:19-21 Creation Gron

 

People of God / Churchshould be at the front of the pack of God's work in reconciling all things

(btw we don't need theology of it, we just need to be rescued)

not a matter of joining, we have been brought into this

moved from enemies to being part of the Son's Kingdom

 

[Affirm every role and community which brings the life and light of God to the world

 

Enfield & Lifewell – bring wholeness to life

CPSW – daily

Luke – Operation Flinders

Westcare – bringing dignity

 

How about us?

As followers of Jesus how might we play our part in bringing God's reconciliation and peace to all things?

 

Conclusion

 

God's action plan

 

1 name – Jesus

1 action – the cross

1 outcome – reconciling all things

1 target – You

 

How can we, people reconciled to God be his good news for His world?