The 'Go' of Reconciliation
The sermon emphasizes the importance of reconciliation with others before offering a gift to God, highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of our wrongs and the true mark of the saint as one who waives their own rights and obeys the Lord Jesus.
Oswald Chambers emphasizes the importance of reconciliation in our relationships, highlighting the need to address any unresolved conflicts before coming to God with our offerings. He explains that the sensitivity of the Spirit of God plays a crucial role in convicting us of the need for reconciliation, urging us to obey and follow through with reconciliation as instructed by Jesus. Chambers underscores the self-sacrificial nature of reconciliation, the obedience to God's Word, and the attitude of humility and blamelessness that should accompany the act of reconciliation.
Text
This verse says, "If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you...." It is not saying, "If you search and find something because of your unbalanced sensitivity," but, "If you...remember...." In other words, if something is brought to your conscious mind by the Spirit of God-- "First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:24). Never object to the intense sensitivity of the Spirit of God in you when He is instructing you down to the smallest detail.
"First be reconciled to your brother...." Our Lord's directive is simple-- "First be reconciled...." He says, in effect, "Go back the way you came-- the way indicated to you by the conviction given to you at the altar; have an attitude in your mind and soul toward the person who has something against you that makes reconciliation as natural as breathing." Jesus does not mention the other person-- He says for you to go. It is not a matter of your rights. The true mark of the saint is that he can waive his own rights and obey the Lord Jesus.
"...and then come and offer your gift." The process of reconciliation is clearly marked. First we have the heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, then the sudden restraint by the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit, and then we are stopped at the point of our conviction. This is followed by obedience to the Word of God, which builds an attitude or state of mind that places no blame on the one with whom you have been in the wrong. And finally there is the glad, simple, unhindered offering of your gift to God.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Reconciliation
- The Process of Reconciliation
- The True Mark of the Saint
- Waiving our own rights and obeying the Lord Jesus
- Restraint by the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit
- Obedience to the Word of God
- Glad, simple, unhindered offering of our gift to God
Key Quotes
“First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” — Oswald Chambers
“Never object to the intense sensitivity of the Spirit of God in you when He is instructing you down to the smallest detail.” — Oswald Chambers
“Go back the way you came-- the way indicated to you by the conviction given to you at the altar;” — Oswald Chambers
Application Points
- We should be willing to waive our own rights and obey the Lord Jesus in the process of reconciliation.
- The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in convicting us of our wrongs and guiding us towards reconciliation.
- Reconciliation involves a heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, obedience to the Word of God, and a glad, simple, unhindered offering of our gift to God.