RESTORE
Notes
Transcript
RESTORE
RESTORE
& 6 words that help form this vision & how it shapes us as a church in who we are corporately & also how we should live our lives as Christ followers.
weeks, 6 words, today we start with Sanctuary & then over the next 5 weeks Grace, Community, Committed, Foundations & Restoration.
what’s in a name?
words/names/labels are important - what we are known by, referred to, gives information or description about the use or defined as…
give identity - belonging -
Biblical names were so often given or changed to signify an individuals calling, purpose or promise, Simon peter, Sari - Sarah, Abram - Abraham
good bad personally - idiot, beauty, favorite, failure ....
Today we end our preaching series called Restore where we are going to look at the vision & mission of this church based on
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.
“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
& 6 words that help form this vision & how it shapes us as a church in who we are corporately & also how we should live our lives as Christ followers.
weeks, 6 words, Sanctuary, Grace, Community, Committed, Foundations & Restoration.
weeks, 6 words, today we start with Sanctuary & then over the next 5 weeks Grace, Community, Committed, Foundations & Restoration.
Series looking at the journey and key words and background to the words that define this church.. this body of people, the god given vision of this church
names/words not plucked out from nowhere - London stu Isiah 58 -mandate also for previous pastors of BCF
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.
“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
-mandate also for previous pastors of BCF
first married and working for church God dropped key words into our hearts of what church should be What God was doing
First 2 Sanctuary - Restore out of those came Gods vision
We have preached in this sandwich building the fabric - wall of who we are - building blocks
Sanctuary first - first point of call - God is our sanctuary - safety - room to breathe = we in turn as the church become sanctuary to others - acceptance
the journey through
the journey through
and the journey through
Grace - sanctuart a place of grace -
undeserved favour - Grace starts here - n us - Emma gave that powerful story of losing her kids - emphasizing the incredible grace that God extends to us - and we in turn as church extend to others i end today bring it back to restore.
expressed how desperate God is to have his children back and by His grace we are able to come back to Him -
we live lives of Grace
Community - Our best example of community Father, Son Holy Spirit, we are to work in community - common unity in HIM - with HIM community with Each other and a great passion for our local community
church - to strengthen and grow each other like acts early church
- Jerusalem, Judea Samaria and ends of the earth - right now restore Kisumu have met, we have a team in the church in Romania ..
we are here preparing for school of identity and lifestyle .. in it for the long haul generations
A church with a passion for our local community a church that has a big impact on its local community - would they notice if we weren't here - bringing back church as the place of sanctuary and support
Commitment - we are a committed to the word of god ,prayer, each other, a people fully engaged…ALL IN
Foundations - Stuart explained .. raising up the foundations, Jesus is our sure foundations our church foundation of truth and growing people with sure foundations, what are we building on? good and happy ideas or the living truth of His word, sand/rock we build it all on Jesus
RESTORE second slice of the sandwich!
So here we are at the end of the series - restore - all these key words and what they imply building the very fabic of who we are in effect restoring us
we come into the sanctuary just as we are - under grace, receive grace , give grace - in community - for the community -with commitment, all in , strong and firm foundations building our lives on Jesus Restores us to be all who He created us to be
Lesson time definition restore -
restore church??? not building construction or furniture rennovation
return (someone or something) to a former condition, place, or position.
repair or renovate (a building, work of art, etc.) so as to return it to its original condition.
give (something stolen, taken away, or lost) back to the original owner or recipient.
Greek meanings - straighten , pay back, renew, reestablish, season, complete
we need a clear understanding of our original state
Dad furniture renovation - one scratch old battered table - just restore the scratch on a shabby table or completely restore the whole table to its original condition according to the makers design and specification.
popular tv shows renovating houses taken something old making it shiny and new -
Restoring old houses or vintage items is very popular these days, as even whole television shows are dedicated to transforming something old and making it look shiny and new.
Fathers heart of the restorer not make do and mend but back to original purpose that has been lost, broken, misused over time
God wants us to be restored into our right relationship with him, restored wholly , spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally. the full package.
The original plan not human plan
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Genesis 1:26
We were created in the beginning, we look to our creator who intended us to be like him, in perfect community, wellness, peace having the benefit of every good thing, physically and spiritually
God wants us to be restored into our right relationship with him, restored wholly , spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally. the full package.
that is what is to be restored ...... you see eve was decided and believed a lie - God doesn’t want whats best it will make you like him - we were already created in His likeness we were already like Him.
From then on our relationship and identity have been under attack.
We need to be Restored back to our blue print - WHO we are, WHOSE we are
not to comfortable living but full life in abundance in relationship with HIM as we are designed to be
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
what the world says about relationship identity - gender fluidity - no friendship our children grow up in a world that is taking away any bounderies with is destroying our identity.
Where do we go who do we listen to - come back to the Father (BIBLE) blue print of who and whose we are.
Isaiah
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.
where do you dwell?
we have this restored wall what are you to restore - what broke you or caused the walls to be broken?
circumstances - priorities - mental health - choices - sin - pride - disappointment - comfort
not in relationship with Jesus?
you can make do and mend but God doesn’t want that - All or nothing only satisfied with full restoration
His heart for our restoration flows through His word
COST (ESV) “…the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.”
In this passage, Moses is telling the Israelites that if one of them digs a pit, and his neighbor’s animal falls in, then he must restore the value of the dead animal to the owner. It is an important illustration of what restoration is about in God’s eyes. He was teaching the Israelites who He had recently released from slavery and captivity how to live lives that were honest, true and full of integrity. He was pointing out the importance of valuing the property and lives of others, and then re-imbursing their neighbor if something was accidentally lost, broken or injured. There is always a cost and a value to what is lost, so God was teaching His people to respect and honor life in every situation. The children of Israel themselves were a living example of how God had restored back to them everything that they had lost as slaves in Egypt.
ONLY GOD (ESV) “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Along with most Christians, I love , because it has spoken to me at all the important times in my life. I have experienced first hand His restoration. Confidently then, I can share that God wants us to understand, take to heart, and KNOW that He is the one who restores our lives no matter what we face. God’s love for us is so strong that He not only leads us to places and times of quiet and rest, but He also then renews our soul.
RESTORE RELATIONSHIP (ESV) “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
King David was a man “after God’s own heart,” and yet he also experienced hardships and many battles in his life. Sometimes those difficulties were the result of outside forces and other times because of his own sin. But no matter what, David knew that only God could restore his hope, his joy, his peace and his life to him. In this famous passage he goes on to ask God to help create in Him a clean heart, to purify him, to renew a right spirit in him, and not to take away the Holy Spirit or God’s presence from him. He wants to feel God close to him and filling his life with the blessings only God can give. Renewing or “restoring” a right relationship with God alone would bring David back to the place of contentment and inner peace that he was seeking.
(ESV) “I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.”
Here God is talking about the restoration of Israel. They had disobeyed God and had been taken into captivity, but after repenting and calling out to Him, He promised to restore them to the promised land and to a position of protection and right relationship with Him once again. He goes on to list, explain and elaborate on some of the blessings that they are going to receive. If we choose to do what is right and obey the commands of the Lord, then the Lord will bless us like He told Israel, and even our future generations will be blessed. God heals the broken-hearted, and restores not only relationships but possessions and land back to His people.
RESTORATION BETWEEN GOD AND OTHERS
(ESV) “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.”
Paul’s letters to the Corinthian church are often full of warnings and admonitions, as they were known for their sinful attitudes and actions. Even though they had claimed Jesus as their Lord and savior, they still seemed to struggle with loving one another and walking holy lives. In this passage, Paul calls the Corinthians to make things right, to restore relationships with each other, to examine themselves, and make sure that they are in full, right relationship with God once again. He doesn’t want sin to separate these fellow Christians from the protection of the Lord, rather he wants them to be strong in their relationship with Him. This is what he prayed for on a daily basis.
(ESV) “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”
These words are among Paul’s final words of exhortation to the Christians in Corinth at the end of his second letter to them. He is encouraging them to work things out with one another and think more highly about others rather than of themselves. Paul wants them to live in peace and harmony, because then they will experience more fully God’s love and peace. By seeking restoration with their brothers and sisters in Christ, they would reap what they sowed—restoration with God as well.
(ESV) “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
It is clear from His word that God is our sole source of restoration and hope. But God also wants us to bear one another’s burdens and help and encourage each other, especially when we make mistakes. No one is more spiritual than anyone else, as we all have been filled with the same gift of the Holy Spirit when we are saved. However, spending more time in the presence of the Lord and developing greater levels of gratitude will draw us closer to our God. Then we can be His vessels for loving, caring, and carrying our fellow brothers and sisters as needed. So when someone stumbles, as Christians we should all seek their rapid restoration as soon as possible. Simultaneously, we should also examine ourselves and make sure that we are not falling into temptation as well.
We have a fight on our hands we battle as we know not against
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
ephesians 4:
Ephesians 6
Guard yourself when setting restore your relationship
But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry.
sian wade echoes our heart
when the enemy heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and the gaps were being closed, they were very angry
who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.
God is calling us to close the gaps between heaven and earth, we need to understand that building without knowing how to fight is dangerous and fighting without building is fruitless.
Lets be like Cuprinol - does exactly was it says on the tin
Restore church - you me - wholly restored with a heart and purpose to bring restoration to those around us and beyond
Communion - do you need restoration today?
Prayer