Restored - Pt. 2

For a week straight we prioritize evangelism, discipleship, and fellowship. We invest our time and energy into our youngest generation - and as statistics and experience prove - there are eternal dividends from such a selfless investment.

Now, I am not going to offer we do this every other week of the year, because I think we would likely die - but I do think this is pretty close to what the early church in Acts looked like.

They would get together with other believers, they would study together, laugh together, eat together, witness together and grow together.

They experienced the ups and downs of spending time with people that are different than themselves yet unified for the common purpose of bringing glory to God through reflecting on the story of the Gospel.

This week we spent each day, playing games, eating snacks, doing crafts, teaching and listening to lessons taught, all focused on the person of Jesus. And the reality is that this is how life should be lived out everyday.

Every day of our lives should be linked to Gospel truth. Whether you are new to truths of Jesus or if you have grown up around this truth - you are never too old, and never too righteous to live in the midst of the Gospel.

A couple weeks ago, we enjoyed a story about one of our teen boys at camp who genuinely thought the deodorant he applied earlier in the week was plenty for later in the week - while we all knew differently. He should have revisited that daily, if not a couple times a day.

Likewise, the truth of the Gospel should be revisited each day and several times through the day.

God is your Creator. Your sin produces brokenness. Yet Jesus came and suffered and died and rose again to restore you back to the good design of God.

And that’s what we covered last week in this two part series entitled Restored: Getting Back to God’s Good Design.

Last week we looked at two of our four points.

Design | Brokenness | Repentance | Restoration

As we studied the first part, we learned in Genesis 2-3 that God created a perfect world and in that perfect world He created mankind in His image.

And in His image, He planned humanity to have a beautiful purpose.

God’s original design was for humanity to be a: “class”

A reflection of His perfection.

We were designed to be His image bearer and point to His greatness.

But in Genesis 3, we see something drastic happen. What entered the scene that changed things forever? - One word - SIN.

As we saw last week, Adam and Eve broke God’s law and pursued their own desires departing from God’s good design.

This original sin has now passed from generation to generation - leaving in its wake a ripple effect of brokenness.

No longer are we reflecting God’s Glory in perfection, but now we reflect in brokenness. Things are no longer seen through the perfect reflection of who God is, but is skewed.

ILL: Broken Mirror.

It still reflects, but not like it should.

So Sin is present and it produces brokenness in our homes, our work, our communities. This brokenness from God’s perfection permeates our thoughts, our bodies, and our relationships. Nothing is as it should be any longer.

But as we will see this week, God has a plan of rescue from ourselves and His name is Jesus.

You see, Jesus Came to Rescue Us from our Sin and Brokenness.

Which leads us to the third and fourth truth in this series.

Design | Brokenness | Repentance | Restoration

Join me this morning in Acts 3 and Revelation 21.

Acts 3 is set in time following Christ’s death, resurrection and ascention.

in the first few verses of this chapter you have peter being used of God to heal a man who was crippled since he was born.

Acts 3:11–16 NKJV

11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

In astonishment to what has happened, Peter makes it clear that it wasn’t by their own power this happened. And then he calls them out for their denial of Jesus in Pilates presence.

As we saw last week, we all fall short of God’s perfection - and Peter is no different.

If you remember back to Christ’s arrest and subsequent crucifixion, all of the disciples, including Peter ran for their lives.

Early that day, Peter was boasting of his loyalty and Christ told Him that he too would deny being with Christ. and sure enough he did. When Peter was confronted outside of where Christ was being questioned,:

Luke 22:59–62 NKJV

59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

The point of bringing this up and tying it to Acts 3, is that Peter knew what denial looked like.

But over in Luke 24:12, we see the next seen with this denier. Mary comes the morning of Christ’s resurrection and tells Peter and John the news and this is Peter’s response.

Luke 24:12 NKJV

12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

And it is here we find a good example of what it means to repent. Peter made a huge mistake, but had a change of mind.

You see, Repentance is a change of mind. As someone from our church posted this week on facebook, “Repentance is not when you cry, but when you change.”

Peter sets the example here as he went from running away from and denying Christ to running to His resurrection. And as a result, he is forever changed. And you see the proof in the next few verses there in Acts 3.

Acts 3:17–21 NKJV

17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

You will notice a couple things:

1. v. 18 -Everything that happened to Christ, happened for a reason. God used the evil of man to fulfill His plan of redemption. - He is that powerful!

2. v. 19 - knowing about Christ is not enough. Simply believing that He existed will not grant forgiveness.

v. 19 says to repent and be converted.

Remember, repentance means change. From a biblical perspective the change needed is initiated and empowered by God’s grace.

But those two words - repent and be converted - both denote that something is going to be different.

3. v. 21 - as a result of this change that takes place, God does a work of restoring all things. This has been the plan all along.

God’s original design of His creation being a reflection of His perfection will be restored. And this restoration will occur because and through Jesus Christ.

Now, moving forward in this thought, we must understand a couple things:

1. Understand that your sin carries consequences.

In Gen. 3, You find the fall out from the fall. Adam and Eve are awake to shame, guilt, and pain. The created order and creation itself is subjected to futility. The perfect roles that were designed for Adam and Eve are now distorted, and they are escorted out of Eden.

Things will never be the same.

2. Understand that Jesus is our only hope for restoration

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

John 3:18 NKJV

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

3. Repentance is turning from our sin and to Christ.

As we see there in acts 3:19

Acts 3:19 NKJV

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

And as we turn to Christ, He does a transformative work in you and begins the process of restoration. Getting you back to God’s good design for you, which is to be a reflection of His perfection.

And how God accomplishes this in you is through:

1. The Spirit of God that comes to live in you.

2. Your submission to His leading in your life.

God draws you, enables you, and changes you to reflect Him!

Now there is coming a day when all things will be completely restored.

Revelation 21:1–7 NKJV

1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Dear friend, there is coming a day when God will restore all things back to Himself.

But for now, faith is the initial and continual step God works through to restore you.

Faith. What is faith?

ILLUSTRATION:

Wheelbarrow.

Dear friend, in what do you need to trust God today?

Cards

Related Media

Related Sermons