The Great Restoration
Made New • Sermon • Submitted
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Prayer
Made New?
Several of my Christmas and birthday gifts this year were replacement gifts - items that I’d had a long time that had finally worn out to point where I needed new ones.
A pair of ski gloves that I think I’d had for over 30 years had started to rip apart, I patched it up with duct tape. That’s in the trash now.
A camelbak backpack, which I’d gotten from someone else and had for a dozen-odd years, straps were falling apart - held together by safety pins. In the trash now.
That’s all well and good for things - typically no problem to just toss them because you’re excited about the new one. But what about people? What do we do with people who seem to be broken? Not working the way they’re supposed to?
I’m not talking physically so much as I am morally, emotionally.
If you think about it, there are ways that we toss people aside.
One example might be those who commit crimes - not to say that it’s not just and right for those who commit crimes to serve out their punishment, but if we take on the mentality of lock ‘em up and throw away the key - that’s the mindset of tossing them out. Be done with them.
There are people we have a hard time ever seeing being different - hearts seem too hardened. Too set in their ways. Their thinking too distorted. Given them too many chances. So we cut them out of our lives - just separate ourselves from them, don’t want anything more to do with them. Toss them out.
Maybe, the struggle has been more personal. We’ve questioned whether or not we can genuinely be different, better. Not to the point that we toss ourselves out - but whether this is really it, we’re just broken, messed up, and that’s it.
We had a honest struggle with that very question in our spiritual formation group - we were talking about those initial reactions we have when someone pulls a bad driving maneuver in front of us (driving way too slow or they cut in front of us). It’s such a good example because if you drive, you’ve experienced it.
Reveals so much about us - immediate response is anger, irritation, impatience.
And we were discussing whether it was even possible to become the kind of people who wouldn’t respond that way - that we actually could respond with loving kindness even to jerk who pulls right out in front of us!
I know there are times in my life, when I’m upset about something, I’m angry about it. And I recognize the anger’s there - and I want to address the situation without that anger, I’m determined to let it go. Not that big a deal.
And them, boom, it sneaks out. I make an ugly comment. Jab of some sort. Anger, that resentment slip out.
And I really wanted not to do that. Thought I’d worked through it. But in the moment, I failed.
Right before Christmas I spent a day substituting over at George Washington Middle School and we were watching a movie, An American Christmas Carol. Made back in the late 70’s, it’s a version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” set in New Hampshire during the depression (hence the American Christmas Carol), starred Henry Winkler as the Scrooge character, named Benedict Slade.
There’s a scene in the movie where Slade is being shown the possible future. He’s died and all his possessions are being auctioned off (though Slade doesn’t catch on to that immediately). His portrait is the only thing that’s sold for any amount of money in the auction - but the person who buys it immediately throws it into a bonfire, much to the delight of the crowd.
The whole sentiment of his community is that he deserved to be tossed, right onto the trash heap, the burn pile. Of course, it bothers Slade deeply. Who wants to be seen as trash?
Story ends with Slade’s redemption - he wakes up to find out it’s Christmas Day and he has the opportunity to live his life differently. And he does, immediately.
After the movie I was engaging the class in a discussion about the story, and one of the students made a comment that really surprised me. He said, “I don’t buy it. That would never happen.”
I was confused, I didn’t know what he was referring to. The idea of being visited by three ghosts in one night does seem a little far-fetched.
But that’s not what he had a problem with. It was the change that overcame Benedict Slade. He couldn’t believe that anyone could change like that - go from being miserly and selfish to being generous and warmhearted.
I appreciated the honesty - he got right to the heart of it. After all, the whole reason A Christmas Carol has been such a beloved story is because it’s story of redemption. Of a changed heart. The possibility of being made new.
This morning we’re starting a new sermon series called Made New. It’s series rooted in premise that God doesn’t want to throw anyone away.
Heart of God is to make new. To restore. Not a patchwork fix-up job with duct tape or safety pins, but new. Right-out-of-the-box new.
To make us people who actually live the way God intended from very beginning. People made in his image. People live in fully loving relationships with God and with one another - that includes all others. Even those jerks who pull right out in front of us.
Person who does that is living a fully human life. Like we were designed to do. And that God is now working for us to be able to do. Because the promise of the Bible is that God is making all things new - and that includes us. You and me. God wants to make you new. Me, too.
Over the next three weeks I’m going to talk in greater detail about how we can join in with God’s new making in us. Because it requires active participation on our part, God will never force it on us. We are free to stay as broken as we are.
But today I want to dig a little into this amazing promise God makes, that he is making all things new. That’s really my main point this morning - God is making all things new - if we let him, that includes you and I.
All Things New: Revelation 21:1-8...
God’s plan here is what I’m calling the Great Restoration, all things made new
And it’s complete - heaven is passing away. Earth’s going to be tossed out. New ones are going to take their place.
It’s unclear whether that means God is going to renew heaven and earth (complete remodel), or if there will be an actual destruction and an entirely new heaven and earth.
God created it all in the first place, he can certainly make new ones. But the larger point is, it’s all going to be new.
When you buy something new, you have every expectation it’s going to be in perfect working condition. It’s going to be clean, look good - no scratches or dents.
Several years ago I bought Wendy a new tiller for her garden, bought it on ebay. Opened up the box to check it out. There was dirt on wheels and the blades! Just closed box back up and resealed it and sent it back. It was clearly not new, like they promised.
In this context it means that God is making a heaven and earth that will not be tainted by sin. The ripple effects of our self-serving sinful hearts will not be reverberating through the whole of life.
Instead, there will be one thing that will especially define the new heaven and new earth…the presence of God.
Vs. 3, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
No more separation. No more distance. This will be a world that is centered in and around God and his self-giving love. That will be very heart of this newness - God’s self-giving love. Not only is the new heaven and earth defined by self-giving love - it is this very self-giving love that made it possible.
I want you to watch a scene from The Passion of the Christ that shows you exactly what I’m talking about...
Jesus, in his suffering and death, taking on the sin of the world, taking on death itself by offering his life on the cross. And then conquering it, rising to new life three days later. This is Jesus making all things new.
This is the defining characteristic of the newness - The presence of God. He, his being, his character, his self-giving love, at the center of it all
What’s first thing it says about God and his self-giving love? He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
What an amazing promise. Every tear. Every moment of pain and loss and grieving, wiped away. Those times when something painful sneaks up, just a tear or two sneaks out (I had a conversation that brought those just the other day) - those tears, wiped away. And then those times of weeping, your face is drenched, eyes red. Those tears, too, wiped away.
This is the God who will be at the very center.
And with him, all his people - hopefully, that means all of us as well. All those who reflect his image, who have been made new with him. Those who are defined by that same self-giving love. That same compassion and mercy and humility and goodness.
That’s why the declaration can be made: There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain - because the old order, the order of sin and selfishness and arrogance and angry and greed - all that has passed away.
There’s no room for those things here. Earth has been made new - and it will stay that way.
Why Jesus issues warning at the very end - cowardly, unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice the magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - they’re out.
That’s the old way. It will not taint the new God is making.
Jesus makes that clear: it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega (I’m the A to Z!), the Beginning and the End. Everything is under my reign.
He’s one sitting on the throne. The one making everything new. One who declares, “write it down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Bud, you can take it to the bank.
What does that mean for you and me? After all, what if I’m not new enough. There’s still too much broken here, worn out.
I still get way too irritated and impatient while I’m driving.
My anger and resentment still get the better of me.
When it comes to money, I’m more like the old Scrooge - Benedict Slade - than the new one.
Notice who the promise is given to - To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.
If you thirst for this newness, if you long life that is real life, this life rooted in self-giving love - Jesus will absolutely sate that thirst.
And then he says this: “Those who are victorious will inherit all this, I will be their God and they will be my children.”
Don’t misunderstand this. We hear “victorious” and think that means we have to overcome all sin - all those times where we seethe in anger or make quick judgments or we hedge the truth to make ourselves look better.
But to be victorious, to conquer, is all about persisting in faith. Throughout the book of Revelation we see Jesus telling churches to whom these words were first written - if you are victorious, you’ll receive the promises. And it always has to do with staying faithful to Jesus, his teachings, loving him.
Our role is not to make ourselves new - that’s his doing. Our role is to trust him to keep his words, to keep following him, obeying, him, to seek out and join in on his new making in us.
And so we come to him with the hope of redemption, that Jesus is working that new-making in us. He wants to work in us to become people who are made new, who fit right in the new heavens and the new earth. Who reflect the self-giving love of God in our lives.
My hope and prayer is that you thirst for this. That you share the desire to be made new. And that you trust that Jesus can and will do it in your life.
Spiritual Disciplines - Doesn’t automatically happen, why we engage in spiritual training exercises.
New Year is wonderful time of reflection, spend some time this week to consider What God may be making new in your life?
John Eldredge prayer: Search me, know me, and reveal to me where you are working in my life, and grant me the grace of your healing and deliverance and a deep and true repentance.
You can phrase it in different ways, the essence is same: Lord, what are you making new in me?
You’re trusting that God is doing new making in you - and you want to join in on that.
Find an hour of solitude, take a prayer walk...
Make a plan - join in on God’s new making in you
Spiritual Formation Group - will be sharing our Spiritual training plan this week (Rule of Life).
If you don’t know where to start, great way is to commit to being a part of our Spiritual Formation Group
But one simple way is simply to slow down and be attentive to God’s presence in your life. Make a plan to spend time with him daily…(new heaven and new earth are defined by God dwelling with us, dwell with him now).
Inspiration - I gotta be honest, I didn’t mind watching the end of An American Christmas Carol three times that day I was substituting.
For exactly the reason why this story has been so popular, all the different film adaptations - it offers the hope of redemption, of newness, that what was broken doesn’t have to be tossed out - but can be made new. Because we thirst for this, for things to be made right
And to see who Scrooge - Benedict Slade - is at the end of the movie, it gives us a taste of the new heavens and the new earth. Life centered in God and his self-giving love.
Brings all gifts and Christmas dinner to his employee’s family, provides funding for Jonathan (Tiny Tim character) to get the medical treatment he needs.
He brings gifts and an piano to the local orphanage. He takes an angry young orphan under his wing as his apprentice, essentially becoming his adoptive father.
He starts living out newness, ripple effect is a joy to see. This who we were designed to be, people of self-giving love. That’s why God’s new-making is all about.