This week, Pastor Chris continued in our Advancing Church series with a message about the power of Jesus to restore our hearts and set us free. Through Jesus we are forgiven and made new, no matter where we have been or what we have done. The good news doesn’t end there as the Lord wants to partner with us in our restoration from one degree of glory to another!
- Advance: to move forward in a purposeful way. Make or cause to make progress.
Revelation 21:5 (ESV)
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Exodus 6:6–9 (ESV)
6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’ ” 9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
“The Israelites fell in the desert because they never really gained inner freedom from the thought and life patterns related to their former bondage in Egypt.” Jack Hayford
John 11:41–44 (ESV)
41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Luke 4:18–19 (ESV)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
John 10:10 (ESV)
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Genesis 3:14–15 (ESV)
14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Psalm 23:1–3 (ESV)
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Genesis 50:18–21 (ESV)
18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
- God sent Jesus to restore relationship with you.
2 Corinthians 5:17–19 (ESV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
“One of the most glorious evidences of a man being reconciled to God is when he rejoices in God.” Charles Spurgeon
- The Lord wants to restore every area of your life.
1 Peter 5:10 (ESV)
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Matthew 4:21 (ESV)
21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.
- Restoration comes through partnership.
Mark 16:20 (ESV)
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
2 Corinthians 6:1 (ESV)
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Mark 10:46–52 (ESV)
46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Discussion Questions:
- Pastor Chris mentioned that sometimes the highlight of a person’s walk with Jesus is at salvation, but there is more as salvation goes hand-in-hand with restoration! Are there ways God is inviting you to go further in your restoration process?
- God wants to partner with us in our restoration. What would partnering with God in your restoration look like?
- In 2 Corinthians 5:18, Paul talks about the ministry of reconciliation. What is the “ministry of reconciliation,” and what role do we play in it?
Application Question:
- This week, ask the Lord how can you practically apply the truths of reconciliation and being a new creation in your everyday life?