Sunday 10th Feb - Restoration of the Church - Nick Nicholson

Restoration of all things - the complete gospel Intro: We have such a wonderful salvation, which is an extravagant gift of grace to each and every one of us. Yet to limit it to a personal, individual salvation that rescues and saves us 'by the skin of our teeth' is to completely misunderstand God's plan of restoration, and fails to grasp God's ultimate purpose. We need to understand and grasp hold of the completeness of the amazing gospel of Jesus or else we will fail to fully understand our God-given mission as the church of Jesus Christ and our individual parts in it, whether this outwardly seems a large or a tiny contribution. Grace is the same no matter what our calling. We have need of other another. Heb 12v1-2 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. What Jesus could see was what would take place as a result of his sacrifice. Jesus went to the cross to restore us past, present and future. Jesus went to the cross with that joy before him. This would mean the restoration of all things - every dimension of human experience and all of creation (Rom 8). This is a journey that will take us back via the Garden of Eden, and yet forwards, to the Kingdom in all its fullness. This is what Jesus saw as He endured the cross. He saw past the immediate and saw the result. C.f. Heb 11 - what the patriarchs and others in OT times did in their walk with God. They were forerunners and seers. Jesus was the culmination of the law and the prophets - He didn't come to do away with either but to fulfill both (Luke 24v 44). Peter preaching in Solomon's porch at the temple in Jerusalem: Acts 3v17-21 17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of   1    Restoration of all things        the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.   2    • repent, turn around, have your sins blotted out • that time of refreshing may come from Jesus • heaven must receive until all things have been restored which the patriarchs and seers saw (Acts 1v11) What are these things? What does restoration mean and what does it look like? Back to the garden - how was it then - walked with God and each other in unity. Everything was good in God's eyes. • creation was perfect and in balance • Adam and Eve enjoyed being made in the image of God, knowing intimacy with God and unbroken fellowship with God When they fell from grace they lost all of the above and instead tried to work things out for themselves - works and religion. Humankind's fall set all of creation under tension - a beautifully balanced creation was upset and imbalance was introduced that exists today. BUT the balance will be restored when humankind is fully restored. Immediately God shows his redemptive plan by giving them clothing made from an animal skin - pointing to the ultimate sacrificial Lamb of God - Jesus. To restore means to bring back to a former of original condition (cf furniture or car). Biblically however, restoration of humankind means it is always increased, multiplied or improved so that its latter state is significantly better than its original state: • Job - lost everything but received back double what he lost • Joseph was sold into slavery but ended up as the most important official in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh • under the law of Moses if anyone stole an ox or a sheep it was not sufficient for it to be restored - i.e. one for one - it had to be paid back as 5 oxen or 4 sheep • Jesus told His disciples that if they gave up everything to follow Him they would receive back 100-fold • seed that was sown in good soil in the parable of the sower yields a crop 30, 60 or a 100-fold (Mk 4) This is a really important principle of the Kingdom of God to understand, embrace and pursue. Restoration of all things        1 Restores my soul - restores the individual in relationship with Father God (Ps 23) 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still water. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Balance here - is not insensitive to our trials and difficulties, and our dark times - he knows that we are but dust and frail but He loves us as we are and we are more than conquerors as we are filled with HS even though we may not always feel like it! Feeling and fact are not always the same and this is one occasion when they're not! He stores our tears in a bottle Ps 56 v 8. That’s precious. Each tear we shed is precious to Him, is counted and stored. 2 He restores us as sons and daughters Romans 8 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs— heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 3 Restores our intimacy with Him We were designed to walk with God, and to worship Him. Our fall led us to fear His presence because we knew we had displeased Him (Genesis 3v10: Adam said to God "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.) It produced in us a desire to hide from Him rather to fellowship with Him. In Christ God restores the hearts of the Father to the children, and the children to   3    Restoration of all things        the Father in a relationship that promotes intimacy. Ultimately, at the wedding feast of the Lamb, Jesus, we together will become the Bride and Christ will be the Bridegroom - when the Church has prepared and purified herself. At this time the full and complete intimacy that we had with the Father in the Garden will be fully restored. Ephesians 5 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.     4    Restoration of all things