Restoring the Erring: Lesson 3 Restoring the One that has Gone

Astray! 2Cor 5:18-20 Now all things are of God, who has

reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the

world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of

reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled

to God.

We have indeed already come along ways in our study together!

•We have seen “the realization” that one can go astray and “the recognition” that one has gone astray, so today we want to look at how we are to help “restore” them!•It is clear, in the pages of the

Bible that Jesus came to bring “Restoration” to a lost and dying world!•Jesus claim so that He might

restore us back to God again!

Today we will be applying what I would like to call

“The Three Keys of Restoration!”•Before we begin our points let’s

define what it means to restore and what is restoration!

•Restore = return to a former condition, place, or owner; repair or renovate; bring back (Oxford Univ. Dict.)

•Restoration = the action of returning something to a former condition, place, or owner (Oxford Univ. Dict.)

When we come into this world we do so in a perfect & upright

state!Eccl. 7:29 Behold, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have

sought out many devices•As we live our lives we become

corrupted along the way, by sin! •Rom. 3:12 They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."•Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall

short of the glory of God,

I. The Key of Love!•I believe these keys are best used in this

order! Everything is nothing without love!•1 Cor. 13:1-3 Though I speak with the

tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

We are to preach & teach the truth, but we must do so “in love!”

Eph 4:15-16 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint

supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

•When we love someone we will do everything in our power to help them and not hurt them! (1 Jn. 3:16-18)•Biblical love is to seek the highest

good of another!

II. The Key of Law!•We need to keep in mind that this

next key is “equally” important! It is not one without the other, but the combination of them working together!•I once was told by an elder that

they were looking for someone to preach the “love of Christ” and not the “law of Christ” and I simply asked him this question, “How can we understand the love of Christ, if we neglect the law of Christ?”

God’s love is seen through His laws!•It is because of the love of God that He

has given us laws to govern our lives!•Pr 3:11-12 My son, do not despise the

chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

•The law of God is designed to “help us” & not to “hurt us!”•A child is given rules/laws by their

parents because they love them & want what is best for them! Laws are to protect us!

God’s love & law can not be separated! They are not mutually exclusive, they can’t stand alone!

•Joh 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Joh 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Because we love the ones that have gone astray, we will taken to

God’s law on their current condition!Js. 5:19-20; 2 Pet. 2:20-22

•God is a God of justice & that requires governing laws!•Now, we are not saved by

obeying laws, but we learn to obey the laws of God because we are saved! (Rom. 6:14-18)

III. The Key of Long-suffering!•I have found that this last point is often

very difficult to fulfill, if you have people you have problems!•The “key” is is for us to see past the

problems to the potential! This is indeed what God does!•It is one thing to have to suffer,

another to have to do it long and yet we are to learn to do this willingly!•2Ti 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in

season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

An example of this can be seen in the show House Hunters:

Renovations !•In this show people are looking to buy their dream home, but because they can not afford to go out and buy a new one, they buy one in that is in desperate need of repairs!

•They then must but in the needed work to turn it into their dream home!

•They must learn “to see past the problems to the potential” in the home!

We must learn to work with the fallen even though it is often difficult & time consuming!

•It is important that we do not give up on them!•“The difference between a winner

and a loser it that a winner is willing to do what a loser will not even try!”•When one has turned away from

God, this is really when they need us the most!•I sure am thankful that God is long-

suffering with us! (2 Pet. 3:9 & 15)

Conclusion:•We have one lesson left in this

study and then it will be up to us to put into practice what we have learned about restoring the erring!•May each of us learn to use these

three keys to help bring others back to God again!•If you are here and not yet a

Christian, then today is the day mt friend, tomorrow maybe too late!