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HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS - God's Gift of Restoration - December 21, 2014 - Pastor Scott Christenson

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St. Paul's Lutheran Church Orange, CA

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my mom and dad have a picture hanging on one of their walls in their living room back in Minnesota as a beautiful wooden oval shaped frame about this big it's a picture of a little girl maybe a year old at most and she's wearing this cute little white dress it's not that spectacular thing to look at if you were to casually pass Wyatt if you were there you might not pay any attention to it at all but if you were to ask my mother about it she would likely tell you that that picture is one of her most treasured possessions if their house where to catch fire and she only have the time to save one item I would bet you my mom wouldn't be grabbing my baby pictures she be grabbing that picture of that little girl and that's because the little girl in that picture is her mother my grandmother  and it's the only picture that she has of my grandmother at that age and so as you might imagine to her that picture is just priceless  and if you ask my mom about that picture she would tell you quite a story of how that picture name to hang on their living room wall it has not always been there in fact it has only been out on display like that for just the last few years for most of my life that picture sat in a box in the basement somewhere  it wasn't that my mom didn't value that picture then she did very much but the problem was that that picture up until a few years ago was in absolutely does stress shake it was faded it was stained look like somebody had spilled their coffee on it where she hadn't had this huge out of one corner that obscured part of the picture  and you would not have thought that a picture in that bad of shape ever possibly be restored  but my mom found a guy in Minneapolis that said he could do it and I have no how he did it but he didn't he did amazing work and the thing looks like it's brand new today I want to talk with you tonight about a man who does amazing restoration work not the man who restored my mother's pictures I want to talk to you tonight about God's Gift of restoration for your life  but the first one I want to make tonight is the point of my mother's picture that restoration is really possible no matter how big of a mess your life is in restoration is really possible with God  I wonder if you believe that tonight do you believe that that God can enter the Brokenness and disastrous conditions of your own life and put things back together the way that they're supposed to be I believe that not just because I've seen it but because Isaiah says to us tonight that's precisely what Jesus came to do Isaiah with his prophetic gifts he looks ahead into the future and he saw the coming of the Lord Jesus and he described in these famous words every Valley shall be raised up every mountain and Hill made low the rough ground shall become level the rugged places a plane and the glory of the Lord will be revealed that's restoration language  and we would do well to remember those words because I really think a lot of Christians do not really believe that they believe in places but they don't believe that restoration is really possible at least not for themselves they certainly believe in forgiveness they believe in Isaiah 40 verse 2 that Christ came to speak tenderly to Jerusalem and Proclaim to her that her hard service has been better soon as been paid for that she's received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins they believe that they believe that Christ I'm for them and paid for their sins at the cross  how many many people do not believe that their lives could be substantial we changed by Jesus right now  they cannot for example imagine that they really could live blowing up in Anger all the time at the people they love they can't even picture a life of true contentment  they have them actually Having the courage to speak to a friend about Jesus  they know they're supposed to stop worrying and Scott Moore but they never really do  we could say they believe the truth of the Gospel but they don't really comprehend and the power of the Gospel do you understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just that you be saved and go to Heaven someday it's not just that you can be forgiven the good news of Jesus Christ is that you really can change restoration is really possible even if your life looks a lot right now like my mother's picture used to Jesus has common fact for that very purpose  the course the question is how does that happen exactly so let me tell you about another restoration project I'm very familiar with when I think of restoration I don't just think of sad picture of my grandmother I also think about my father-in-law my father-in-law Dennis has been involved in restoration work for long long time now Linda's dad was an engineer for many many years with Ford Motor Company and when he retired several years ago now he just an old Ford Thunderbird that needed restoration work and he's been having a lot of fun putzing around with that thing in his garage ever since  no I have to admit that this is the kind of restoration work that I would personally never get involved in for two reasons because I don't know anything about cars except how to drive them and my wife might even debate that on certain days  but secondly I would never do it because when my father-in-law bought that car and I saw it for the first time you know what I thought I thought to myself that is a really cool and that's exactly the problem see that's not what he thought the first time he saw it when he first thought he thought this is a tragedy  he didn't see a really cool car he saw something that had to put of being a really cool car someday she restoration begins with recognition specifically recognition that something is wrong something seriously wrong and it needs to be fixed  and that's why when you see the Isaiah coming to fulfillment in Matthew 3 in the life of John the Baptist what's the first word out of his mouth  repent repent and you have to understand John's not being mean here he's simply acknowledging the truth that there can be no Restoration in your life without first acknowledging that restoration work is desperately needed see the fairest do the size of these you were there they didn't acknowledge that they thought this cars  and that's why you hear John say inverse and do not think you can say to yourselves we have Abraham as our father what's doing there he's telling them in essence you are far worse off than you think you are you know we can be so quick to criticize them but the truth is that many of us think just like them most of the time  few years ago I heard that Christian Author Larry crab speak and he share this wonderful little story from his life he said he was driving along a one-day in his car when he got pulled over by what he can here to be an overly zealous police officer  the cop walked up to the car and said to him pretty sternly do you know what the speed sure  and Larry said I don't know 35 the cop said 30 you said then do you know how fast you were going  Larry said I don't know 35 top said 37  and Larry said to the audience you know a lot of us view our problem with sin exactly that same way  that we've been caught by God going 37 in a 30 MI 1 hours song it's not like we're killing anybody feel that way a little bit as you read Matthew 3 tonight you brood of vipers  I mean come on let's see Fitbit much does it pay he's talking to these are religious people these are well-respected religiously in fact the ax is already at the root of the trees his winnowing Fork is in his hand and that shop will burn with unquenchable fire can anyone else read that thing John needs to take a pill Maybe  if you do be careful John speaking under inspiration of the Holy Spirit he's not being over-the-top he's saying these things be he understands our true condition are true need for God's restoring work better than any one of us your several years ago now we had a woman stay with us at our home for a few weeks who was struggling in the midst of a terrible abusive marriage it was so sad  I'm to know what was interesting about that I'll never forget this thought I was the greatest husband in the world  she did you know why she told my wife this because I would actually sit at the dinner table and talked to Linda instead of going off and ignoring her all night and watching TV by myself  and sometimes sometimes when I was really good after dinner I wouldn't even pick up my own dirty plates no this is just my own and put them on the kitchen counter  I don't think I even helped do the dishes actually I just picked up my plates and put them on the kitchen counter that's all I did and she was absolutely astounded at how fantastic a husband I was you see what happens she she had been so immersed in sinful abusive ship patterns  she did not even know what a great husband was anymore  she missed common decency  as greatness  and you know what we all do the same thing with God when it comes to recognizing our need for his restoring work we don't understand John's whereas we think he's just a profit on stair Play It's Your because we're so immersed in sinful patterns that we've lost sight of how far we have fallen from God's intention I remember when the light went on for me on this a few years ago I was reading of all things Martin Luther what he wrote in his small catechism about the Ten Commandments it's the stuff we learn and teach and Confirmation you all know this but I don't know if you realize Absol play brilliant this stuff is the first commandment you shall have no other guys Luther rights very simply what is this mean means we should fear love and trust in God above all things see that's the problem that's not what we think it means we think it means don't Worship in a pagan Temple  and of course it does mean that right the problem is because it foods that we all think we're fine on this one no problem on number one right  would see that  the negative who edition if if we think that's all that means we're mistaking common  as greatness  we're failing to see that the commandant has a positive prescription of what our lives are supposed to be like having other no other God means a lot more just don't Worship in a pagan Temple it means that God is always and only to be the highest priority of our life in every hoping that we do  Amy's we were designed to be in Union with God in every moment of every day and means that we for me to never ever worry to never ever lust for anything less than God to be perfectly satisfied in him see what Luther saying he's saying what John said to the Pharisees he seen open your eyes you have no idea how sinful you really are  what do this one V command you shall not murder Luther says what is this mean we should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm her neighbor in his body but help and report him in every physical need she can we look at this and we quickly think we'll I have never killed any so I'm fine on this one too  that's not greatness mean do we really think that's the putco of godliness to not kill somebody  let's just  MC when God designed you he had a little bit more in mind for you than simply that you could go your whole life without killing somebody you were designed by God to be like him  a completely other centered so that means we don't just violate God's intention for us when we hurt or harm our neighbor in his body of course we do then we violated just as much every time we fail to help and support our neighbor in his every need and told you see we do that all the time it's only when you begin to really understand this that the process of restoration can relieve it begins when we repent and not just repent of a few sins here there but when we repent Who We Are which is so much less  then we were supposed to be but here's the problem even that only gets his so far  recognizing our need for restoration Wild essential does not in and of itself even make it happen I was reminded of this truth of restoration a few years ago hey brother my only sibling is a carpenter does Remodeling and things like that for a living and several years ago now he fulfilled his lifelong dream of building his own house from scratch started with nothing and built his whole house it was incredible I did a great job and just an outstanding achievement and so when it was all done he had a little open house to show off all of his work through his family and friends all of who had helped him shingle another things along the way  and of course everyone came to this party and brought little housewarming gifts you know like people do but the best gift by far that my brother received that day was the gift my uncle Ron gave him  my uncle gave him our grandmother's cuckoo clock are you understand my brother and I love that cuckoo clock growing up my grandmother's every Sunday afternoon and we were just obsessed with this thing as kids but when my grandmother died several years earlier the Who clock was broken probably from us kids yanking on it too much it did not work at all anymore in so no one really want anymore and so since it didn't have any use somehow it ended up in my uncle's basement in a box somewhere and what am I brother started to build his house my uncle got this idea that he would have the clock restored for him and give it to him as a gift pretty cool so my uncle took it and brought it in and it was estimated it would cost him $200 to fix good thing  well that seems a little steep to my uncle and was really more than he wanted to pay and he was about to walk what's the door of the shop when the man at the counter said to him let me put it through you this way sir if you don't want to pay $200 to have that thing restored I will buy it from you as is for $150  well that got my uncle tension and then the shop owner showed my uncle other clocks that he had new ones in the store not nearly as nice as my grandmother's that were plane for $800  he estimated that my grandmother's clock would probably sell for more than that if it was historic  and so my uncle changed his mind and my brother got a pretty nice gift that day not just who won the great sentimental value but one of True Value  I think about that cuz it teaches us another important truth about the work of restoration restoration always has a price doesn't it restoration is never free it always cost something  but when the object restoration is deem to be of great value  then the price becomes worth it even when it's very very costly that's what my mother decided about the picture of her mother it's what my father-in-law determined about his T-bird it's the conclusion my uncle shoe with the cuckoo clock and it's exactly what God determined about you and the restoration of your life  he under good  you were in very bad shape  and he determined  that the process of restoration would be very very costly  it would cost him his son's life  but he you  even in your Brokenness even in your worst moment to be of infinite value and and so he said in essence I'll pay it  I'll pay the price of restoration even though it is incredibly hi  see that's what's happening at the end of our Gospel reading Matthew 3:13 says then Jesus Came From Galilee to the Jordan to be what time is by John or John tried to deter him saying I need to be baptized by you and do you come to me see that that's a very good question he's asking why did Jesus need to be baptized only answer is he didn't not for himself  he was baptized for our sake see what's happening here in Matthew 3 is that g this is beginning to pay the price for our restoration  no one day we all know he would have to also go to the cross die there this horrible death to atone for all of our sins but first before that he would have to live the perfect life that we could never live in our play as our substitute and his baptism marked his willingness to do that  it's a transfer the blessings of that life to us so that we could be saved but more than that more than save so that one day we could be fully restored be the way we were supposed to be and that's where we are now all writes about our Restoration in 2nd Corinthians 5 if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation not just forgiven a new creation the old is gone the new has come now course the old isn't all gone right the new isn't all here yet not know it fullness but we are well on our way  the life and death and resurrection of Jesus allows us all to say of ourselves with John the great writer of Amazing Grace once said I love this quote though I am not what I ought to be nor would I wish to be nor yet what I hope to be I can truly say I am not what I once was by the grace of God I am what I am a great quote  I like this one to Larry Crabb says it this way in his book the safest place on Earth our new identity in Jesus is something like the government's Witness Protection Program  we're giving new passports News Social need numbers a new name new neighbors even new fingerprints we actually become a different person still with a past the past that has been forgotten by God still with the accent of the place where we were born but we're working with addiction coach to that  we're not criminals posing as choir members were legitimate Bonafide choir members who sometimes practice to rob a bank we may be disciplined by not being allowed to sing for a couple Sundays but we're never asked to turn in our robe

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HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS - God's Gift of Restoration - December 21, 2014 - Pastor Scott Christenson

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