First Church Lent Sermon Series, "Restoration"

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CO N T EN T S 4

March 5 Restoration: “They will rebuild the ancient ruins...”

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March 12 Restored Hearts: “My heart rejoices...”

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March 19 Restored Relationships: “Go, and be reconciled...”

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March 26 Restored Fortunes: “Those who go out weeping...will return with songs of joy.”

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April 2 Restored Minds: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”

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April 9 The Road to Restoration: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds...”

foreword The following six sermons are a series called “Restoration,” written and preached by Pastor Vance C. Rains at First Church of Coral Springs, for Lent 2017. The central idea for the series was that salvation isn’t just about going to Heaven when we die. Salvation is about healing and wholeness, for all that is broken in our lives, here and now. Restoration is possible, because Jesus carried all of our brokenness to the cross, where we are healed by his wounds. Just as there are people who can see the beauty in old junk, (furniture, cars, homes, etc.) and have the knowledge, expertise, tools, and desire to restore something old and worthless into something new and valuable, Jesus can and will do the same with our broken lives.

Our hope and prayer is that these sermons will lead you to know the Master Restorer, Jesus Christ, who sees possibilities and potential in the broken pieces of your life, and was willing to give his life so that you can be fully restored for this life, and the life to come. May you come to know and experience his restoring work personally.

This is our Easter gift to you.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

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MARCH 5

Restoration: “They will rebuild the ancient ruins...”

Isaiah 61/Luke 4:14-21

I've given up watching TV for Lent. But, when I do watch TV shows, I tend to watch things like…

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American Pickers This Old House Gas Monkey Garage

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Flea Market Flip Fixer Upper Counting Cars

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Barnwood Builders

If you’re not familiar with those shows, they are all about taking something old and restoring it into something new—often times even better than it was originally.

They take old houses, old barns, old furniture, old cars, old motorcycles that have fallen into disrepair, and turn them into something new, modern, and beautiful.

You’ve probably heard the expression, “One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure.”

Well, I love to trash. Dumpster diving is one of my spiritual gifts! You’ll discover, over the course of Lent, that I have amassed an impressed pile of junk, just for this series!

Now, don’t be misled. While I love the “ idea” of restoring old stuff, I don’t have the talent, time, patience, or knowledge to do it. While I can see the possible potential in something old and worn out—and even the beauty—besides small projects, most restoration projects are way above my skill-level! But, I happen to know someone who is an expert when it comes to really quality restoration work!

Restoration Today, we are starting a new series for Lent, called “Restoration.” For the next 6 weeks, we will be looking at all of the ways Jesus can take the beat-up, worn-out, used-up, damaged, trashed parts and pieces of our lives, and use them to restore us into something new and beautiful. Lent is a time that we look to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and Isaiah writes, “By his wounds, we are healed.” Really, that’s what restoration is—healing what is beat up and broken. And, that ’s what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Restoration is defined as “a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition.” I would modify that definition to say “a return of something— 4

or SOMEONE—to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired—OR EVEN BETTER—condition.”

Stuff needs restoration, because stuff gets broken. Scientists call it the Second Law of Thermodynamics, or the Law of Entropy-there is a natural tendency for physical matter to deteriorate and decay. Wood rots. Metal rusts. Paint fades. Gears get worn.

Belts get brittle. Glass breaks. Sometimes stuff gets damaged. Sometimes stuff ages.

Sometimes stuff just wears out.

But, in the right hands, with the right tools, with the rights skills, stuff that is broken can be repaired—including us!

In writing about the wreckage of the Twin Towers on 9/11 as a metaphor for life, the artist/theologian Makoto Fujimura writes, “Theologically speaking, we are living in the ashes of Ground Zero, in our own wasteland. But, we carry the dust of Eden in our DNA.” Holistic Salvation What I am describing is really a more holistic view of salvation. When we think about the cross and salvation, we tend to think about heaven and eternal life. If you were to be asked if you are saved, or not, we tend to think in terms of whether or not we will go to heaven when we die. While Jesus undeniably saved us by carrying our sins to the cross, and Jesus undeniably defeated death by rising from the grave, opening the doors of eternity and heaven for us, thinking that salvation is only about our eternity is too narrow.

Don’t get me wrong! Salvation from sin and eternal life is ENORMOUSLY important!

But, Jesus cares just as much about the condition of our lives this side of death, as he does the other side.

Think about the word salvation. The root of the word salvation is the word salve, which is the word for an ointment or cream that you would use to heal a wound.

Salvation is the work Christ does to heal what is broken in our lives. Yes, sin is a sickness, that needs to be healed. But, sin also leaves wounds, in this life, that need healing in this life. And, there’s nothing so wounded, so damaged, or so broken that Jesus can’t heal.

Isaiah 61/Luke 4:14-21 Let me show you what I mean. Early in Jesus’ ministry, Jesus was in his hometown of Nazareth, and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He was invited to read from the Prophet Isaiah, and he chose a passage from Chapter 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4 says that he rolled up the scroll, sat down, and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) Many say that this was the moment Jesus made his mission known. This was the public announcement of who he was and what he came to do. He was the Messiah Isaiah had prophesied-“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” And, this is what he had come to do. Did you notice that he didn’t say anything about the cross, sin, or eternal life? He will­—but, not yet.

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Luke 4 says that he rolled up the scroll, sat down, and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) Many say that this was the moment Jesus made his mission known. This was the public announcement of who he was and what he came to do. He was the Messiah Isaiah had prophesied– “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” And, this is what he had come to do. Did you notice that he didn’t say anything about the cross, sin, or eternal life? He will—but, not yet.

When those words were originally written, the Prophet Isaiah was encouraging God’s people to believe in a better future. They had been defeated by the Babylonians. They had spent decades in captivity. Their homeland was destroyed.

Their capital, Jerusalem, and God’s Temple, was in ruins. They felt abandoned by God. But, Isaiah was promising that one day, with God’s help, all that was broken would be restored. And, God would send someone, anointed by the Holy Spirit, to do it. Jesus said, “Today—as I read this—this scripture is fulfilled.” Jesus is the one, anointed by the Spirit of the Lord, to restore Israel.

Listen again to the passage Jesus was reading from in Isaiah 61,

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair. (vs. 1-3) What exactly is God promising here? Let’s take a closer look. He has anointed me to proclaim “good news to the poor.” That’s a promise of economic restoration. He will “bind up the brokenhearted.” That’s healing for trauma. He will proclaim “freedom for the captives.” That’s liberation. He will offer recovery of “sight for the blind.” That could be healing for either physical or spiritual blindness. He will “set the oppressed free.”

That’s justice. He will “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” That’s an Old Testament promise called the Year of Jubliee, that forgave outstanding financial debts and the recovery of lost lands. He will “comfort all who mourn.” That’s about grief and loss.

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Do you see the breadth of what Jesus came to restore? Yes, we are all broken by sin.

Yes, the wages of sin is ultimately death. But, the wages of sin don’t just have eternal implications. We are broken here and now in our present circumstances, and the master restorer has come to heal all that is broken in our lives and in our world.

As Jesus said in the synagogue, then, he says to us again, “Today this scripture—this promise of restoration—is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) Isaiah goes on to say that the Messiah will, “…bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3) and “They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated.”

(Isaiah 61:4) That sounds like restoration to me!

Let’s pause here, and let me ask you a personal question, “What needs restoration in your life?” What’s broken? What’s hurting? What’s damaged? What needs repair?

What are the mistakes, failures, and regrets? What have you given up on? What seems beyond repair? There’s an old hymn by Sir Thomas Moore, that was adapted more recently by David Crowder, that says, Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish, Come to the Mercy-seat, fervently kneel.

Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.

Thomas Merton writes, “The human soul is still the image of God, and no matter how far it travels away from him into the regions of unreality, it never becomes so completely unreal that its original destiny can cease to torment it with a need to return to itself in God, and become, once again, real.”

What needs restoration?

What, in your life, needs the restoration that only Jesus can do? Maybe you’ve tried and failed. Maybe you don’t have the tools or the skills or the power to fix it yourself.

Maybe you’ve given up hope. But, if ALL that’s broken could be restored and given new life, new hope, new possibility, by being placed in the hands of the master restorer, what would it be?

Has your heart been broken? He can heal that.

Is there a relationship in your life that’s become fractured? He can mend it.

Is there a past mistake or failure you can’t get past? He can give you a new beginning and a new tomorrow.

Have you been misled into believing something that isn’t true? He can renew your mind.

Have you gone too far down the wrong road and find yourself utterly and completely lost? He can show you the way home.

Do you believe that? Do you want that? Will you let him take all that’s broken, used up, and worn out and make something new? This Lent, will you let him bind up your broken heart, restore what is ruined, rebuild what is broken?; so that when Easter Sunday comes, we can wear a…“crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

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MARCH 12

Restored Hearts: “My heart rejoices...”

In the NIV Bible, the word “heart” appears over 700 times. In the old King James version, “heart” appears over 800 times. And, according the Bible “hearts” perform an amazing array of functions, including…

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Hearts love, of course.

Hearts also lust, change, turn away, and falter.

Hearts sink, harden, melt, fear, despair, grow faint, and sometimes fall.

You can lose heart. Hearts can be sad.

We can take things to heart, and gather things into our hearts.

Hearts know and discern, think and meditate.

Hearts prompt, seek and search.

Hearts return and hearts follow.

Hearts rejoice and are glad.

Hearts desire, yearn, and have a will. Hearts have motives.

We make decisions with our hearts, we choose with our hearts.

Hearts can be stolen and hearts can be won. Hearts can fall and hearts can be lifted up.

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Some hearts conceal and hide. Some hearts harbor resentment and malice.

Some hearts hate and hold grudges. Some hearts rage and envy.

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Hearts pound, leap, and throb.

God tests hearts, weighs hearts, searches hearts. Hearts can be examined and probed.

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Hearts can be filled. Hearts can be emptied.

Hearts get sick, fall, become wounded, ache, get calloused, become broken and hardened. Hearts can be pierced.

Some hearts are pure, upright, and have integrity. Some hearts yield and obey.

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God instructs our hearts, puts wisdom in our hearts and writes his law on our

hearts. We can keep God’s word in our hearts, and our hearts can instruct others.

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Hearts can grow hot, like ovens. Hearts burn.

Some hearts set traps. Some hearts are cunning, scheming, and plot evil. Some hearts are bent on evil. Some curse. Some hearts are just not right.

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Hearts live, but need rest and refreshment.

Hearts should be undivided, steadfast, and blameless.

Hearts can be proud and haughty. Some hearts boast. Some hearts are stubborn.

Hearts extol, praise, delight, and revere.

Some hearts are secure, but some hearts tremble.

Some hearts “blurt out folly.”

Hearts give and are given.

You can lose heart, and be sick of heart. Hearts cry, lament, and are poured out.

You can carry things in your heart, or close to your heart.

Hearts can be washed and revived. God can remove our hearts of stone and give us new hearts of flesh.

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Some people set up idols in their hearts.

Hearts become troubled and need to be encouraged. God strengthen hearts.

Some hearts doubt and some hearts believe.

Hearts can be united.

God puts his Spirit in our hearts. God’s light can shine in our hearts.

We can open the eyes of our hearts. We can make music with our hearts. Our hearts can be circumcised.

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Hearts should be grateful, cheerful, and peaceful.

Hearts can be opened wide and we can make room in our hearts.

Yes—I read all 700+ verses!

Dallas Willard writes, “We live from our heart.”

We tend to think of the heart either as the organ that beats in our chests, pumping life-giving blood through our bodies. Or, we associate the heart with feelings— particularly love. But, biblically, the heart means much more. According to Dallas Willard, in his book, Renovation of the Heart, the Bible describes the heart as “The executive center of a human life… where decisions and choices are made for the whole person.” Willard says that the word “heart” is used synonymously with the human will, or spirit.

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Thus, Jesus would say things like…

• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. • For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

• A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.

John Eldredge writes, “You cannot be the person God meant you to be, and you cannot live the life he meant you to live, unless you live from the heart.” Which, obviously, requires a heart to be healthy and whole.

Wounded Hearts The problem is that hearts that are meant to be pure, healthy, and whole, often get wounded and damaged. Being “broken-hearted” isn’t just about being a jilted lover.

Life breaks our hearts. Let me say that again—life breaks our hearts.

If you have ever experienced criticism, abuse, rejection, unkindness, belittling, disrespect, injustice, embarrassment, humiliation, or shame, your heart has been wounded. If you’ve allowed your heart to be consumed with hate, anger, vengeance, or un-forgiveness your heart has been wounded. If you’ve allowed your heart to worship idols, to be consumed in sin and lust, your heart has been wounded. If you have not protected your heart, or neglected the condition of your heart, your heart has been wounded. If you have experienced sorrow and the grief of loss, your heart has been wounded.

And, repeated wounds form hard callouses—just like skin that has been repeatedly irritated becomes calloused. And, hearts that were made to be soft, pliable, and receptive, can become increasing hardened and closed.

Some of the wounds our hearts experience we inflict on ourselves. Some wounds are received either at the hands of another, or simply because life is hard. Just the challenges of everyday daily life can take a toll on the condition of our hearts.

So, let me ask you, “What has broken your heart? What’s your wound? What hurts?”

Lamentation I think that is why there are so many prayers of lament in the Bible. A lament is an outward, verbalized, prayerful expression of pain and sorrow. It names the affliction, the wound, and cries out in pain. While many of us try to hide our pain, or medicate our pain, or deny our pain, lament brings the wound right to God—like going to the doctor when we are sick, or like a child goes to their parent when they have a boo boo.

John Eldredge writes, “A wound that goes unacknowledged and unwept is a wound that cannot heal.”

Wounded hearts need lament.

Psalm 13 is an excellent example of a prayer of lament…

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How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

Often, the first step in the healing process is naming the brokenness—even when it’s a broken heart—even when part of the wounded-ness is feeling like God doesn’t care, and isn’t paying attention. Please hear me. God cares deeply about the state of your heart. God always hears our laments. God is always paying attention.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” How do we do that? How do we guard our hearts from becoming wounded, calloused and hard?

Let me first say that guarding our hearts is NOT protecting them by closing them off.

It’s not building walls around our hearts so that no one can get to them. We are meant to be open-hearted, and full of love and compassion.

Guarding our hearts, I think, requires three things: 1. Protecting our hearts from things that don’t belong in our hearts. Hearts are meant to be filled with God—not idols, greed, sin, anger, selfishness. We have to take caution and care about what we allow to go into our hearts, just like when doctors warn us about how too much salt, or cholesterol, or smoking can damage our hearts.

2. Instead, we need to fill our hearts with good and godly things. Worship.

Friendship. God’s Word. Prayer. Beauty. Kindness. Service. Love. After all, as Jesus said it is the good or bad that goes into a heart, that ultimately comes out of the heart. Paul writes, in Philippians 4:8, “Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

3. When you know that your heart has been wounded, seek healing. Maybe that’s lament—taking it to the God who cares. Maybe that’s confession – taking it to the God who forgives. Maybe that’s healing—taking it to the God who heals all brokenness. Maybe that’s coming to talk to someone like me or a counselor, who can help you name the pain and brokenness, and help you ask God to heal it.

God can, and God will heal your broken heart!

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After a time of deep brokenness, that came from both unfaithfulness on Israel’s part, and abuse from outside forces, God spoke these incredible words of promise… “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 He wants to do the same for you. Do you believe that?

In Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, we are told that the primary issue that made Grinch so awful, and hate Christmas and the Whos in Who-ville so much, was that his heart was 2 sizes too small. But, something wonderful happened on Christmas day, that made his old shriveled heart grow three whole sizes.

God didn’t make you or me to have broken, calloused, hurting, fearful or shrunken hearts. God does not want us to have hearts of stone. God wants you to have a heart full of him—full of life—full of health, and love and joy. He wants to restore your heart.

Think of a flower bud. When the bud first appears, it is wrapped tight­—a hard knot of flower petals. Even though the pedals are delicate, you can’t pull the bud apart without damaging it. You don’t have a choice. You have to leave the bud in the sunlight, and wait for it to open. When it does, it is beautiful. But, it is also delicate, and easily damaged. Some of our hearts are like the bud—twisted up tight and hard.

But, if we will bring our hearts out into the light of God, and give him time, he will heal our broken hearts, and give us new hearts of flesh.

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MARCH 19

Restored Relationships: “Go, and be reconciled...”

Let me tell you about a relationship in my life that’s been broken for some time, but has recently been restored…

We had been very close—enjoying lots of time together, traveling together.

We’d had highs and lows before, but we’d always managed to fix them—or at least put a band-aid over the problem. But, last November, our relationship just stalled out.

It wasn’t working. It was going nowhere. And, frankly, I just walked away.

In January, we decided to get help. But after weeks and weeks without any progress, things had literally fallen to pieces. I’ll admit I was frustrated, and was about ready to walk away—forever. A friend encouraged me to try again, and recommended a different professional who was more qualified to help us. So, we tried again.

I’m very happy to report that, after our long 4-month separation, and a lot of investment, a lot of patience, and some big changes, as of last Tuesday, we’re back together and back on the road! We’ve been fully restored! We’re so happy, we even took a selfie together! (Imagine of a picture of me with my motorcycle, with the song “Reunited” playing in the background— “reunited, and it feels so good…”) Yes—I’m talking about my bike, which has been broken down since November.

As much as I love my bike, today I’m talking about something far more valuable.

Today, I’m talking about human relationships, and how to restore them when their broken.

One of my most treasured possessions is an old book I found at a used book store, called, Spiritual Friendship, by a 12th century monk name St. Aelred. It doesn’t have great monetary value. But, what makes it special to me is a note that’s written inside, 13

from one nun to another, following the death of that nun’s best friend. The nun who gave the book actually underlined the passages she thought would be meaningful to her friend, and she wrote, “I pray you will find healing in Aelred’s words.” What a beautiful act of friendship—one friend praying for the restoration of another, during a time of loss and grief. Aelred writes, “No medicine is more valuable, none more efficacious, none better suited to the cure of our temporal ills than a friend to whom we may turn for consolation in time of trouble, and with whom we may share happiness in time of joy.”

Made for Relationship The Bible says, over and over, that we’re made for relationship. After God made Adam, he said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18).

God took a rib from Adam’s side and made Eve—someone for Adam to share his life with. Though Jesus spent time with the multitudes, he had a smaller group of friends, including the 12 disciples. He was particularly close to 3 of the 12—Peter, James, and John—and maybe closest to John, who called himself the “One who Jesus loved.”

Jesus was also close to Mary Magdalene, and to the family of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. As Jesus demonstrates, we were made for relationship.

For a moment, think about the most important relationships in your life, and the gift they are to you. Now, think about the relationships that are broken, and need attention.

Broken Relationships Relationships get injured. Even the closest relationships get wounded. Relationships can be damaged by neglect, abuse, or betrayal. Sometimes, relationships can be broken beyond repair. But, today I am talking primarily about relationships that get wounded and just need restoration.

If you spend enough time with anyone—no matter how much you love them— wounds happen. Careless words, stepped-on-toes, selfishness, confidences betrayed, birthdays forgotten, immaturity, neglect, annoyances, impatience, competition, insecurity, envy, jealousy, insensitivity, etc., all do damage to valued relationships.

Loving God and Loving People: Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-38). That’s one command in two parts.

There’s a direct and corresponding relationship between how we love God and how we love people. In fact, they are directly interrelated. As we love God, we will love people. As we love people, we are closer to loving God. Conversely, when we feel distant, bitter and resentful toward God or people, we are more than likely to feel the same about the other.

One of the most important ways for us to grow spiritually is in relationship. In fact, one of the ways we become most godly, potentially, is in the ways we relate to each other—growing in love, kindness, and grace.

I would even say that you will only become as close to God as you are to some other 14

person. I would also say it is very difficult to be close to God when any of your human relationships are broken.

The two are interrelated. In some mysterious way, the deep love and intimacy I have with my wife, my children, and my close friends makes me closer to God, and vice-aversa. As long as I allow anger, bitterness, resentment or forgiveness to exist in my heart, toward people I am called to love, I will be handicapped in my pursuit of God. Relationship Repair For Lent, we are talking about how God can take what is damaged, broken, worn out, and trashed, and restore the broken parts into something new and beautiful. So, let’s talk about how, with God’s help, broken relationships can be restored. Of all of the messages in this series, I think this one might be the most applicable. To repair, rebuild, and maintain healthy relationships, there are three things that we must learn how to do. Let me warn you - they are simple, but they are NOT easy.

Say you’re sorry First, we learned by Kindergarten to say we’re sorry. When you do something wrong, admit it. Don’t defend it. Don’t rationalize. Don’t make excuses. Own your mistakes. Acknowledge that you did something wrong. Feel the sorrow for the pain you’ve caused. And, say that you are sorry.

Jesus said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

(Matthew 5:23-24) Isn’t that interesting?!? Before God wants our offering, he wants us to be reconciled in our human relationships. And, Jesus puts the burden on us. If someone has something against you, YOU take the initiative to apologize and try to make it right.

Frederick Buechner writes, “To accept forgiveness means to admit that you’ve done something unspeakable that needs to be forgiven, and thus both parties must swallow the same thing: their pride.”

“Unspeakable” sounds a bit extreme. But, in most relationship conflicts, both parties have something to apologize for. As a Christian, for the sake of the relationship, we are called to take the first step toward making things right, by making the first apology.

That means setting aside our pride, admitting we were wrong—even if the other person was too—and saying, “I’m sorry,” even if the other person hasn’t or won’t. And, of course, saying “I’m sorry” implies “I will try to do better from now on.”

Let it go The second thing that we have to do to repair a broken relationship is to learn how to “let it go.” In other words, we have to let go of the annoyance, the anger, the resentment, the grudges, the hurt feelings, and the desire to get even, etc.

Jesus said, “I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22.) The Apostle Paul wrote, “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26-27). Letting go is learning how to forgive.

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The Apostle Peter once asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). Jesus said, “seventy-seven times!” Seventy-seven times! Let that sink in!

Frederick Buechner writes, “To forgive somebody is to say… “You have done something unspeakable, and by all rights I should call it quits between us…However, although I make no guarantees that I will be able to forget what you’ve done, and though we may both carry the scars for life, I refuse to let it stand between us. I still want you for my friend.”

Forgiveness is NOT saying that the wound doesn’t matter—like we are letting the wounder off the hook. Forgiveness is NOT saying that what was done didn’t matter.

Forgiveness IS the decision to let it go, and not allow it to damage the relationship further. And, it is a decision—not a feeling. It is a choice – to let it go, seventy-seven times, or more, if we have to—to act into forgiveness, whether we feel it yet or not.

And, forgiveness not only heals the person forgiven and the relationship. Forgiveness also heals the forgiver. Carrying around anger, hurt, and bitterness in our hearts is toxic for us. We hold a grudge, thinking we are punishing the person who hurt us. But, in truth, the un-forgiveness in our hearts is harming us. Unforgiveness is like intentionally keeping the wound open, and reliving the injury over and over. Anne Lamott says that un-forgiveness is like, “drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.”

Love Anyway Finally, love anyway. When Jesus died on the cross, weighed down by human sin, he still loved us. We call that kind of love agape. Agape is a Greek word that means a love that is not based on any kind of personal gain. Agape is entirely based on selfgiving, and even self-sacrificing, like Jesus did on the cross. It’s unconditional.

When you get hurt—love anyway. When you feel betrayed—love anyway. When you feel let down—love anyway. When you don’t feel loved in return—love anyway. And, when you feel annoyed, selfish, resentful, petty, vengeful, prideful, etc.—especially then!—love anyway!

As it says in 1 Corinthians 13, love—the kind of love that Jesus demonstrates— “keeps no record of wrongs” and always, “perseveres.”

I don’t want to mislead you. While I am sure these three things – saying you’re sorry, forgiveness, and loving unconditionally – are absolutely essential in restoring a relationship, I’m not saying it’s easy. It requires an amazing amount of courage, humility, and love. And, I’m not saying that if you do these three things, you can automatically fix any relationship. Unfortunately, some relationships are too broken to be fixed and some people are too broken to have a healthy relationship with.

But, regardless of the result, it’s the right thing to do. It’s the Jesus thing to do.

Value people. Seek relationships. Protect your relationships. But, when your relationships get wounded—and they will—do all you can to heal them!

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MARCH 26

Restored Fortunes: “Those who go out weeping...will return with songs of joy.”

This is the fourth sermon in a series called, “Restoration.” The basic premise of the series is that God can take what is broken, worn-out, and seemingly beyond repair, and restore the broken pieces and parts into something new and beautiful. So far, we have talked about God restoring our hearts and our broken relationships. Today, we’re talking about God restoring our fortunes.

I suspect just about everybody knows who Frank Sinatra is. Probably his most famous song was, “My Way.” In fact, he referred to it as America’s second national anthem. This is the second verse…

Regrets, I’ve had a few But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption I don’t know if Sinatra intended to be autobiographical, or if he was just singing the words to a song that people liked. But, in spite of his great success, fame and wealth, if you look closer at his life story, you discover that he had more than a few things to regret—multiple failed marriages, multiple publicized affairs, arrests, associations with the Mafia, and bad press, just to name a few.

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I’m not condemning or judging Frank—far from it. Who am I to judge? My point is that few of us can say we only have a few regrets.

A regret is defined as, “a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done.” Who, of us doesn’t feel sadness? Who of us hasn’t experienced disappointment? Who of us doesn’t have something to repent?

In fact, Scripture is pretty clear that we all do…

• • •

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves.” (1 John 1:8)

“A broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:17)

Who hasn’t made mistakes; missed opportunities; experienced disappointment; suffered loss and set-backs; failed; sinned? Nobody!

You don’t get through this life without regrets. I regret…

• Not taking my college education more seriously.

• Not having a closer relationship with my father.

• Not being a better parent.

• Losing some valuable friendships.

• Not developing a routine and habit of exercise and healthy living at an early age.

• So many dumb, irresponsible things I’ve done.

• Things I’ve said, or should have said. But, now it’s too late.

• I even regret some missed opportunities in my ministry.

If we don’t have regrets, then I think we’re in denial.

But, when we draw close to God, there’s no avoiding it. We can’t help but face the regrets.

Think about Isaiah, who saw a vision of God in the Temple, seated high and lofty.

Isaiah’s immediate response was an awareness of his sinfulness, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). One day Jesus stepped into the boat of a man named Simon, who had spent the entire night fishing, but had not caught a single fish. Jesus said, “push out the boat away, and throw in your net.” The net gathered a miraculous catch of fish. Simon immediately hit his knees, right on the deck of his boat, saying, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).

I think there are two categories of regrets.

The first comes from a line in a commonly known prayer of confession, “We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done…”

Sometimes we have regrets about what we have done. Sometimes we have regrets for things we failed to do. Either way, we know we are the responsible party for our regrets.

The second category is a simple edit of the first, “Those things OTHERS ought not to have done…”

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Here is a fact—there are consequences to all of our actions and inactions. There are consequences to our sin. Obviously, sin impacts my relationship with God. It also affects me. But, sin also has consequences for others. Think about the Ten Commandments.

Commandment 5 through 10 relate to the impact our sins can have on our neighbors.

Thus, some of our regrets are a result of our own action or inaction, whereas other regrets are as a result of someone else’s sin…

Think about the ugly, mean words that have been spoken to you, or about you.

Maybe there has been a lack of love and support from your parents or a spouse.

Maybe something or someone you love has been taken away from you.

Maybe you have experienced betrayals and broken trust.

The point is, whether we’ve caused our regrets, or we regret what’s been done to us, we all have regrets.

So, what can we do about it? Are we just stuck feeling this way? Or, can God help us?

Donald Miller writes, “When something happens to you, you have two choices in how to deal with it. You can either get bitter, or get better.”

As we talk about regret, I think it would be helpful to also talk about guilt and shame. The words, are related, but different. Guilt means that I’ve done something wrong. Shame means that there is something wrong with me.

Here’s an example. Imagine that I drive too fast. Imagine that I get pulled over by a Coral Springs Police Officer for speeding. He shows me the radar gun, that clocked me going 20 miles over the speed limit. I’m guilty. There’s no denying it. I’m guilty of exceeding the speed limit and breaking the law. That’s guilt.

Shame would say I speed because there is something wrong with me. I speed because I am a speeder. I am the kind of person who speeds. I am impatient. I am too aggressive. I don’t care about the law or public safety. My speeding is a symptom of my speeding shamefulness.

Most of us know that Jesus carried the guilt of our sin to the cross. But, we forget the cross also heals our sense of shame. Lent is a great time to confess and admit our guilt and our shame. According to Romans 8:1, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Now here is where regret comes in. We confuse shame and regret. The cross sets us free from guilt and shame. But, there is no escaping the consequences of my sin in this life. If I get caught speeding, I will have to pay a ticket, have points added to my record, go to driving school, and have my insurance rates go up. I regret the mess I have made by driving too fast.

But, watch this. It is possible that I learn something from my getting a ticket.

Maybe I feel bad about my irresponsible driving. And, maybe the cost of the ticket and the driving school make an impression on me, that leads to me being a better, safe, more responsible driver. Then I don’t just regret getting a speeding ticket.

I would regret that. But, some good—my improved driving—has come as a result.

Regret is healthy and honest. Regret acknowledges wrong that’s been done.

But, that’s not the same as shame.

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Whatever your regrets might be, God can actually take the brokenness of our past, and restore your fortunes.

Before we move on, let me ask you, what are your regrets? What shame are you carrying? What memories haunt you?

The phrase, “restore our fortunes” comes from Psalm 126, When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.

Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 126 was probably written about 500 years before Jesus was born.

The Israelites were returning to their homeland, after 70 years of slavery and captivity in Babylon. 70 years prior, the Babylonian armies invaded and utterly destroyed everything: homes, cities, orchards, vineyards, groves, Jerusalem and the Temple.

People were led away as captives.

They had been released and were going home. But, they were returning to rubble and wasteland. And, it was their own fault—a result of their straying from God. Many had been born during those 70 years of captivity and into that communal regret.

They would always feel regret about those years of captivity, the loss of what had been, and the shame they had experienced.

But, now God was doing something new. They were going home. Dreams were coming true. They had been carried away as weeping captives, but they were returning, singing songs of joy. Someday, the surrounding nations would say, “The LORD has done great things for them.” And, as they returned, they prayed, “Restore our fortunes, O Lord.”

We often associate the word “fortune” with financial wealth. We say that millionaires are worth a fortune. We say the lottery winners win a fortune. It is about financial gain, potentially. But, it is bigger than that.

Think about the relationship of the word “fortune” with the words “fortunate” or “unfortunate,” or the phrases, “good fortune” or “bad fortune”. Maybe you go to fortune teller to tell you about your future. At Chinese restaurants, they bring you a fortune cookie with your bill, with a little slip of paper that tells you some good thing is going to happen to you—but never does.

“Restore our fortunes, Lord,” is simply asking God for a better future—whatever that might mean. It doesn’t erase the regret or consequences of the past. But it is the hopeful belief that God can take our biggest regrets, and redeem them; that it is never too late to live the abundant life that Jesus came to give us.

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As the Psalmist wrote, even with regrets, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.”

I don’t think there is a verse of Scripture that I quote more often than Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” I also like The Message translation of that verse, “We can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

All things. Every detail. Not just the good things. Not just the godly things. Not just the things we like. All things—every detail.

Think about your biggest regrets. Dare we believe that God can take the very worst things we have done, or that have been done to us, and use them for something good?

Think about…

• Former addicts, at Alcoholics Anonymous, becoming sponsors to guide addicts who are new to recovery.

• Victims of sexual assault, who have been healed from their trauma, offering help to more recent victims.

• Convicts, using their incarceration as time to turn their lives around; getting education, and training, and possibly even finding Jesus.

• Older vets helping younger vets who struggle to re-enter this world after war.

• Those who have grieved helping those who are now grieving.

• Or, the wisdom that comes from accumulated life experiences—good and bad.

Think about the horror and ugliness of the cross, where Jesus died a death he did not deserve to die, and the beauty of our redemption.

God causes all things to work together for good—every regret, every detail. That doesn’t mean that what happened wasn’t horrific—nothing can change that. It doesn’t mean that God causes bad things to happen. But, God doesn’t let any opportunity go to waste to redeem and restore what is so terribly broken.

Brennan Manning, who was a Catholic priest for years, and also a struggling alcoholic, once wrote, “To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark (substitute regrets). In admitting my shadow-side (substitute regrets, again) I learn who I am and what God’s grace means.”

Wherever you have been, whatever you have done, whatever has been done to you, whatever pain you have carried or are carrying; however horrible, tragic, embarrassing, foolish, or shameful your past may seem; God has a better future for you. And, God doesn’t just erase the past. God actually use the details of your life— good and bad—to create something new and beautiful.

So, what are your regrets? What are your regrets?

Restore our fortunes, O Lord.

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APRIL 2

Restored Minds: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”

We’ve been talking, lately, about how God takes broken things and restores them into something new. Today, I want to talk about the most broken thing of all—our minds. I’m sorry to tell you this—you have broken mind and it needs restoration. If you think I’m wrong, then you definitely have a broken mind! No matter what your politics, your philosophy, your opinion, your theology, your prejudices, your preferences, your education, your taste—you are wrong!—because your mind is definitely broken. You are definitely wrong.

Turn to your neighbor and say, “You’re wrong.” Turn to your other neighbor, and tell them, “You’re wrong, too.” But, be careful if it’s your spouse. They’re wrong too, of course. But, they may be tired of hearing that from you!

The bad news is that we’re all wrong – there’s no escaping it. The good news is that you’re not the only one.

Here’s the problem; all of us view the world through a limited, biased perspective.

Let me ask you…have you ever thought you were right, only to discover later that you were wrong? Have you ever changed your mind? Have you ever learned something you didn’t know? Do you have any biases, fears, prejudices, opinions, preferences?

Do you feel anger or hatred toward anyone? Any self-esteem issues? Have you ever considered how all of that may give you a somewhat biased, lop-sided view of things?

Have you ever considered that you might be wrong?

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John Wesley once said, “When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me.”

The only person who is never wrong, of course, is Jesus. The rest of us—well, not so much. What if you are wrong?

Throughout the 2000-year history of the Church, Christians have been seriously wrong about lots of things, and have committed terrible atrocities in the name of Jesus.

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• • • • • •

Christians believed that the world was flat and orbited by the sun. Devoted Christians, like Galileo and Copernicus, were branded as heretics for saying the earth is round and revolves around the sun.

Christians believed that slavery was biblical.

The Bible has been used to treat women, Jews, and people of color like second class humans, denying them basic rights.

The Church justified the conquering of non-Christian lands, and the subjugation of native peoples.

The Church justified the crusades and the inquisition.

Countless wars have been waged in Jesus’ name.

Churches have split, creating countless Christian denominations and sects, all claiming to be right.

David G. Benner writes, “We all tend to fashion a god that matches our falsity.”

If the Church can be so wrong so often, then you and I ought to be humble enough to admit that sometimes you and I can be wrong too—really, really wrong.

Jesus asked his apostles “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ.” He was right. Jesus then said that his life would end on a cross. Peter objected, and Jesus turned to him and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” Matthew 16:23. Peter didn’t say or do anything evil. He just didn’t want his friend to die. But, that was his agenda, not God’s. One moment Peter’s right—the next moment he’s dead wrong.

What an interesting phrase, “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” In essence, if you’re not thinking like God, you’re wrong.

More often than not, like Peter, we don’t think like God. Ravi Zacharias says, “We have a right to believe whatever we want, but not everything we believe is right.”

The Problem with the Echo Chamber Most of us want to think correctly. Most of us are sincere about what we believe.

The problem is the “echo chamber.” The echo chamber begins in the home and culture we come from, where we’re taught certain values. Then, we tend to gravitate toward others who share those values. We socialize with them, go to church with them, and marry them. Maybe you watch TV shows that reinforce those values.

Maybe you read authors that reinforce those values. Maybe you listen to radio 23

shows that reinforce those values. Maybe you vote for candidates that espouse those values. Slowly, we become entirely surrounded by people who look like us, think like us, talk like us, vote like us—and we become more and more convinced that we’re right and everyone else is wrong. That’s the echo chamber.

Others have said that we are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with.

Those people influence what we do, what we talk about, what we watch on TV, how we spend our time, what we believe about the world, God, and even about ourselves.

The problem is that Truth is bigger than the Echo Chamber. Truth is bigger than the five people you spend the most time with. Though you may be surrounded by brilliant, godly people—they still aren’t Jesus. And, they’re wrong.

Christian Worldview The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). What is the pattern of this world, and how do we conform to it?

I recently asked a group what it means to be “blessed.” Answers ranged from safety, to health, to family, to having enough AND enough to share with others. I then asked the group to read the Beatitudes. Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” (Luke 6:20-26) I suspect most of us would reverse those. Most of us would say being blessed is having enough money and food, being happy, and being well thought of—and those are just the basics! Jesus says the opposite! Jesus says we’re blessed when we’re poor, hungry, mourning, hated and rejected.

Unfortunately, we don’t have time this morning to talk about why Jesus would say such things. But, I think it serves as a great example of how contrary our thoughts are to Jesus’.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

From our daily choices, to how we spend money, to how we value people, to how we view ourselves, to the goals we pursue, to the people we vote for, most of us are far more influenced by the world around us, and our own limited perspectives, than we are by having the mind of Christ. This is a major problem.

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If you and I truly had the mind of Christ…

This church would be filled, beyond capacity, every Sunday, because we would make worship and keeping the Sabbath a priority.

• We would baptize and welcome new members, weekly, because we would be inviting all of our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and families – and even strangers.

• We would have too many volunteers, because everyone would know their Spiritual Gifts and feel called to use them.

• We would have more money than we could use, because everyone would tithe.

• We would put ALL of our hope in Jesus and his Church—not political parties, or bank accounts, or armies, or anything other than Jesus.

• We would be truly multicultural, multi-ethnic, and diverse in everything we do, because the body of Christ is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and diverse.

• We would be healing and transforming people, families, neighborhoods, cities.

• We would have teams leaving every week on mission trips.

• We would be planting new churches.

• We would love and welcome everyone, including the poor, the broken, the outcast, the rejected, the shunned, the forgotten, the least, and the lost.

• We wouldn’t be worried about personal preferences and petty differences, because all that would matter is fulfilling the Great Commission and loving out neighbors.

• We would be flexible and willing to change—like new wineskins for new wine.

We wouldn’t care what time the service started, or how long it lasted. We wouldn’t care what kind of songs we sing or don’t sing. We wouldn’t care if the service was traditional, contemporary, or something else entirely. We would remember that it’s all about him, and not about us!

If we truly had the mind of Christ, nothing would matter to us but living for the Kingdom, seeing it advance, and honoring the Father in everything we do. Until that is true, and as long as we live for ANYTHING else, WE ARE WRONG. We need to have our minds restored.

•

Changing your mind…

So, how do we change our minds?

First, be humble enough to be open-minded, and to acknowledge that only Jesus is 100% right – the rest of us aren’t.

Second, realize that we are constantly under the influence. The old baptismal liturgies used to have a great question, “Dost thou renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the sinful desires of the flesh, so that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by them?”

Did you hear those three influences; the devil, the world, and the sinful desires of our own flesh? The question is not whether or not they are influences—and evil ones at that. They definitely are. The question is whether we will follow or be led by them.

Even Christians can be easily misled.

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Third, we have to be very intentional in immersing ourselves in the Truth of Jesus Christ, and its entire width, breadth, depth, and height. For many Christians, their belief in Truth is just too narrow, excluding too much that is true. And, for some, it is too broad, embracing too much that is not true. But, we all need to be seekers of the Truth, and be open to the myriad ways that God wants to stretch our capacity to understand all that is good and true.

We need Jesus, who is truth. We need the Spirit, to lead us into all truth.

Paul writes, “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8) Proverbs 5:3-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

The only way we can think like Christ, and truly be kingdom-minded, is to have our minds restored. Only Jesus can do that for us.

Until then, you’re wrong.

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APRIL 9

Palm Sunday The Road to Restoration: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds...”

In the year 1010 BC, King David and his army attacked and conquered Jerusalem, driving out the Jebusite inhabitants, taking Jerusalem as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel.

In the year 925 BC, Jerusalem was temporarily captured and pillaged by the Egyptian armies, led by Pharaoh Sheshonk I. In the year 586 BC, following a long siege, the Babylonian army, led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, captured and destroyed Jerusalem, including the Jewish Temple, and the city’s prominent citizens were exiled to Babylon as slaves.

In year 350 BC, King Artaxerxes III and his Persian army captured Jerusalem and burned it to the ground.

In the 332 BC, Alexander the Great and his armies took Jerusalem.

In 63 BC, the Roman army under Pompey the Great besieged Jerusalem, captured it, and made it part of the Roman Empire.

Over the course of ten centuries, Jerusalem had been captured and conquered, and battered and destroyed by one king after another, one army after another, usually leading to ruin, death, subjugation and destruction.

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Then, in 33 AD, after three years of ministry, leading an army of former fishermen, tax-collectors and prostitutes, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of a poor carpenter, road into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.

Fulton Sheen writes, “As one looks at the ancient sculptured slabs of Assyria and Babylon, the murals of Egypt, the tombs of the Persians, and the scrolls of the Romans columns, one is struck by the majesty of kings riding in triumph on horses or in chariots, and sometimes over the prostrate bodies of their foes. In contrast to this, here is the One who comes triumphant upon an ass.’

As the Psalmist wrote, “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” (Psalm 147:10-11) As Jesus began the last week of his earthly life, he was ready to publicly announce himself as the Messiah. In order to fulfill the Prophet Zechariah’s prophecy of the Messiah, he rode a donkey into Jerusalem, where crowds of Jews had gathered to celebrate the Passover feast. As he approached, the crowds recognized him, and the prophetic significance of what he was doing. They spread their cloaks on the road, like rolling out a red carpet, for their new king. They cut down palm branches, and waved them in the air, like we wave flags at a presidential inauguration. And they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

The word “hosanna” means something like, “Lord, save us.” This wasn’t an acclamation for just anyone riding into Jerusalem. No one had shouted Hosanna for the Babylonians, or the Persians, or the Greeks, or the Romans when they rode into Jerusalem. This was not a welcome for just any king. “Hosanna” was a shout for God’s chosen Messiah, coming to save his people.

But, save them from what? Save them from who? And, more importantly, save them how?

On that Sunday, everyone—Jesus’ followers, the Jewish crowds, The Pharisees and Sadducees, and the Romans - assumed that Jesus was doing what other conquering Kings had done, riding into Jerusalem to reclaim the crown and throne of the nation of Israel. At that point in history, Israel was occupied Roman territory, ruled by a puppet pseudo-Jewish king named Herod, but really governed by a Roman governor named Pilate, and his army. The Jews hated the Romans, and longed for the day that God would kick them out and restore Israel’s privileged place in the world. They thought Jesus’ arrival was that day.

The Jewish crowds, gathered along the roads, imagined a new day of freedom and prosperity, with Jesus as their King.

The disciples imagined being seated in thrones at Jesus’ right and the left hand, places of privilege, ruling alongside the King of the Jews.

The Pharisees and Sadducees saw a false Messiah, a threat to their authority, and feared what could happen if the Roman armies felt threatened.

The Romans probably barely noticed, always ready to squash a rebellion with 28

Rome’s military might, if necessary.

Though many must have realized that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy about the Messiah, by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, no one seemed to make the connection that conquering kings usually came with armies, riding on chariots or warhorses.

Jesus had a different agenda. Jesus had a different crown and throne in mind.

Bill Hybels wrote, “Everyone who lined the streets had a different reason for waving those palms. Some were political activists; they’d heard Jesus had supernatural power, and they wanted him to use it to free Israel from Roman rule. Others had loved ones who were sick or dying. They waved branches, hoping for physical healing.

Some were onlookers merely looking for something to do, while others were genuine followers who wished Jesus would establish himself as an earthly king. Jesus was the only one in the parade who knew why he was going to Jerusalem – to die. He had a mission, while everyone else had an agenda.”

Isn’t it interesting that we always assume that the solution to every problem is exerting physical power, accumulating wealth, gaining prestige and worldly importance, being the winner and defeating the losers.

Who’s important? Rich people. Powerful people. Famous people. How do we get things done? Get someone elected. Send in the military. Leave it to Wall Street.

Haven’t we learned our lesson? Through the years, we’ve watched one powerful person after another serve their own self-interests, unleash untold pain and suffering, and many fall from grace. Why are we so enamored with thrones and those who sit on them?

Earlier this week, the President of Syria dropped chemical weapons, killing at least 85, and wounding hundreds. We retaliated, by firing sixty tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base, each costing over $1.6 million—that’s nearly a billion dollars! Some have praised the US attack. Some have condemned it. Some have switched their positions. Was it the right thing to do? I don’t know. I know I couldn’t have made that order. But, I’m not in a position to make those decisions—thank goodness. In response, the Syrian army dropped more bombs on the same town, adding to the nearly 1 million people who have already died in that long Civil War and there are nearly 5 million Syrian refugees. And, I am absolutely sure that many more people will die before this is over.

The citizens of Jerusalem had witnessed the same kind of death and destruction, in their day, that came with every conquering King and army. Why did they think this time—another conquering King—would end any better? Why do we?

Jesus has shown us a better way.

John Stott writes, “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.”

Undeniably, Jesus was and is powerful—there’s no force in the universe more powerful. But, Jesus demonstrated an entirely different kind of power—the power of sacrifice, service, and love.

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Jesus was and is a king, undeniably. But he did not intend to rule an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly one. Jesus was prepared to wear a crown—but his crown would be made of thorns. Jesus would be victorious—but first he had to be defeated.

Jesus was prepared to sit on an eternal throne, at the right hand of the Father, but first he would hang on a cross.

No one, during the excitement of Palm Sunday, could have imagined how the week would end—with Jesus, the King of the Jews, dying on a cross.

I suspect, if Jesus had wanted to sit on an earthly throne, he could have. The Father would have let him. He had the support and love of the people. He could have called down legions of angelic armies to defeat the Romans. He had the power and authority of God at his disposal. He could have reestablished the nation of Israel, right in the heart of this broken, fallen, world, and ruled it forever. Isn’t that what Satan had offered him during his temptation?

But, Jesus didn’t come to rule nations. He came to heal the nations. He didn’t come with power in order to ascend to a throne, but to descend into the depths of human suffering. He didn’t come to defeat his enemies, but to forgive them. He didn’t come to kill, but to be killed. He didn’t come to inflict pain on his enemies, but to take on the pain and suffering of the whole world.

He didn’t choose the road that leads to success and achievement, fortune and fame.

He chose a road that led to the cross. He didn’t come to rule us.

He came to restore us. And, restoration wouldn’t come from sitting on a throne.

Restoration would require a cross.

As Isaiah prophesied, “By his wounds, we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) As the Psalmist wrote, “The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.” (Psalm 147:2-6) For the last 5 weeks, we’ve been talking about the ways Jesus can restore all that is broken in our lives and in our relationships. But, let me be very clear, he took our brokenness to a cross, not to a throne. While you and I may respect thrones, honor thrones, and even yearn to sit on thrones ourselves, there is no healing there. Thrones put people on crosses. Your restoration wasn’t even sent down from the throne of Heaven.

Restoration comes from a savior, who humbly rode a donkey down a road that led to Calvary.

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2017 Lent “Restoration” Reading List Renovation of the Heart Dennis Willard The Road to Character David Brooks Strong and Weak Andy Crouch Ragamuffin Gospel Brennan Manning

The manuscripts in this book are available online on Pastor Vance’s Lent Blog: www.firstchurchcoralsprings.org/Lent2017

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