Restored

See Gail for an update sheet for this week

Setup changed to Thursday, 2 pm due to CCD|R2

Located in Lincoln High School Parking Lot We will have a 10x10 tent hydration station (bottled water) with church info Rob will have his car, truck and himself with track chaplain shirt

Come meet our community!

Main job of a pastor is to remind the people about who they are

Need a message of hope today. Recent rash of shootings, Chicago. Locally: home armed invasion. Political hot mess. Racial tension. Mental illness. Anger, rage, hostility, anxiety.

Titus. Gentile convert who became a ministry partner of Paul and Barnabas. One of Paul's convert's (child in a common faith who became a close and trusted partner in his mission of planting Christianity throughout the middle east.

Recent rash of shootings, Chicago

Titus is instructed to remind (command) the church to be...

Locally: home armed invasion

Titus is instructed to remind (command) the church to be...

Political hot mess

Without spiritual understanding

Racial tension

Unwilling or unable to associate in a normal or friendly way with other people.

Antagonistic, hostile, or unfriendly toward others; menacing; threatening:an antisocial act.

opposed Social order

Anger, rage, hostility, anxiety

Can it get any worse?

Christians have a lot of opinions about how to solve the problems…not always godly.

Often find ourselves getting caught up in thinking there are easy fixes.

Christlike Character

Become anti - gov’t depending on who is in office

Take care of me and mine.

Despising those who I believe would take away my rights to get theirs.

Isolate, become unfriendly at best, hostile at worse.

Things are wrong. Very wrong.

Miserable way to live. Not new.

Paul: Titus, my trusted friend, remind the people...

Titus 3:1–7 ESV

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus. Gentile convert who became a ministry partner of Paul and Barnabas. One of Paul's convert's (child in a common faith who became a close and trusted partner in his mission of planting Christianity throughout the middle east.

Without spiritual understanding

My take -

unwilling or unable to associate in a normal or friendly way with other people:He's not antisocial, just shy.

antagonistic, hostile, or unfriendly toward others; menacing; threatening:an antisocial act.

opposed or detrimental to social order or the principles on which society is constituted:

v. 3 - Remember: When Jesus showed up He Found us like that.

To save from that.

. Even saw that we tried to do good. Didn’t work because it came from bad character.

Without spiritual understanding

Unwilling or unable to associate in a normal or friendly way with other people.

Antagonistic, hostile, or unfriendly toward others; menacing; threatening:an antisocial act.

opposed Social order

Jesus came with kindness toward those in distress with bad character to restore them in relationship with God, his character, whole and eternal life and a kingdom inheritance.

Philanthropia

Out of his philanthropia - love, kindness for mankind; kind-heartedness, affection

Looks past their behavior to the root

Looked on the crowed with compassion who are being harassed.

; . I will release you from this kingdom to the one that is coming.

He saved us not because of the good things we did in that condition but according to his mercy by the Spirit's action

Transfer/translate you from one kingdom to another.

Justification - acquitted, vindicated, put right with God

Restores (Salvation, conversion) - Rescued from death, danger, and preserved spiritually, physically

Transferred from one kingdom to another

Holy Spirit as Liquid that can fill up a container and be poured out on us to cause us to experience Christ.

Pour out on us richly...- to cause us to fully experience Christ

Rescued from death, danger, and preserved spiritually, physically

Ann Lamott, writer, writing teacher describes what happens when Jesus pursues us. In her book Traveling Mercies:

Addicted to cocaine and alcohol, involved in an affair that produced a child whom she aborted, helplessly watching her best fried die of cancer. During this time she visited a small church occasionally sitting in the back and leaving before the sermon.

During the week of her abortion she spiraled downward. Disgusted with herself she drowned her sorrows in alcohol and drugs. She had been bleeding from the abortion, fell into bed smoked a cigarette and turned off the light.

"After a while, as I lay there, I became aware of someone with me, hunkered down in the corner, and I just assumed it was my father, whose presence I had felt over the years when I was frightened and alone. The feeling was so strong that I actually turned on the light for a moment to make sure no one was there - of course, there wasn't. But after a while, in the dark again, I knew beyond any doubt that it was Jesus. I felt him as surely as I feel my dog lying nearby as I write this.

And I was appalled…I thought about what everyone would think of me if I became a Christian, and it seemed an utterly impossible thing that simply could not be allowed to happen. I turned to the wall and said aloud, "I would rather die."

I felt him just sitting there on his haunches in the corner of my sleeping loft, watching me with patience and love, and I squinched my eyes shut, but that didn't help because that's not what I was seeing him with.

Finally, I fell asleep, and in the morning, he was gone.

This experience spooked me badly, but I thought it was just an apparition, born of fear and self-loathing and booze and loss of blood. But then everywhere I went, I had the feeling that a little cat was following me, wanting me to reach down and pick it up, wanting me to open the door and let it in. But I knew what would happen: you let a cat in one time, give it a little milk, and then it stays forever…

And one week later, when I went back to church, I was so hungover that I couldn't stand up for the songs, and this time I stayed for the sermon, which I just thought was so ridiculous, like someone trying to convince me of the existence of extraterrestrials, but the last song was so deep and raw and pure that I could not escape. It was as if the people were singing in between the notes, weeping and joyful at the same time, and I felt like their voices or something was rocking me in its bosom, holding me like a scared kid, and I opened up to that feeling - and it washed over me.

I began to cry and left before the benediction, and I raced home and felt a little cat running along at my heels, and I walked down the dock past dozens of potted flowers, under a sky as blue as one of God's own dreams, and I opened the door to my houseboat, and I stood there a minute, and then I hung my head and said,…I quit." I took a long deep breath and said out loud, "All right. You can come in."

This was the moment of her new birth. Rescued from death, to physical and spiritual life.

"Yes, it's embarrassing to be born again, but imagine how embarrassing it must have been to be born the first time. At least this time you get to wear clothes!" Rich Mullins

God draws us to himself - invites us to let him love us and turn to him (repentance) by saying yes.

Rich Mullins: If we could lay down our stuff and let God love us [and break the power of sin in us so we can live new now], that is salvation.

Letting God love us changes everything - our relationship with him, our character and future hope.

Trusting Christ means

Trusting Christ means moving from one kingdom to another; gaining a new mindset; way of seeing life and the world.

Salvation doesn't only involve forgiveness of sin but the breaking of the power of sin so we can live in new life now.

I got to meet Ann when I worked in publishing. My company invited her to speak to our editors. I don’t remember a lot of what she spoke because I was captivated by her presence. It was unlike any person I had ever been around. There was a powerful calm, peace, gentleness, and surrender to it. She was at our disposal.

Paul: I should be able to tell you apart from those who are not Christ followers by the way you behave.

Honoring those in authority; be submissive to them

Speak evil of no one

Avoid arguing

Speak to and of one another with gentleness and kindness

Show courtesy toward all

Be Ready to do good work and cooperate in the community in which we live

CCD|R2

Submissive/subordinate, under rulers and authorities.

What I do remember is as she talked about her approach to writing was vision, and a dream to touch deeply the heart of people.

How to speak of and to one another - epiekes: gentle, kind

Each believer becomes filled with powers previously unknown.

Pour out on us richly...- to cause us to fully experience Christ

Christian behaviour in contemporary society was of utmost importance for the furtherance of the gospel.

3:6 cf - fulfilled.

Dreams, visions, prophecy - hearing God speak.

Seeing things about ourselves we couldn’t see before.

God tells us who we are…and it’s a learning process.

Honoring those in authority

Ready to do good work and cooperate in the community in which we live

Apprentice, learner to be devoted to the Father’s work

Speak evil of no one

God is a father who wants his children to learn and grow

When we are saved, it’s not to wait around rehashing what we already know until we go to heaven.

God is a father who wants his children to learn and grow

Everyone learns whether it’s in school, church, or on our own

Avoid arguing

Don’t always understand this new language and what it means.

Sometimes we pay for it

My experience with every first year of class from college on

sometimes we don’t

Be gentle

Talking with Ed

Show courtesy toward all

Ready to do good work and cooperate in the community in which we live

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SAVED TO; WHAT WE ARE - BEING AND MAKING DISCIPLES.

To refrain from slander requires considerable grace, but does much to commend the gospel. Christians must be peaceable (amachos), refraining from strife, and considerate, exercising moderation. These two words are coupled in the qualifications of bishops in . The phrase to show true humility towards all men, is rendered in rsv; ‘to show perfect courtesy toward all men’, although the word prautēs literally means ‘gentleness or meekness’ (Kelly renders it ‘courteous consideration’). These qualities are perfectly reflected in the life of Jesus.

That renewal of relationship brought back prophecy (hearing God speak), vision, and dreams).

. - subject to governing authorities.

Jesus’ audiences (including his disciples) didn’t get everything

Jesus said things differently than they were used to - he used a different language they had to learn.

- let all bitterness, etc be put away

He didn’t put the cookies on the bottom shelf

When

- don't be quarrelsome, kind, able to teach, patiently enduring evil.

These very young men and women were stretched, challenged to as says, put the ways of childhood behind them, taking ownership of their faith, working out their understanding by asking questions and talking among themselves.

Had to in order to grow from childlike thinking

Called study, research.

They were stretched, challenged and had to work out their understanding asking questions and talking among themselves - they became responsible for their faith journey.

Ann Lamott, writer, writing teacher describes what happens when Jesus pursues us. In her book Traveling Mercies:

Addicted to cocaine and alcohol, involved in an affair that produced a child whom she aborted, helplessly watching her best fried die of cancer. During this time she visited a small church occasionally sitting in the back and leaving before the sermon.

During the week of her abortion she spiraled downward. Disgusted with herself she drowned her sorrows in alcohol and drugs. She had been bleeding from the abortion, fell into bed smoked a cigarette and turned off the light.

"After a while, as I lay there, I became aware of someone with me, hunkered down in the corner, and I just assumed it was my father, whose presence I had felt over the years when I was frightened and alone. The feeling was so strong that I actually turned on the light for a moment to make sure no one was there - of course, there wasn't. But after a while, in the dark again, I knew beyond any doubt that it was Jesus. I felt him as surely as I feel my dog lying nearby as I write this.

And I was appalled…I thought about what everyone would think of me if I became a Christian, and it seemed an utterly impossible thing that simply could not be allowed to happen. I turned to the wall and said aloud, "I would rather die."

If in our worship, bible study, workshop, etc we look to continue to be reminded of what we already know in the way we already know it, we will miss him and everything he has for us.

I felt him just sitting there on his haunches in the corner of my sleeping loft, watching me with patience and love, and I squinched my eyes shut, but that didn't help because that's not what I was seeing him with.

If we leave with wonder, having been disrupted in our hearts and minds, challenged, encouraged, and wanting deeper understanding, to move from where we are in our faith and how we are or are not living it to where God wants to take us, we will not miss God or the greatest adventure this life has to offer.

Finally, I fell asleep, and in the morning, he was gone.

This experience spooked me badly, but I thought it was just an apparition, born of fear and self-loathing and booze and loss of blood. But then everywhere I went, I had the feeling that a little cat was following me, wanting me to reach down and pick it up, wanting me to open the door and let it in. But I knew what would happen: you let a cat in one time, give it a little milk, and then it stays forever…

If we want

And one week later, when I went back to church, I was so hungover that I couldn't stand up for the songs, and this time I stayed for the sermon, which I just thought was so ridiculous, like someone trying to convince me of the existence of extraterrestrials, but the last song was so deep and raw and pure that I could not escape. It was as if the people were singing in between the notes, weeping and joyful at the same time, and I felt like their voices or something was rocking me in its bosom, holding me like a scared kid, and I opened up to that feeling - and it washed over me.

We may not understand everything - but we can learn!

I began to cry and left before the benediction, and I raced home and felt a little cat running along at my heels, and I walked down the dock past dozens of potted flowers, under a sky as blue as one of God's own dreams, and I opened the door to my houseboat, and I stood there a minute, and then I hung my head and said,…I quit." I took a long deep breath and said out loud, "All right. You can come in."

This was the moment of her deliverance/conversion.

God is inviting, drawing you to let him love you and turn to him…say yes.

Let God love you. Let him in.

Rescued from death, danger, and preserved

Justification - acquitted, vindicated, put right with God

Won’t it be hard? Yep.

If we could lay down our stuff and let God love us, that is salvation. Rich Mullins.

Letting God love us changes everything - our relationship with him, our character and future hope.

and through Jesus gives new life.

Rich Mullins: "If you've ever known the love of God, you know it's nothing but reckless and it's nothing but raging. Sometimes it hurts to be loved, and if it doesn't hurt it's probably not love, may be infatuation. I think a lot of American people are infatuated with God, but we don't really love Him, and they don't really let Him love them. Being loved by God is one of the most painful things in the world, it's also the only thing that can bring us salvation and it's like everything else that is really wonderful, there's a little bit of pain in it, little bit of hurt."

Justification brings a changed relationship with God, change character and and future hope.

Salvation doesn't only involve forgiveness of sin but the breaking of the power of sin so we can live in new life now.

Anyone who has walked that road will tell you the doorway to healing is wholeness is embracing the hard things.

Renewal of relationship restores prophecy, dreams, visions.

What’s on the other side is life like nothing we could ever imagine.

The inheritance: the hope/expectation of eternal life that starts now that is full of wonder, learning, growth, cooperating with the Spirit to adjust our character so that it is in proper alignment or relationship with his.

Saved not simply for ourselves; to go to heaven one day.

Cooperating with the Spirit to adjust our character so that it is in proper alignment or relationship with his.

Saved to hear the voice of God so that our hearts are captured by the vision of the Kingdom that allows us to dream, expect and work for a day when the world will be physically, emotionally and spiritually made right.

Spoiler alert: it will be hard.

Prodigal son parable - Older son: you are always with me.

Full of joy but not smooth sailing. Comes at a price.

It will cost you your life.

Rich Mullins: Never assume if it cost Jesus his life that it won't cost you yours.

Saved not simply for ourselves. Saved to become part of God's Kingdom/mission

elpis - (become heirs according to) the hope (of eternal life) - expectation; the basis of hope

Cooperating with the Spirit to adjust our character so that it is in proper alignment or relationship with his.

Cooperating with the Spirit to bring our character in line with Christ’s.

Alignment: the proper positioning or adjusting of things in relation to each other.

How to speak of and to one another - epiekes: gentle, kind

According to Hope

Prophecy, dreams, visions

It might hurt

Spoiler alert: it will be hard.

Titus - washing of regeneration and renewal, justification, become heirs...

What do you say?

Rich Mullins

Saved to hear the voice of God so that our hearts are captured by the vision of the Kingdom that allows us to dream, expect and work for a day when the world will be physically, emotionally and spiritually made right.

Restored

[SLIDE 1] Announcements

CCD|R2

Quaker Cupboard

Quarterly Family Information Meeting Today

Aug 25

Congregational Meeting - New Structure Affirmation

Sent Sunday - Car Show and Swap Meet @ Lincoln HS

[SLIDE 2]Introduction

​

Foolish

Deceived, Led astray - GUIDED FALSELY

Selfish

Hating and Being Hated

Anti-Social

Christlike Character

Nothing New

Nothing New

What Life is Like

​

Deceived, Led astray - GUIDED FALSELY

Selfish

Hating and Being Hated

Anti-Social

[SLIDE 3]Jesus Showed Up

Distressed

Bad character

Far From God

Foolish

Deceived, Led astray - GUIDED FALSELY

Selfish

Hating and Being Hated

Anti-Social

[SLIDE 4] V. 4 He Showed up With Kindness and Love

With Love

Sees People as Captives to their situation and condition - in Distress

Ransoms Them

[SLIDE 5] V. 5-7He shows up to Set Things Right (Justify)

Restores

[SLIDE 6]He shows up to Restore by the Spirit: New Birth

[SLIDE 7] He Shows up to Renovate our Character (Sanctify)

Discipleship

​

[SLIDE 8]The Invitation: The Great Adventure

Be Restored/Justified

Be Sanctified: Live our Inheritance

According to Hope