Worship

One element of God’s plan for us is to restore us: “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.”-Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭18‬. When I was praying over this verse, my alarms started going off. Why is God going to create Jerusalem, doesn’t it already exist? Isaiah is not talking about the physical city, he is talking about the spiritual state of the people of Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem are in a spiritual mess. They spend their time “spreading a table for fortune” instead of spreading a table for God (Isaiah 65:11), pursuing their own imaginations, and thinking they are more important than they really are: “ All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations— who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.”-Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭2‬, ‭5‬. Ouch! To be the source of God’s wrath does not bode well for anyone.

Why do the people of Jerusalem go from angering God, to being restored as the center of His delight? God chooses to make this people God’s delight: ““I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.”-Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭19‬ . The Bible calls God’s choice to delight in sinners who doesn’t deserve it grace, and the concept of grace is prevalent throughout the Bible. To one of the most vile cites in the ancient world, the Apostle Paul preaches in Titus that “The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.”-Titus‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬. The Roman church was full of finger pointing between Gentile and Jewish Christians. Paul tells them, in effect, “all of you are wrong”, but “ all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”-Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬. Followers of Christ raised are beneficiaries of God’s restoring grace.

A modern restoration story through God’s grace comes from from a musician. Brian Welch was the lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Korn, one of the most popular and rebellious rock bands of the late 1990s and early 2000s. At the height of fame, he had wealth, awards, and a global following — but inside, his life was collapsing. He struggled with addiction to drugs, a broken family, and a deep emptiness he couldn’t escape. In 2005, as his addiction spiraled, Welch reached a breaking point. He was a single father trying to raise his little daughter, and one day, he realized she was watching him destroy himself. That moment shattered him. In desperation, he went to church with a friend — something he hadn’t done in years. During worship, he felt something he couldn’t explain: the presence of God’s love washing over him. He later said “I felt the love of Jesus like electricity — He was real, and He broke the chains off me.” That was the moment that Welch gave his life to Christ. He walked away from his band, from drugs, and from the destructive lifestyle that had ruled him. Over time, God restored his relationship with his daughter, healed his addiction, and gave him a new purpose — to share his testimony of freedom and grace. Years later, he even reconciled with his old bandmates, returning to Korn as a changed man — no longer trapped by fame, but using his platform to tell others about the transforming grace of God. Today, Welch continues to speak about his faith, saying: “God took the most broken, lost person and turned him into a father, a friend, and a man with peace. That’s grace.”

God’s plan for your life includes a plan to restore you. God also plans to bless you: ““No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”-Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭22‬-‭24‬. This restoration from God is often not with material things that increase your bank account, but with blessing that encourages the heart. Jesus teaches that when two or three are gathered in His name, He blesses them with His presence (cf Matthew 18:20). Jesus taught His disciples in his final hours that the peace He provides is not “the same as the world gives, do not let your hearts be troubled, or let them be afraid.”-John 14:27. Don’t get me wrong, it is legitimate to ask God for material blessing. Jesus says give us this day our daily bread, but the Bible teaches that seeking blessings from God is so much more.

Some of the most blessed moments I have been a part of lately have been about being around people. Last Monday it was 27 degrees outside. I went for a workout with members of the church. While it was pretty cold, it was cool talking about Jesus in the early morning with other believers. That morning is fast becoming one of the tone setters for my week! I feel God’s blessing on RedDome trips not just because of the food, but because of the people who go. Bible study on Sunday afternoons is a terrific time to experience the Holy Spirit, and in that setting soon diving into the riches of Advent. When my girls come home from dance and theatre, it is a highlight for me each day. Bringing my wife her coffee each morning is a blessing. I get to chat, and pray with her, make plans with her before going into my day. I recently had an opportunity to help a clergy friend move his father’s belongings out of Autumn Winds. He was appreciative of the help, but I felt like I was the one who was blessed. Here is the point and the one thing all the stories have in common. These are stories of real blessings built around the gift of being with the person. Why is that? Because the Holy Spirit is at work through the people.

I want to offer two invitations this week. Number 1, consider that whatever else God may have planned for your life, a part of His plan is your restoration. Who can you pray for in need of the restoring power of God? Invitation number two, look for the fruit of the spirit people in your life. Look for the people who are patient, who demonstrate goodness, joy, and self control, and allow yourself to be blessed by them. May we trust God who by grace restores what was lost, and blessing us with His Spirit far beyond what we can imagine. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.