God of Restoration

Sermon Delivered at NLAGC  OMR   KCG campus on 14th December 2025.

Let me start with a story. 

There was an old man who lived his life in the village. His Son studied well and was employed in the city. He decided to take his father to the city to experience the life in the city. After roaming around the city, they came to a big mall. The food courts were on the upper levels.

So, they waited in line in front a door which had some lights blinking on the top. The old man was very observant. He noticed that suddenly the lights would stop blinking when the door would open and people would come out and a new group of people would go in. The door would close and the lights would start blinking again. Then it would stop for a few minutes and the process would repeat itself.

 A little bit in front of him was a frail old woman who also got into the door. And the lights started blinking. Then stopped and then restarted again. This time when it stopped, out came a beautiful young lady.
The old man immediately told his son Come let us go and get your mother and come.

My topic today is about a God of restoration. Not the kind mentioned in the story

What is Restoration?

 Restoration can be defined as an act of returning something to its former condition. Making something anew or better than its current state.
Vintage cars are restored back to its original working condition.
Antique art works, Etc. Or as in the picture a restored jug. We have all seen it.

God wanted to restore creation to its original glory from the day that Adam and Eve sinned. Due to the effects of sin, we see a lot of broken, backslidden lives around us. 

Christmas season is a time of joy, thanksgiving, songs lots of good food, good gifts being shared.
Christmas is actually God’s gift of restoration. A process that God mentioned in genesis but now being accomplished through the birth of Jesus Christ as the son of man.

The next 33 years of the life of Jesus is all about how he is teaching man about Restoration.

God’s original intent was not for you and me to be just saved. God’s original intent was for us to live in His Glory.

In order for us to have Restoration, there must a standard that we are being restored to. In God ‘s mind restoration is not limited to a happy marriage or restoration of wealth. God’s standard of restoration is much higher.
God’s goal is to restore every person to His original intent for their life.

Our  Friendship with God was restored to us by the supreme  sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of calvary. 

Let us now delve into the scriptures to learn more about restoration.

The promise of restoration: 
Joel 2: 25-27  is the most famous passage in the bible about restoration.

  The context of this is that the people of Judah go through a time of drought, and locust infestation. The people took God for granted and became a decaying nation. Because they were turning away from God.  It was at this time that there was an infestation of locusts. They ate away everything that was green crops vines and trees. To the farming community that Israel was this was a huge economical loss. Their economy and hope were lost. It was at this juncture that God is speaking to them through prophet Joel saying … (ref Joel 2:25-27)

This passage is not talking only about the crops and fields but a restoration of Hope, Joy, and more importantly restoration of a covenant relationship with God.

Looking briefly at this passage we can learn three important things

1 I will restore to you    God’s Restoration is Personal.

God is taking personal responsibility for this restoration. Not assigned to any angel. He will personally monitor the restoration to completion.

2 Years that the             God’s Restoration is Comprehensive

It is not talking about what was destroyed yesterday or the day before, even for the years passed  by will be restored.

3 Praise the name of the Lord     God’s Restoration is Redemptive

When there is restoration that has happened, it will turn back from pain to praise. Turn back loss into a testimony.

Vs 27: God says “His people will never again be put to shame.”

Every believer will face moments of failure or shame or brokenness. Some fall publicly others silently; the Bible shows that even the greatest servants of God also have fallen and been restored.

The bible is full of examples of restoration

In Job 42:10 – the Lord restores Jobs fortune.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were restored through the birth of John the Baptist.

The Prodigal son was restored when he returned to his father’s house.

Mary Magdalene was restored from the seven evil spirits

The list can go on.

Today we will look at the two of the most powerful stories of restoration from the scriptures and see what we can learn from them.

The first is the story of David. The Man after God’s own heart who fell into sin.

The Ref is in 2 Samuel Ch 11.

David was at the height of his power. He was winning battles; The kingdom was prospering all around and in one such battle David decided to send his generals to war knowing that they will emerge victorious.
He decided against his calling of leading a nation and instead was idle. Since he did not have anything particular to do, he was loitering around at home and finally landed on the terrace of his palace.  His eyes wandered here and there till it got hooked on to Bathsheeba.

We know the rest of the story.

Sin begins in moments of Spiritual idleness.
When our eyes wander and hearts tend to drift - Satan is waiting to hook it up to his plan.

The consequence of his Act.
 David’s sin led to guilt, grief and distance from God.
He lost his peace, his Joy and his Moral authority.

 

 Sin always takes you further than you intended to go , 

 Keeps you longer than you intended to stay  AND

Costs you more than you intended to pay.

 

The confrontation

Ref: 2 Samuel Ch 12
God in His mercy sends Nathan the prophet to meet with David and through a story exposes David’s Sin.

Vs 13 So, David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

 

Restoration begins with Repentance- honest confession

David was instant in his reaction to accept his fault.

This confrontation leads David to cry out in prayer the Psalm that most of us know by heart. Psalm 51.  It is referred to as “The Cry of a broken Man”

David in this prayer is not asking for his throne, or his reputation or his power.
He is praying for his heart to be restored to God
He is praying for his fellowship to be restored back to God as God intended it to be.

PS 51: 10  Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

David knew that only God could cleanse what sin had corrupted. He did not want forgiveness alone.                                                

He wanted Fellowship Restored.

This leads us to the 4C’s of restoration.

1 Conviction   - God Shows us our Sin

    David was shown his sin through a prophet, God will today use times when we read the word, or times of prayer or even when we worship through songs. If we are convicted our next action would be

2 Confession   - We agree with God about it.

Confess to God . The bible records that Jesus our mediator in heaven while He lived on this earthy lived a sinless life.  He will be our guide and helper if we yield ourselves to him
Post confession we should.

3 Cleansing      - God Forgives and Purifies us

God is not holding account to us for the sins we have committed . He is willing to wash us clean . For the propitiation of our sins, he bore the price  on the cross of Calvary.  Our Job is simple just claim this redemption

 It is like having a blank cheque in our hand. It is just a piece of paper till you write a value on it and deposit it in the bank.
We have the blank cheque from Jesus. We need to claim our redemption with his blood.

Finally, if we cleanse ourselves. We should

4 Consecration - We renew our commitment to Him

Renew our commitment back to God.

David reminds us in Psalm 51:17 That God is looking for a broken and contrite heart . He is not asking us to bring gifts to Him or do some acts to ensure that we are forgiven of our sins.

God will show mercy on us. He restored David back . His joy, his anointing of leading Isreal not because David was perfect but because David was humble before God David was willing to confess and accept responsibility before God and God restored his fellowship back with David.

 

Let us now look at another person from the Bible. This time from the New Testament
Simon Peter 

Simon was very outspoken. He was the bold leader among the 12 disciples. He was always reacting very fast to situations.

The background of this is when Jesus is at the upper room. He is having the Passover meal with the disciples and is in the process of instituting the Lord’s table a we call it today. Jesus  shares to them about how is body and blood will be shed and a new covenant will be formed. They sing a hymn and then move to the mount of Olives.  Once more Jesus tells the disciples about how they will stumble and fall .
Mark 14 : 27 Onwards
Bible records Peter’s instant reaction  “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

A very confident and bold statement.  From the time that Andrew his brother called Peter to Jesus, we see him always very brash but utterly committed kind of person who is always ready to take charge, someone who never minces any words. Someone who will call a Spade – A spade.

Peter was the one who jumped out of the boat to walk on water He was the one who said You are the Christ “In Mark 8

He also witnessed the transfiguration in Mk 9

Peter saw himself as being united with Christ and was ready to stay at His side even to death.

To this answer we see Jesus reply “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

Peter does not wait for Jesus to continue but again replies saying “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

Going further down this chapter we know how Peter is identified as one of the disciples and how Peter denies Jesus thrice before the rooster crowed.

Luke 22: 62 records “So, Peter went out and wept bitterly.”

The pain of failure made Peter go out and weep He was ashamed, confused and broken.

Some of us are in this situation, feeling unworthy after a spiritual defeat in our lives

Failure is not the end.  It is the beginning of Restoration

The Gospel of Luke records  In Luke 22: 31-32 that Jesus already knew of the fall of Peter and that He had already prayed for Peter 

Even before the fall of Peter – Grace was waiting.

 

All the gospels record nothing about the presence of the disciples after Jesus was taken by the soldiers. They were all scattered except for Peter who followed Jesus. But he too was forced to go away after the denial.

However, we do see in the Gospel of John a record about Jesus committing his mother to “ the disciple he loved” Bible scholars say that this is John to whom Mary was committed.
Post resurrection it is recorded that Jesus met the disciples’ multiple times. In John 20 : 21-23 it is also mentioned that He breathed the Holy Spirt on them.

A specific mention of Peter happens only in John 21: 33  and this is what it says   ‘Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

Why is Peter going back to fishing? A business that he had left three years ago? Why is he giving up on being a fisher of men?

If Peter had gone fishing just after the crucifixion, then we could have justified that the leader is no longer there and the disciples are scattered, just like any worldly outfit or a political group.

But this is now happening after the resurrection, after Jesus has manifested himself to the disciples a couple of times.

I feel Peter is going back because he is broken by his own terrible failure, filled with shame and crushing disappointment He is now suddenly feeling list and no one is near for him to look up to.

 

In his mind failure disqualifies him from any further service to the Lord. He had been a fisherman, but for a couple of years his life was different. His whole life seemed to be poised for something grander, something of more eternal significance and impact but now it seems all is over.

To this statement from Peter, we see the others also agreeing and together they desert the ship and jump into a boat and go to catch fish.

This is where the story takes an unexpected turn. 

They have been toiling all night. They were not able to catch any fish.  He sees their pain and disappointment.

Jesus stands on the shore and tells them to cast their nets to the right side, and now their nets could not hold the fish it was overflowing.
The moment Peter realized it was Jesus; he quickly wrapped himself in a towel and jumped out of the boat and swam toward Jesus.

Flashback to his first meeting in Luke Ch 6. There also he could not hold all the fish. There he asks Jesus “Depart from me I am a sinful man.”

Here is rushing to meet his Saviour.
In Luke 6 Jesus is coming to call them to become fishers of men.
Here Jesus is coming to remind them of their calling.

Jesus meets Simon Peter where he was.

Sometimes God comes to the shored of our old habits to call us back into our calling or purpose.

 

Jesus Calls out to all of them saying “Come have breakfast with me. “
He is not asking them why they went back to fishing? It is a loving call for a morning breakfast. The most important part of this breakfast conversation is the conversation with Peter.

We can use our imagination a little bit. Peter might be looking forward to a time when he can alone with Jesus confess the denial, ask forgiveness. But Jesus is always with the disciples. In the midst of this running in his mind is when Jesus is asking him a very straight question
“Simon son of Jonah, Do you love me more than these. ?”
Jesus knows Peter’s denials in the courtyard could hold him back forever. Jesus knew that He had to restore Peter back for the work he had to do later is very important for the kingdom

Three times he is asked “Do you love me?”

Three times Peter accepts his love for Christ.

Three times Peter is given different answers 

 Feed my lamb.

Tend my sheep 

Feed my sheep.

Jesus is standing in front of a failed, broken Peter, and is pouring forgiveness, grace and healing into his life.

When Jesus first called Peter, he changed his job from catching fish to catching people. Now Jesus wants to restore that job back to Peter.

Peter after this conversation is finished with his fish and nets forever. His new job for the rest of his life is to look to look after God’s people.

Jesus Restored him from a fisherman to a Shepherd.

Love Restored what fear had broken.

Jesus restored Peter from someone who is unstable  and rash to Peter the Rock, Forgiven , Restored and Empowered for life.

Only a restored heart can lead others to Christ and this we can see

 

What do we learn from these stories about restoration 

1 NO ONE IS beyond restoration.

 Failure is not final when you turn back to God

No Matter how far we have fallen away from God His grace can reach , redeem and restore.
If God can restore a murderer and adulterer like David
Or If God can restore a denier like Peter

Then He can restore anyone.

 

2  Restoration comes through Repentance  not by following a religion or religious acts

David’s restoration came when he acknowledged his sin and then through the brokenness of his heart when he asked God to restore his Fellowship

Peter’s restoration came when he accepted his frailty. It took him time to realize that Jesus loved him more than his denial or his deserting the ship and going back to fishing.

Both of them humbled themselves and returned to the heart of God.

3 Restoration produces a Ministry.

David wrote most of his Psalms after his fall and those Psalms are an inspiration to all of us today.
Peter preached shortly after this incident and in one day we saw more then 3000 people were saved.

Look at what their transformation has done. Both their greatest works happened after restoration of the fellowship with God.

David teaches that God can restore a fallen heart.
Peter teaches that God can restore a fallen calling.

More importantly both stories show a saviour who does not give up
He is the same today and is not willing to give up on us. He will find us in our shame or pain, forgive us and say to us “Follow me .” 

Exactly what he says in Hosea 14:4

 I will heal their backsliding
I will love them freely.

What greater promise do we need?

Further Peter goes on to write in 1 Peter that we have a new identity.  If we the sinful, broken confused people  are ready to humble ourselves and accept His calling our new identity is a
A chosen people 

A royal nation

A royal Priesthood is what awaits us.

Jesus is calling some of us to leave our fishing nets and boats behind this Christmas season and be Restored to Him 

Let us pray. 

Father, We pray that you will help us to be like David with a repentive heart, to be like Peter to renew ourselves.  We pray and ask to create in us a clean heart,
Restore our Joy.
Rekindle our purpose.
Thank you for your unfailing love that restores us again and again.
In the matchless name of Jesus, we pray

AMEN