Restored to Lead

THEME: MOVING BEYOND FAILURE

TOPIC: THE APOSTLE PETER’S RESTORED TO LEAD

TEXT: Acts 2: 1-21
BY
Rev. (Dr.) S. K. Awoniyi

INTRODUCTION

In our previous sermon we defined the phrase “Distraction” as:  Something that diverts a person’s attention, something that interferes a person’s concentration. Something that takes someone’s attention away from something that is very, very important.  Distraction was also viewed as; to draw apart, to drag, to pull in different directions, to separate, to throw into confusion, or to distract the mind with cares (etc.) (Adapted from Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828).

1. A.      Restored to Lead

The phrase “Restored to Lead” is the Lord’s command to His disciples about the mission committed into their hands before He went to heaven.  In order words, their mission responsibility and what they should do faithfully and honestly.

The Scripture says:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”   9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.  10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:8-11).

After the Lord went to heaven and the cloud hid Him from their sight, the great mission He entrusted into their hands became very clear and meaningful to them.  Each one of them was transformed into a band of witnesses in order to change the world, while the Apostle Peter became the leader.

According to John Waddey, the word “Restore” or “Restoration” could be defined thus:

To restore means to put something back into its original condition. Thus we restore antique cars and furniture. Works of art are restored to their original beauty. Things only need restoration if they have been changed, become worn, tarnished or damaged.

When Christ established his church on this earth it was the perfection of glory. You can read about it in the Book of Acts and the epistles of the New Testament. Those who should have been friends of the church, soon set about to change the church to meet their own ideas of religion. So numerous have been the changes that there is very little resemblance between most modern churches and the church revealed in Scripture.

Near the beginning of the 19th century a movement arose in America to go back to the Bible and restore Christianity as it was in the beginning. The movement was spontaneous and arose among several denominational bodies at the same general time. Abner Jones and Elias Smith sought to restore the church among the Baptists of New England. James O’Kelly led a similar movement among the Methodists of Virginia and the Carolinas. Barton Stone began restoration effort among the Presbyterians of Kentucky and Tennessee. Thomas and Alexander Campbell led a similar effort among the Presbyterians and Baptists of Pennsylvania and Virginia.

None of these men sought to establish a new church. They were seeking the old church as established in the Bible. They called on their neighbors to “Go back to the Bible and be Christians only.” Their goal was to rid the church of the accumulation of man-made teachings and practices that had been attached to it over the centuries and to revive and restore those things that had been lost by neglect or willful exclusion.

The concept was accepted by a great multitude and the movement to restore New Testament Christianity spread like wildfire across the young nation. Having a common goal, members of these various movements gradually coalesced. Because Satan never quits trying to corrupt the Lord’s church, the work of restoration is never completed.

Churches of Christ are heirs of those early pioneers and we continue the work of restoration. Our watch word is expressed by Jeremiah the prophet thus:

Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein…” (Jeremiah. 6:16).

Brethren, are you faithfully, honestly, and intellectually committed to the mission the Lord entrusts in to your hand?  If yes, to God be the glory and keep it up!  However, if no, when will you awake from slumbering and be responsible for the Lord’s duty?  Put off your doubt and do the Lord’s mission faithfully and honestly.  I wish you understand that without faith it is impossible to please the Lord.

1. B.      The Apostle Peter’s New Role

                The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. . . 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:  17 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.  19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  (Ref. Joel 2:28-32).

1. C.      How You Can Restore Your Soul

Beloved, there are some ways you can restore your soul like the Apostle Peter and his followers.   The Scripture says:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.  4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,  they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23: 1-6).

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his[a]; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with raise;    give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;     his faithfulness continues through all generations (Psalm 100: 1-5).

As Christians, we are the sheep of God’s pasture, and only Him can restore our souls. To restore means “to repair, to renovate, or to return to a former condition.” The soul is the deepest part of us, our spirit and innermost being. Since God is the one who made us, only Him can restore us, because only Him knows what we truly need to restore our souls.  God has given us the answers about restoring our souls and you can view this from the following Scripture: (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Psalm 119:97-105). Be assured that only God’s Word is truly capable of restoring the soul and offering hope in times of distress.  But, restoring the soul is only possible for those whose souls have been redeemed through faith in Christ. Jesus promised rest to all those that would come to Him (Matthew 11:28-30), so it is important that we are sure of our salvation and our relationship with God. Only those who are truly born again in Christ can experience the peace and joy that God has promised in His Word.

 

 

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, when we face discouragement, trials, and temptations, our Almighty Father provides some sources of encouragement and strength.  For example, He gives us His Word to guide us, encourage us, and nourish us spiritually.  These could be seen from the following passages: (Romans 10:17; Psalm 119:2; Proverbs 3:1-2; James 1:25).

The Lord gives us the privilege and power of prayer:  (Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:24-25; John 15:7; Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 5:14). We need to take our problems, our discouragement and our tiredness to God in prayer, knowing that He loves us and cares for us (1 Peter 5:6-7).

The Lord gives us faithful Christians to encourage us and support us: (Ecclesiastes 4:9-19; Ephesians 4:29; Hebrews 3:13).  It is important to be a part of a healthy, well-balanced church and to regularly worship and fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:23-25). Christians who have gone through similar struggles can be a great source of encouragement and help as we go through dark times (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Beloved, be assured that discouragement in times of trouble and tribulation is not unusual.  Throughout the Bible we see examples of godly men and women who faced similar situations.  These examples can serve as encouragement to us today, because the same God who was faithful to them then is faithful to us today.  It’s helpful to begin by reading the Psalms because King David wrote many of these during the dark times in his life, and they can serve to encourage us when we are depressed, tired, and discouraged.  Because David had experienced the joy of a soul restored by God, he could pen the beautiful words of the 23rd Psalm: “He restores my soul.”  Our Almighty Father will honestly do likewise for you if you faithfully trust, depend, and put your hope in Him today.