The Ministry Of Restoration
Galatians 6:1-5
(Companion sermon: "The Ministry Of Reconciliation" 2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
James Merritt says in his sermon (Help, I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up) that "you can sum up the function of the church in two words: reconciliation and restoration." 1) Reconciliation is our ministry to fallen sinners. 2) Restoration is our ministry to fallen saints.Fanny Crosby wrote a great old hymn called "Rescue the Perishing." You can see both ministries recorded in this song: a. "Rescue the perishing, care for the dying".(this is the ministry of reconciliation)b. "Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen". (this is the ministry of restoration) - (Source http://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-outlines/20651/i-have-fallen-and-cant-get-up/)
It is Satan's desire to trap Christians in sin. He wants to convince you that you are no longer useful for the Heavenly Father.Inevitably, when sin is present in the life of a child of God, discouragement will set in. Many of you may be in that rut as we speak. When the process of restoration is carried out this will stop the Devil's evil scheme!
I would like to look at the process that is laid out in verses 1-5 and preach on the subject "The Ministry Of Restoration"
Over the past few weeks we have been examining the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. In Galatians chapter 5 Paul reveals the "works of the flesh" and the "fruits of the Spirit". The GENUINE fruits of the Spirit will only be seen in the life of a believer. But unfortunately, "the works of the flesh"... that old sinful nature will not only be seen in the lives of a lost man. There are times when we fail to "walk in the Spirit" as we are directed to in verses 16 & 25 and our old nature will make his presence known! Again I draw your attention back to Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Last week we examined the fact that we must "crucify the flesh" daily! We must take those desires of our old sinful nature and NAIL THEM TO THE CROSS! This concept speaks of our personal responsibility. Now as we make the transition to Galatians chapter 6, we will see that we have a responsibility concerning others as well. According to verse 1 somebody has been overtaken in a sin. That sin has been revealed to others... it is no longer hidden! You may hide your sins from others, but you can't hide them from God. And in many cases that sin will eventually come to light for the world to see.
Many sins were described in Chapter 5. Let's consider some of them for a moment. Suppose you see that brother or sister in Christ has fallen into sin.
- Maybe he was caught with a woman other than his wife.
- Maybe she was caught cheating on her taxes.
- Maybe they got in a fight and the police were called to their house.
- Maybe he was arrested for a DUI
- On and on I could go with issues that may be seen in those who profess to know Christ.
- What will you do?
- Will you run and tell others what you have heard?
- Will you laugh at them?
- Will you run them in the ground?
- Will you judge and condemn them?
- Will you look at them and think about how much of a better Christian that you are?
- Or, will you just ignore the situation all together?
None of these are the proper responses! The Word says that we are to RESTORE THEM! It is our Christian responsibility to "restore" them! Notice:
I. The Responsibility Of Restoration v1
Obviously the ultimate restoration is done by Christ Himself. But just as we have the blessed privilege to a part of leading people to Christ (Ministry of Reconciliation) we have a blessed privilege to be apart of leading people back to Him! (The ministry of Restoration) Consider:
A. The Observation - "Brethren if a man be overtaken "
Implied here is the fact that the offender's sin had been brought to light. The idea here is not that you are judge , jury, and executioner watching every move of those around you. Rather it is being invested in the lives of your brothers and sisters in Christ. When you truly care for someone and they are in trouble, you notice it! And you desire to do something about it!
This is especially true in the local church... we are a faith family and we have responsibilities as a result. In his sermon that I referenced earlier James Merritt identifies 4 specific ministries of the Church.
1) We Are To Make Disciples - Evangelism
2) We Are To Mark Disciples - Baptism
3) We Are To Mature Disciples - Discipleship
4) We Are To Mend Disciples - Restoration
It has often been said that "you can't fix it if you don't know it is broken"... We must observe the brethren and notice when things are broken, not in a manner of condemnation but with compassion. Open your eyes and look around, if you see a brother or sister that is hurting do your part to help them. If you see a brother or sister that is sinning... do your part to point them back to the Lord! Note: Not only is this our responsibility as a church, this is a reason that you should be a part of a church! When you do fall then you will have others who can help lift you back up!
Notice also:
B. The Offence - "If a man be overtaken in a fault"
* "Overtaken in a fault" means to be brought to sin by the surprise of temptation.The “man” who is “overtaken” by willful sin is a Christian, but he has not been walking by the Spirit. There is a difference in being overtaken in a fault and premeditated sin.
- Example # 1: Suppose a man meets a friend for dinner at a restaurant that serves alcohol. His friend orders a pitcher of beer and offers him a glass. The man accepts and begins to drink....and then CONTINUES until he is blind drunk.
- Example # 2: Suppose there is a man who has had a rough week. He goes to work on Friday already planning that when he gets off he is going to buy a case of beer and drink his blues away! 5:00 comes and he does just that, he drinks until HE is blind drunk.
Both are wrong and both need to repent, but the second man has committed a premeditated sin and the first man was overtaken in a fault. The question for us is... how do we respond to these people?In the context of Galatians, some of the brethren had been deceived by the Judaizers and had reverted to the customs and ceremonies of the Law. in the context of our brethren, some of them have reverted to the sins that Jesus has delivered them from!
In the Parable of the 100 Sheep, we read that the one went away from the fold and 99 remained. The shepherd went out and looked diligently until he found it. When that lost sheep was returned to the fold the Shepherd rejoiced. If we look around we will see that there are many sheep who have been "overtaken in a fault"... they have wandered away! Those sheep are precious to the Lord! Those sheep should be precious to us!Those Sheep are our Brothers and Sisters! They have failed... they have done wrong... and THEY NEED TO BE RESTORED!
Notice also:
C. The Objective "restore such an one"
- Restore - Literally means “to mend” or “repair”. This carries the idea of "setting a broken bone or repairing a dislocated limb". In the context of this verse "Restore" means to bring a person back to his former moral condition.
"Sin is a breakdown in the machinery of our life. It has to be repaired. If you find someone with a breakdown, do what you need to do in order to restore the person to good, godly running condition." - John Piper
As we mentioned earlier, only Christ can forgive sin. But it is our responsibility to rebuke, reprove and admonish those who have fallen into sin. James says in - James 5:19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back,20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
When a member of our faith family hurts...WE HURT! We want to be there for one another when trouble comes and to do what we can to help lighten the load. We want to "bear one another's burdens" when a Brother or Sister is facing:
-Sickness
- Financial troubles
- Loneliness
- Grief
- Rejection
- Sorrow
That is great, and we should have that mindset! But, when that some individual has "fallen into sin" the consequences of that sin is much more harmful than any other burden that they may face. We must honor our responsibility in the MINISTRY OF RESTORATION! Obviously we have a responsibility to help restore the fallen, but there are certain safeguards and requirements that must be fulfilled in order to lift up that fallen brother. Consider:
II. The Requirements For Restoration
I believe that verse 1 makes it very clear WHAT needs to be done. But there are some qualifications given for those WHO should be doing it! Not just anybody can successfully perform the "Ministry of Restoration" Let's look for a moment at some of those requirements:
The individual involved in this ministry:
A. Must Be A Christian - "Brethren"
Here Paul addresses "the brethren". This speaks ONLY of those who are born again and surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. This refers to those who are a part of the household of faith! When you consider this fact then we see that each and every one of us SHOULD be qualified to restore the fallen. But as we will see that is not the case. It is not enough JUST to be a Christian, you also:
B. Must Be Clean - "ye who are spiritual"
This automatically disqualifies many people today! Those who are SPIRITUAL will:
1) Walk in the Spirit
2) Be filled with the Spirit
3) Bear the Fruit of the Spirit
If this doesn't describe you, you have no business trying to "fix" someone else! But if you walk in the Spirit (5:16) and possess the fruits of the Spirit that are described in (5:22-23) you are qualified. You are not only qualified to participate in this ministry... YOU ARE COMMANDED TO! For those who are qualified and ready to participate in the "Ministry of Restoration" you must ensure that you do it the right way! We see in this verse that you:
C. Must Be Cautious - "considering thyself lest thou also be tempted"
Those involved in the Ministry Of Restoration must keep constant watch over their own lives. There are many people who set out with the intentions of helping someone only to be brought down by them. Always remember, whether dealing with a lost sinner or a wayward saint, it is often easier for them to bring you down than for you to lift them up! BE CAUTIOUS!!! We must also have the proper mindset when attempting to help a fallen brother! We are told do so "in a Spirit of Meekness" (which just so happens to be a fruit of the Spirit)
The spirit in which we restore a fallen brother or sister makes a vital difference. Restoration must be done firmly but gently. We're not putting bandages on people—we're setting broken emotional and spiritual “bones.” The path to healing is often long and painful, requiring many difficult but necessary steps. - Charles Stanley
Restoration is not an easy ministry but it is necessary and in the end can be very rewarding! Consider:
III. The Results Of Restoration
When the proper steps are taken and the Ministry of Restoration is carried out in the manner that God has prescribed then we will see great benefit.
A. Christians Are Protected - v2 Bear ye one another's burdens,
“Burdens” are extra heavy loads... Burdens are difficulties, problems, and troubles that people are facing. In the context of these verses “burdens” are the moral faults spoken of in verse 1. When you see a brother or sister is under the load of some great burden do something about it! We must see the need and then we must meet the need! When that individual is restored to a right relationship with the Lord then they will be protected from the danger that they would face on the path they had previously been walking. That in itself is a great Result of the Ministry of Restoration, there is one that is even better. Notice:
B. Christ Is Pleased - v2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
The law of Christ, spoken of here, is to "love your neighbor as yourself." It is almost as if Paul was saying "since you desire to be under the law, then fulfill the law of Christ" Jesus said in - John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another
Our Brethren are carrying heavy loads... the load can be much lighter, if we help carry that load I would like to close with a story that sums up this "Ministry of Restoration"
Author and teacher, Dr. Howard Hendricks tells the story of a young man who strayed from the Lord but was finally brought back by the help of a friend who really loved him. When there was full repentance and restoration, Dr. Hendricks asked this Christian how it felt away from the Lord. The young man said it seemed like he was out at sea, in deep water and in deep trouble and all his friends were on the shore hurling biblical accusations at him about justice, penalty, and wrong. “But, there was one Christian brother who actually swam out to get me and would not let me go. I fought him, but he pushed aside my fighting, grasped me, put a life jacket around me, and took me to shore. By the grace of God, he was the reason I was restored. He would not let me go.” (Source Unknown).
Do you know of a brother or sister who has fallen and needs to be lifted up?
Will you do what is necessary to see them brought back to the Lord?
Will you do your part in The Ministry Of Restoration?
