Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

LBC Weekly SPARK – October 2, 2013

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

October is here, which means that many ministries that were on break are up and running once again! This is always an exciting time of year where we can welcome in new students and countdown to the holiday season! Keep in mind that there are many opportunities to get involved and invest in each other’s lives. Don’t forget that the Lord has saved us into the body of Christ and has given us to each other by His grace to love one another and serve one another. Let’s actively participate to ensure that the body continues to mature in Christ.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are this week’s announcements:

  • Weekly Bible Studies. All our midweek Bible studies will be meeting this week at the church.

Grace Life – All married couples and parents are invited to come out this Thursday at 6:30 PM for an introduction and orientation about the upcoming year. Food will be served! We meet in Room 107. Nursery care will be provided as well!

Single Life – The singles ministry meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the sanctuary. Dinner is served at 6:30 PM and Bible study begins around 7:15 PM. Visit www.lighthousebc.com/singlelife for more information!

College Life – The college ministry meets on Fridays at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary. Visit www.lighthousebc.com/collegelife for more information!

Lumos – The youth ministry meets on Fridays at 7:00 PM in Room 107. Contact Josh Liu for information about Bible study or to arrange a ride (liu.joshuac@gmail.com).

Kids’ Club – Our midweek Bible study for children meets on Thursdays at 6:30pm. The theme this year is “Behold Our God,” and will focus on the attributes of God. The cost is $40 per child, with a $10 reduction for subsequent children of the same household. Join us as we seek to proclaim the greatness of God to our children through songs, Bible study, snacks, and activities! Contact Josh Liu for more information and to receive an a registration form (liu.joshuac@gmail.com).

  • Mommy & Me. All moms of children 0-4 years old are invited to join Mommy & Me on Fridays at 9:45 AM at the church. Contact Jane Kim for more information or if you are interested in coming out (janeminkim@gmail.com).
  • Sunday School. As was announced on Sunday, we will be introducing a 26 week class on eschatology, the study of end times, this coming Sunday during the Sunday School hour. Pastor Patrick will be teaching the class during the fall and winter quarters.

As always, we will also be offering Fundamentals of the Faith in Room 107. Roger Alcaraz and Ryan Short will be teaching FOF this term. All members should keep in mind that FOF is a membership requirement. If you have not yet taken the class, please make plans to do that soon!

  • All-Church Retreat. This year’s All Church Retreat will be from November 1-3 at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. Dr. Michael Grisanti from The Master’s Seminary will be our speaker. Signups are being taken in the foyer on Sundays. The cost is $150 per adult, $75 per child age 3-12, babies 2 and under are free, and $450 max per family. If you have any questions or need financial assistance please talk to Hansol An (hansolan@gmail.com) or any of the deacons.
  • Fall Festival. We will be having our annual Fall Festival on Thursday, October 31 from 5:30-8:00pm at the church! More information is forthcoming. Contact Josh Liu if you are interested in helping (liu.joshuac@gmail.com)!
  • Local Outreach. There are still several opportunities to shine the light of the gospel in our community.

LBC partners with South Bay Community Church in National City to host a children’s program that includes tutoring, Bible teaching, and games for the children in the neighborhood. If you are interested in helping or would like more information, please contact Hanka Rodgers (hanka.rodgers@gmail.com).

We have the opportunity to visit a convalescent home in Hillcrest on Tuesdays to minister to the elderly. For more information on how to get involved with this ministry, please contact Peter Park (xpeetzax@gmail.com).

LBC partners with Pacific Beach Presbyterian Church every other Sunday from 3:00-6:00pm to help feed the homeless and needy. We help prepare and serve the food, and clean the kitchen. For more information on how to get involved with this ministry, contact Joyce Kang (joycekang84@gmail.com) or Hanka Rodgers (hanka.rodgers@gmail.com).

  • Beacon. Don’t forget about our online newsletter and blog! Visit www.lighthousebc.com/beacon today!

Father, I Will That They Also, Whom Thou Hast Given Me, Be With Me Where I Am

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From John 17:24

O death! why dost thou touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness hath rest? Why dost thou snatch away the excellent of the earth, in whom is all our delight? If thou must use thine axe, use it upon the trees which yield no fruit; thou mightest be thanked then. But why wilt thou fell the goodly cedars of Lebanon? O stay thine axe, and spare the righteous. But no, it must not be; death smites the goodliest of our friends; the most generous, the most prayerful, the most holy, the most devoted must die. And why? It is through Jesus’ prevailing prayer-‘Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.’ It is that which bears them on eagle’s wings to heaven. Every time a believer mounts from this earth to paradise, it is an answer to Christ’s prayer.

A good old divine remarks, ‘Many times Jesus and His people pull against one another in prayer. You bend your knee in prayer and say ‘Father, I will that Thy saints be with me where I am’; Christ says, ‘Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” Thus the disciple is at cross-purposes with his Lord. The soul cannot be in both places: the beloved one cannot be with Christ and with you too. Now, which pleader shall win the day? If you had your choice; if the King should step from His throne, and say, ‘Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to one another, which shall be answered?’ Oh! I am sure, though it were agony, you would start from your feet, and say, ‘Jesus, not my will, but Thine be done.’ You would give up your prayer for your loved one’s life, if you could realize the thoughts that Christ is praying in the opposite direction-‘Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.’ Lord, Thou shalt have them. By faith we let them go.

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Beloved, Let Us Persevere

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

by Josh Liu

Ministry (and the Christian life) has often been likened to warfare. On one hand, you train, prepare, and discipline yourself for the task; you engage in a battle wrought with obstacles and opposition to your goals; you persevere until the end is won; and you seek to obey and follow your Commander into battle. On the other hand, you experience hardships and wounds that come from intense fighting; you are burdened with a weary soul that has been fighting for what seems to be an indefinite amount of time; you question about the end of the war; you lose sight of your Commander in the midst of the battle. Beloved, let us persevere. Let us behold the holiness of God, experience the abundant sufficiency of Christ, and hope in the victory secured by our Lord and Savior.

While reflecting over the past year on the youth ministry, I have been deeply encouraged by the staff’s faithful serving despite the demands of ministry and various trials and hardships each of them faced or are currently experiencing. Imagine joining youth staff and being required the following: “Train to be of above reproach character and to be an effective and intensive discipler. Challenge the youth to not waste their lives; teach them how to read their Bibles and pray; and equip them to evangelize to their friends. Encourage and support the parents to faithful parenting of their children. Constantly and consistently initiate, relate, and invest into the youth and families. Maintain deep personal devotions and fulfill your other church responsibilities. Immediately respond with joy and thanksgiving to all trials and suffering. Always exude with joy; overflow with energy and excitement at Bible study. Be a faithful and excellent worker at school or at your job. In all that you say, think, act, or do, be a godly, mature example.” And at the same time, you are experiencing a season of great trail, suffering, despair, discouragement, or persecution. In the midst of personal struggles and trying circumstances (and even without), the above exhortations accumulate and appear to be a goliath of a task. This may result in a burdened, downtrodden, weary staffer. As I reflected over the past year on the youth ministry, I saw the importance of camaraderie amongst the staff. I saw how God in His wisdom and grace gave the church–fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ–to support each other with loving encouragement and to persevere in God-ordained ministry.

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I believe there is validity in temporarily stepping back from serving in order to strengthen your walk with God, to biblically confront personal struggles and situations, and to be a faithful steward of responsibilities and resources. At the same time, I also believe we ought to come together to encourage and support each other. Many carry the above pressures, burdens, and discouragements while feeling alone. Let us come alongside each other and shoulder one another’s burdens.

At the beginning of September, the Lumos youth staff went on a staff retreat to Santa Monica, California. There, I read from Paul David Tripp’s Dangerous Calling, challenged the staff to examine themselves, and encouraged them to humbly seek support from the ones who are serving alongside with them–those in the midst of the battle with them. In the opening chapters, Paul David Tripp offered warnings and signs of one (a pastor) going down a destructive path of ministry that results in total defeat. I have condensed what I shared that weekend from Paul Tripp’s book to the following questions:

  • What do you say or think to yourself about yourself and your situation? Do you think you are in a different category from those who you minister to, or do you think you are in need of the same transforming grace of God? Is your identity found in the ministry you serve in, or in Christ who is your Lord and Savior? Is there a discrepancy between your personal devotional life and your public ministry? Do you believe that no one else has a more accurate view or understanding of you and your situation than you do? Do you measure your spiritual maturity according to less than biblical standards of maturity (e.g. theological or Bible knowledge)? (Tripp, Chapter 1)
  • Do you defend, reason away, are numbed to, or silent about personal consistent struggles? Do you seek godly, mature, vulnerable accountability? Do you humbly seek the evaluation of others knowing that you may be blind to your own sin? Has ministry administration and preparation replaced personal devotion and worship? Are you daily, deeply aware of your personal need of Christ’s redeeming work, or are you deluded by a sense of self-sufficiency or self-righteousness? Has ministry become only a source of burden? (Tripp, Chapter 2)

I have never heard my staff complain. By contrast, I see them joyfully serve and graciously sacrifice much for each other and for the youth. At the same time, I am aware of their extensive involvement in church and the various hardships they experience. During the staff retreat, I exhorted them to prayerfully and actively support and encourage one another. It was a blessed time of sharing, encouragement, prayer, and fellowship! The bonds we are forging as a staff go beyond the youth ministry; we are forming our bonds as brothers and sisters through the fellowship of Christ, ready and willing to encourage each other to persevere through trials and ministry. The Lumos youth staff has greatly ministered to me, reminding me by their example to remain steadfast and faithful like a good soldier. Their servant’s heart reminds me that ministry is not a burden or merely a duty. Their humility reminds me to daily focus on my need of the gospel, depend on God’s grace, and honestly evaluate myself. Their personal testimonies of God’s work in their lives remind me to never prioritize preparation and academia over personal devotion and worship.

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May all glory, honor, and praise be given to God! In His sovereignty and grace, He uses broken vessels such as us to be “under-rocks” for each other, pointing to the true Rock of Refuge in the midst of tumultuous times. Beloved, remember that the ultimate goal is to know and love Christ more in all that you do. May the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord persevere you in life and ministry.

And He Went A Little Farther, And Fell On His Face, And Prayed

by Charles  Haddon Spurgeon

From Matthew 26:39

There are several instructive features in our Saviour’s prayer in His hour of trial. It was lonely prayer. He withdrew even from His three favoured disciples. Believer, be much in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial. Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the Church, will not suffice, these are very precious, but the best beaten spice will smoke in your censer in your private devotions, where no ear hears but God’s.

It was humble prayer. Luke says He knelt, but another evangelist says He ‘fell on His face.’ Where, then, must be THY place, thou humble servant of the great Master? What dust and ashes should cover thy head! Humility gives us good foot-hold in prayer. There is no hope of prevalence with God unless we abase ourselves that He may exalt us in due time.

It was filial prayer. ‘Abba, Father.’ You will find it a stronghold in the day of trial to plead your adoption. You have no rights as a subject, you have forfeited them by your treason; but nothing can forfeit a child’s right to a father’s protection. Be not afraid to say, ‘My Father, hear my cry.’

Observe that it was persevering prayer. He prayed three times. Cease not until you prevail. Be as the importunate widow, whose continual coming earned what her first supplication could not win. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.

Lastly, it was the prayer of resignation. ‘Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ Yield, and God yields. Let it be as God wills, and God will determine for the best. Be thou content to leave thy prayer in his hands, who knows when to give, and how to give, and what to give, and what to withhold. So pleading, earnestly, importunately, yet with humility and resignation, thou shalt surely prevail.

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Sonlight Update

by Dennis Su

Recently we learned about Abraham and Sarah doubting God. In the lesson, the kids were taught that Abraham and Sarah didn’t trust God with being able to fulfill his promise of giving Abraham an heir, a child. This was illustrated by having the kids wait quietly for an extended period of time before we would continue the lesson. During this awkward waiting time, the intent was to raise doubts that the quiet waiting period was going to come to an end. As a result of Abraham and Sarah’s waiting, Sarah came up with a plan to take things into their own hands by having Abraham have a child with Hagar, her servant. It is Sarah’s behavior that reminds me about how we sometimes put ourselves in the role of God to accomplish things that we feel are right or are entitled to.

Sarah was getting old and the reasons for her physically not being able to have children were stacking up. It was through her own judgment that a more fitting plan than God’s was created to fulfill both her desire and in her own strange way God’s promise. Although Sarah was ultimately not known for consistently being lacking in her faith, this one incident serves as a reminder for Christians that we are under the umbrella of God who promises us an inheritance through Christ and that our trust should be in Him and nothing else.

Through Christ we have been put in good standing with God, being given the promise of so much (Ephesians 1:3-14). We are still sinners and are subject to a world that is full of temptations and like Sarah, we will find ourselves in circumstances where our way may seem better than God’s. But if we are set on knowing that God’s promises are perfect without error and trustworthy, we can rest in knowing that His plans will be carried out in His own timing and not our own. As the kids were waiting, some began to question whether the time of silence would end. In the case of Abraham and Sarah, who carried out their own plan apart from God, it was God’s perfect plan that resulted in His fulfilled promise through the birth of Isaac born from Sarah at the age of 90.

FOF #10: Spiritual Gifts (Part 2)

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

When I was in school, I remember taking a spiritual giftedness survey to help determine which gift God had bestowed on me. It was a list of questions about my personality and tendencies and I had to give myself a score for each question. After the scores were all added up, the test would help determine my spiritual giftedness. If I tended to respond to most of the questions with mercy, then I had the gift of mercy. If I was detailed and organized, perhaps I had the gift of administration. I suppose I don’t have a serious problem with these tests in general since they could be useful in helping people get a better idea of how they can best serve the church. But there might be a better way to assess this than a personality test.

One issue that I have with these tests is that they work off the assumption that we have a comprehensive list of spiritual gifts given to us in Scripture. There are several lists of gifts mentioned in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:28-30, and Romans 12:6-8. Interestingly, none of the lists perfectly matches another. All the lists have at least one gift that isn’t mentioned in the other two. Some gifts are listed in two lists but not the third. The only gift listed in all three is prophecy. It seems to be a fair conclusion that the Apostle Paul’s main concern was not to give the church a comprehensive list of gifts.

Even if you compiled all the gifts mentioned in these passages, there is still no real way of knowing whether you would have a comprehensive list of all the extant spiritual gifts. In fact, biblical evidence seems to indicate otherwise. Consider Ephesians 4:11, which serves not so much as a list of spiritual gifts as much as a list of those who have been gifted, namely apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. As an example, in this passage the Apostle Paul mentions evangelists, which is probably best understood as those who have a particular gift for evangelism. But there is no mention of the gift of evangelism in the lists of 1 Corinthians 12 or Romans 12. This could perhaps be seen as proof that there are gifts that exist that aren’t mentioned in the list passages of the New Testament. So while spiritual gift surveys might be received as helpful, there is no way that they could provide a complete list of gifts to choose from.

When you look at the lists of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians and Romans, the point of these passages isn’t so much about identifying one’s particular gift as it is about exercising one’s gift in order to benefit the body of Christ. Too many Christians excuse themselves from serving the church body because they don’t see themselves gifted in a particular way. For instance, someone might refuse to evangelize on a university campus because they don’t feel “gifted” to do so. Yes, we see certain individuals gifted specifically in evangelism (cf. Acts 21:8), but it is instructive that Paul would tell a young Timothy to do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5). The assumption is that Timothy is not necessarily gifted as an evangelist, but this doesn’t excuse him from fulfilling that role.

The point is that as Christians we need to be busy exercising our spiritual gifts, abilities, and talents in a way that benefits and builds up the rest of the body of the church. I like the way the Apostle Peter simplifies it in 1 Peter 4:10-11. According to this passage, there are some in the church that are particularly gifted to serve with their speech and there are others that are gifted to serve with their hands. My encouragement to you is to find out how you best fit to serve the body, and then to put that into practice. This doesn’t mean that “hands” people are never going to serve with their speech and “speech” people are never going to serve with their hands, but each Christian is going to have a specific way that they best minister to the church.

The picture of a healthy spiritual body is one where the individual members are all functioning together to mutually edify the whole for the glory of Christ. No Christian is called to be a passive observer. God has designed the church so that the members are all dependent upon one other. So instead of trying to nail down specifically which spiritual gift you must have, it might be better to consider your abilities, interests, and desires and to serve the body in light of them. What are you good at? What do you really enjoy doing? Chances are the church could really use your help with it.

Canst Thou Bind The Sweet Influences Of Pleiades, Or Loose The Bands Of Orion?

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Job 38:31

If inclined to boast of our abilities, the grandeur of nature may soon show us how puny we are. We cannot move the least of all the twinkling stars, or quench so much as one of the beams of the morning. We speak of power, but the heavens laugh us to scorn. When the Pleiades shine forth in spring with vernal joy we cannot restrain their influences, and when Orion reigns aloft, and the year is bound in winter’s fetters, we cannot relax the icy bands. The seasons revolve according to the divine appointment, neither can the whole race of men effect a change therein. Lord, what is man?

In the spiritual, as in the natural world, man’s power is limited on all hands. When the Holy Spirit sheds abroad His delights in the soul, none can disturb; all the cunning and malice of men are ineffectual to stay the genial quickening power of the Comforter. When He deigns to visit a church and revive it, the most inveterate enemies cannot resist the good work; they may ridicule it, but they can no more restrain it than they can push back the spring when the Pleiades rule the hour. God wills it, and so it must be. On the other hand, if the Lord in sovereignty, or in justice, bind up a man so that he is in soul bondage, who can give him liberty? He alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or a people. He looses the bands of Orion, and none but He. What a blessing it is that He can do it. O that He would perform the wonder to-night. Lord, end my winter, and let my spring begin. I cannot with all my longings raise my soul out of her death and dulness, but all things are possible with Thee. I need celestial influences, the clear shinings of Thy love, the beams of Thy grace, the light of Thy countenance, these are the Pleiades to me. I suffer much from sin and temptation, these are my wintry signs, my terrible Orion. Lord, work wonders in me, and for me. Amen.

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Amazing God

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Whenever we approach the beginning of a new year for Grace Life Family Ministry, thoughts flood my mind about the things we could cover together. There are so many issues that could be hugely beneficial for our families. Many topics have been suggested such as the importance of good communication, how to love your spouse, God-centered marriage, biblical parenting, etc. While these practical issues and more should be addressed by the church, it is important for a ministry to first consider laying down a good theological foundation to build upon. It is important to help young families understand how they ought to live, but it is also more important to explain clearly why they ought to live that way.

I have had many conversations with people about different convictions I have held and know the frustration that results when you talk to someone who is simply not thinking from the same theological framework and reference point. Try convincing someone about the sin of homosexuality when they don’t hold to the inerrancy and authority of Scripture and you will quickly learn how frustrating it can be to make a point. Even in the church, with so many who would agree that the Bible is inspired of God, and so inerrant, infallible, authoritative, and sufficient, there are still too many who don’t understand some of the more fundamental doctrines prescribed in their Bible. So in counseling I have learned over the years to keep stepping back until the basic theological framework is understood so that practical matters are addressed with greater stability.

Last year, Grace Life covered a series titled “What Do You Think?” The purpose of that study was to examine sin’s effect on the mind and how that trickles down to everyday decisions. In Christ, God has illumined our hearts and minds and made it possible for us to understand Scripture rightly. Instead of depending on intuition and worldly wisdom, we can have the mind of Christ and think God’s thoughts after Him. Through our meetings together, we looked at the importance of developing a biblical grid through which we should filter our thoughts and convictions.

This year, we will be walking through the theme “Amazing God.” That adjective is often appropriately associated with grace because of the beloved hymn, but grace is only amazing because God is amazing. The purpose of our times together will be to gain a greater biblical understanding and appreciation of the God we serve and live for and then to take those ideas and connect them to our lives in a practical way. In other words, how should we live in light of who God is? I’m super excited for Grace Life this year and hope it will be a blessing for all who come out.

LBC Weekly SPARK – September 11, 2013

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends,

As you know, today marks the twelfth anniversary of the atrocious terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D. C., and Pennsylvania. Images are flooding the news and social media taking us back to the day when the World Trade Center went down and the Pentagon was attacked. We are reminded of the heroes of Flight 93 who saved the nation’s Capitol when their plane went down in a Pennsylvania field. This a sobering time of reflection across America as flags fly at half mast and ceremonies and vigils are held in the nation’s capital. We remember those whose lives were lost as victims and heroes, and grieve with their families and loved ones. It would be good to take some time to pray today for our nation.

In the opening verses of 1 Timothy 2, the Lord commands the church to pray for all men, but especially for our governing authorities. This is because God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Whatever our political biases, as Christians we are called to pray for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. We ought to pray that the Lord would give our governing leaders wisdom to lead this country and the resolve to stand up for what is right. But more than anything, we need to pray that the gospel would get a foothold on our society and that souls would be won for the Lord Jesus Christ, because it is only in Christ that this nation has true hope.

Sometimes the Lord uses tragedies to bring us back to our knees in prayer and dependence. He uses our hurt to remind us of our frailty and the fleetingness of life. In the infinite wisdom of God, He can take our greatest trials and turn them for our benefit according to His sovereign purposes. As we remember 9/11, let’s also remember our God who was there in New York, Washington D. C., and Pennsylvania. Let’s pray that the country would not just see this day as a reason to find strength in itself, but to look to the Lord to be its strength.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

This week’s announcements:

  1. Wednesday Night Bible Study. Tonight is the last summer Bible study for the singles and youth! We will meet at the church at 6:30 PM for dinner. Be sure to bring some cash for the bucket. After tonight, we will take a break until October.
  2. College Bible Study. College Life will meet for Bible study on Friday, September 13, at 7:00 PM.
  3. Fall Festival Planning Meeting. If you are interested in helping out with the upcoming Fall Festival, please contact Josh Liu as soon as possible (liu.joshuac@gmail.com). There is a planning meeting scheduled for this Saturday, September 14, at 10:00 AM.
  4. Flocks. Flocks will meet next week from September 18-21 in various homes throughout the community. Signups will be taken one more time this Sunday after service in the foyer. Be sure to join a flock!
  5. FITS. We will be having our last Fun in the Sun day for the summer on Sunday, September 29, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Torrey Hills Neighborhood Park. Bring $5 for food (kids 0-12 eat free!).
  6. Please pray for the children’s, youth, and college ministries as the school year gets underway once again. Pray that God would use the church to make an impact in students’ lives and that He would be glorified through these ministries.

Restoration Is Not Just For Reality Shows

by Elder Johnny Kim

Lately, there have been a number of reality shows on cable television that deal with restoration in one form or another. From houses to hand-me-downs, cars to curios, the premise of these shows is generally the same. They involve taking something that is broken, worn, useless, and of little value, and restoring it to brand-new condition to then become something useful, valuable, and highly desirable.

While these types of shows have gained in popularity with their respective fan bases, there ought to be something about the restoration theme of these shows that rings familiar with Christians most of all. After all, restoration is a major theme in the Christian life considering that once saved in Christ, our lives are to be marked by the process of sanctification. In other words, we are to continually progress towards holiness, from rebelliousness to obedience, from sinners to saints who look more like Christ each day. As Christians, we are to undergo the ultimate restoration of our hearts, minds, and entire beings.

We can find that the idea of restoration shows up all throughout the bible as well. In 2 Corinthians 13:9-11, the apostle Paul writes to the church at Corinth about how he prays for their restoration. Likewise, in 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10, Paul is writing this time to the church at Thessalonica, letting them know that he is praying for their restoration and exhorts them to “aim for it”. In 1 Peter 5:10, the apostle Peter writes of suffering as a part of the restoration process for those who believe. These passages and others show that restoration is indeed very much a part of the Christian life.

Another passage in which we see the idea of restoration is in Ephesians 4:11-12, but the context of this passage sheds light on an interesting idea of restoration. The apostle Paul writes to the church at Ephesus about various spiritual gifts to be used for the purpose of “restoring the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ”. With this passage, something interesting is revealed. Paul makes a connection between the process of Christians being restored and the role that the Bible plays in that process. Specifically, we are being restored when we receive the teaching of the truths of Scripture as taught to us by pastors and teachers within the church. Hearing and understanding biblical truths are vital for our restoration. Increasing in the knowledge of Scripture is essential for us to be made complete and to be perfected in Christ.

With the various restoration reality shows in mind, one can’t help but make the comparison that before being made alive in Christ and without biblical truth in our lives, we are much like the pieces of junk at the beginning of these shows that are rusted, broken, missing parts, and unable to function in any useful way. But throughout these shows, these pieces of junk are inevitably transformed by expert craftsmen who repair, rebuild, and repaint the pieces until they can be presented as brand-new and fully functional. Likewise, as we are taught the Word and as we receive it, our lives are to be transformed and restored as well. The Word reveals the sin in our lives to be removed and replaced by obedience. Where we are lacking in grace, mercy, or forgiveness, the Word shows us how we can truly exhibit complete Christian love. As we receive the preaching and teaching of the Word, we are being equipped and restored to completeness so that we might find ourselves to be functional and useful for the building up of Christ’s church.

If we proclaim that we have a high view of God’s Word, then it’s only natural that we should have a high view of the teaching of God’s Word as well. The time that we have to come together as a church body on Sunday to worship and hear God’s Word preached should be precious to us if we truly understand what we have to gain from it. No one would be satisfied to own a rusted out car that doesn’t run or to live in a dilapidated house with holes in the roof and walls. Yet our complacent attitudes at times toward Sunday worship and the preaching of God’s Word speak of nothing else but the fact that we are foolishly content to be incomplete, unfinished, and ill-equipped before the church that Christ died for. If we truly believe that our restoration as believers depends on the preaching of God’s Word, should we not find ourselves to be on time (or early), attentive, engaged, and grateful at each and every opportunity we have to receive it?

How do you see yourself in the context of your sanctification? Where are you in the process of being restored? Through faithfully hearing God’s Word preached, are you slowly being repaired and completed, looking more and more like the Christian that God desires you to be? If so, praise God and continue to faithfully serve the church as you have been equipped. On the other hand, are you maybe still a rust bucket on wheels, sitting in the driveway year after year, desperately in need of work? If so, then know that God, the ultimate “expert craftsman”, with the tools of His Word and His faithful pastors and teachers in hand, is ready to transform and restore you this Sunday. No appointment needed.