Restoration Sermon – The Undeniable Need for Restoration

1. When restoring a house, you start with fixing the problems.

2. In Josiah’s case, Israel’s worship was corrupt.

1) Idolatrous practices.

2) Temple was in disrepair.

3) Were not reading God’s law.

4) Were not observing the Passover.

3. In our case today, there is around us the corruption of religion.

1) Catholicism is not what Jesus built–it is a corruption of the original.

a. 2 Thess. 2:3-4.

b. 1 Timothy 4:1ff

2) The Reformation was tried to fix the corrupt–the result is denominationalism.

a. Denominationalism does not restore the church. (Org., Unity, Worship, etc.)

b. It is merely a replacement for Catholicism.

3) Only a restoration of God’s original plan can bring us back to God’s true religion.

4. There is an ongoing need for restoration today among those who would profess to be Christians.

1. When restoring a house, you need to get the original blueprints.

2. Josiah’s restoration only occurred after he found the book of the law.

3. Today, if we are going to restore the church, we must go back to the original blueprints.

4. That blueprint–that pattern–is the word of God.

1) Luke 8:11 “The seed is the word of God.”

a. A seed is a pattern.

b. You only get one thing from a seed.

2) 1 Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

5. We need a pattern if we are going to restore the church.

1) 2 Timothy 1:13 “Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”

2) Romans 6:17 “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”

1. When restoring a house, the chief architect has the final decision.

2. Josiah’s restoration would not have happened if he did not have the support of the priests and scribes.

3. Today, we must have unity of purpose if we are going to restore the church.

1) Jesus prayed for unity. John 17:20-21 “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

2) Paul commanded unity. 1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

3) Our fellowship is based upon unity. Ephesians 4:3-6 “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

1. When you restore a house, you may have everything in place, but if you fail to do the work, the house will never be restored.

2. When Josiah recognized that he had everything he needed to restore Israel’s worship, he went to work.

3. We have what we need to continue our efforts at restoration. Let’s go to work.

1) Jesus said, “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38).

2) Gal. 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

3) 1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

4) Will we let God’s power work in us? Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”