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Damaged but Restored

Wayne Galloway
11/12/23 - Sunday Evening Worship

Damaged But Restored

 

Introduction:

 

1.  “Totaled!”  That’s what the insurance company says when your car is wrecked beyond repair.

“It will cost more to fix it than what it is worth,” they say.

2.  Generally, when an automobile is “totaled” it does not mean that every single part is destroyed.

    a.  The engine, transmission, tires, and other parts may be undamaged.

    b.  Often such vehicles are bought by companies who sell the good parts to repair

         automobiles that have damaged parts. 

    c.  My truck, for example, is composed of parts from three trucks, the motor and 

         transmission out of one, the body from another, and a new frame.  

    d.  Thus, it is a restoration.

3.  Restoration is big business.  We restore automobiles, furniture, and houses.  We restore knee joints, shoulders, and hips.  We rebuild, reclaim, recover, rehab, renew, reform, alter, cure, heal about anything that can be damaged or deteriorate. 

4.  Restoration is the act of returning something to its former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. 

5.  The “Servpro” company calls themselves “the restoration experts.”  Their slogan, “Like it never happened.”

6.  “What does all this have to do with anything?”  I believe that the Lord is in the restoration business, that we were created perfectly, but were damaged and that the whole Bible is about God restoring us to our original condition.

 

Discussion:

 

I.  Our original condition is described in the opening two chapters of Genesis.

 

    A.  We are familiar with the creation account.

          1.  God acted to bring order out of chaos.

               a.  From formlessness, void and darkness God spoke things into orderliness.

               b.  “Let there be light,” He said.

               c.  “Let there be an expanse to separate the waters” and so the sky was created.

               d.  “Let the dry land appear,” He said.

               e.  “Let the earth sprout vegetation.”

               f.   “Let there be lights in the heavens.”

               g.  “Let the waters swarm with living creatures.”

               h.  “Let the earth bring forth living creatures.”

         2.  Each of these acts involves a movement toward greater organization reflective of the 

              Divine engineer and His design.

         3.  You may have not noticed but there is a repeated phrase throughout the text of Gen. 1:  

              “God saw that it was good” (4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25).

     B.  All this movement culminates in the creation of man.

           1.  He alone is created in the image of God.

           2.  This is an astounding statement.  Man is the crowning work of God’s creation.  

                Everything else was created for the benefit of man (29-30).

           3.  I am sure I do not comprehend everything that is involved in being created in the 

                image of God.  But some things are made explicit in the text.  There are many other

                things that are implied.  Things that are explicit . . . 

                a.  Dominion over the other created things (26).

                b.  Submission to the Creator (26).

                c.  Equality between the sexes (27).

           4.  The repeated phrase changes.  “And God saw everything that he had made, and 

                 behold, it was very good” (31).

           5.  Life was given the ability to perpetuate itself.  “Be fruitful and multiply.”

      C.  Gen. 2 elaborates further on the situation giving us more details.

            1.  Man is placed in the Garden of Eden.

            2.  The details of the woman’s creation are given.

                  a.  Man in his role of dominion names all the animals, but finds none suitable as a 

                       complement to himself.

                  b.  But when the woman is created he names her with the complementary title 

                       “woman.”

      D.  We are complicated creatures.

            1.  Modern science, the biblical record, and our own experiences tell us this.

            2.  We are physical beings.

            3.  We are relational beings.

            4.  We are mental beings.

            5.  We are spiritual beings.

            6.  We are electrical beings, chemical beings, emotional beings, and all these different 

                 elements work together and influence each other.  A bad relationship affects us

                 emotionally, physically, mentally.  A physical experience can affect us chemically, 

                 emotionally, and in other ways as well.  We hit our finger with a hammer and our

                 nerves send an electrical impulse to our brain.  We react emotionally, say things that

                 may destroy a relationship, and perform all kinds of physical dances that are

                 unchoreographed as we dance around in pain.

            7.  And yet, all these different elements do not explain our mind.  There is something

                 more than just parts.  And parts that interact.  There is more.  We are not just

                 machines.  We are not just plants.  We are not just animals.  We are more, much

                 more.

            8.  In the beginning all these different parts functioned and interacted in just the right 

                 way.  Not only that, but all the parts of creation (plants, animals, all the earth) also 

                 functioned and interacted just the way God intended.  Things were very good, until 

                 Gen. 3.  

 

II.  In Gen. 3 God’s creation was marred.  Sin, death, deterioration, corruption were introduced into what formerly was very good.

 

       A.  The effect of sin on creation is far reaching.

       B.  Some of its effects are explicitly identified in Gen. 3 and evidenced in the image of God  

             being marred.

             1.  The first indication of the mar was shame (2:25; 3:7).

             2.  Man’s relationship with God was marred as evidenced by man’s fear (3:8-10).

             3.  Man’s relationship with other humans was marred (3:12, 16).  Pain in the 

                   perpetuation of life comes originates from sin.

             4.  Man’s relationship with the creation is now marred (3:17-19).

       C.  Not all the effects of sin are made explicit in Gen. 3.

             1.  Paul, with broad brush language, speaks of the futility, corruption, groaning, suffering 

                   of the whole of creation (Rom. 8:18-22).  Note that he refers to it as “suffering the 

                   pains of childbirth together” (v. 22).

             2.  Everything that moves toward physical death is the consequence of sin.  Disease, 

                   sickness, genetic disorders, negative traits inherited from our forefathers, all forms of 

                   physical deterioration, mental diseases with their genetic and environmental make 

                   up.  They do not come as a direct result of our personal sin, but because of the 

                   deteriorating effect of the sin introduced in Gen. 3.  Paul said, “Through one man sin 

                   entered the world, and death through sin . . . Death reigned from Adam until Moses, 

                   even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam” (Rom. 

                   5:12, 14).

              3.  All of us born outside the Garden of Eden are messed up.  We are wrecked.  

                   Damaged.  Corrupted.  Deteriorating.  

              4.  The effects are more far reaching than what we might think in mere physical terms.  

                    There are physical, spiritual, relational, emotional damages.  There is marred

                    thinking, marred emotions, death permeates the scene on a physical level, but also 

                    on a spiritual level.

                   a.  Cain killed Abel (Gen 4).  Lamech killed two (Gen. 4:23ff).  Emotional damage.  

                        Cain’s anger results in Abel’s death.

                   b.  Genesis 5 records the generations of Adam with the repeated phrase:  “And he 

                         died.”

                   c.  Genesis 6 tells of the corruption of mankind and begins the story of the flood.  

                        “The thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (5).

                   d.  Throughout the rest of Scripture the damaging effects of sin are evidenced at 

                         every level of man’s existence.  Sickness, disease, (mental and physical, 

                         emotional, relational, etc.).  No area of man’s life seems to be exempt.

         D.  While still created in God’s image we are damaged goods.  Lest we be lost to live in this 

               condition God graciously removed man from the tree of life lest he be condemned to 

               live in this state forever (3:22-24).  The rest of Scripture is about God’s restoration

               process.

          

III.  I will not attempt to rehearse all the history of the OT, but therein you can see God’s redemptive plan unfolding.  You can see the need for it as sin permeates the history.  But jump forward with me to NT times.

 

       A.  As Jesus comes on the scene sin is still permeating the history.  Examples are

             everywhere.

            1.  Herod slaughters babies (Matt. 2).

            2.  John the Baptist is calling on people to repent warning of wrath to come.  He calls

                 on people to share their tunics, their food, to exact no more money than 

                 ordered to, to stop taking money by force, to stop accusing anyone falsely, to be

                 content with their wages (Mk. 3:10ff).

            3.  The devil is present attempting to lead even Jesus astray (Matt. 4).

            4.  There are people with leprosy, people paralyzed, sick with a fever, demon-possessed, 

                  dead, dying, in need of forgiveness, terrorists, self-righteous, children with unclean

                  spirits, deaf, unable to speak, blind, unable to walk, the righteous are persecuted.  

                  There are status seekers, swindlers, unjust, adulterers, murderers.   There is mental

                   illness, physical illness, relational illness, corrupt governments, corrupt religion.  And 

                   they crucify the one sent to help them!  The Great Physician, the one sent to heal

                   them, attested with miracles, and wonders and signs that God performed through

                   Him.

          B.  And while mankind is marred by sin, with its ignorance, rebellion, and hostility, God

               intervenes by resurrecting His Son and sends out messengers to call people to 

               restoration, to a new creation.

               1.  They preach deliverance from the bondage of sin, corruption, and death (Rom. 

                    8:18ff).

               2.  They preach salvation, resurrection, a new heaven, and new earth.

               3.  They preach a message of new life.  They call on us to put on the new self.  They call

                    on us to put our faith in God to be raised to life.  They speak of putting on an 

                    imperishable body, of being victorious over death.  They speak of God wiping away

                    every tear, of there no longer being any mourning, or crying or pain. They speak of 

                    there no longer being any curse.  They speak of being in the presence of God and 

                    the tree of life.

          C.  There is so much to be saved from.  And God has promised to save us.  He has given

                proof in the resurrection of Jesus of His power of restoration.

                1.  He invites us to join Him in resurrection (Col. 2:12).

                2.  He invites us to participate in the new creation.  It is now and not yet.

                3.  He invites us to a final resurrection and all that entails.  It will be “like it never

                      happened.”

 

Conclusion:

 

1.  But who believes it?

2.  Do you?