On their annual Christmas trip to Chicago, a family spent time with Grandpa and Grandma visiting the museums.  In their final stop at the Woodfield Mall, one of them noticed that little 3 1/2 year-old Matthew was suddenly gone.  Terror immediately struck their hearts as they simultaneously thought of the recent horror stories of kidnapped children.  They all split up, each taking an assigned location.  Quickly they went, calling out his name, hoping he'd soon be found.

          After 15 minutes, all gathered at the meeting place, and around the corner came Grandpa, holding little Matthew by the hand.  Their hearts leaped for joy, but Matthew was smiling and totally untraumatized.  He hadn't been crying and he wasn't scared.  To him, there had been no problem.  When asked where he found him, Grandpa said, "At the candy counter.  You should have seen his big eyes seeing all that candy, looking back and forth, surveying all his luscious options."  Matthew was happy, oblivious to any possible danger.  He had no idea he was lost.

          Today there are a lot of lost Matthews out there, people living in a candy-counter culture, surveying all their luscious options, and not knowing that they're completely lost as far as eternity is concerned.

          Jesus' parable in our Gospel Lesson is very familiar.  The shepherd has 100 sheep and discovers one is lost.  He pens up the 99 and goes out to find the lost one.  When he finds it, he happily restores the lost sheep to its rightful place with the rest.  It doesn't matter whether the sheep knew it was lost, or if it was bruised up, or if it ran away in rebellion, those who knew it was lost are the ones who must go find it.

          Today I am starting a series of messages on "Restoration."  During the next few weeks, we'll talk about conflict, making peace, confession and forgiveness, and how we be restored to each other.  The Good News is that God has already restored us to Himself through Jesus.  He is the bridge between us and heaven.  He is the One we can depend on when all others fail.  He is the "Way, the Truth and the Life." (John 14:6)

          Please forgive me if some of this sounds like sociology.  We need to define terms.  There was a movie a few years ago called, "Restoration."  It was about one man's sinful life and the good deeds he later did to make up for what he'd done.  But restoration doesn't come that way.  It's not what we do.  It's what God has done for us in Jesus.  True, we must take some steps, like confession, or trying to mend fences, but God is the One who makes it all possible.  We can never really "fix" the things we mess up. No matter how good we are, we can never be good enough.  We can never atone for our sins.  Only God can do that.  Good deeds happen only after we are forgiven when we respond with gratitude.

          When trouble comes, what do you do, fight or flight?  When conflict arises, what is your response?  Some people try to escape, that is, they run away from it, or deny that it's real.  Or they try the ultimate escape in suicide.  Every year thousands of people escape their troubles by the extreme tragedy of killing themselves.

          An opposite method of dealing with conflict is to attack.  Today's common variety of this is the lawsuit, take people to court.  Instead of talking it out, they let a judge decide.  But for some that's not enough; they physically attack the other person, some even going to the extreme of committing murder.  But murder or suicide are never right.  They always create more trouble than they solve.

          Most of us resolve conflict by trying to work it out.  An easy method of solving conflict is to look the other way, to forgive a wrong committed by another person.  Walking away can solve some things.  We must choose our battles.

          Most conflict, though, requires discussion and reconciliation.  Personal offenses, whether deliberate or accidental, need to be talked over.  And some people find this hard to do.  Instead of talking it out as they should, they walk away.  Confronting the other person is too painful, too frightening.  They'd rather do something else.

          Substantive issues, however, require being resolved.  When marriage is in trouble, issues can't be swept under the table.  The parties need to face their troubles and find out whether they can be resolved and how it can be done.  Sometimes a marriage counselor helps work their differences, helping each party to agree to do or not to do certain things.  Marriage is too important not to try hard!

          When two people can't agree, a mediator can be brought in to help the people improve communication or discover the problems.  This usually happens when business deals go awry.  But mediators only suggest, and it's up to the parties to do the real work of reconciliation.

          When the parties cannot come to a voluntary solution, arbitrators can be brought in.  They usually have power to require the parties to agree.  This only happens in very difficult cases where a resolution must occur, and the parties can't seem to do it themselves.  All this takes time.

          Some troubles can be healed by waiting, but you can wait too long.  A scout troop put on a First Aid course at their church to practice CPR, bandaging and making splints.  Adults posed as wounded, and the scouts went from person to person, learning from certified trainers what to do.  Unfortunately, they took so long that one of the volunteers had to leave before they reached him.  But he left a sign that said, "Bled to death and gone home."

          If we wait too long, relationships can bleed to death.  We need to deal with them.  The sooner we let God's grace and mercy enter into the situation, the sooner they can be fixed.  The only blood shed should be the blood of Jesus.

          Conflict is a difference of opinion or purpose that gets in the way of relationship.  Over the years I've caused some conflict.  I've also seen conflict arise from competition or sinful attitudes.  Sometimes conflict comes from a misunderstanding.

          An airplane was grounded for repairs and the passengers were told they could leave the plane and come back in an hour.  A blind man was still on the plane when the pilot came through.  "Would you like to take a walk?" the pilot asked.  "No," said the blind man, "but my seeing-eye dog is a bit restless.  Could you take my dog for a walk while I rest?"  Imagine the misunderstandings that came when the passengers in the terminal saw their pilot walking around with a seeing-eye dog!"

          Restoration is another word for reconciliation.  Conflict resolution is not the same as restoration.  Restoration includes reconciliation.  The Good News is that God gives us a perfect way to be restored - through Jesus Christ.  He brings us together.  But we can do some things to help restoration along:

          1-  Realize we are powerless to make peace on our own.  Romans 7:15 says, "I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, that I do."  Any efforts you and I make are tainted by sin.  We can't do it alone.  We're powerless.

          2-  Know that true reconciliation comes from God.  He forgives us and offers peace through Jesus.  Colossians 1:19-20 says, "God was pleased to ...reconcile all things to Himself."  God is the source!  We do our part, but we depend on Him.

          3-  Trust Jesus as the model peacemaker.  He didn't wait until we repented; He just forgave us.  He gave His life for us while we were still sinners.  He didn't retaliate for the wrongs done Him.  He confronted others, but for their own good, not personal vindication.  He forgave His enemies, even those who would never love Him.

          God does not want His lambs to be lost.  He seeks them out.  He doesn't get angry when we stray, or hold things against us when we sin.  He is the loving Father, running to meet the prodigal son or daughter, welcoming us back.  He is the innocent victim, forgiving His killers.  He is the gentle shepherd, bringing back the lambs even when they won't admit they were lost, even when they fight coming back.

          I was once in the line to get my driver's license renewed, when a man in front of me I'd never met before turned and said, "I'm short $10 and I really need this license.  Could you loan me $10?"  I gave him $10 and my card, and the next day a check was in the mailbox with a note of thanks for trusting him.  I thought I'd never see it again, but - surprise - there it was!

          You and I simply must trust God to help us.  The world tells us to trust ourselves, but we must trust Him.  He will give us what we truly need.  Solutions to troubles don't all depend on us - they depend on Him.  Jesus can and will restore us to each other and to God.  Praise God for His eternal Restoration, amen

Copyright © 2004 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.