How can our lives, church and world be restored by the love and power of Jesus?

18 April 2021 - 11am Service

Resurrection + Restoration: Restored Church

This Sunday we continue our current preaching series Resurrection + Restoration with a message from Nigel Coles on ‘Restored Church’.

Following on from Easter, our series Resurrection + Restoration will help us grasp what Jesus’ resurrection means and the hope we carry in our everyday lives.

Rather than wave quickly goodbye to Easter, we’re taking some time to look at Bible passages from the Gospels after Jesus was resurrected. We’ll be looking at scriptures that address personal restoration, the great commission, and how we can bring hope into the world. Each week, we’ll be trying to earth these stories in our own lives and call as a Church today.

Remember, our 7pm service will be looking at the same topic and Clare Thompson will be sharing with us. Check it out!

DISCUSSION NOTES

INTRODUCTION | John 20: 19-29

Sometimes the Church blows it! Sometimes our Churches are faithless, divided, abusive, materialistic, self-centred etc, lukewarm, apathetic, and a poor even negative witness. As a body of believers we can fail to fulfil our mission and even bring Christianity into disrepute. Jesus it seems loves the Church and Church history is as much a story of restoration as of failure!

STUDY QUESTIONS

What would you say to someone who is disillusioned with Church, who might say ‘I love Jesus but I don’t want anything to do with Church’?
In John 20, what kind of confidence did the disciples (the nucleus of the ‘Church’ the community that Jesus came to build) have in themselves?
What strikes you about the phrases Jesus uses to speak to this group, ‘As the Father sent me, I’m sending you’, ‘If you forgive anyone sins they are forgiven’?
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in restoring Church here?