The motto of the Christian Life Program is, "Restoring Souls, Renewing Minds, Rebuilding Lives." This is what we do. It is exciting to see how God takes a man who is at the bottom and lifts him up, transforms him from a loser into a winner, changes him from being dependent on government and agencies to being a productive citizen, takes him from a life of sin to a life in Christ. Past graduates have become effective witnesses in their church, strong employees, contributing members of a Christian community. I expect that God is in the process of doing the same thing with Sam, Jeremy and Don.

Part of the Motto comes from Romans 12:2 which says, in part, that it is the Spirit of God that renews our minds. There are self-help programs, but this is not one of them. We are dependent on the Holy Spirit to work in men’s lives to produce the changes that are needed. Somehow, God’s work is more lasting than man’s work. If men are successful in restoration, it is God who has done the work. We may be instruments in God’s hands in the process, but it is God who changes men’s lives.

A picture of the process is in Psalm 40: 1-3. He picked me up out of a horrible pit and set my feet on a rock. These men, Don, Sam and Jeremy, have expressed pretty much this same thought. He has lifted them out of a dark, slimy past. He has given them a hope for a future.

I am reminded of the promise the LORD gives in Joel 2: 25:

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten ...

The picture that comes to mind is that of a diamond. Diamonds come out of the ground as a rough rock. You probably would not think of it as anything special. A good gemologist can look at the rock and determine what that rock might become if it is cut carefully. The process of cutting diamonds is rather tricky, because the rock is not sawed or cut with some kind of knife. It is cut with a chisel, a chisel that is struck with a hammer. If the hammer strikes too hard or if the chisel is not properly positioned, or if the rock shifts unpredictably, the rock may break in half, reducing the potential finished diamond greatly.

We are all like the diamond in the rough. The experiences God allows us to have are like the hammer and chisel as He is shaping us. He never makes a mistake by hitting the hammer too hard and He is too wise to put the chisel in the wrong place. But often we move under the pressure with the result that our lives are shattered. Most people assume that our lives are beyond repair, beyond hope.

Men, many of you came to us feeling hopeless. But there is hope. In the case of the diamond rock, the jeweler can still make a good finished diamond, perhaps several good finished diamonds with great value, even if the rock split unexpectedly. Though our lives get messed up, God can still make something precious out of us if we will submit to Him.

Tonight I want to talk about the amazing grace of God in restoring men. Turn to Isaiah 57 and read verses 15-16 and 18.

Isaiah 57:15-16, 18

For thus says the High and lofty one Who inhabits eternity, Whose Name is holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fall before Me, and the souls which I have made.

I have seen his ways and will heal him;
I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.

I. We see that God is holy and dwells in heaven, v15a. The High and Lofty Place is heaven.

II. We see that God dwells with believers, v15b. The requirement is submission to God. We must be humble and contrite. He dwells with or in the heart of the believer.

What an amazing thing. God lives in heaven. Yet he calls the believer’s heart his home! 1 Cor. 6:19 tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Yet this does not change the fact that God still dwells in heaven, the high and lofty place. The conclusion we must draw from these two lines of thought is that He has placed us in heaven! One of the themes found in the book of Ephesians is that God has already placed us in the heavenly places. We experience something like heaven, but it only gets better!

III. We see that God revives the heart of believers, v15c.

One of  the aspects of restoration is revival. God gives us new life. Sometimes men come to the Christian Life Program having trusted Christ Jesus as Savior earlier in life, but got off track so badly one would never know he was a Christian. God restores a life that is Christian in character and integrity.

Others come to the CLP never having trusted Jesus. While on the Program they hear the Gospel and see the light, and are saved. Theirs is a brand new life. In either case, it is God’s amazing grace at work.

IV. We see that God is patient with believers, v16. Though we fall sometimes, He does not give up on us. We fall before Him in humble contrition, He continues to work with us.

V. We see that God restores believers, v18. God sees our ways, heals our lives, and restores our hope.

CONCLUSION
Jeremy, Don and Sam are graduating tonight. But this is not the end of the process. Their future is bright; God is at work in their lives. But there remains the need to be humble before him. In a very real sense, this is a beginning for them. They have set before them a new beginning, a new opportunity to build a new life. God is shaping a new gemstone from them, in their lives. He is in the process of restoring the years the enemy has destroyed.

But the process continues also for each of us. 

Friends of the Graduates, staff and board members who are here this evening, we also are in process with God. Let Him have his perfect work in us as well. We need to make the most of our time, take advantage of opportunities to share with CLP, other clients, each other. We are in this restoration process also.

Men that are still on the CLP, you have much to do as you cooperate with God in the restoration process. As you attend your classes, seek to get everything you can from them. As you do your work assignments, seek to learn good work practices, good work ethics. As you memorize verses, seek to apply the verses to your life. Don’t just learn the verse to get it signed off, learn it so it becomes a part of your mind and thinking. As you are in counseling, take advantage of the counselor’s listening skills - be open with him, be honest with him - and seek to listen to his advice and counsel. As you are in the Learning Center, make the most of the opportunity to renew your ability to think and do academic work. Reading and communicating intelligently is a very important part of life.

-- Ted Taylor
   May 16, 2006