"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Restoration through resurrection, God’s amazing plan to restore us to him through the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ …for now and evermore! On Easter Sunday, that message rang ever so clear as the Greater Atlanta Church of Christ performed “Restoration Through The Resurrection”, a modern-day play depicting the lives of men and women in the bible searching for the answer to life’s questions and finding them in Jesus. A church of under 200 members witnessed almost 500 people pack into the Conant Center at Oglethorpe University, a popular theater in the Buckhead district of Atlanta. Lead Evangelist, Mike Patterson, previewed the production with a soul-stirring communion message that helped people prepare their hearts for a visual demonstration of the love of our lord Jesus Christ. With hearts softened by the word of God, the stellar cast made up of teens, campus students, singles and marrieds put on a show that gave everyone hope to be restored to Christ. By the time the acting, singing and dancing came to an end, there wasn't a dry eye in the house as even grown men were moved to tears.
The following are a several accounts from people in the audience and behind the scenes.
This was such an astounding play, for as I watched I recounted all the questions that I, at one time, needed to  have answered: Is there a God? Can he help me with my life’s challenges, give me peace of mind, and help me to raise my children properly? These were just a few questions, but I can undeniably say, HE has answered “yes” and continues to answer, “yes”, to every one of them. Just as Jesus had the answer for the “the demon possessed man living among the tombs”, “the adulteress woman washing HIS feet with her hair”, and “the lost son living a dangerously, selfish life”, I pray that he continues to enable me to bring the answer to my children, family, friends, neighbors, school teachers, bus drivers, store cashiers, bank tellers, and anyone else Jesus places in my life, so that they personally come to know HIM, trust HIM, love HIM, accept HIM, to allow Him to restore their lives, the ones he wants them to live, through his resurrection.
-Melinda Morrell-Wilson
The first time I saw "Restoration through the Resurrection" was at my first rehearsal as Director Byron Word walked through the scenes of the production. I got emotional right from the beginning. The stories depicted were  stories that everyone can relate to. On Easter Sunday, the cast and crew arrived at 5am for make-up, costume and run-thrus. By 11am when the worship service began, we were all so excited backstage eagerly awaiting our chance to encourage the church and inspire people to follow Jesus. During the show, everyone was so encouraging to each other, building each other up and spurring each other on. It was then that I realized how much this play impacted the lives of those who sacrificed hours upon hours to make this great. It brought us together and gave us a sense of unity that I had never experienced before. As leaders, Mike Patterson and Byron Word kept us focused on the goal--to use our talents to bring glory to God by helping people all over the city to seek Him. I am so proud of the GACC, including all the young christians who served and the mature brothers and sisters who led the way in laying our talents and gifts before God.
-Angel Maldonado
Restoration through the Resurrection was more than a simple Easter production, it was a life changing experience. The story centered around Peter and John Mark talking about how Jesus offered different people restoration to God. All of the stories were familiar, but they came to life in an entirely new way as we saw them unfold on the stage. At different points in my life I have been every character in the play. I have been John Mark, hiding my lack of faith behind past hurts. I have been the lost son, squandering all that God has given me only to  be left alone and empty. I have been the sinful woman, coming to Jesus with all that I have. I have been the man possessed by a legion of demons, tormented with dark thoughts. But more than any one else in the story I have been Peter, ashamed of my denial of Jesus.
When I was asked to play the role of Peter I was apprehensive; I am not an actor. I definitely didn’t see myself playing a lead role in a stage production. But as I dug deeper into the scriptures and discovered who Peter really was, I felt compelled to tell his story, because in many ways it is my story as well. Peter was always the first one to say that he would never leave or betray Jesus. He was also the first to be rebuked for his lack of faith. It seemed that he wanted the recognition from having the right things to say, but when it came down to following through, he hesitated. He wanted to follow Jesus as long as it didn’t involve suffering. In his act of denying Jesus I saw the time that I spent living a double life. Even as a member of the church, there was a time that I was involved in all kinds of sin. Everytime I chose to please myself instead of God I was denying Jesus. For a time, my life cried out that “I don’t know the man.” Listening to my own voice deny Jesus seemed strange, but it reminded me of that God has pulled me out of my sin to live for him again. For me the whole point of the production is summed up in one of the final lines, “We can all have hope because of the life Jesus lived, the death he died, and the life he lives again.”
-Joshua Walker
Now that God fulfilled this good purpose and act prompted by faith (2 Thes. 1:11), we are focused on bringing Him even more glory by bringing more souls into his kingdom. We are challenging everyone to follow up on all of the visitors that attended the Easter Service and study the Bible with them. We believe every disciple should take up the call of Jesus to make disciples. (Matt. 28:18-20) If you are a disciple of Jesus, when was the last time you opened the Bible with someone and challenged them to follow your lord? Is that not the power of the resurrection? "If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection." (Rom. 6:5) We must help people die to their sin, receive forgiveness in the waters of baptism and be raised to new life. No matter where you are in your faith, know that God can restore you to himself through the resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 5:11-20)
|
