TEXT: Psalm 23
TITLE: “He restores my soul”
SERIES: PAUSE TO APPRECIATE - Psalm 23
TOPIC: Renewal
OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, March 14, 2010
PROP.: It’s important to experience times of refreshing
INTRODUCTION: Good morning and welcome! We are in a sermon series simply called: PAUSE. We are studying the book of Psalms and last week, we started a sermon series within this sermon series on Psalm 23. We are going to have a total of 4 sermons on Psalm 23. And it’s my hope that as I share these messages, that you will have a better appreciation for Psalm 23. That you will PAUSE TO APPRECIATE the truths and promises contained within this well known Psalm.
So as we did last week, I want us to read aloud the entire chapter of Psalm 23:
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord Forever! Amen!
Last week, we looked at verse 1. We broke it down into three phrases:
The Lord
MY Shepherd
I shall not want
This week, I want our focus to be on just the first half of verse 3:
“He restores my soul”
What better time to preach about this passage of scripture than now? I hope you are aware and are making plans to attend our Spiritual Renewal week (aka - REVIVAL) next week the 17th - 21st. That’s next Wednesday - Sunday. And on Saturday, it begins at 10 am followed by a carry in meal.
Why do we still have “REVIVALS”? Aren’t those things out dated? Perhaps. But we have them because we understand the need for SOUL RESTORATION!
Does your soul need restored? “Well what is a soul?”
Wow…trying to fully explain that could be a sermon in and of itself. But let’s suffice it to say that your soul is that part of you that will live forever. The soul is that part that makes you different from everyone else…it’s what makes you; you. The soul is how we will recognize you when we get to heaven. Your body will be a new glorified body, but your soul will still be you.
And sometimes, your soul becomes depleted. It gets run down. That’s what David says in Psalm 23. “He RESTORES my soul.”
And maybe you’re like: What pressures of life did David face that caused him to need his soul restored? “Oh man! I’ve got to go wash the chariot again!” Well, people are people doesn’t matter what time period you live in - we are going to be stressed out about life.
And isn’t it interesting. The more conveniences we have been blessed with in life the busier we become. The more time savers we have; the less time we actually have.
It doesn’t really matter how busy David was or anyone else living in the past. I want to talk about today. And I don’t think anyone would argue against me when I say that we have a problem with soul depletion. Too many people. Too many problems. Too much busyness. Not enough time to sit and be quiet and reflect.
And here in Psalm 23, we are told that the Lord wants to restore our soul. Maybe you’re here today and you feel a spiritual dryness. And you can’t really explain it…well what you are dealing with is this NEED to have your soul restored!
So we are going to talk about what that is and how to have that happen.
First let’s talk about that word that is translated “restore”. The word literally means replenishes. To return to it’s original state. Like when you fill your tank with gasoline…you are returning it to normal! Or when you fill the sugar container in your kitchen - you are making it the way it is supposed to be.
He keeps me going. He refills my tank with vitality and enthusiasm for living. Notice it’s not some general or some physical restoration that is being talked about. He restores MY SOUL!
That’s a very important word in the Bible 755 times in the Old testament the Hebrew word Nephesh is translated soul, heart, life, or mind. And all the time it’s that same word “nephesh” and it literally means BREATH. And it refers to that in-material part of man. There is a spiritual me that was created in God’s image that will live forever. And a good summary term for that part of me that’s not physical is SOUL. That’s the part of me that gets so depleted in this world and desperately needs to be restored!
Modern life is about things that block, hinder and resist the restoration of our soul. If you’ve ever come to the end of a day, or a week or a month, and you sense something is going on - it’s WAYYYYYY more than physical. “I’m so depleted! And I don’t have the resources or the energy…” That’s a soul that needs to be restored.
So first I want to talk about five things that deplete our souls. And a little later, 5 things that God uses to RESTORE our soul.
1. People
--GOOD PEOPLE: Too much of a good thing can be draining. They might be fun to be around and really, really close to you.
--Draining people - REALLY deplete our souls. Now let me say that both as one who has ministered to draining people and been a draining people. I’ve been on both sides of that. Draining people deplete our soul. People who have acute need. Or poor social skills. Or a demanding nature. They siphon off our soul strength and resources.
If you have someone who is draining you; let me offer a book that you need to read. It’s called BOUNDARIES. Lines need to be set up to limit the amount of access we allow people who are a drain on our lives.
2. NEGATIVITY
--People who needlessly criticize you…people who are so critical of everything you do DEPLETE your soul! It can be a spouse, a boss, a parent…and when they are constantly critical of you, when nothing seems to live up to THEIR standards, it can cause you to want to quit! Quit your job, quit your marriage, run away…but you know those aren’t answers. The answer is to be RESTORED!
3. Busyness - depletes our souls. In 1973 the average American work week was 40.6 hours. In 1999 50.2 hours a week. Guess where the extra 10 hours is coming from? Things that replenish our souls. In 1973 leisure hours were 26.2 hours a week. In 1999, leisure hours dropped to 19.8 hours a week.
With all that’s been said about saying no, we’re not very good at saying no. Too many yeses, not enough no’s. Too much giving in to the demands of others and “Could you please?” and “Won’t you?” and “when will you?” and “It’s so important to me.” and yes, yes, yes, yes when it should be: no, yes, no, no, or yes, no, no, yes.
4. Problems
Things aren’t going very well right now you may say and “I’ve got problems.” Health concerns and financial shortfalls from over spending. Conflict with others. Irritations in traffic and little things and the incompetence of others drain our soul strength!
Here’s a 5th thing…
5. Coveting.
“I need a better job.” “I need a spouse.” “now I’ve got one but I need children.” “Now I have one but I need more.” “Now I have two boys but I need a girl.” I want. I want. I want. A promotion. A new raise. Some newer stuff. Wanting things depletes our soul strength.
Well let’s talk about what restores our soul strength. These are five things you can do to restore your soul. But I thought Psalm 23 says, “HE restores my soul.” You are telling me that there are things that I need to do?” Well, God has a part and YOU have a part. It’s not just totally a passive thing. You have to do your part and God will do His part. A lot of people aren’t revived, or restored because they neglect their part!
So let me tell you YOUR part…five things.
I. MY PART
1. Sleep
Not sleep in church however. But sleep restores our soul. Did you know that over 50% of Americans report one or more problems associated with insomnia?
Things like:
“I woke up feeling un-refreshed - 38%
“I was awake a lot during the night” 34%
“woke up too early and couldn’t get back to sleep” - 24%
“had difficulty getting to sleep” - 23%
Sleep problems! Only 35% of adults sleep the recommended 8 or more hours every night. If you’re not getting your sleep, you need to!
I can remember one of my professors teaching about the dangers of laziness. And as he was teaching us he made this recommendation: “set the alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier everyday until you discover the absolute least amount of sleep you need to get by.” The more I have thought about that, the more I have discovered that was the dumbest thing to say to people.
Don’t do that!
Figure out instead how much sleep you need and get it! Sleep restores our soul.
Secondly:
2. REST!
Sit down and do nothing. Just do nothing! The Bible talks about being still and waiting on the Lord. Slow down. “Where are you going?” NO where! “What are you doing?” NOTHING! I’m resting! Resting restores the soul!
And when you have enough sleep and rest…ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH SLEEP and REST, you can do this second thing…
3. Reflection
It restores the soul. And when you try to reflect and you’re low on rest, the results won’t be good. You’re going to get into a negative line of thinking that’s only going to be destructive not positive.
And you know exactly what I’m talking about. Pretty soon, your thoughts become negative and “woe is me” and the best thing you can do in that situation is go back to sleep and rest!
“What do I do when I reflect?” This is our time with God. Reflection is taking time to evaluate your life. It’s stopping to look in four directions.
ILLUSTRATION: Remember the opening of the Brady Bunch?
No? Let me help you! And so you and I need to do some reflecting. Looking around us.
A. Look back - Where have I been this week, this month. What failures should I confess? What priorities have been lost that need to be put back in place?
B. Looking up - turning to God and His word. Focusing on what it is He would have you to do. Getting on my knees in prayer. Talking with God.
C. Look around - Who am I neglecting? Who have I hurt? I am not alone in this world and other people matter.
D. Look ahead - what’s up ahead? How should I be different? What road am I on? What road do I want to be on? What do I need to do to make that happen?
And when you’ve spent that time with the Lord and reflected on what really matters, well then you’re ready for
4. Diversion
It restores the soul! This is a must for soul restoration! Something different than the daily grind - the everyday norm.
#1 leisure activity - READING. It’s been the most popular the last 4 years.
#2 watching TV -
#3 spending time with family and kids
#4 gardening
#5 FISHING
Other things - walking, going to the movies. Computer stuff.
A diversion. Something different to help you take your mind off your burdens and responsibilities. It’s healthy and it restores my soul!
And lastly:
5. Ministry
When these other things are in place ministry is honestly a joy. It’s renewing. IT’s God at work! Without those other things, ministry can become one more demanding hassle. We don’t want that!
SLEEP REST REFLECT DIVERT AND MINISTER
Well those are things that you can do to ensure that soul restoration can take place.
Here’s God’s part in restoring our soul.
II. GOD’S PART
This is God’s direct involvement in the restoration of our souls! In the reviving and renewing of our souls. God does two things found in verse two.
One God does in the crisis to get our attention: ‘HEY! YOU NEED TO RESTORE YOUR SOUL!”
The other is God’s process of keeping your soul restored!
1. First, the crisis - “HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES”
Let’s break this down into bite size pieces.
“Green Pastures” - The Hebrew refers to tender grass. This is not the mature grass that is ready for mowing. It’s early, nutrient rich sprouts of grass. In sheep terms, it’s the BEST grass has to offer. Lush, rich feeding places from which the sheep need never move to be satisfied.
You see the shepherd always has to lead the sheep especially in summer and fall when the grass gets brown, to new places. And this here is a picture of the plentiful supply of the Lord in one place always! The Green PASTURES. This is a place where you want to be! A place where God restores our soul.
ILLUSTRATION: Painting a picture of greener pastures. Close your eyes. Imagine before you there is a white iron gate. And you slip in through the gate. You see before you a beautiful garden with trees and flowers. The sun is shining in the blue, clear, morning sky. The leaves are still soaked with the morning dew. You find a bench. And you sit down. And you’ve got three things going for you. #1 - you’re alone! It happens so seldom with kids, with work, with pressure. And people. #2 - you have time! You’re not in a hurry. You’re not trapped between the last thing and the next thing. #3 - it’s quiet. The Tv isn’t blaring. The phone isn’t ringing. And no one is calling your name. Except the Lord. Gradually and increasingly, you notice the presence of the Lord. As he speaks to you through His word.
More than 100 years a man wrote a hymn describing the situation that you are picturing right now. He wrote:
“I come to the garden alone. While the dew is still on the roses. And the voice I hear falling on my ear, the son of God discloses. He walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own. And the joys we share as we tarry there…none other has ever known.”
It’s a place where God meets with me and RESTORES ME! Who as a follower of the Lord, couldn’t listen to that and think to themselves: I need more of THAT in my life?
Ok, we understand the green pastures. What are you doing in them?
“LIE DOWN” - Notice that you’re NOT running in green pastures. “He makes me pace back and forth in green pastures.” No. You‘re not standing. You‘re not sitting. Lying down. It’s a picture of humility and reverence before the Lord. It’s a picture of utter dependence upon God!
Lie down and meet with the Lord in total humility and dependence and He will meet with you!
Lets talk about this last part.
“He MAKES me” - That’s the confusing part. Every translation of the Bible that I have says the same thing. God sometimes MAKES ME LIE DOWN in green pastures.
God is MORE than capable of making you lie down. God is capable of humbling you and making you dependent upon him! If you know God then you know that he loves you and he loves it when you depend on him. He knows it makes your relationship with him more intimate.
And maybe you’re saying - “I’m pretty sure God has me lying down…but it’s not very green where I am.” Right. And maybe your green pastures are a hospital bed. Or maybe you’ve been in a funeral home recently. Or you lost your job. Maybe your green pastures are a deep loneliness or a broken relationship with your child. Maybe it’s a persistent financial need and God has MADE you lie down in green pastures! He has made you dependent upon him. And for some people, they struggle with that!
Other scholars would suggest that Psalm 23 at this part is talking about the problem the shepherd has with the wandering sheep and he goes and gets it and brings it back. And the sheep runs away and the shepherd goes and gets it and brings it back. And the lamb runs away and the shepherd goes and gets it and brings it back. And this happens repeatedly until the shepherd has no choice but to take the little lamb in his arms and crack his leg across his knee and MAKE it lie down in green pastures.
And possibly God’s got you at a place like that right now. I’ve been in that place! It’s not fun. But on the other side of that place I came through more dependent, more closer to God!
May truth be spoken into your life if that is where you are found this morning. And may you realize it as the crisis of soul restoration. God saying, “HEY! YOUR SOUL NEEDS SOME WORK! IT NEEDS RESTORED.”
“He makes me lie down in green pastures.” - That’s the crisis, where God gets your attention.
Now Here’s the process.
2. “He leads me beside still waters.”
“beside still waters” Again, this is a powerful picture. This is where he CONTINUALLY restores our soul.
Still waters are…
--DEEP. It’s shallow water that runs fast and makes a lot of noise. So one of the pictures that David paints for us is that Christ leads us to places of plentiful depth! Depth takes time. Depth brings real quietness to the soul!
And did you notice where you are in regards to the still waters?
“BESIDE” - You aren’t through the still waters and out on your way. This is where you live your life. This isn’t a weekly thing or a monthly thing. This is a DAILY thing! I am walking with Christ BESIDE still waters. I’m alone. I’m not thinking about the time.
I’m not in a hurry. And it restores me!
And notice
“HE LEADS ME” That’s why He’s our shepherd. He leads us! He guides us!
He’s like, “what are you doing over there? Come over here! This is where the water is quiet. This is where the water is deep. This is where your soul can be restored! And it won’t happen in a hurry. It won’t happen with a quick scripture and a cup of coffee in your hand. But it’s deep! And it’s plentiful! And it restores your soul!
I want to close out with
APPLICATION. Because here is the problem. You will say - “AMEN! that was a great sermon! I needed that.” But then you will walk out of here and your soul will not be restored because nothing is different…nothing has changed. So here is what I am asking of you right now…this week.
I want you to commit to spending THREE SEPARATE HOURS alone…with the Lord! That will take us from hearing the word to - what’s that other part? Oh yeah…DOING THE WORD.
CHOOSE A TIME - what does your schedule look like this week? What evenings are free? What mornings are free? For me, I am going to do this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as I have family coming in this week for the revival. How about you? What time will work for you? “I am going to do it at 7 pm. Or 9 pm. Or 7 am. “
CHOOSE A PLACE - where you can be by yourself. Turn off the cell phone. Tell your family what you’re doing. What a testimony it will be to your family - “Where mom?” “Don’t bother her, she’s spending an hour with God by herself..” That will speak volumes to your family!!!!!!!
CHOOSE a passage of scripture! I would recommend to you: JOHN 15-21
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
Start with a prayer - maybe sing a song to the Lord - (he loves your voice!) read and reflect and record and write down what he says to you. And pray.
Three hours alone with the Lord this week. Then come back and see if your soul was restored!
Schedule some time right now. Take some time to think about this challenge and make the commitment to God. I’m going to give you some time of silence to schedule this commitment and then we will have our time of decision…
