Sunday January 25, 2015 Phone: 570.829.5216 Pastor David Miklas e-mail: pastormiklas@aol.com Message: Psalm 23 - #9 Text: Psalm 23:1-6 He Restoreth My Soul INTRODUCTION: We again return to our study in this great Psalm of the Shepherd, Psalm 23. In verses 1-3 we read, The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. (3) He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. In this message I want to talk about how to begin again; about how to be restored. Let s face it. There are times, even in the Christian life and even in the lives of the best of believers, that restoration is needed. This morning in our study of Psalm 23 we are going to focus on the first four words of verse 3, He restoreth my soul. Please say that with me, He restoreth my soul. If the Shepherd has to restore your soul there has to be something wrong, something adverse had to have happened. Please understand this about the Christian life. Even though the Lord is always your Shepherd, as long as you remain on this SIN-CURSED EARTH, there will be times you have to be restored. The Bible says in Psalm 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Notice the word cast. In old English, shepherds would speak of a sheep that was cast, meaning the sheep was on his back in a helpless, frightened position and could not get up. Perhaps the sheep was looking for a soft place to lie in the grass and rolled over too far one way, or perhaps the sheep weighed too much and fell over onto his back. A cast sheep is a pathetic sight. Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flails away, frantically struggling to stand up without success. Sometimes it will bleat a little for help, but generally it lies there thrashing about in frightened frustration. This is a dangerous position to be in, because once on its back a sheep can t roll over. It will be stuck there and become absolutely immoveable. If it is on its back for a period of time, it will develop gases in its stomach that will become toxic. Blood circulation will stop and it will die in that position. Unless a Shepherd comes and restores that sheep to an upright position, the sheep will die. The psalmist asks, Why art thou cast down? He is saying, Why do you feel that you are in a helpless position? The sheep that is cast down needs to be restored. The sheep does not restore itself; this is the work of the shepherd. The shepherd constantly works to restore the sheep. We need to allow God, as our Shepherd, Page 1
to do a work of grace in our souls. He restoreth my soul. Are you curious as to why sheep end up on their backs? Allow me to focus your attention on three reasons: REASON 1: Sheep end up on their backs because they become TOO COMFORTABLE. Comfort can lead to complacency and total relaxation. When sheep become too comfortable, they are lulled to sleep and the next thing they do is roll on their backs and become totally immoveable. Maybe I am talking to some this morning who have fallen asleep in your spiritual life with the Lord: Your Bible reading has become so - so. Your prayer time has become whenever. Your church attendance has fallen off, since you skip more services than you attend. Your witness for Christ, handing out tracts, visiting neighbors, etc. is almost non-existent. You have become too comfortable in that you feel that you have arrived. In Romans 13:11-14 we read, And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (12) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. (13) Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. (14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. You know it is time for some to WAKE UP! It is time for some Believers to get out of your comfort zone of living in the flesh of the old sin nature. You have become so comfortable living in the works of darkness your soul needs to be RESTORED by the Shepherd. REASON 2: Sheep end up on their backs because they become TOO DIRTY. If a sheep has not been sheared, it will pick up dirt, mud, manure and all kinds of insects along the trail. Its wool will become so heavy and matted that it will attempt to lie down in green pastures, but after a while it will roll right on over on its back. Perhaps some of you have gathered SIN in your life over the years, which you have not dealt with. Perhaps some of you have so much baggage - bitterness, anger, and hurt that you have become spiritually unbalanced. You are in need of restoration. Yes, the Lord is my Shepherd, but your life is so full of dirt you need your soul to be restored. In Hebrews 12:1-2 we read, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Some of you are immovable in the Christian life because of all the dirt you have in your soul. You need to be sheared of your pride. You need to lay aside the sin in your life that is keeping you down. The reason some of you are spiritually immoveable and need restoration is that DIRTY wool that is weighing you down. Page 2
You need to get right with God. You need the Shepherd to RESTORE your soul. REASON 3: Sheep end up on their backs because they have become TOO FAT. Now whenever you find FAT in the Bible, it usually has to do with God s blessings. However in Psalms 119:67-70 we read, Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. (68) Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. (69) The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. (70) Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. Did you get the picture? Their heart is as fat as grease. They are so full of themselves, they think: They are self-made, They are self-willed, They are self-sufficient, They are self-centered, They are self-admiring, They are self-conceited, They are selfish, and the biggest problem they have is They are self-deceived. So we have three reasons why at times sheep need to be restored. Sheep end up on their backs because they become too COMFORTABLE. Sheep end up on their backs because they become too DIRTY. Sheep end up on their backs because they become too FAT. Let s pause as we look at the word restoreth. It is the Shepherd that restoreth my soul. It is not money, position or a vacation; it is the Shepherd that restoreth my soul. Restoreth is a very interesting word that is found 1068 times in the Old Testament. In fact, it is the 12 th most frequently used VERB in the entire Old Testament. But here is the thing that is interesting about this verb; it is used 164 different ways! Now for the purpose of this message, and in this context, let s concentrate on only three major ways this word is used. FIRST: The word RESTORE conveys the idea of GOING BACK TO A STARTING POINT. In II Kings 20, Hezekiah talks about the miracle of the sun standing still and in verse 10 we read, And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. The phase return backward is the Hebrew definition of the word restoreth in Psalm 23:3, meaning to go back to a starting point. It conveys the idea of giving a fresh start. I want you to know our Lord gives us that fresh start. As a sinner, He gives you a fresh start when you come to Him in salvation. As a believer, there are times when you mess up and need a fresh start. The Lord, my Shepherd, will give you time to return to where you left off. He will give you that fresh start. He will put you on your feet. He will restore your soul. Therefore, every morning you can rise up and say, O Dear God, no matter what has happened in the past, you have given me a new Page 3
starting point, a fresh start I can begin again. He restoreth my soul. SECOND: The word RESTORE conveys the idea of REPENTANCE. In II Chronicles 30:9 we see another idea for this word restoreth. Here we read, For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him. Here the idea is to turn back around. Again, please notice it is the Lord who is willing to restore you. You just have to be willing to let Him do so. You may say, God I have been so sick in this sin, but Lord, I can t turn myself around. That s alright, because He restoreth my soul. He will help you turn around; you just have to be willing. All you need to do is acknowledge or confess the sin. Again in I John 1:9 we read, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. THIRD: The word RESTORE conveys the idea of SETTING UPRIGHT. Another way of saying it would be to put back in order. When someone has been knocked down, this word conveys the idea of setting them back on their feet. That is what the Shepherd does for us. He restoreth my soul. He put us back the way we should be, by restoring the joy of our so great salvation. Now as we come to the close of this message, I want you to understand there are no perfect sheep. There is the perfect Shepherd, but no perfect sheep. There are times when the sheep (all of us) have to be restored. In Psalm 37:23-24 we read, The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (24) Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. As you read this verse, you envision the shepherd rolling the sheep over and setting them upright. Once again folks, please understand that as long as you are on this sin-cursed earth you are going to need restoration along the way. Here are three significant areas that will undoubtedly need restoration. NUMBER 1: The Shepherd can restore your soul after SIN. Turning to Psalm 32:1-7 we have David s experience of dealing with his sin. During his sin he needed HEALING. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (3) When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. (4) For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. (5) I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. (6) For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. (7) Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. I can tell you what the Shepherd can do. He can restore your soul after SIN. And my friends, we do sin. Page 4
We think wrong. We say wrong. We get bitter. We do wrong. We act wrong. We develop an unforgiving spirit. The fact of the matter is that as sheep we go astray. We all go astray. But praise the Lord He restoreth my soul when I do sin. In I John 1:9 we read, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This verse is telling us that even if we keep doing wrong, keep sinning, keep messing up, the Shepherd keeps forgiving and turning us upright. He keeps restoring us. TO GOD BE THE GLORY for His GRACE and MERCY towards me. His love continually lifts me up. I don t care what my sin is or how often I have missed up, He restoreth my soul. He will forgive my sin. In Jeremiah 18:3-4 we read, Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. (4) And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. The Lord is not only a good shepherd He is also a good potter. When the clay (remember we are made of clay) gets marred with things in it that shouldn t be there, the potter re-makes it. Friends, I don t care what has happened in your life, He can restore your soul. Don t believe the statements such as, I have gone too far I have crossed the line There is no hope for me. No, No, No! If the Lord is your Shepherd He restoreth your soul even in sin. NUMBER 2: The Shepherd can restore your soul in SORROW. Currently in our church, there are 5 widows and 1 widower. I have not gone through their experience. However by just speaking with them I see so much sorrow. They are hurting. There are mothers who have the misfortune of miscarriages. They have sorrow and are hurting. (That is why I wrote the booklet entitled My Father Knows Best He Makes No Mistakes. ) There are parents who have wayward children. Their hearts are heavy. They have sorrow and are hurting. There are people going through physical suffering. They are not in sin, but they have sorrow. They are hurting and need to be restored. Now in order to restore your soul in SORROW you need HOPE. In the Old Testament book of Lamentations, we find that the entire book is a book of lament, regret and mourning. It s a book of sorrow. However in Laminations 3:21-22a we find these marvelous words of hope. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. (22) It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (24) The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (25) The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (26) It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. When you are sorrowful, the greatest thing you need is HOPE. In sorrow, God gives us hope, Amen! The Shepherd restores the soul in sorrow with hope. If you lose a loved one you can cry unto God, O God, I can t wait to get to heaven and see them again. Page 5
When I begin to think on Him in His Mercy, it gives me HOPE in my sorrows. Notice verse 31-32, For the Lord will not cast off for ever: When you are sorrowful, don t you ask O God where are you? (32) But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. THIRD: The Shepherd can restore your soul during SUFFERING. During the SIN you need HEALING. During the SORROW you need HOPE. During the SUFFERING you need HELP. Where do we find the help that is needed? We find it in II Corinthians 12:8-10 where we read of Paul s request, For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. Say to my Shepherd, Take this from me. I am going through this suffering, this physical suffering, this emotional suffering and I need help. Notice how God answers and the Apostle Paul s response in verses 9-10, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. In the midst of the suffering, God RESTORETH your soul with His help and grace. I don t care who you are in this sanctuary, if He is your Shepherd, there are times you need for Him to restore you. You need Him to restore you in SIN. You need Him to restore you in SORROW. You need Him to restore you in SUFFERING. There is nothing else nor anybody else in this world that can restore, or who can: Put you up-right and back on your feet, or Turn you around, and Give you a new starting point! In the 23 rd Shepherd. Psalm, the Psalmist testifies as a sheep that praises God his Because the Lord is MY Shepherd, I shall not want. Because the Lord is MY Shepherd, He leadeth me beside the still waters. Because the Lord is MY Shepherd, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Because the Lord is my Shepherd, He restoreth my soul. *********************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon He Restoreth My Soul, right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay Page 6
my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, let me know Please send an e-mail to pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMON will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikbbm@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216. Page 7