He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3 ESV
Why does the Lord help us? What is His purpose? This week we’ll look at the importance of “His name’s sake” and the purpose we can aspire to in good times, and times of trouble.
Our passages: 1 John 3:16-24 & Psalm 23:3. Preacher: Ian Bayne (10th May 2020).
Watch the Sermon
Recap
In our series so far, we’ve seen how The Lord, our shepherd, is a qualified guide because: he knows his sheep, he’s experienced all his sheep have experienced, and he knows the correct path his sheep should follow.
He takes an interest in us and actively manages us. He calls us, he leads us and he even drives us.
Hazards we face in our lives may be:
- internal because of the sinful nature in us
- intrinsic because of the times we live in and out culture
- inherent: i.e. present in a fallen world all around us.
We should watch out and be careful: there is always a danger. Stay awake because “he who snoozes looses”, but yet: walk on with confidence that the shepherd knows us best.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 ESV
Explanation
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Ps 23:3
Today we’re looking at the last line of verse three.
Let’s start by looking at our text today in context of the rest of v3.
When we are restored it brings us purpose, potential and possibilities.
Without purpose, live becomes pointless. Purpose gives us reason. Without purpose, God’s commands to us seem random.
When we say “for His name’s sake” it gives purpose to what we do.
Let’s observe:
1. Our paths reflect on our shepherd’s honour
We are confessing an inseparable relationship between the paths the sheep take and the shepherd’s honour: the better the sheep behave the better it looks on the shepherd.
The opposite is also true:
For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Romans 2:24 ESV
2. Not just talk: have to walk
we are not seperating the knowledge of the paths, but the actual paths.
The paths we have are for walking about, not just taking about.
In Pilgrims Progress (ref 185) the character Talkative wants to talk about things biblical and what Christians should do. He is confronted by Faithful who says he needs to actually do something about it.
There is great value in seasons of rest and plenty. Chewing the cud and meditating on God’s word is good. But this is not all were called to do.
We are sharply reminded by James that faith without works is dead:
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [17] So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:14-17 ESV
3. God’s law is still relevant
According to Paul: travelling along the paths of righteousness should give us a new appreciation of God’s law.
So then, the law was our guardian [schoolmaster (NASB)] until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith
Galatians 3:24
We have a desire to do what God would want us to do rather than fall into sin.
Restored believers have a new appreciation of the law. Before it brought condemnation. Now it brings a source of loving guidance on how to act in accordance with God’s will.
[Editor’s note: Much more could be said on the application of the Old Testament law – as much requires an overarching understanding of the bible to interpret. Readers unfamiliar with Christianity should start with the New Testament, pray for God’s guidance, and ask if unsure!]
Application
We have three application points this week in order to fulfil our purpose and bring glory to God.
Take care:
- how our actions reflect on others
- that it’s more than an academic exercise
- not to make excuses
1. Take care: how our actions reflect on others
Take care because the flock of God gives a window to others, so that they might catch a glimpse of the shepherd.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
2 Peter 1:12 (NIV)
Some years ago my sister and her husband won a prize for being the best dairy farmers in NZ. They were judged by a panel of judges who looked at their production, livestock health and management systems. Only by having everything in order could they win the prize.
At 15 part of coming off age was to get a car licence and have freedom. My father said: “You need to be careful what you do in town because you represent our family.”
We are judged by our conduct in society, and this reflects on how seriously others take our faith.
2. Take care: that this is not an academic exercise
Take care of limiting our experience to an academic exercise. We’ve already said that “faith without works is dead”. This is serious: dead faith leaves us open to condemnation.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
As John the Baptist rebukes the academic Pharisees:
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 3:8
The ‘fruit’ is actions and deeds that result from our faith. Jesus further expands:
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
John 14:21
Moses makes it clear in Deutronomy 6:5 how much we are to love God:
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV
With all our might. This cannot be done simply through head knowledge – we need to change our whole life and being. Not to focus on knowledge, but love.
we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
1 Corinthians 8:1b ESV
3. Take care: not to make excuses
There’s a tenancy for us to minimise sin or excuse sin. We can say that his guidance doesn’t matter because our paths aren’t so wrong. We can say that we’re saved and forgiven, so it doesn’t matter.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Romans 6:1-2 ESV
What you believe is what you ought to be practicing. The bible teaches that being forgiven is no excuse to carry on sinning.
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Romans 6:13 ESV
Present all parts of your body and actions as instruments for righteousness.
Finally: how important is God’s name?
Let’s look at two separate events in the life of Moses:
In Exodus 32 we read of the golden calf incident. Moses was away so the people turned to another idol created under the direction of his brother Aaron. When Aaron is confronted, he isn’t particularly honest about what had happened. God is angry and wants to “consume them”.
In Numbers 14 we see the refusal of the people of Israel to enter the land of God. God offers to destroy Israel and make Moses the patriarch of a great nation.
On both occasions, Moses pleads with God not to destroy the nation because it might bring God’s name into disrepute because they were known as his people.
Likewise the greatest desire of Jesus was to bring glory to God.
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
John 17:1 ESV
In the last hundred years many evangelical church circles have put an emphasis on the benefits we get in this life and the next life from being a Christian.
But these benefits are secondary to the importance of our conversation. Our primary purpose is to bring glory to God; for his name’s sake.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3 ESV
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