“He restores our soul.” Why do we need restoring, how does He do this, and what is the purpose of our life? Pastor Ian Bayne tackles the big questions.
After our celebration of Easter, we return to our series on Psalm 23.
Our passage: 1 Peter 1:3-9 & Psalm 23:3. Preacher: Ian Bayne (19th April 2020).
Watch the Sermon
Recap
We are continuing our studies in Psalm 23, as the level 4 lockdown and uncertainty around the world continues. It is good to remind ourselves of familiar truths, and what better passage than Psalm 23.
Before Easter we looked at verses 1 and 2 together and found:
- There is a shepherd in this life, we are not required to wander aimlessly
- The Lord is our shepherd
- He has a number of sheep
- He has entered a covenant with his sheep such that “I shall not want”
Because of this we should have:
1. Dependence
God has made us to be dependent on Him. We are not made to be independent. We are called to live by faith and not by sight, so that we might magnify God’s glory.
2. Trust
We can trust because he knows us, he saved us and has given his life for us
He manages us, leads us and will bring us back if we go astray.
3. Security
We are in safe hands.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10:28 ESV
We are safe standing on the rock of ages.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 ESV
Verse 2 looks back on verse 1 about rest.
4. Rest
We don’t have to establish our own test. We don’t have to work for our own salvation. The shepherd has done this for us.
Jesus himself is our righteousness. Therefore we can receive salvation with joy.
5. Preparation
When in a time of peace we can use these times wisely.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8
6. Rumination
As a sheep regurgitates its food for further digestion, the word of God should be something we think of. Meditation aids our appreciation, understanding and application of God’s word.
7. Restoration
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3 ESV
Today we’ll look closer at the first part of verse 3: “He restores my soul”
What is going on here, and what does this mean?
Explanation
If restoration is needed then things are not as they ought to be.
There are many things people get excited about today and spend their time on. During lockdown we have been watching TV, which reflects what society is interested in. There’s currently lots of TV on restoration: historic castles, junk and antiques to restore. People want to see things restored to their former glory.
The need for restoration
But why do things need restoring?
They get into this state because:
- of a disaster or tragedy: maybe weather or war
- wear and tear: for instance, metal might have rusted or worn out
We too are in need of restoration for the same reasons. Psalm 23:3 says “He restores our soul”. Let’s have a look at why we need this, and How He restores us.
We need restoring: because of a tragedy
We have experienced a tragedy: the fall. This happened when Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-
Romans 5:12 ESV
It wasn’t just Adam’s sin, but the rebellion spread. We confirm this on a daily basis because we sin. This is the great tragedy – the consequence of Adam’s “original sin”
The curses in Genesis 3:14-19 lay out the consequences:
- There are broken relations with God. We are hurting because of sin.
- There are broken relations with each other because sin is in us.
- There’s a broken ability for us to resist evil. We’re inclined to do wrong.
- There’s a broken world we live in and broken bodies we die in.
This is why we need restoration and why the shepherd needs to help us. When He reconciles us He restores these things.
He restores our soul: after the tragedy
He gives us a heart “after which things are good”
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26
He restores our bodies through the promise of Resurrection.
While the resurrection has been completed, these promises are not completely fulfilled.
The process has begun. There is a downpayment for what is to come.
We need restoring: because of wear and tear due to time and conditions
Even when initial restoration is complete, rot and rust still occur. Our lives are fraught with difficulty and we feel sadness, loss, pain and trials of various kinds.
He restores our soul: from our wear and tear
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 ESV
This restoration of us is not just a one-off process, but is ongoing. The first part addresses the tragedy, the second part the wear and tear.
This is why we’re taught to forgive others.
Even though everything else has changed we’re still inclined to go back.
What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
2 Peter 2:22
Application
We’ll look at three words:
- Potential
- Purpose
- Possibilities
Potential
The shepherd doesn’t look at what the sheep are currently, but their potential. Even though we were born in sin and weakness; even though we are just dust, with an inclination to sin; He looks past this.
He knows about wear and tear. If we have sinned, or been sinned against.
He knows we will continue to fail until we enter heaven.
Yet when the Lord looks on a sheep he doesn’t see what we are, but what we could become.
As the 70’s song goes: “Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion He understood. All I had to offer him was brokenness and strife, but he has something beautiful planned for my life”
This gives us purpose.
Purpose
Why do I exist? What is the purpose of my life and the significance of it.
If these things are left unanswered it’s a recipe for mental health issues. The answer is simple: our existence is to give glory and honour to God.
One of our great quests of life is to generally glorify God through our faith, but also to fulfil God’s specific plan for each of us.
When He becomes our shepherd He injects purpose into our lives.
Possibilities
Stuck as a slave to sin we have limited possibilities. He gives us the power to change.
He also doesn’t permit us to remain as we are, and we also desire to move on. As we rely and trust in him we gradually move away from sin and to become better Christians.
When our guard is down we revert. It’s our greatest desire to overcome these sins, but this isn’t enough: it’s the Lord who restores to us the power to change and overcome.
What was not thought possible now looks achievable.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Sheep farming in the South Island
On the South Island, everyone is either: a farmer, married to one, or supporting one. There’s a diverse bunch of farm and crop types: sheep, beef, crops, dairy.
At the top of the plains are the foothills. It’s hard hill country. There are severe winters and tough conditions. Many sheep grow up in these conditions.
At about 5 years of age the sheep are sold. A flat land farmer will then receive those sheep. They would be skinny and look like they’d endured a tragic event. But the nice conditions of the plains would make the sheep fat and healthy again. The change of environment makes all the difference. So it is with us as people.
All of us have experienced tragedy. The world is not a great place sometimes. But when we submit to the shepherd’s care we grow and become productive. We become members of the church of Jesus
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3 ESV
Being “born again” is overcoming the tragedy. We are to become a living hope for each other and the world. This will release our potential and give us a purpose in life.
Praise be to Him who has caused us to be born again to a living hope and resurrection from the dead.
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