I.
Read
Psalm 23
a. Over the next few weeks we are going to continue
to work through this Psalm as a guide for us on how to survive and thrive in
the middle.
b. That is how to hold onto your faith in God
and live in a way that changes you and your world for the better.
II.
Restoration
a. There are a lot of things in this world that
get restored.
b. You can restore your computer to a previous
sate. The idea is that it will help
solve some glitches or even take care of virus by restoring the underpinning
software to when it was working.
c. You can restore a house. The idea is that you fix rot, paint, and make
it like it is new again. The original
structure still stands but looks like it originally did.
d. But the one that really stuck out to me is
restoring a painting
i.
In order
to clean a painting you remove dust, grime, and dirt
ii.
You
repair tears
iii.
You take
peeled and cracked paint and fix it
iv.
You then
reapply a varnish to help it last longer
e. The hope when restoring a painting is to
return it to the original look. It
doesn’t damage the painting but instead returns it to its full potential
f.
In each
of these cases the idea is that in order to restore something you must clean
and repair it so it is like new again.
Then it could be used to its full potential.
III.
Reread
Psalm 23:2-3a – “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside
quiet waters, He restores my soul.”
a. The bible tells us here that there is a need
for us to have our souls restored if we are to survive and thrive in the
middle.
b. That is having our very center, who we truly
are, returned to the original through a cleaning and repair so that we can live
up to our full potential.
IV.
Only God
Can Restore My Soul
a. But we have to be careful that we allow only
the right restorer near our soul.
b. Illus: Bad Restoration
c. Only God should be allowed to restore your
soul, because he is the one that knows how and can do it well, don’t allow
other people or other things to be the one you turn to for restoration
i.
Ex. Music, Drugs, Alchol, Friends,
Girl/boyfriend, etc…
d. If you want Him to restore, you have to allow
Him access to all areas of your life
e. If you want Him to restore, you have to give
Him the time to do the job
V.
How To
Have Your Soul Restored
a. Worship (singing, communion, etc…)
b. Meditate on Word
c. Turn off Things and Listen to God
d. Get Rid of Distractions
e. Pray
f.
Fast
(Lent is coming)
g. Get Away From the Normal
h. Get Forgiven/Repent
i.
Spend
Time With Him
VI.
Application
a. The Bible tells us that God created the
heavens and earth and everything in them in six days. On the 7th day he ceases from
work, and He uses this as an example for us.
He called it the Sabbath. And I
think the principle behind the Sabbath is still valid today: Take one day a week
to focus on God and be restored.
b. Do you have a day or a time each week where
you turn things off, get away, and focus on God and allow Him to be
restored? I challenge you to do so if
you don’t, it will help you to survive and thrive in the Middle.
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