Rest & Restoration for my Soul

Odom, Jonathon

Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

Psalm 23:2–3

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Intro

Problem: think we find rest in person or places or change of circumstance

but it’s only found in Jesus

further we don’t lie down. We’re not good at it. we’re always busy.

Antidote to busyness.

Psalm 23:1–3 ESV

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23:2 “2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”

When was the last time you lied down?

lying down is a position of rest. Does your posture indicate that of rest?

Psalm 23:2 “2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”

My running spot - rest still - calm

contrast of nature vs technology phone is not restful

Psalm 23:3 “3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

GOD WANTS TO PROVIDE US REST AND RESTORATION FOR OUR SOUL.

Do you have REST for your SOUL.

soul vs body

Soul: the spiritual, immaterial component of us that is our inherent source of worth and purpose.

Not only do you have rest; but has your soul been restored?

Things that damage our soul and leave it in need of restoration:

busyness

relationships

sin

give example of sin that caused my soul to be at unrest

what is the path in which we find restoration?

The gospel

Romans 5:17 “17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”

Because of the gospel we live rightly

Psalm 23:3 “3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

righteousness: rightful living

God’s Word & Way are refreshing to the soul

Psalm 119:9–16 “9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”

Psalm 119:18–19 “18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. 19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!”

Do you enjoy the soul effects of obeying His word?

But God’s Law was never about rules, it was always about a relationship. This is why God’s Law is refreshing for our soul. God’s Law shows us how to truly be human.

10 Commandments:

1. No other gods before God

2. Don’t worship idols

3. Don’t misuse God’s Name

4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy

5. Honor your father and mother

6. Don’t murder

7. Don’t commit adultery

8. Don’t steal

9. Don’t give false testimony

10. Don’t covet

If you truly loved other people, would you covet what they had? No. Would you lie to them? No. Would you steal from them? No. Would you commit adultery? No. Would you murder? No. Would you honor your father and mother…yes. And if you truly loved God, He would be first in your life. Would you worship other idols or thing before Him? No. Would you misuse God’s name? No. Would you remember the Sabbath and keep it holy? Oh…now we have some questions!

if this Law gives wisdom and refreshes the soul, is it possible we are missing out on having our souls refreshed because we have misunderstood the Sabbath and we are missing out on the soul refreshment God intends to bring to our lives?

I am certain this will be an entire series we’ll do in the future, but today let me just invite us to wade into the water on how Sabbath is connected to Psalm 23:2–3 “2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Exodus 20:8–11 (ESV)

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat. It means to stop or cease.

EXAMPLE OF MOVING INTO HOUSE AND SHABAT. STOPING

Unfortunately, due to religious tradition and a misunderstanding of what this is all about, so much of the focus of Sabbath is on what you can’t do. In the command God said not to do any work and keep it holy, or set apart. So much attention came into “What defines work?”

when we should be asking: WHAT DEFINES REST?

The word in the commandment for God resting on the seventh day is the Hebrew word, nuahk. The word doesn’t mean the type of rest you have when you are totally spent and so exhausted you have to lay down to get some energy. God doesn’t get tired or worn out, He doesn’t need to sleep or recovery. God was not spent at the end of creating the world. The idea of nuahk is the type of rest that happens when you “settle in.”

imagine you’re setting up your dorm room. So you get in your books, pictures, office equipment, and your favorite chair. Then you settle into your chair in your newly renovated space. That is the idea of nuahk. You aren’t working anymore, no more sanding or painting, but a settling in and enjoying it.

This is what the Sabbath command is getting at, it says, when God got done creating the world, He settled in and enjoyed it. He rested in the Garden He had created. And with whom did God settle in? With humanity. God was done creating, He Shabbat-ed from creation and now He settles in with us, humanity, to enjoy the world in which He made.

This is what God is inviting us to do when we take a day of Sabbath. We are to stop or Sabbath from what we typically do; no work, no running around, no hassle, no errands, just stop all the things we need to all the things we need to do for life, and “nuahk.” Enjoy life with God.

What does this practically look like?

Wake up in the morning to no alarm. Sleep until your body is rested and when you wake up you wake up. Then you make a cup of wonderful coffee, walk past your phone which is still on “Do Not Disturb” from the night before, and open the Bible. You read a passage, maybe a Psalm, maybe a paragraph from one of the New Testament letters or maybe several chapters from the life of David or perhaps the entire Gospel of Mark. You aren’t reading to accomplish, you are reading to connect with God and reflect. Whatever you read and for however long you read, you think about, you pray about, asking God to show you what He is saying to you about your life and about how to apply this truth to your life. Then you pray, you pray through the list of the things you are worried about, pray for people in your life you care about, pray for things you need, for God’s will to be done. If it is Sunday, you get dressed and prepare for corporate worship of God. In this way church isn’t an obligation but an invitation to help you connect more deeply with God and the larger community. Then enjoy brunch, or lunch. You might eat with friends or family, but the meal is a time to linger, enjoy and be unhurried. Then you do something enjoyable. Go for a run, take a long walk, read a book, call your parents with no agenda. If you are a napper, maybe you enjoy a nap in the sun. After waking up your mind wonders back to the Scripture you read that morning. In the unhurried pace of the day you reflect on your life, on God’s purpose for you, take time to silently confess to God the ways you hadn’t been kind to a co-worker this week, you pray about the meeting you have with your boss, you spend time thanking God for your blessings. Then you get up, play catch with your kids or a family board game. As the afternoon turns to evening you start to prepare for the meal you have been planning. You are joined by friends who linger around the kitchen table long after the food is gone, talking, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t have to be. You can enjoy a regular Sabbath, but it doesn’t just happen, you have to intentionally create time for it. Here are two practical concepts about Sabbath:

Approach Sabbath like a holiday. Our English word “holiday” comes from an old English word meaning holy day. The concept of a day being a holiday comes from observing key holy days in the liturgical calendar. The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy. Holy means set apart. In our calendar we have several holidays which are set apart. Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Labor Day, the 4thof July, Thanksgiving, and more. These are days which are set apart from other days and these are days we plan for, look forward to, and prepare to celebrate. My guess is almost none of us wake up on Christmas morning and think, “Oh yeah, it is Christmas Day. Maybe I should make plans or get some presents.” In fact, some of us start planning for Christmas way in advance because we want to celebrate the day and make the most of it. So we get shopping done ahead of time, we make plans with friends or family, we prepare gifts, we plan out a meal, and there is a sense of anticipation for the holiday. Sabbath is a mini-holiday. In the same way, it requires planning ahead. In Israel, you are forced to plan ahead because so many of the shops are closed on Shabbat you can’t get to the store. We don’t have that type of societal system and no longer do we collectively view Sundays as a day of rest. So Sabbath requires us to be intentional. Let me be clear, Sabbath is also an inconvenience. It means saying no to some things so you have a day of Sabbath, which is why we must plan ahead.

Sabbath is about God’s provision, not our performance.

Psalm 23:1–3 “1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Sabbath doesn’t mean vegging on the coach letting your mind be numb with mindless entertainment, bingeing Netflix or doom scrolling on YouTube or Instagram. A day of distraction doesn’t refresh our souls. Sabbath is a time for us to enjoy God and focus on how God has been faithful to us. This is what Psalm 23 promises.

Psalm 23:2–3 ESV

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

God not only wants to give rest to your soul He wants to restore your soul.