SOUL KEEPING - Be the Keeper

This morning I want to begin a discussion regarding our souls!

As triune beings we are body, soul and spirit. Made in the image of God, He created us to be complex beings of flesh, mind and eternal being.

So much of our struggles in this world deal with the FLESH - our lust of eyes, the flesh and our mind with pride of life.

We give most of energy and attention to these things in our lives rather than focusing on that which matters most which is the eternal soul that is actually the essence of who we are, that which integrates our body and mind together with the eternal.

Americans spend over 2.6 billion dollars on gym memberships, pharmaceutical companies are 319 billion dollar industries, and this does not even include the Medical industry --- all given to the pursuit of care for the physical body -

The physical man is the most temporal part of who we are. It will last the shortest amount of time in comparison to mind and ETERNAL SOUL!

Yet, from sexual industries to drug industries to entertainment industries that all focus on the feelings our physical man enjoys - our attention is given most to the flesh and what we see. Material possessions to make the flesh comfortable or adorn the physical.

Obviously we have lost the importance of what God created us to be --- ETERNAL BEINGS made to COMMUNE WITH GOD.

It is the soul that finds its solace and communion with the ETERNAL BEING who made us and who we were made for. Yet how little time is given for the health of our soul and keeping our soul for eternity!

From childhood we learned to say prayers like...

Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

If I should die before I wake

I pray the Lord my soul to take

Do we realize the context of those words and the importance on the soul?

1. You are the Keeper of Your Soul

There is a story - read the Prologue of Soul Keeping… and Dallas WIllard’s quote

YOUR SOUL IS A STREAM AND YOU ARE ITS KEEPER!

Your soul is a stream, and what flows into and out of that stream effects every area of your life!!!!

We wonder why we have no peace, and why we struggle with physical ailment and why so many areas of life are tainted...

But we have not been keeping our souls very well...

Stop and think for a moment what had your greatest focus this week? What did you let flow in and out of your soul...

Jesus said...

Matthew 6:22–23 NLT

22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

Your eyes are the windows of your soul - what are you allowing to flow into your soul, what are you taking in -watching, listening to, thinking on???

Mark 7:14–23 NLT

14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” 17 Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. 18 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? 19 Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) 20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Jesus is talking about what causes defilement - he is taking this from the realm of the physical to the realm of the soul....

What is in your soul....???

What is feeding your soul???

2. Feeding Your Soul

Philippians 4:6–8 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Here is a vital lesson for what we feed our soul! What is it that we allow to enter into our spirit man that is eternal.

We do food cleanses and fast, and try to burn out the garbage that we eat, etc...

What about the SOUL???

What is true and honorable?

That which has gravity and dignity - worthy of being revered...

Not focusing on lies or what dishonors

What is in harmony with morality and worthy of character!

How much do we allow into our souls through our eyes and ears that are dishonorable, immoral and lack character.

We are bombarded daily with an immoral and characterless world to the point we think it is normal, funny and entertaining.

What is right or just?

Things that are in line with God’s righteousness and holiness...

Ephesians 4:24 NLT

24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

What is Pure?

1 John 3:3 NLT

3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

To be pure is to be without sin --- not just chaste but worthy of the Lord.

James 4:8 NLT

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

What are we feeding our soul that contradicts God’s Word in our lives?

This term is literally in reference to the ceremony of purification - or ridding ourselves of sin...

We spend no time feeding on the Word of God, and lots of time feeding on the world and wonder why are souls are broken and clogged up!!!

What is lovely and of good report?

Things that are admirable - things that call forth love - attractive (not in s sinful sense) but that draws people toward God.

Things praise worthy, morally excellent — feed on these things.

There is an old story of a missionary who is greeted by a man from a village and he claims there are two dogs fighting within him - one calling him to what is right and the other to what is sinful?

The missionary asks which dog is winning?

The reply is the one that is fed the most!

If we feed our soul more garbage the sinful nature becomes stronger and brings our soul into greater destruction....

What are we feeding our soul?

We spend more time embracing all this world offers - even that which might not appear sinful - but lack taking time to feed the spirit the things of God’s Word and righteousness and than wonder why we and are families struggle spiritually!

3. Taking Responsibility

No one else is responsible for your soul but you!

A child needs the wisdom and guidance of their parents - and parents - you are responsible for what goes into the soul of your children!!!! Guard them and protect them well.

As adults - or young adults (teens) we are each responsible for what we feed our soul!

Galatians 6:5 NLT

5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT

10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Deuteronomy 24:16 NLT

16 “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.

These verses basically bring to the forefront that we must each choose ourselves how to keep our souls. We are responsible for the health of our souls.

JEsus has paid the price to heal and save the soul, but we need to then possess them in obedience before Him.

CONCLUSION

So I start this series with bringing it to the front --

YOUR SOUL is a stream and YOU ARE ITS KEEPER!

How are you keeping your soul before the Lord? What are you doing to keep it pure and free from garbage, as it effects the whole of your life otherwise.