You Restore My SoulDevotional Teaching Lesson

Yangon Christian Church, Myanmar

Psalm 23:1-3

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul…

David needed “restoration”

David recognized that as one of God’s sheep, he needed his soul to be restored. (The Hebrew word used denotes a “return” to a past state.)

The idea here is that sometimes, all of God’s people, David included, need to be brought back to a better place.

Striving to Understand

1. God calls people to restoration.

2. God uses people for restoration.

1. God calls people to restoration.

• As our Shepherd, God wants to pull us back toward him when we drift--he restores our soul (Ps 23:3-4). David understood this. Each one of God’s children will need restoration at some point in his/her life.

• In the New Testament, Paul exhorts the Galatians to restore someone gently (Galatians 6:1-2). We can assume this is what naturally happens when we apply the “one another” passages in Scripture.

On “falling away”

• When we study out passages in the New Testament, we realize that anybody can “drift away” from God (Hebrews 2:1).

• It is possible for someone to drift so far as to “fall away” from grace (Hebrew 6:4-6), reaching a “point of no return.”

• We ought to help each other to keep from straying too far. This is the heart of Christ.

“Fall away” in Matt 26:31, Hebr 6:4-6

•Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus told them, This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

•Hebrews 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace

Refining our terminology

• The English verb “fall away” is used in the NIV from a variety of Greek words.

• Strictly speaking, “falling away” (the process) ends with someone reaching the “point of no return,” as in Hebrew 6:4-6. Someone who has reach this point of having “fallen away” (from grace) cannot be brought back to repentance.

• We may use the term “falling away” to describe the process of serious drifting from God, and “fallen away” to describe someone who has reach the “point of no return.”

• Only God knows when a person has truly “fallen away” as in Hebrews 6:4-6 (see also Hebrews 10:26-27).

2. God uses people for restoration.

• Galatians 6:1 talks about “restoring” those who drift. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who

are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness… (ESV)

• God uses others to restore hearts, and so we can expect restoration to be done within a spiritual family setting.

• Some of God’s sheep can stray away more than others.

• Restoration (as with any sort of healing) happens on an individual basis.

God uses people…

• Because some drift from God farther than others, it will take more effort to bring them back.

• The restoration process for those taken out of the church membership must be done with:

Much prayer

Love and compassion

An understanding that people are different

Things to consider• How long has the person been gone (“counted

out” of membership)?

• What are the reasons for leaving? Was there some “church discipline” involved?

• Who are the best people to assist this person in coming back?

• What are the issues to deal with for resolution and healing?

Some stories from Manila

• Lyndon and Irene

• Daddy Ramon (Weng’s dad)

To close…moving forward

Let us go the opposite of falling away.

Let us keep calling people to come back and be restored to God.

Let us be a church of deep conviction and compassion

You Restore My SoulDevotional Teaching Lesson

Yangon Christian Church, Myanmar