“HE RESTORETH MY SOUL” (PS. 23:3)
1. Old English shepherds often used the word cast.
2. This word described sheep that were on their backs and could not get up.
3. I have never seen a cast sheep.
4. The descriptions I have read remind me of a bug on its back.
5. If you have ever seen a bug that was flipped over and struggling to get turned right side up, you have some idea as to what a cast sheep is.
6. When sheep get in this kind of position, it is a serious matter.
7. Cast sheep begin to frantically paw the air.
8. This pawing causes gases to build up in the rumen (throat, gullet).
9. As these gases build up, circulation is cut off to extremities such as the legs.
10. In hot and sunny weather, a cast sheep can die in a few hours.
11. In cool and rainy weather, a sheep can live and be incapacitate for days.
12. A cast sheep seems to be depicted in Psalm 23.
13. I am drawing this information from the first part of the third verse.
14. READ FROM THE BOARD
15. If David is describing a cast sheep, he paints a beautiful picture.
16. Imagine a sheep that is cast.
17. This sheep has gotten onto its back and cannot get turned over.
18. The circulation has been cut off from the sheep’s legs.
19. This sheep needs a shepherd to help it, or it will die.
20. Along comes the shepherd; he sees the struggling sheep.
21. Gently the shepherd rolls the sheep over on its side.
22. This begins to ease the gases that have built up in the rumen.
23. The shepherd next lifts the sheep up on all fours.
24. Then, straddling the sheep, the legs are rubbed to restore circulation.
25. This kind of process is time consuming.
26. But, speaking in figurative terms, the sheep’s soul will be restored.
I. AS A SHEPHERD, DAVID KNEW THAT SHEEP SOMETIMES REQUIRE THIS KIND OF TREATMENT. AS A MAN, DAVID KNEW THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN PEOPLE NEED RESTORATION.
A. David was right.
B. Life tells us that David was right.
C. The Bible tells us that David was right.
D. Scripture is filled with people who felt rejected and defeated.
E. Both testaments describe for us people who felt like cast sheep.
F. There was little for these people to do but helplessly thrash.
G. One of the first examples that comes to my mind is Job.
H. This man needed to have his soul restored, didn’t he?
I. Recall with me some of the statements made in Job 3.
J. Verse 1 says, “Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.”
K. In other words, Job viewed his birthday in an unfavorable way.
L. This man wished that he had never been born.
M. Job 3:3- “Let the day perish wherein I was born.”
N. Job 3:6 shows that Job wanted his birthday wiped off the calendar.
O. READ.
P. Verse 8 is a request for the day of his birth to be cursed.
Q. Verse 11 is really sad. READ.
R. Job asked why he didn’t die in the womb.
S. Job was just like a cast sheep.
T. This man was not some kind of isolated case.
U. A lesser-known OT figure is the prophet Jeremiah.
V. This great man of God didn’t have a very pleasant life.
W. There are several passages which talk about his afflictions;
X. I want to read from the book of Lamentations.
Y. This book is kind of a postscript to the book of Jeremiah.
Z. In this postscript, there are five funeral dirges (hymns/poems).
A. Jeremiah is commenting on the fate of Jerusalem.
B. In the 3rd chapter of this book, Jeremiah gives information about himself.
C. Let’s look at verses 12-18.
D. READ.
E. Jeremiah felt like an archery target.
F. It seemed to him that God was shooting arrows into him.
G. What an illustration!
H. A man who describes himself in this way is really depressed.
I. Things are really sour when someone uses this kind of language.
J. Jeremiah also makes it clear that people laughed at him.
K. People made up songs about him that were derogatory.
L. This man felt like God had broken out his teeth with gravel stones.
M. Jeremiah’s strength and hope had perished.
N. Jeremiah felt no better than a cast sheep from the description.
O. Jer. 20:14-17
P. In the OT, there are characters who needed to have their souls restored.
Q. As the NT opens, the need for restoration is still present.
R. My next text will be coming from Acts 27.
S. In this NT chapter, we find that Paul and others are sailing for Italy.
T. Verse 9 of this chapter says that the sailing was dangerous.
U. This was not the right time of year to be out on the sea.
V. Paul warned the people in charge about sailing at this time.
W. 10. READ.
X. Paul was right in what he said.
Y. READ v. 14.
1) The funny word that is in the text describes a storm.
2) This was a term used by sailors to describe a bad storm.
3) The force of this storm was equal to a typhoon/hurricane.
4) Because this storm was so forceful, the ship was driven into open sea.
5) This storm did seem to lessen, but it didn’t quit.
6) READ vss. 19-20.
7) These people felt like cast sheep.
8) They were on the sea; their boat was like a paper cup;
9) There was really nothing they could do.
Z. Multiplied thousands over the years have felt like these men felt.
A. Many people have felt like cast sheep because of money problems.
B. Families (individuals) have needed more money than was available.
C. Every effort to reduce bills or make ends meet was like pawing air.
D. Another major problem has involved people.
E. In some cases, there have been family problems.
F. No matter how hard brethren have tried, they couldn’t get along with someone.
G. The troublesome person may have been a boss, co-worker, neighbor, or family member.
H. I can remember a young Christian lady who lived in Texas.
I. This woman had a rotten family life.
J. No matter how hard she tried to get along with her mom and dad, she was always unsuccessful.
K. She felt like a cast sheep when dealing with her family.
L. If money and people problems are not major issues, health might be.
M. I remember a young Christian man from Montana.
N. His mental health was very poor.
O. Medications were tried; the best doctors were sought out; in the end little could be done for this brother.
P. Both the son and the parents felt like they were cast sheep.
Q. People with physical problems have faced the same situation.
II. WHEN WE FEEL ABOUT AS HELPLESS AS CAST SHEEP, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT KIND OF HOPE CAN WE HAVE?
A. Our hope is the same as a sheep’s- the shepherd.
B. We look to God, His word, and the church.
C. These three things will help see us through.
D. Scripture indicates this by some examples.
E. The first one I will be citing comes form Acts 8.
F. By the time of Acts 8, there was a sizeable church in Jerusalem.
G. Up to this time, brethren had enjoyed good standing with the community.
H. After the death of Stephen, things turned sour for brethren.
I. Acts 8:1 says, READ.
J. The word scattered is a verb.
K. Verbs have what is called a voice.
L. The voice for scattered is passive.
M. The passive voice indicates that these people were passive agents.
N. That is, they had no control over what happened to them.
O. In this case, the passive voice indicates these Christians were chased out.
P. These brethren did not leave by choice.
Q. The rejection these believers faced could not have been easy.
1) Some who left had likely spent all their lives in Jerusalem.
2) Others had friends and family members in Jerusalem.
3) Not a few would have had jobs in Jerusalem.
4) Being kicked out of Jerusalem would have disrupted life.
5) It is bad enough to plan a move to a new place…
6) To be pushed out of a place is really bad.
R. To a degree, these Christians must have felt like cast sheep.
S. Yet, what did they do?
T. They didn’t stop doing what they were doing.
U. These Christians made the best of their circumstances.
V. They realized that earth is only a temporary stop, Heb. 11:13.
W. With faith and courage, these Christians faced the challenge of life.
X. This is the very same kind of approach we find in Acts 27.
Y. After an angel had appeared to Paul, the apostle spoke to worried sailors.
Z. READ vss. 25-26.
A. Additional information about what Paul said is in vss. 33-35.
B. Paul’s presence and calmness helped these men to get a grip on things.
C. Such is often the case with us.
D. When it seems like life is caving in on us,
E. The presence of someone who cares can make a lot of difference.
F. How many of us have seen a child that was hurt?
G. The child was not able to do anything about bleeding/pain.
H. In an effort to feel better, the child ran to mom or dad.
I. Once arms began to embrace the child, things started looking better.
J. Why?
K. Our arms dispense no pain remedy to children.
L. Our arms do indicate that we care.
M. Presence and touch mean a lot.
N. These are things we can seek out if we feel cast, or we can give these things when we find people who are cast.
O. Beyond presence and touch are other things.
P. The Bible can help us through tough times.
Q. When we find out how far down others have sunk, and still somehow came through, this can restore our soul.
R. We can reason, “My situation is not as bad as his was.”
S. “If he could undergo that, I can deal with what I face.”
T. When I first started preaching, I had to deal with some difficult problems.
U. Without an eldership, some people were knocking on my door.
V. There were times when I got discouraged.
W. Yet, when I heard about what some other men were facing, the problems I was facing seemed insignificant.
CONCLUSION:
1. Every person at one time or another feels cast down.
2. Not every person deals very well with these occasions.
3. People who do not deal with these times may come away depressed.
4. As Christians, we will at times feel cast down and rejected.
5. When we get in this position, it’s right to ask for and accept help.
6. This is allowing someone to help bear a burden we have, Gal. 6:2.
7. Church members need to be willing to help bear this burden.
8. As a shepherd needs to lift a sheep up on all fours, so Christians need to be lifted up and set back on the path.
9. Restoring souls and being restored are wonderful works.
10. Both parties come away feeling refreshed and full of joy.
11. If you have never helped restore someone, try it.
12. Experience the thrill of getting one of God’s sheep back into the fold.
13. On the other hand, if you are now outside the fold, and you are cast,
14. Tonight help is available.
15. Christians from here will pray for you, study with you, help you.
16. Tonight if this is something that you want to take advantage of…